Grimm – “Double Date” Retrospective. Winging It.

Season 4, Episode 15

Air Date: Friday, March 27, 2015, 8/7c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“One could have called that shape a woman or a boy: for it: seemed neither and seemed both.” – Grimm

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

The make-up department really knows how to ugly up the victims. *turns green*

If the above quote isn’t cryptic enough, there are many other mysteries embedded within “Double Date” that will definitely make you go hmm. The title of this week’s Grimm is a bit misleading. Typically, double date implies two couples going out for the evening, but in “Double Date,” the meaning is more … well, it’s duplicitous to the nth degree.

When Cody Carson (Brian Allard), a businessman from Maine, is found dead outside a condominium complex, it appears to be a robbery gone bad. But the way he dies is quite peculiar. Mimicking what looks like an acid burn, it seems Cody was killed by a “skin eating bacteria.” I agree with Captain Sean Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) statement, “It sounds Wesen to me.” Some of the crimes showcased in Grimm take a back seat to the main story lines of our principal characters, but the way Cody is killed and the type of Wesen causing his death are so unique and intriguing, it almost takes center stage in “Double Date.”

Stacy isn't just hiding her girlish figure under that dress.

Cody learns a deadly lesson about infidelity when he tries to strong arm Stacy.

Cody should have known better than to trust a lovely woman crying into her martini. Stacy (Brianna Lane) has an agenda and it doesn’t involve sleeping with a married businessman. Enter Stacy’s husband Linus (Mark Famiglietti). But there is a twist to this sordid love triangle. Do you notice we never see Stacy and Linus together in the same room? While there are hints Stacy is perhaps avoiding Linus, there is more to this odd couple than meets the eye. This part is explained when Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) go to the Grimm trailer to do some research on the type of Wesen that killed Cody.

Again, makeup department did an excellent job of making the Huntha Lami Muuaji so unnerving.

Again, the makeup department did an excellent job of making an unnerving looking Wesen.

I must give props to the production team. The intricate layers within the Grimm trailer are truly a wondrous sight to behold. The details, sketches, and everything written in the Grimm journals are fascinating and intricately orchestrated to play a vital role in solving Wesen crimes. When Hank finds a “Grimm medical book,” he recites the information about a particular kind of Wesen. “I think this is what we’re looking for. It’s a Huntha Lami Muuaji, some kind of wormy Wesen. ‘Much like the flat worm, Platyhelminthes, the epidermis of the Huntha Lami Muuaji secretes enzymes that feed on its host’s skin.’ … This is kind of interesting – ‘Huntha Lami Muuaji always travel in pairs—one female, one male—but no female has ever been captured or killed. Males are extremely dangerous. Decapitation upon contact is the best course to take. Unlike other Wesen, the Huntha Lami Muuaji appear to have only one Wesen state visible to all, but whoever has seen it has died.’” Wow! In researching flat worms, the Huntha Lami Muuaji aren’t flat, per se. When Linus woges, he turns into what I would describe as a giant, slimy earth worm, which is quite disgusting actually. But the real conundrum is figuring out why no one ever finds Stacy and Linus together. The revelation of that is the biggest case of identity crisis you’ve ever seen.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Jumbo darts should do the trick.

Instead of lopping off Linus’ head as the medical book suggests, Nick consults Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) about how to solve this wriggly problem. They need Linus more than Stacy since he “is the one with a criminal record.” Rosalee suggests a unique and impressive way to solve this problem by using “hormone therapy.” But you feel empathy for Linus when he’s unable to woge. His inability to grasp that he and Stacy are one, literally, is a bit heartbreaking. Bravo to Famiglietti for his performance as Linus. The way he says “What did you do with Stacy? I can’t find her,” it’s almost as though he thinks she’s a separate entity that lives in his plane of existence. As he calls out, “Stacy, Stacy,” the tragedy that he may never see her again sinks in and Famiglietti’s facial expression conveys the utmost despair and desperation.

Observations

Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) treads on dangerous ground when she invites herself to Sean’s place as his new, unwanted roommate. But Sean needs Juliette at the moment to help him open the book Adalind (Claire Coffee) used to cast the spell on Nick back in season three. Juliette isn’t seeing clearly and is blinded by her newfound Hexenbiest status, and rightly so. Could you imagine transforming into something so hideous? Sean’s words provide no comfort. “Well, you do have abilities that defy explanation. How you learn to use them will determine what you become.” Wait, but isn’t she a Hexenbiest? Does he mean whether she’ll be good or bad? He continues, “You’re more than I’ll ever be. The way this happened to you, you’re one of kind. Now, I don’t know what that means ultimately.” Great pep talk, Sean.

Thank you to the powers that be for giving us a shirtless Roiz more than once in “Double Date,” though I’m quite concerned about his gunshot wounds bleeding again. If his wounds aren’t really bleeding, where is all the blood coming from? I know this has something to do with the dual-headed snake ritual Sean’s mother Elizabeth (Louise Lombard) used to help save his life at the beginning of the season. Let’s hope the book Juliette opens will have answers for him.

The King (guest star Dan Kremer) is in Portland. No big fan fare for Sean’s father’s arrival? The mysterious way he ushers an unseen Prince Viktor (Alexis Denisof) out of the hotel suite gives me pause. What is the King doing in Portland and why is he so protective of Adalind? We know he has a soft spot for Hexenbiests – just ask Elizabeth.

And after three pregnancy tests, it’s confirmed – Adalind is definitely pregnant. Now what to do is a whole other dilemma. With Viktor gone, she can’t give her unborn child a “new father” as she hoped. Is Viktor some type of Wesen? It’s never been confirmed the royal family are Wesen but their involvement in Wesen affairs is quite extensive so I’m making a wild guess they are; they just haven’t revealed themselves yet. Regardless, Adalind, a Hexenbiest, is carrying a baby with Grimm blood. Very interesting.

Overall

“Double Date” is a perplexing and engaging episode. While the wormy Wesen case takes precedence, the underlying stories involving our main characters are still brewing under the surface. What will Nick do when he finds out where Juliette is staying? Will Sean’s mother return to help her son or is she experiencing residual effects of her own? What do you think Juliette is going to do when she discovers Adalind is carrying Nick’s baby? The drama continues.

What did you think of “Double Date?” 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.