‘Grimm’ Review: “Quill”

When we last left Detective Nick Burkhardt, he had finally let his partner Hank into his secret life as a Grimm, while Juliette had come home but still had no memories of Nick.

The last episode "Bad Moon Rising" was one of the better episodes because something game-changing happened in a way that can't be forgotten. But how will that translate to future episodes, like tonight's episode "Quill?" Read on for your in-depth recap of 'Grimm's "Quill."

The episode opens with the quote "Death stood behind him, and said: 'Follow me, the hour of your departure from this world has come'" as rock music blares. We see a Parks and Recreations worker get rear-ended by a speeding car. The Parks and Rec guy goes to check on the person who hit him, and the driver is covered in sores and acts like a zombie by trying to eat him, but the Parks and Rec guy is a were-porcupine, so he's able to push him off. The zombie then breaks into a building.

Cut to Nick explaining to Hank about his whole world of Grimm life, and he tells Hank to be ready. Juliette looks through their closet trying to find clues, while Monroe prepares a special picnic basket for a date with Rosalee when Juliette calls asking hoping for answers to which Monroe has none. Nick and Hank are called to the traffic accident, and the two follow the zombie's tracks, where he's wrecked an office. The two find the zombie guy, who's also a were-rat, and Nick can sense that there's something extra-weird about him, even after they kill him.

Going over the body, they suggest he was stabbed by needles, and Hank is still working through the grimm stuff, while the Parks and Rec guy acts a little off, suggesting the infection has spread. Nick and Hank report to Captain Renard and both are grasping at straws. Renard then gets a call from the families, suggesting a Nuckelavee is being sent to get Nick's very important key, but Renard says he won't let that happen.

Monroe calls Nick just as he shows up at Monroe's, and Nick wants to talk about Hank and that he told Hank about everything. Monroe doesn't like it at first, but warms to the idea. Monroe tells Nick that Juliette called, and it doesn't help things, so Nick bolts while Monroe freaks out about the Hank thing. Juliette then flashes to events that had something to do with Nick but he wasn't present for (specifically one of the beaver people cowering at Nick's Grimm powers), and then Nick comes home so the two hang out in the kitchen, and it goes poorly. Renard alerts a cop about the suspected foreigner/Nuckelavee, while the Parks and Rec guy has a nightmare and guess what? He's got sores now too.

Rosalee goes to her store and it looks like there's been a break in, but it turns out that the cat has wreaked havoc on the store, so Rosalee lets it out to the streets. Monroe shows up and suggests they don't look for the cat and instead asks her out on for a picnic. Monroe is bashful, but Rosalee says yes. Finally. Juliette flashes to more stories involving the beaver people's gifts, while Renard checks the web for details on Nick's parents' death and also gets news about the Nuckelavee that's come to town. Monroe and Rosalee go to picnic at the exact same location the Parks and Rec guy shows up at with full blown sores. Nick and Hank go to the zombie guy's autopsy, and are told that the dead person has something like the Ebola virus, and once outside Hank theorizes it might be a beast only thing. There we also get a look at the Nuckelavee, who is now on the tail of Nick and Hank.

Juliette goes to visit the Beaver guy Bud to ask about her relationship with Nick. Bud mentions that Nick's a Grimm, and when it's apparent that Juliette doesn't know what that means, Bud freaks out and leaves. Sgt. Wu delivers the exposition about the dead guy's wife, and Nick decides to go to his RV for Grimm clues, while Hank does real police footwork. Nick - of course - finds some drawings that describe exactly the yellow plague that's causing this, and it seems to be pig-related. Sgt. Wu goes to the dead guy's wife's home, and finds it a mess. Wu finds the wife's wallet and her acting like a zombie. Wu shoots her dead. Back at the picnic, Rosalee needles Monroe about their "date," and Monroe deflects a little, and then the two flirt. And just when they're about to kiss, Parks and Rec guy shows up to ruin everything. Monroe knocks the guy cold, but they're being chased and are able to drive away.

Nick and Hank meet Wu at the scene, and Wu explains what happened. Nick suggests they check on the Parks and Rec guy, and finds some pig-based lab work. Nick and Hank then get a radio call alerting them to the Parks and Rec guy acting up. Monroe and Rosalee go back to her store and start to pick up where they left off and the two finally, finally kiss. Monroe say "Wow" and the two start getting hot and heavy when Monroe's phone rings, and it's Nick. Rosalee starts kissing Monroe when he answers, and it's the highlight of the episode as his voice falters a little as he says hello. Nick tells Monroe about the yellow plague and Rosalee is acting really horny, licking Monroe's fingers, while she agrees that there's a cure for the disease, and Monroe notes the libido kicks in when the disease starts to work. Monroe then puts two and two together that Rosalee trying to jump him has to do with her having the yellow plague. Back at the forest the Parks and Rec guy emerges from the woods, and looks ready to kill Nick and Hank, but then passes out. Monroe tries to get Rosalee to calm down, but the symptoms are kicking in, and they look for the cure, while Rosalee tells Monroe he's got to fix the cure himself and Rosalee asked to be tied down, but Monroe doesn't hear.

Monroe works as fast as he can, and then Nick and Hank bring the Parks and Rec guy to Rosalee's shop, only for for Rosalee to jump out a window. Monroe gives the Parks and Rec guy the cure, while Nick chases after Rosalee, who has gone insane. Rosalee charges Nick, but fortunately he just knocks her cold. Nick brings Rosalee back to the shop, and the men give her the cure, and wait. With the wait, Monroe admits he hit Hank in the park. Monroe goes to check on Rosalee, and she says that Monroe saved her. She then asks if they kissed, and Monroe admits they did, while she suggests that - yeah- they're probably kind of dating, all while the Nuckelavee watches.

One of the underlying dramas of the last couple episodes of 'Grimm' has been if Monroe and Rosalee were ever going to do anything about it. As Bree Turner's Rosalee is still a special guest star, it's not above a show like this to build a romance, and then kill off the love interest. In some ways we'd welcome that with Juliette - who's become the least interesting thing about any episode. For finally paying off episodes of sexual tension "Quill" was one of the best episodes so far as it gave us something that we wanted from the show in a way that didn't feel cutesy (even if Monroe, who's been with biker chicks before, acted like a high school Freshman), and now that Hank is in on the game, his character doesn't feel as superfluous as he has in previous episodes. The idea of him trying to keep up is fun. 'Grimm' works best as a serial adventure, and though the yellow plague elements of the story were more perfunctory than many of the past episode's weekly event - at least if it doesn't lead to something bigger - that it finally gave Monroe and Rosalee their moment together made this work. But with a killer spying on them from above, we may yet see this love story torn apart.

What say you? What did you think of this week's episode of 'Grimm'? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.