Season 4, Episode 20
Air Date: Friday, May 1, 2015, 8/7c on NBC
Rating:
“Catch me when you can…” – Grimm
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***
Suspense, drama, and death are the stars of “You Don’t Know Jack,” and that’s not even the half of it. A killer, long thought dead, comes back to wreak havoc on Portland’s prostitutes. Sound like someone you’ve heard of before? Could “Jack the Ripper” be a Grimm or even a Wesen? Better yet, is it the devil himself possessing someone to do his bidding?
Burning Down the House…er Trailer
Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) takes the award for bitchiest Hexenbiest in Portland. If she’s so happy with being a Hexenbiest, why retaliate against Nick (David Giuntoli) and burn down his family’s trailer? She knows it’s filled with irreplaceable Grimm artifacts and journals. All the humanity that remains within Juliette – jealousy, betrayal, and loathing – rule her every move. Tulloch’s performance amazes me but I’m an inch away from loathing her. She blames Nick, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), and Rosalee (Bree Turner) for their part in turning her into a Hexenbiest, yet when a solution is offered, she scoffs raving about how she likes who she is now. Make up your damn mind, Juliette; you can’t have your cake, and everyone else’s cake, and eat it too. Thankfully, the entire contents of the trailer aren’t completely destroyed and Nick, Monroe, Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) salvage what they can to take back to The Spice Shop for safe keeping.
Witch’s Brew
Adalind (Claire Coffee) attains the final ingredients needed to finish the Hexenbiest suppressant potion – her deceased Hexenbiest mother’s remains. Adalind’s very belated goodbye speech borders on ridiculous but there are a couple of moments of sincerity, especially when she speaks of baby Diana and her unborn child. The explanation about who the fathers of her two children are is hilarious. Her thank you takes top honors in “You Don’t Know Jack.” “So, thanks mom, for being dead when I need you the most.” Now, all that’s left to be done is to take mommy’s “liver, gall bladder, tongue, and four ribs” to complete the potion. I think I’m going to be sick.
The only way to know if the potion works is to test it…on a Hexenbiest. Adalind takes one for the team and drinks the now clear liquid to make sure it actually works. Before Juliette shows up at The Spice Shop, I knew she wasn’t going to drink the potion. The way she behaves in “You Don’t Know Jack” makes me cringe and want to slap her silly.
Observations
The crime of the week is grisly. Prostitutes, who are also Wesen, are winding up dead in Portland with their throats slashed and uteruses removed. The only thing we can discern about the killer is his thick Old English accent.
The research Nick, Hank, and Monroe do on Jack the Ripper, with what little Grimm journals remain, is quite intriguing. According to a journal entry, a killer exactly like Jack the Ripper existed around 100 years before Jack arrived in London. The Grimm who chronicled the events claims the killer is a soldier who never woged. “Yet, there was something in his eyes as if the devil himself had taken hold of him. That moment, I knew what I had to do, Wesen or not; and even as I plunged my sword into him, he smiled as if death meant nothing to him.” That’s not scary at all (shudder).
Captain Sean Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) wounds are bleeding yet again and he’s waking up from his blackouts in strange places, always near water. First, it was a fountain, and in “You Don’t Know Jack,” Sean is lying face down, fully clothed in a swimming pool. When he seeks help from Henrietta (Garcelle Beauvais), things turn deadly. I wonder what Sean’s mother Elizabeth (Louise Lombard) is going through right now.
I’m torn between Sean or Kenneth (guest star Nico Evers-Swindell) being the new Ripper. If you look closely at the shoes after the killer slices Henrietta’s throat, they sort of look like Sean’s but Kenneth is also wearing similar shoes and darker trousers. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were Kenneth. Side note – the only good thing from Henrietta’s death is that Adalind and Rosalee can make more of the Hexenbiest suppressant.
Speaking of Kenneth, he masterfully manipulates Juliette to send an email to Nick’s mother Kelly (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). With Juliette’s urgent message about Nick being in danger, Kelly is sure to return to Portland. What mother wouldn’t? I have a feeling Kelly knows something isn’t right. And it doesn’t go unnoticed how Kenneth looks at Juliette—I’m sure he’s in awe of both her powers and her beauty. Juliette’s newfound abilities have given her an air of sexy confidence that Kenneth obviously finds attractive but I know he wants something more from her. He wants to use her for her powers to help the Royals, among other things. I want to know three things—is Kenneth a Wesen; if so, what kind? And, when will he be shirtless? Sorry, I’m shameless. Since Roiz hasn’t been fully shirtless in a while, I’m jonesing.
I love Bud (Danny Bruno) but I’m not sure stashing a very pregnant Adalind at his house is the best choice. I know Bud is a loyal friend to Nick but I just don’t think he’ll stand a chance against the new and powerful Juliette.
Overall
“You Don’t Know Jack” is filled to the brim with drama and intrigue. The final scene when Juliette woges and forces Nick to draw his gun on Monroe is nail bitingly intense. As the screen fades to black, only a single gunshot is heard. The previews for the final two episodes have me salivating! I’m shaking my fist at you, Grimm writers, directors, and producers, for making the final episodes of season four so damn enthralling! I’ve forgiven all the filler and dull episodes and am waiting with bated breath for the next two installments. And bonus – Trubel’s (Jacqueline Toboni) is coming back!
What did you think of “You Don’t Know Jack?” 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.
Like Grimm on Facebook.
Follow Grimm on Twitter @NBCGrimm as well as these cast members: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, and @MrReggieLee.
Photos ©2015 NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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