Grimm – “Bad Luck” Review. Luck of the Draw.

Season 4, Episode 14

Air Date: Friday, March 20, 2015, 8/7c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“No one is so thoroughly superstitious as the godless man.” – Grimm

After quite a long hiatus, Grimm is back (at a new earlier time), picking up where “Trial by Fire” ended – with Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) revealing herself as a Hexenbiest to her Grimm boyfriend Nick (David Giuntoli). Talk about awkward tension. On top of that, Henrietta (guest star Gabrielle Beauvais), the other Hexenbiest helping Juliette, congratulates Adalind on her pregnancy in the preview clips for “Bad Luck.” So where do we go from here? Let’s begin, shall we?

The way he plays that concertina just before he lops off limbs sends chills down my spine

The way Nigel plays that concertina just before he lops off limbs sends chills down my spine. That axe is pretty gnarly too.

“Bad Luck” presents us with an interesting case of the old superstition – if you carry a rabbit’s foot, you’ll have good luck. Well, not so much for the rabbits that lose their feet to help the rest of the world secure some good fortune. Throughout “Bad Luck,” we meet several new Wesen species, a “Willahara,” a rabbit like creature, and “Vulpesmyrca,” a fox-like creature. Those who hunt Willaharas are known as “Leporem Venators.” The hunter, Nigel (Richard Brake) knows how to wield an axe and play a creepy tune on a concertina. It seems Wesen couples who need help conceiving can purchase the foot of a Willahara (for a hefty fee) to aid them with their fertility.

The anguish Beverly feels seeing her son Peter lying on the ground is heartbreaking.

While investigating the strange death of Peter Bennett (Lucas Adams), a young high school student, Nick notices Peter’s mother Beverly (Romy Rosemont) involuntarily woges while grieving over her son’s death. Brava to Rosemont; I truly was convinced she was mourning the loss of her son. Willahara are nomadic, never staying in one place too long out of fear. She portrays Beverly with the guarded emotions of a woman who’s been on the run her whole life. Beverly is hurting but knows she needs to move on quickly to save herself and her daughter Chloe (Jenessa Grant). And now, with Peter gone, Beverly and Chloe try to pick up the pieces but know they need to leave Portland soon. Note to the writers: Really? You name the kid Peter? Peter, like Peter Rabbit™? While amusing, it’s certainly not original.

When you don’t know what kind of Wesen it is, what do you do? Why, head over to the trailer, of course. Nick, Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) discover the Bennetts are Willahara. They also learn what kind of Wesen is hunting them down and why. The race is on when Chloe is taken by Nigel and our intrepid detectives have no clue where to start looking.

The hunter Nigel takes young Chloe but gets more than he bargains for when she fights back.

This spin “Bad Luck” puts on the lucky rabbit’s foot is quite appalling but if you think about it, people have hunted rabbits in the real world for hundreds of years for their pelts, for food, and yes, their adorable thumpy little feet. I’ll say this for the writers, they aren’t afraid to get gruesome with some of the story lines.

As with all Wesen-related crimes afoot (pun intended) in Portland, Nick calls upon Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) for their assistance, asking them to go undercover at a “Wesen fertility clinic.” Is it just me or has all the criminal activity in Portland of late been Wesen-related? Are there any other humans in Portland besides Hank and Wu? While I love the nature of the show, Grimm should consider adding a bit of humanity back into Portland.

Rosalee and Monroe are such amazing friends to Nick

Turner gives an admirable performance when conveying Rosalee’s disgust for the fertility ritual some Wesens use to have a child. It’s barbaric at best. Rosalee’s conviction is truly commendable and I love how she takes care of nurse Fran (Keiko Green) who tries to flee before the police show up.

Let’s talk about the real crux of “Bad Luck.” Juliette is a Hexenbiest. Nick is a Grimm. Not a match made in heaven now, but there it is. Juliette tells Nick about trying to resolve her ‘biesty’ issues but Henrietta says there is nothing that can be done. Nick learns first hand from Henrietta why a Grimm’s blood won’t fix Juliette like he did with Adalind back in season one in episode “Love Sick.” Nick also gets a lesson in just how seductive a Hexenbiest can be. Henrietta’s naughty, but Nick is hot. But that’s not really the nitty gritty of “Bad Luck.” Though the plot point regarding Juliette and Nick’s future warrants a closer look, I want to know what the hell Adalind is going to do about her pregnancy. (She obviously doesn’t require any Willehara feet to procreate. Is she the most fertile Hexenbiest or what?) We all know whose baby it is. If you didn’t watch the season three finale, read my recap of “Blonde Ambition,” and you’ll understand.

Memorable Lines:

Wu, Wu, Wu – the trailer is not the end all be all…ok, it is pretty cool!

“I’ll hop right on it.” Oh Wu…you crack me up.

“The fresher the foot, the more fertile the female will be. Within three days, conception will occur.” Thanks for reading that out loud, Hank. Getting a great visual right now.

Overall

“Bad Luck” is a good episode but it’s not great. Chasing the creepy hunter in the woods is suspenseful for a minute, and the severed feet are quite disturbing. The most intriguing and captivating moments surround what’s happening with Juliette, Nick, and Adalind. Juliette woges and asks Nick a very important question—one he’s finding difficult to answer at the moment. Come on, Juliette; it’s not fair. You can’t even look at yourself when you’re a Hexenbiest. How is Nick supposed to say “forever” with your wrinkled hand caressing his face?

With Nick and Juliette’s future together uncertain, where will Juliette go now? Will she seek Henrietta’s help to guide her with her new powers? And let’s not forget about Captain SeanRenard’s (Sasha Roiz) gunshot wounds starting to bleed again. What’s up with that? So many great plot points and we still have nearly half a season to go! I’m ready!

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

Tune in to Grimm, Fridays at 8/7c, 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, and @MrReggieLee.

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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.