Grimm – “Death Do Us Part” Recap. Ghost or Wesen?

Season 4, Episode 11

Air Date: Friday, January 23, 2015, 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“He felt now that he was not simply close to her, but that he did not know where he ended and she began.” – Grimm

SPOILERS AHEAD

Portland has constantly been dubbed as “weird” throughout Grimm, and rightfully so. There are Grimms and all kinds of Wesen running around so it seems only natural that other paranormal anomalies might exist in the world. Are ghosts lurking around Portland or is this a case of a unique Wesen wreaking havoc on the “Ghost Seekers,” a local ghost hunting crew?

L-R: Hank, Nick, and Wu investigate a strange homicide involving a local ghost hunter.

“Death Do Us Part” is a fantastic and engaging episode. While most episodes of Grimm pick up where the previous episode left off, I enjoyed the diversion writer Jeff Miller provides in showcasing an amateur ghost hunting team as they investigate the “Donovan house,” a home with a sordid history of deadly consequences. While investigating rumors of ghosts and hauntings, Stetson (Derek Phillips) and Patty Donovan (Caren Calderón), a couple who were electrocuted in their bed, ghost hunter Raymond (Ray Buckley) goes upstairs to the scene of the crime to see if he can get any evidence on camera. The house is abandoned and without power so when the lights begin to flicker and the ceiling fan rotates, Raymond knows something is awry. With fellow “Ghost Seekers” Paul (Shaun Brown) and Carol (Cecily Crow) downstairs, they get a nasty surprise when they hear Raymond screaming. When they run to find him, Raymond is thrown down the stairs by an unseen force, charred beyond recognition, just like the Donovans.

The Donovan homicides were never completely solved. While Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) investigate Raymond’s murder, they find out his death is similar to the Donovans. They learn Patty Donovan was having an affair with Stetson’s business partner, Theo Hinkley (Tabor Helton). When Theo’s wife Lily (Rebecca Wisocky) told Stetson about it, she thought Patty breaking it off with Theo would be the end of it. Is this simply a case of a “love triangle” gone wrong? If Theo couldn’t have Patty for himself, no one would? Did Theo murder Stetson and Patty? If so, whose ghost haunts the Donovans’ home now?

Nick had to pierce his ear and rub a special paste made from frogs to withstand the electricity from the Matança Zumbido.

The answer – there is no ghost, but there is a Wesen —a “Matança Zumbido,” an electric eel type creature with powerful electrocution abilities. The Donovans’ story becomes much more complicated when Nick, Hank, and Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) talk to Lily about the Donovan murders. The one aspect that puzzles me is how quickly Nick mentions the word “Wesen” to Lily before telling her he’s a Grimm. Normally, Nick tries to pry information out of someone or wait until the person slips up and “woges,” revealing their true Wesen nature. Do the writers intend on having Nick continue to use this angle? It seems by doing this, Nick is being more Grimm than police detective. With Portland being the home to many Wesen, maybe it’s not such a bad idea but I can see this causing major problems if Nick crosses the wrong Wesen.

The tactic works and Lily reveals herself to be a “Scharfblicke,” an owl like creature. Lily explains that her husband Theo was also a Scharfblicke and Stetson is a “Matança Zumbido.” It was Theo and Patty who were electrocuted five years ago, not Stetson and Patty as everyone believe. Stetson is still alive, now a vagrant loitering around the property pining for his lost love.

In other story lines, Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) tries to help a desperate Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) with her “Hexenbiest” problem. He contacts Henryetta (guest star Gabrielle Beauvais), a family friend who is quite cryptic and intimidating. How is she able to manipulate the phone number Renard writes down in the restaurant after Juliette memorizes it? Henryetta must be a powerful…well, it’s unclear what Henryetta is, but I’m anxious to find out.

Random Observations

Did you notice who the realtor is on the ‘For Sale’ sign in front of the Donovan house? It’s Suzanne Acker (Maggie Kemper), who we met in last week’s episode, “Tribunal.” I have a feeling the Acker family will be seen again soon.
L-R: Juliette’s powers are easily set off. I hope Renard can help her before someone they know dies.

Juliette can’t control her new powers and it seems, at times, she’s unaware of what she’s doing. The jerk speeding into the restaurant parking lot, nearly running her down, gets his just desserts when Juliette woges and blows up his pretty little Mustang.
The one aspect that sticks out like a sore thumb for me is how easy it is for Juliette to find the book on Hexenbiests in Nick’s trailer. Juliette distancing herself from Nick adds depth to her story line but sooner than later, Nick will find out her secret. The dream she has where Nick cuts off her head – is it simply a nightmare or a premonition?
While I thank Roiz and the writers for the shirtless scene, I’m concerned about Renard’s gunshot wounds bleeding like they are. What is going on? Is it a side effect from being resurrected by his mother Elizabeth (Louise Lombard) using the dual-headed snake at the beginning of the season? Or is something amiss with him because of his recent close proximity to Juliette and her inability to control her powers?

Overall

“Death Do Us Part” provides an exciting and intriguing look at what’s to come with Juliette’s Hexenbiest story line. With Adalind (Claire Coffee) and Prince Viktor (Alexis Denisof) on their way back to Portland, things will surely heat up on that front. Renard’s bleeding wounds are a cause for concern. I wonder whether Elizabeth feels similar pains since she helped bring him back to life. The video of Stetson in his “Matança Zumbido” form that “Ghost Seeker” Paul posts online could bring trouble to Portland. Will outside agencies want to investigate the “weird” things going on in Portland? If so, what effect will that have on Nick and the gang?

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

Tune in to 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, 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.