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Grimm

Legion contributor Dr. Janina Scarlet is recapping, reviewing and giving us a psychological profile of Grimm this season, along with relevant Grimm updates and interviews. Follow her on Twitter @shadowquill.

Opening quote: “There is no mercy in you. You cut off the heads of men and women and these you wear as a garland around your neck.”

The episode opens with Nick, Hank, Juliette, Monroe, and Rosalee outside with a burning Wolfsangel. Hank puts out the fire with a hose. Nick asks Juliette if she is sure that she’s willing to make him a Grimm again. She states that it’s what she wants.

Grimm

Monroe is livid, his Wesen eyes glowing red. He’s livid and shouting. Rosalee informs the others that the attack most likely came from the Secundum Naturae Order Nam Wesen, an ancient organization set up in the middle ages to keep Wesen marriages pure (almost like the KKK). Monroe states that the Wolfsangel is a wolf trap, but in the case of his ancestors, the symbol is meant to symbolize a Blutbaden trap, meant to symbolize control over all Wesen. Rosalee states that while blood purity organizations in general are outlawed, there are many Wesen, even on the Wesen council, who believe inter-marriage “is a sacrilege.” Nick and Juliette reveal to the group that they are going to get Nick his powers back.

Cut to Oregon US Highway 406. A couple is driving in the middle of the night. The couple is Dix and Suleka Turner; they seem to be in love. A truck with bright floodlights passes them before they get thrown off the road by a spike strip. The two are alive, although Suleka can’t move. Two lizard-like Wesen [Phansigars, a Komodo dragon-type Wesen] arrive and take Dix but they cannot remove Suleka because she’s stuck, leading them to state that they’ll need another.

Cut to Vienna. Adalind, recently released from the dungeon, is famished. Viktor invites her to join him at dinner and interrogates her about what happened after she gave birth and her interactions with the resistance. Adalind informs him about Kelly, Nick’s mother, who helped her escape, taking her back to Portland, instead of Brazil, which was the resistance’s original plan. Viktor and Rispoli figure out that Kelly has the child.

Cut to Nick’s house. Elizabeth is brewing the potion, she instructs Juliette to take 3 breaths. She also tells the couple that the effects of the spell aren’t definite and it’s unclear how long it will take to reverse Adalind’s original spell or even if it will work.

Grimm

Nick and Juliette retreat to their bedroom to make love. After an incredible love making session, the two seem in good spirits. Juliette walks into the bathroom and reflects on the strangeness of looking like her worst enemy. Suddenly, she falls over screaming in pain. (Could she be pregnant?) Nick helps her to bed as Juliette turns back into herself.

Cut to Sean’s house the next morning. Elizabeth is having coffee with her son. She informs Sean that the hat Adalind used is quite powerful. She believes the hat to be one of the original “Trente-Sept,” (“thirty-seven”) described in Malleus Maleficarum (the Hammer of the Witches, a witch-hunting manual that was published in the late 1400s).

Malleus Maleficarum

Elizabeth leaves the hat to Renard and asks him to treat it with respect. Elizabeth herself is getting ready to leave. She asks him to be careful because the spell that she used to revive him in the hospital can only be done once. The two speculate about the whereabouts of Kelly and the baby.

Cut to Nick’s house, the couple is snuggly in the kitchen. Trubel comes back, bringing back Monroe and Rosalee. Monroe woges but Nick still can’t see the Wesen. Before anyone has a chance to worry, Nick receives a phone call and leaves for the scene of the accident.

At the crime scene, Wu informs the detectives about the accident as Suleka is being taken away on a stretcher. She informs the detectives about Dix being taken away and the kidnappers wanting to get “another” since they couldn’t get her out. Wu states that the sheriff believes the case to involve kidnapping, which is why they were called in. Hank finds a spiked piece of wood in the tire. Deputy Sheriff Janelle Farris is on the scene as well; Wu introduces the detective to her. Nick states that he had a similar case when he first started working as a detective about six years ago, but no one was found after they were abducted.

Cut to Nick’s house. Trubel comes out of the shower and sees that she’s being watched. She comes out and confronts the person in the vehicle and slashes his tires so that he can’t follow her.

Cut to the precinct. Nick and Hank are inspecting the spiked wood from Nick’s original case 6 years ago. Two of the victims were never found but a young girl, the victim’s sister, who was in the backseat told Nick that monsters took her sister and brother-in law. As the detectives are having a conversation, two cops bring in a man in handcuffs, who is struggling to break free. Nick looks up and sees what could be the man woge. He appears to be in the process of getting his powers back. Wu comes in stating that the search dogs lost the trail back at the highway, presumably because there was another car waiting for them. Nick then pulls out a creepy figurine from the evidence bin and shows it to Hank and Wu, stating that in his original case the dogs found that figurine at the crime scene. Nick suggests that they look for a similar one at the current crime scene.

Cut to Nick’s house. Trubel is back, peaking from her window as the surveillance team outside is seen arguing. There’s a knock on her door. Trubel, thinking it might be one of them, draws her knife and opens the door to find a terrified Josh standing behind it. He tells her he had no other place to go.

Back at the scene of the accident, the detectives and Wu are searching for the figurine with metal detectors. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, they find the same figurine buried not far from where the car crashed. Deputy Sheriff Farris arrives at the scene and informs the detectives that there had been another attack 3 years ago, another couple was taken not far away. The group finds another figurine at the scene of that crime as well, confirming that all 3 cases are related.

