Review: Grimm, S2, Ep. 207 – “The Bottle Imp”
Air Date: Friday, October 12, 2012 9/8c on NBC.
Rating:
“’Let me out, let me out,’ the spirit cried. And the boy, thinking no evil, drew the cork out of the bottle.” —Grimm
Oh, Grimm, you fooled me with your TV promo of Juliette’s (Bitsie Tulloch) memories of Nick (David Giuntoli) returning but alas, this was just a ruse. However, “The Bottle Imp” does give me something I’ve been waiting for – an encounter between Juliette and Cpt. Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz).
Let’s ignore the title of the episode and the misleading Grimm quote because if you thought there was going to be a genie in a bottle, you’re going to be disappointed. But, there is an imp…sort of, but I think the politically correct terminology is little person. So now that we have cleared our minds of delusions of Aladdin’s magic lamp, we can focus on the main plot points of the story: Juliette seeing Sean in person; Hank (Russell Hornsby) getting the grand tour of Nick’s trailer filled to the brim with ancient and wickedly fascinating Grimm artifacts; and Sean receiving an interesting call from an old and familiar friend.
Observations:
Such a lovely dream-mare, Nick…but Juliette still doesn’t remember you.
While I hoped for Juliette’s memory to return, I have a feeling that won’t happen anytime soon now that she’s seen Sean again. I don’t think they had much interaction prior to her mysterious coma, but since it was Sean’s kiss that awakened her, it looks like things are going to get very interesting. The pause in answering Sean’s benign question clues us in that Juliette remembers something about Sean. But, I’m not sure I’m going to trust Grimm’s misleading NBC promos anymore. All the scenes of clothes falling to the floor and talk about obsessive behavior may be nothing more than a dream sequence of the person’s greatest desire. Tsk. Tsk. Poor Nick. Waking up from his dream-mare to realize the woman he loves still has no idea who he is and what they had together must really be agonizing to endure day in and day out.
***
While we’re on the subject of unrequited love, Sean gets a call from the jaded and vengeful Adalind (Claire Coffee). Is that the Paris skyline I see out her hotel window? Hmm, I guess she’s going for the real kick below the belt by going overseas to perhaps pay a visit to Sean’s family. But despite her aggressive interrogation regarding who killed her mother, it seems Sean’s mind is elsewhere. Adalind’s comment, that Sean is the only one who could have awoken Juliette, is quite curious. What I don’t understand is why Sean told her Juliette was awake. He was looking for a certain reaction but I don’t think he got what he wanted. I love Roiz’s cool demeanor with Adalind as she throws out trivial but cryptic and potentially dangerous questions and comments, but it’s his ability to seamlessly crumble after seeing Juliette’s name all over his computer screen that captivates me. Did he type that subconsciously?
***
Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) is holding down the spice shop for Rosalee (Bree Turner) but when she calls in a special order, Monroe gets himself into a tiny (no pun intended) bit of trouble. Mitchell is definitely the comic relief in this episode. The way he asks Rosalee about potential mixing the wrong ingredients is subtly humorous, which fits perfect for the situation.
Monroe: “Just wondering, on the scale of terrible, like one to ten…”
Rosalee: “11.”
If you didn’t know, Turner is pregnant in real life and I asked her at Comic Con how it was going to play into her story line, especially since her character is getting more romantic with Mitchell’s character. I think Rosalee being away helping her sick aunt is the perfect way to help hide Turner’s growing baby bump until she gives birth. I’m patiently waiting to see where Rosalee and Monroe’s relationship will lead. I really do enjoy the slower pace of their romance. Monroe seems very old school when it comes to courting a woman.
***
Hank gets the grand tour but discovers that all the Grimm-ly stuff has been going on for quite a while.
Hank gets an up close and personal look inside Nick’s trailer, which serves to confirm that everything Nick’s told him is real on a much larger scale than he realized. As Hank thumbs through ancient books to help Nick figure out what the Wesen of the week is (a “Drang-Zorn”), he comments, “I gotta say man, you’ve been living one weird life.” The strong bond of friendship between Hank and Nick is amazing and feels so natural. Sometimes with buddy-cop television series, you don’t always feel genuine chemistry. I think this is one aspect of the series that makes everything gel together so well. Not just with Nick and Hank, but with the entire cast.
***
Kids are always scarier than adults… brilliant job by Jade Pettyjohn.
The case this week was not as engaging as I hoped. However, I must commend the actress Jade Pettyjohn, who plays the young Drang-Zorn child April. She is phenomenal, especially when she switches from a normal sweet looking little nine year old to the psychopath she truly is. I always find children to be scarier than adults because they still have that façade of innocence about them. Don’t be fooled…her bark and her bite are equally dangerous.
Tune in to Grimm, Fridays at 9/8c 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 http://twitter.com/NBCGrimm.
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Photos © 2012 NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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