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Not So Little Blue Men – Are Aliens Invading Portland? Retrospective: Grimm – “Endangered”

Season 2, Episode 19

Air Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2013, 10/9c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“They’ll kill you, and I’ll be here in the woods all alone and abandoned.” —Grimm

The quotes at the beginning of each episode always fascinate me and admittedly, I search online to find out which tale the quotes originate from. It turns out this particular quote is from “Little Brother and Little Sister,” by the Brothers Grimm. Of course, “Endangered” doesn’t quite start out with adorable siblings trotting off into the woods. Instead, we get a glowing blue creature mutilating cows in a pasture. Immediately, I’m drawn in and anxious to find out who and what this luminescent creature is.

I’m digging the fascinating new Wesen that are being featured on the show! This is a Glühenvolk

There are three key story lines in this episode — blue guy who’s extracting cow ovaries (Yes, ovaries! What a waste of all that prime sirloin! *smacks lips*); Nick (David Giuntoli) finally telling Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) (after Nick Fuchsbau-blocked him) about the key he inherited from his aunt—something Monroe knows more about than Nick could have imagined; and lastly, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) remembering an entire evening with Nick, including her love for him… with a catch. But isn’t there always a catch?

Let’s begin with Nick and Monroe. Poor Monroe; talk about Wesen-Block (aka c**k block). I hope Monroe doesn’t get blue balls…all puns intended. I digress. The key is crucial to Grimms and Wesens alike. We learn there are seven keys – the Royals have four, Nick has one, and the other two are unaccounted for. I wonder if Nick’s mom knows where they are. Maybe she traded those coins for a key. I digress, again. The keys each form a stamp of a piece of a map leading to a treasure of unknown size and value. With all seven keys, the map is complete. Monroe recognizes part of the map that Nick’s key represents as being in the Black Forest in Germany. Interesting. I’ve always wanted to visit Germany. Have you noticed the details of all the old artifacts and objects Monroe has in his home? The set designers have done such a wonderful job with the level of detail they put into the show and each episode. From the strangely beautiful clocks Monroe fixes to the old, intricate map he pulls from a drawer, the attention to detail really stands out.

Nick, Monroe, and Rosalee discover the existence of Glühenvolk in Portland…I guess they aren’t extinct after all.

What I have been waiting to see is the conversation between Nick and Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) about the key. Sean knows much more than can be revealed in an episode.

Sean: “It took {the Royals} 600 years to get three more keys.”

Nick: “So, what’s worth all that?”

Sean: “Well, it depends on which legend you believe. In one, it’s the secret of alchemy; in another, everlasting life. The third has a dissociation of the Prophet Mohammad’s sword, which apparently holds a great deal of power. And lastly, the nails that secured Christ to the cross and possibly some of those pieces of the cross itself, they were said to hold immense power, too.”

I’m riveted with curiosity now, and look forward to Sean’s half-brother Eric (guest star James Frain) bringing his Royal posterior to Portland. He’s the only Royal we’ve really seen and I’m just ready to see Frain again. I’ve adored him since he played Forney in the movie Where the Heart Is. And he kicked ass as the vampire Franklin Mott on True Blood.

Juliette: I have to agree with her assessment of her situation – she’s changed since the cat scratch/coma incident but after remembering how much she loved Nick at one time, doesn’t that make her want to try to talk to him again? Her visit to Monroe to discuss the possibility of Nick not having the same feelings or the level of intensity as he once had seems a bit odd to me. I know she trusts Monroe but why is she so afraid to talk to Nick? Perhaps it’s because she remembers him mentioning the word ‘Grimm’ to her. I know Nick and Juliette being apart moves their individual story lines forward somewhat, but eventually the writers need to decide whether these two former lovebirds will nest again . My guess is when Juliette finally kisses Nick once more, her memories will begin to surge back and she’ll remember everything. For better or worse, I’m ready for it because this is getting boring. Maybe they should let Juliette become a bad ass veterinarian and work on Wesen creatures. Huh?

Monroe and Nick help support Jocelyn (guest star Erin Way) while Rosalee helps with the birthing

Finally, we close with the captivating (and glowing) blue creature. Vincent (guest star Eric Teide) and his beloved Joceyln (guest star Erin Way) are known as Glühenvolk. As legend has it, these Wesen were thought to be extinct after they were slaughtered for their luminous hides. A self-proclaimed UFO-ologist, George Lazure (guest star Mark Fullerton), is hot on their trail but he’s up to something other than trailing after little green (or, in this case, blue) men. George is a Raub-Condor Wesen. He’s a poacher hunting Vincent and Joceyln, and she just happens to be very pregnant and ready to give birth to a baby Glühenvolk. I love the camaraderie shown when George corners everyone in the small cabin while Rosalee (Bree Turner), Monroe, Nick, and Vincent help Jocelyn during the birthing process. It’s a Wesen free-for-all when Monroe changes, and then Rosalee transforms and asks how much her pelt is worth. It culminates when Nick asks, “How about a Grimm?” All in all, “Endangered” is an exciting episode with a very interesting ending.

Next week’s clip looks scandalously good when Nick ends up lip locked with another woman. Will Juliette finally put aside her pride and tell Nick she remembers something about their love to save him or will her kiss fizzle out?

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Tune in to Grimm on its new night and time: Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

For more on the show, go to http://www.nbc.com/grimm/.

Like Grimm on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NBCGrimm.

Follow Grimm on Twitter @NBCGrimm.

Follow these cast members on Twitter: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, and @MrReggieLee.

Photos © 2013 NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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.

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.