‘Grimm’ Review: “Bad Moon Rising”

When we last left Detective Nick Burkhardt, his girlfriend Juliette had woken up for her coma but had no idea who Nick is, and it was Captain Renard who cured Juliette, who also turns out to be a monster that's related to a mysterious European. It's been a busy season.

The last episode "The Kiss" sent Nick's mom packing and did a good job of setting the stakes for the season. Does the latest episode offer interesting developments? Read on for your in-depth recap of 'Grimm's "Bad Moon Rising."

The episode begins with the quote "Then she began to weep bitterly, and said, 'What can a poor girl like me do now?'" and goes to a scene where a guest star Gerald argues with his daughter Carly about her heavy high school classload, only for a Coyotl to show up outside. Nick shows up at the hospital, and Juliette doesn't remember him as anything more than the policeman who brought her to the hospital. He shows her some photos from their life, and she remembers everything but Nick, which leaves both a little depressed. Cut back to Carly, and she's grabbed by the Coyotl.

Nick talks to a doctor, who tells him they have no understanding of why her amnesia is selective. Juliette looks at more of the pictures, and is near tears. Carly is bound and dropped in a well, while the kidnappers come across as rednecks. Hank is seeing a shrink about his current emotional problems (he's seen a Blutbad, and doesn't totally believe it himself), but he finds it hard to reveal it to a doctor, and can only say "he changed." He accidentally manhandles his shrink, and she thinks they should go slower. He blames the shooting, and goes back to work.

Nick brings Monroe to the hospital to see if Juliette will remember him. Juliette remembers the dinner with Monroe, but has zero memory of Nick. Nick leaves the two together, which gets awkward for Monroe. Back at the pit, the gang bring Carly out, and the leader of the rednecks - Hayden - reveals that they have history together.

Nick goes to Renard with pictures of Mama Schade, and they talk about her daughter Adalind, and both decide they need to find Adalind. Nick and Hank talk about Hank's issues, and Nick talks to Hank about the weird stuff, while Hank threatens to quit. Nick pulls out the big guns, and seems ready to reveal his secrets. Just then Gerard comes to talk to Hank, and they're old friends. Gerard talks about his daughter and how she's gone missing. It's revealed that the dad is a Coyotl, who Monroe informs Nick are the gang members of the monster world. Monroe also reveals that Coyotls are big on torture and rape rituals, and the ceremony starts with a girl's 17th birthday, which is just how old Carly is.

Back at the police station, Hank talks with his friend about who could kidnap his daughter. When the father and Nick have a moment together, Nick reveals that he's a Grimm, and that he hasn't told Hank about his gift. This makes Gerard reveal the names of his family. They track down a relative who's moved to Portland: Hayden. At Hayden's workplace, Nick and Hank ask for Hayden's address, but there's a Coyotl at the shop. At Hayden's apartment they find dead animals, which makes Hank sick to his stomach, and Hank then finds listings for foreclosed farms. At the farm, the rednecks taunts Carly.

Carly then is cleaned for the ceremony, while Nick and Hank talk to her father, who insists on coming along. Back at the farm, Carly has to put on ceremonial wear and is tied up for the ritual. On the drive to the farm, Hank's friend tries to reveal things about the supernatural world, but is cut off by their arrival. Hayden and his family are sitting outside, and Nick and Hank go over to talk to them. Hayden deflects any questions, and the Gerard runs around the property looking for his daughter. Hanks pursues Gerard, which leaves Nick alone with the gang of Coyotl. Dad finds the ritual props, but not the daughter, who's back in the well.

Bad stuff starts to go down as Hank spots a bike from the auto repair shop and the dad starts to get in a fight with Hayden and his gang, while Nick and Hank pull up Carly from the well. Hayden advises his people to get guns, and they start shooting. With Nick and Hank alone with Carly, she realizes that Nick is a Grim and Coyotls out. FINALLY. Hank pulls a gun on the girl, and Nick gets in the way, and tries to explain things. Hank lowers his gun, and obviously needs a couple drinks. Hayden and his gang say they've got something special for Carly's dad, and the gang transform. Nick gives the big speech to Hank, and reveals his Grimm status. Hayden wants to bargain, and goes into the barn. Showdown time.

Hayden enters creepily, and Hayden thinks he can transform and take them, but Hank punches and cuffs him. Nick asks Carly to scream, and all but one of the gang run into the barn, while Gerard bites the last guy. As Gerard wrestles for the gun, Carly steps in and beats the redneck up. Back at the station, Hank fills out a police report with Carly and Gerard, and he finds it hard to not reveal the whole truth. But Hank gets over it. Nick goes to Hank, and Hank reveals that today is a good day. He feels better, and then Nick gets a call from the hospital. Juliette is being discharged, and Nick takes her home. He tells her he knows it's weird, and Juliette decides to go to bed. Alone.

Though we're big fans of Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell makes the show), this was a good episode for Russell Hornsby's Hank, and necessary. Though Juliette's may never figure out what's really going on with David Giuntoli's Nick, at least Hank now knows, and it's nice to see Nick's circle of trust get a little wider, and will make for some interesting upcoming episodes. Though the reliance on ritualized rape of a young girl was a bit of a turn off (partly because of the subject matter, partly because on network television it's an empty threat), this was a solid episode from 'Grimm'.

What did you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.