Grimm "Hibernaculum" Review

The “Hibernaculum” case-of-the-week introduced new wesen-the name for the wesen I forget-that freeze to death in any weather and at any time. Nick and Hank catch the wesen that murdered a woman in the teaser. They found him before the end of act one. By act two, Nick and Hank investigate the murderer’s stolen vehicle and find evidence that two of his brothers continue to roam Portland and the surrounding suburbs of Portland. The quick solution to the home invasion murder was a welcomed departure from the formula of Grimm. Perhaps the rest of the episode would center on Juliette, her brief renewed fling with Renard, and the difficulty Nick has now that she’s changed. Alas, the two brothers kept the case going. The case-of-the-week dissolved into a dewy mess, which is not the best metaphor for characters that freeze to death. The case-of-the-week narrative did not freeze. The writers seemed unsure about why they introduce the stories of these specific wesen and their quest for hibernaculum.

“Hibernaculum” does have an ambivalent quality. The case-of-the-week is thoughtful. Near the end of the episode, Nick, Hank, Wu, and Monroe, almost watch the hibernaculum freeze to death after leaving their underground hibernation basement. Monroe thought it’d be hard to spin a mass death. The four men bring everyone back. The third and final brother is found dead in a cab, the cab he stole after killing a cabman as he fought death.

Monroe gave the exposition about the wesens of the week. Rosalee added annotations to Monroe’s expository dialogue. He explained that they lead harmless lives and only act when very cold. These wesen are powerless against nature-and even at a disadvantage. Balmy temperatures will not provide them the warmth they need to live. So, they kill. There’s not much more to the characters beyond Monroe’s explanation, the three brothers, and the damned hibernaculum. Of the three brothers, two reluctantly kill, and one cannot kill because of weakness caused by the intense cold. Besides the two driven to kill because of the biological insistence to survive, they’re a sympathetic wesen, deserving of the human kindness afforded them by the good guys, the heroes.

Juliette, who’s not involved in the case, tried to kill Adalind, and then retreated to the apothecary where she hoped for aid; instead, she ran into Nick. She became resentful, angry, and lashed out at her friends. Juliette told Rosalee that she’s losing herself because of her experience. Similarly, Monroe momentarily loses himself. As he works on an old clock, he remembers the wesenrein. Rosalee walks into the house and sees a woged Monroe. Monroe lies to her about feeling frightened about their time running out in the future before he tells her he had traumatic memories of his traumatic experience with the wesenrein. Rosalee soothes him with a simple truth (truths, more specifically). Monroe didn’t die that night. Their time together didn’t end that night. She loves him. Might Grimm have more for the story? Might his terror have only happened for an instant to show the strong, committed bond between husband and wife in contrast to the conflict experienced by Juliette and Nick? Nick remembered his Aunt Marie advising him to leave Juliette in the “Pilot” because his life would not and could not coexist with hers. Juliette went to Renard. They kissed. It seems she needs the devoted, unconditional love of Nick to fight through her hexenbiest transformation, which includes an aggressive impulse and desire to murder another person. Yes, she needs from him that word known to all men.

Other Thoughts:

-I’m waiting for the episode when Nick and Hank pursue what they think is a wesen case but is a normal, ho-hum case. Hm. That could be my spec script for my inevitable jump to TV writing. No one reading steal my idea.

-Kenneth is inactive this episode. He threatened Adalind, but he rejected her request for him to kill Juliette. Kenneth listed reasons, all fine reasons, but he’s already becoming the third ineffective Prince.

-Michael Golamco wrote the episode. John Behring directed. Behring has directed every CW series.