Grimm: Hibernaculum Review

“Ah! It was colder than ice; it penetrated to his very heart.”

The bogeymen-of-the-week is a trio of reptilian brothers fond of making human popsicles of their victims. We meet them en route to their annual hibernaculum pilgrimage on the outskirts of Portland. There’s a slight danger if they don’t make it in time to their sauna-like chamber; they’ll freeze from a lack of body heat. All doesn’t go as planned, as it ought not to on TV and in the movies. The brothers have to separate and search for heart refills.

In the main storyline, Juliette is still without a remedy to reverse her condition. She’s determined to destroy, if not kill, Adalind. Remember, it was Adalind who originally set this all in motion last season when she stripped Nick of his powers.

Juliette didn’t sign up for this, and Team Grimm is no closer to figuring things out. Perhaps Rosalee can conjure up a magical potion from the ingredients in her spice shop. I wouldn’t bet on it at this point in the story. The longer she remains a Hexanbiest, the more difficult it will be to reverse the damage. I think, too, that Juliette is settling into her new skin and role as a powerful badass to be the reckoned with. What might come of this addition to the overall storyline? Will we see Juliette as an ally or scorned enemy for Team Grimm?

Can Juliette lay blame solely at Nick’s feet? Are Rosalee, Monroe and Hank as guilty for supporting Nick’s decision to regain his powers? If so, Elizabeth should also be included on the shortlist because it was her potion and instructions that might have been faulty. She’s obviously not the powerful witch she thought she was. Renard, too, is experiencing hellacious side effects. It’s no wonder she’s left Portland in search of her granddaughter. I wouldn’t put it past the writers that Renard’s magical daughter will factor into fixing his and Juliette’s problems. Why else have Kelly, the baby, and Elizabeth offstage for successive episodes?

I hope my suspicions are correct and viewers are rewarded with a credible solution before the season finale. If not, keeping the various story plot points on a low simmer might result in disbelief and disdain if one of the fires blows out.

The shell game over the last few episodes must pay off to sustain viewer interest. I can understand the desire to do more, something different, with Juliette’s character. However, I hope we get there sooner rather than later.

Everyone except for Juliette, a veterinarian, has something to contribute to the cause of fighting bad guys and keeping order in Portland. If and when Juliette is healed, she’d revert back to being normal and sitting on the sidelines while the others fight on the frontlines. A normal Juliette once again becomes a liability for Team Grimm for those who want leverage. I don’t foresee her learning to shoot a gun or being trained as a Grimm as was Trubel.

Speaking of Trubel, she was useful before as an interim Grimm, but after Nick regained his abilities, she was a third wheel. There are only so many villains per episode for the team to realistically handle, or there’d be double the number of episodes per season. Trubel had to exit stage left to maintain the show’s premise and integrity.

The Juliette-as-Hexanbiest will run its course. How it’s resolved, only the writers know. My vote would be for a modified Juliette if only for her to contribute to the team.

The Varme Tyv in tonight’s episode proved the importance of group survival, and how being on one’s own can lead to their demise. If Juliette isn’t brought back into the fold with their trust and confidence, she’s sure to rise to the top as an adversary. Or perhaps she will become a weapon in their fight against the royal family as they continue their search for Nick’s mother and the baby.