Grimm "You Don't Know Jack" Review

So, Grimm’s getting going with three episodes remaining in season four. Similar to past seasons, the writers have introduced a villain that will likely tie into the serialized element. Renard continues to dream about waking in pools, his wounds bleeding again, while ugly hands reach for him. The newly arrived serial killer in Portland who is covered in a jacket, the flaps of his collar too high to see his face, most likely has the ugly hands that reach for Renard. The history of the serial killer, a Jack the Ripper type that kills wesen prostitutes, and also hexenbiests, is one history, meaning no one copy-catted him-he’s the same killer, now choosing a random western city in the United States.

“You Don’t Know Jack” is a good episode. I welcome a break from the case-of-the-week once in awhile, and a break always comes during May sweeps. The episode had the darkest comedy in the series to date. Adalind, Rosalee, and Monroe cut out Adalind’s mother’s organs for the cure to hexenbiest insanity. Later, Adalind drank the mixture. Monroe asked how it tasted. Adalind responded, “Like I’m drinking my own mother.” The 8PM timeslot changed in recent years. The ‘drinking your mother’s decayed organs’ dark humor is a little wild, but I loved it. I guffawed during the two scenes. Fine stuff.

The effort, of course, is for naught. Juliette’s an unapologetic villain, inevitable lover of Prince Kenneth, soon-to-be-murderer of someone, and torching the ground from which he friendships were built. The climatic scene of the episode takes place in the spice shop wherein Juliette rejects the drink prepared for her by Rosalee. Adalind drank it, Juliette knows, and she won’t drink what Adalind drank. Adalind’s weaker and easier to kill. Still, Juliette spazzes out. She launched Rosalee into the spice shop shelves. Monroe woged but she tossed him aside. Hank pointed his gun. Nick pointed his gun. Juliette used her wicked powers to turn Nick towards Monroe. The episode cuts to black and then the audience hears the shot. The writers would never kill Monroe. Badly wound him? Yes, I think that’s a possibility. As always with characters turned bad in television the writers will not cross an uncrossable line—and forgive me for reiterating my point from last week—because the next part of Juliette’s arc is redemption, which will be hard, because of what she did in the spice shop, what she’ll do in the final two episodes of the season, and especially when she sleeps with Kenneth.

Juliette, a total villain now, also lured Kelly to Portland after torching the van. The van’s remains, which Hank, Nick, Wu, and Monroe, looked through, took everyone through flashbacks of their first van experiences. The flames did not destroy the valuable books in the van. Again, that’s an example of bold-yet-flaccid storytelling. Juliette burned the most important set in the series, which matters, but the books were rescued. I would’ve liked Greenwalt and Kouf to go all the way with the torching of the van. Destroy the books. Make the characters do everything differently.

Other Thoughts:

-The voice of the Jack the Ripper killer is stupid and great. He’s like Eliza Doolittle’s twin brother or a drunk person’s idea of a British accent.

-Sean Calder & Michael Golamco wrote the episode. Terrence O’Hara directed.