Grimm season 4 episode 12 review: Marechaussee

This review contains spoilers.

4.12 Marechaussee

Grimm is all about delayed gratification.

When Prince Viktor revealed last week that he and Adalind would be heading back to Portland as part of their hunt for baby Diana, many fans must have been hoping this week we’d be treated to the long-awaited showdown between Adalind and new super-Hexenbiest, Juliette.

Alas, we have to hold for another week before these two face off (literally).

But what we did witness in this episode was a dramatic display of Juliette’s new, deadly powers. After turning to newcomer Henrietta for help last week, Juliette is told that her powers are different – and potentially far more powerful – that your run-of-the-mill Hexenbiest.

Subsequently, she is devastated when Henrietta tells her there’s nothing she can do to help her return to the old Juliette.

It’s arguable that if she were to confide in Nick he would be able to return her back to human, as he did with Adalind in season one. But Juliette still hasn’t revealed her new identity to Nick, in part, we’re led to believe, because she fears his reaction will be to slay her.

This assumption isn’t helped by Henrietta, who in rather a mixed message, tells Juliette: “His natural instinct is to take your head off,” followed, by “But I’m sure he loves you”.

By the end of the episode, however, Juliette realises that having astonishing supernatural powers can be a life-saver.

But first Nick also finds himself going up against a new foe; a deadly mercenary, sanctioned by the Wesen Council to deal with any Wesen in Portland that break its ancient laws.

The bounty hunter in question is a Manticore, a half-lion, half-scorpion creature last seen in The Good Soldier. It’s a fun appearance from Imhotep himself, Arnold Vosloo.

Inevitably this leads to another run-in between Nick and the Wesen Council. When the Council starts to view Nick’s investigation into the killings as interference in its business, it adds (rather foolishly) Nick’s name to its most-wanted list.

Juliette ultimately ends up using her new powers to defend herself – and potentially Nick – from the hitman, and so it dawns on her that being a Hexenbiest does have its benefits. Indeed, she tells Nick that he can’t always protect her, leaving it unspoken yet obvious that she is determined now learn to use her powers against any future enemies, (including flying pepper mills.)

Elsewhere, Monroe and Rosalee are back from their honeymoon and within minutes are throwing themselves back into the world of Wesen crime-fighting. It’s here you see how co-dependent the group have really become on one another.

It’s also Rosalee who accidentally drops Nick in it with the Wesen Council – the Council and Nick have so far maintained an uneasy alliance, but its order to assassinate the Grimm may prove to be a costly mistake. It has clearly crossed the line, and it will be interesting to see if Nick decides to respond to the threat in the coming episodes.

Elsewhere we discover that Wu is a geek; he’s rejecting sleep in favour of hanging out at Aunt Marie’s trailer, studying the Grimm Diaries. He’s also starting to put two and two together, and matching up old cases from the crime files with his new-found knowledge of Wesen. Wu’s contribution to the joint crime fighting efforts of gang is definitely a positive one.

Renard, meanwhile, decides to meet the problem of Viktor and Adalind’s arrival head on. The writers must be having enormous fun with Viktor’s dialogue, as this week he was morphing into a thoroughly camp, pantomime villain.

There was some verbal parrying between the cousins – Viktor looked to pour oil on troubled waters, and convince his cousin that they aren’t looking for a fight, they just want the child.

Renard, who is always one step ahead of everything that goes down in Portland, charged his man Damerov with finding Kelly Burkhardt and the child, who he suspects haven’t strayed that far from the city.

In turn, Nick is forced tell Juliette that Adalind is back in town. Juliette reacts to the news by threatening to “rip her throat out” – a threat we know now she can deliver on.

By all accounts, we won’t have long to see her attempt it. Bitsie Tulloch, who plays Juliette, has tweeted:  “Next week is the showdown you’ve been waiting for for FOUR YEARS. W(b)itch fight.”

CAN. NOT. WAIT.

Read Christine’s review of the previous episode, Death Do Us Part, here.

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