Grimm – “A Reptile Dysfunction” Review. Feeling Waterlogged.

Season 5, Episode 8

Air Date: Friday, February 5, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“A sucker is born every minute.” – Grimm

“A Reptile Dysfunction” sort of lives up to its moniker; like erectile dysfunction, this episode doesn’t quite get going like it should. I was excited for the prospect of a Loch Ness type Wesen but this scaly amphibian known as a “Wasser Zahne” leaves a lot to be desired. While the whole “lake monster of Diamond Lake” plot point doesn’t float my boat, there are other aspects of “A Reptile Dysfunction” that do.

Isn’t Trubel’s room…cozy? Nothing says ‘home’ like automatic weapons hanging on the wall.

Throughout the episode, we learn a few things about the secret organization Meisner (Damien Puckler) works for and get a deeper look inside the bunker he currently calls home. The specialized task force that recruited both Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) and the new Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), now known as Eve, is supposedly a highly top secret division of the federal government. Of course it is. Have you noticed that anytime something goes awry, the government always seems to have a huge part in the conspiracy? I digress. The nefarious group known as “Black Claw” knows no bounds, causing mayhem on a global scale. The task force is in the process of trying to recruit Nick (David Giuntoli) but I’m not sure he’s sold on the idea of working for them. Eve really needs to work on her people skills. I don’t know what Meisner did to break her, but she’s definitely not Juliette anymore. Her icy comment to Nick about her “only regret” being that he didn’t get to “bury Juliette” feels like a slap in the face. I’m curious to see how Tulloch will continue to play this character. Will Eve ever soften or will she remain a stone cold…witch?

So Eve wanted to "test" Nick to see if he was ready...I think he's still trying to get over the face that you killed his mother and nearly killed him. Might take a minute...

So Eve wanted to “test” Nick to see if he was ready…I think he’s still trying to get over the face that she killed his mother and nearly killed him. Might take a minute…

As I mentioned in my review of “Eve of Destruction,” I think something is afoot with mayoral candidate Andrew Nixon (Michael Sheets) and his entire campaign staff, especially publicist Rachel Wood (Anne Leighton). She has eyes for Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) and makes no bones about it. Although, it’s not clear how Sean feels about her forwardness. It’s interesting that in every speech he gives, Sean steers clear from making it personal by not saying ‘I’ or ‘we’ when endorsing Nixon. If Sean has such reservations, I wonder why he’s going through the motions of backing Nixon at all. Does Sean suspect something that has yet to be revealed? I have a feeling Black Claw has their paws all over Nixon’s campaign funding.

Overall

The "lake monster" murders are not as interesting as I hoped they would be. I guess I'm desensitized to crime after all the other Wesen debauchery that's happened.

The “lake monster” murders are not as interesting as I hoped they would be. I guess I’m desensitized to regular crime after all the other Wesen debauchery that’s happened.

I’m slightly disappointed with “A Reptile Dysfunction” as a whole. There are some intriguing moments, including learning what happened to Nick’s mother Kelly’s (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) remains. But other than getting a glimpse into the special task force, I’m not impressed with how this episode plays out. The whole lake monster scam and one greedy brother plot point just feels disjointed. The so-called monster, Logan Cobb (David Figlioli), turns out to be nothing more than a drunk looking to fuel his habit. “A Reptile Dysfunction” feels like a filler episode with only a few interesting story lines that move the secret task force arc further. I need to know more about Black Claw and its members, and the reasons for their anarchy. I also need to learn more about Meisner, including who he really is and how he transformed Juliette into Eve. I’ll wait (im)patiently for the mystery to unravel.

And I’m not sure what the writers are angling for with Rosalee’s (Bree Turner) story line. All these letters from a mystery guy in her past are beginning to irritate me as much as they annoy Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell). Get on with it already. Turner gave us some leads during my interview with her at SDCC last year (click here for the video) but with a possibly 22 episodes this season, who knows when we’ll find out about the mysterious man from Rosalee’s past.

What did you think of “A Reptile Dysfunction?” Leave me a comment below or tweet me at @judybopp. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Tune in to the Grimm, Fridays at 9/8c, only on NBC.

For more on the show, go to the official site.

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Follow Grimm on Twitter @NBCGrimm, as well as these cast members: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, @MrReggieLee, @ClaireCoffee @RealBreeTurner, and @DamienPuckler.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.