At the trailer, Nick and Hank are looking through the Grimm Diaries, where Nick finds the Phansigar passage, written by Rudyard Kipling. The passage states that the Phansigars hide among the Thuggees, the Hindu cult of thieves that strangle travelers as a sacrifice to Kali, an Indian Goddess associated with power, death, and destruction.

Kali

Kali

 

However, the Phansigars have their own sacrifices to Kali – every three years, they kidnap a young couple and bury them alive to appease Kali.

Back at the precinct the detectives inform Sean about what they found. Wu states that the lab report suggests traces of automobile paint, suggesting a possible salvage yard. Wu states that there is a salvage yard, JP and Sons that opened around the same time as the disappearances started.

At the salvage yard, the Phansigar workers drag Dix into a dug out grave and throw him in.

Cut to Nick’s house, the surveillance car is towed. Josh and Trubel share a meal as Trubel tells him about Nick losing his powers.

Back at the spice shop, the detectives inform the newlyweds about the Phansigars and ask for Monroe’s help.

Cut to the salvage yard, Farris asks JP to put together a list of his customers. Nick calls to inform her that JP and Sons might be suspects when one of the sons attacks Farris and strangles her into unconsciousness with his tongue (as a Phansigar).

Grimm

When the sun sets, JP and his sons begin the ritual to honor Kali. Nick, Hank, and Monroe arrive at the yard as Farris is brought out to be sacrificed. Nick falls over holding his head – his super-hearing seems to have returned, as he is able to hear Farris moaning after she is thrown down into the grave. As the group inches closer, Nick falls over from pain as Dix screams. Hank finds Farris and jumps down to help her. Monroe rushes to help Hank but JP throws Monroe into Dix’s grave as the sons grab Nick.

Grimm

JP tries to suffocate Nick with his Phansigar tongue but Nick regains his strength and punches him. The Phansigars realize that he is a Grimm as he replies, “Yes… I am,” having gotten his powers back. He fights the three Phansigars on his own and Monroe and Hank are powerless in their graves. Nick defeats the Phansigars and is able to rescue Farris and Dix.

Back at the spice shop, the group is waiting to hear from Nick, everyone excited that he’s a Grimm again.

Grimm

Cut to Nick’s house. The group walks in to find a terrified Josh with a machete as Trubel tells Nick that they have a new problem to deal with.

 

Psychological Evaluation:

This episode explored some difficult choices that had to be made very quickly. Juliette specifically makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to allow Nick to regain his powers. In the previous seasons Juliette wished for Nick to be normal and when her wish came true she went as far as to ask Monroe and Rosalee to slow down their search to reverse Adalind’s curse. Wanting a normal life, Juliette stated how nice it would be if she and Nick could move away. However, once she sees the events that are taking place, specifically, when Monroe and Rosalee are being targeted for their inter-marriage, she reacts.

Understanding that Nick needs to be there to protect their friends, Juliette agrees to take the potion that Elizabeth brewed for this occasion, change into Adalind, and make love to Nick. This is no easy task on both the physical and psychological levels. Seeing her own reflection in the mirror brought on the feelings of disgust, undoubtedly reminding her of what Adalind had done, and causing her severe stomach pains.

Juliette’s sacrifice here cannot be overstated. Rather than having Nick all to herself, she again has to share him with the world and despite what she initially wanted Juliette ultimately does what seems right for Nick. Essentially, Juliette is following her values. Our values are different types of people, traits, or activities that are important to us, such as friends, family, career, education, being compassionate and altruistic, and others. Our values are never-ending, which means that throughout our lives we are always striving toward our values. This is different from goals, which are finite and achievable. For example, graduating from college might be a goal but learning might be a value.

Research related to values finds that people who follow their values tend to make more altruistic decisions, and tend to be happier and emotionally healthier than those who seek immediate gratification. Scientists find that there are two different types of happiness: hedonic and eudaimonic. Hedonic happiness is the good feeling we get when we get a new car, or the latest smart phone; it feels good but it is short lived. On the other hand, eudaimonic happiness is based on our values. Eudaimonic happiness occurs when we support a friend in need or work hard on a project that means a lot to us. It feels different from hedonic happiness and while it might not always feel pleasant to take the harder route, eudaimonic happiness tends to be longer in duration compared to hedonic happiness. In the case of Juliette, she initially was attempting to reach hedonic happiness by having Nick stay “normal.” However, in following her values, in helping him regain his powers, she ultimately appeared to be happy, this is what we might call, eudaimonic happiness.

One might say the Phansigar Wesen used in the episode were symbolic of Juliette’s struggle – their long tongues suffocating their victims might have been a metaphor for Juliette’s struggle between what was right and what was easy. Then again, and to paraphrase Sigmund Freud, “Sometimes a Phansigar is just a Phansigar.”

Freud

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Dr. Janina Scarlet

Dr. Janina Scarlet is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, a scientist, and a full time geek. She uses Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and PTSD at the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management and Sharp Memorial Hospital. Dr. Scarlet also teaches at Alliant International University, San Diego. Her book, Superhero Therapy, is expected to be released in 2016 with Little, Brown Book Group.If you would like to learn more about Superhero Therapy, please feel free to contact Dr. Janina Scarlet via Twitter@shadowquill, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shadow.Scarletl, or via her website at www.superhero-therapy.com