Grimm review – 4×19: ‘Iron Hans’

This Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) situation is getting out of hand and we love it!

Let’s bitch it out…

All hail Juliette – the baddest bitch in Portland. I have got to hand it to the Grimm writers, they have turned one of the show’s least popular characters into one of its best assets. The decision to transform Juliette into Grimm‘s primary antagonist is paying off like gangbusters.

I’ve been wondering if at some point someone is going to put the brakes on the situation. After all, this is someone who has been a part of the core cast for four seasons and the writers have spent a considerable amount of time making us invest in her relationship with Nick (David Giuntoli). The switch from veterinarian to Hexenbiest has made Juliette infinitely more interesting, but as her actions become more and more malicious, the likelihood of realistically pulling her back from the brink becomes smaller and smaller. At this point it’s becoming increasingly likely that Juliette will be killed before the end of the season.

‘Iron Hans’ does cast one small sliver of doubt on that, though. Adalind (Claire Coffee) drops the pregnancy bombshell on the rest of the cast when she appears at the police precinct seeking protection…and offers a solution to save Juliette. The dialogue is very careful to couch the solution in protective terms, so this cure “may” work. Still, every scene that we spend with Rosalee (Bree Turner) confirms that she’s no closer to a solution which shifts Adalind from main adversary to necessary collaborator. There’s always dramatic weight to be mined in pairing up enemies and the scene in Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) office is testament to this. Nick’s visible discomfort with Adalind’s demands for help, especially when she encourages him to put his hand on her belly, are great for helping to sell this uneasy alliance.

Still, it all comes down to Juliette. Her confrontation with the pair in the hallway is tense and combustible. I spent the whole time waiting to see if Juliette would try to take everyone on, but in the end she opts to threaten and leave, saving her revenge for one of the most personalized attacks that the series has ever done. That’s right, in the closing scene, Juliette enters the RV and gleefully lights it on fire. In the process she destroys centuries of accumulated knowledge…and immediately rises to the top of the show’s most dangerous villains. No single act has ever been so destructive to Nick’s cause and, if the writers play this card right, this act could have a massive impact on the future of the series. Without the ability to research, Nick may now be going into situations blind. Let’s hope that the situation is handled with the appropriate gravity moving forward.

For now, however, let’s bend the knee to our new dark queen. Who would have thought we’d be praising Juliette when this season begin?!

Other Observations:

• I can buy Prince Kenneth’s (Nico Evers-Swindell) motivation to bail Juliette out of jail and sic her on Nick and the others, but I don’t totally buy that Adalind would immediately run to them. A further scene with Kenneth where he refuses to protect her would have been helpful.
• There’s good comedy in the reactions of both Renard and Nick when Adalind reveals her pregnancy, even if they do skirt the line of slut shaming. Adalind’s exasperated reaction to their bewildered “who’s the daddy?” inquiries takes the sting out, and – most importantly – things become more serious when she reiterates that all of their present difficulties stem from stealing baby Diana. It’s good that that plot point, unlike several other dropped Grimm story lines, has remained a serious bone of contention.
• The case of the week is a rather lightweight affair, even if camp Iron Hans does offer another glimpse into Wesen rituals. This season has done a good job of fleshing out the rules and rites that govern the Wesen world and an educational camp for boys that prepares them for their first woge is interesting…in theory.
• In reality, however, it’s a bit dull. Maggie (Hillary Tuck) is pretty clearly the villain from the moment we see her and as the patriarch, Jeff Fahey is underused. Still, there’s a connective thread between Maggie’s desire for power and inclusion resulting in her downfall to Juliette’s ongoing struggle, especially the new Hexenbiest’s assurances to her former friends that she relishes her corruptive power.
• Finally, Renard is still having blackouts that may or may not involve assaults. Umm…I still have nothing to say about this story line.

Best Lines:

• Hank: “I was just waiting for you to say we need Monroe.” Nick: “We need Monroe.”
• Adalind (hearing about Juliette in jail): “Things are going to get worst before they get…really bad”
• Renard (when Nick looks at him after Adalind reveals her pregnancy): “That’s not mine.”
• Renard (to Adalind): “As long as we’re digging up the past, we might as well dig up your mother.”
• Rosalee (when Adalind walks into the Spice Shop): “Oh my god… <sees Adalind’s belly> Oh my god!”

Your turn: are you loving Juliette’s turn to the dark side? Can you believe that she burned the RV?! Are you excited to see Adalind work with Nick? Do you care about Renard’s weird black-outs? Sound off below

Grimm airs Fridays at 8pm EST on NBC. Please note that there won’t be a review next week, which sucks because it looks like things are getting crazy