Welcome to the Legion!

grimm_trial_by_fire

Opening quote: “And glory like the phoenix midst her fires,

Exhales her odours, blazes, and expires.”

The episode opens with a couple of retail clerks working on inventory at a sporting goods store. They sneak out to the backroom to make out when a man wearing nothing but underwear blows out the fuse and becomes a human torch. He then sets the store on fire. The couple tries to escape by breaking the window but ultimately get burned in the backdraft.

Cut to Nick and Juliette’s house. Juliette is having flashbacks about the attack by the Maréchaussé and seems worried about what will happen when Adalind finds out that Nick is a Grimm again.

The next day the detectives are at the crime scene with arson investigators. One of the investigators points out inconsistencies regarding the way that the fire traveled, suspecting foul play. The detectives then interrogate the owner of the store, John Harrison, and his adult son, Andy, both of whom had an alibi for the time of the fire – they were at a restaurant.

At the precinct Hank finds out that John Harrison took out a $5 million insurance policy the previous year and recently filed for bankruptcy, making him a suspect. Harrison’s lawyer, Charles Laney, tells the detectives that he does not believe that Harrison would set his own store on fire and seems surprised when the detectives mention that 2 people were killed as a result.

After doing some research on his own, Wu informs the detectives that the fire pattern in the current case seems to be similar to that of a cold case. He states that the arson investigator working on that previous case is one that Nick arrested for murder three years prior, none other than the Bauerschwein, Peter Orson, Monroe’s arch nemesis. When the detectives visit him in prison, Orson initially doesn’t want to talk to them but eventually agrees to help them with the case.

Grimm

In the meantime, Sam, the Wesen P. I., tells Sean Renard that Kelly Burkhart (Nick’s mom) sold her truck, her trail gone cold for the time being. However, Sam is determined to locate her and Sean’s daughter.

At the trailer Nick and Wu comb through the Grimm Diaries until they find the entry about the Excandesco, which literally means “burns with rage” or “burning person,” a basis for the legend of the Phoenix. The Grimm that wrote about the Excandesco reports being unable to get close enough to kill him due to the amount of heat the Wesen emitted. The Grimm Diaries state that there is no currently known way to stop the Excandesco.

Grimm

Meanwhile, Harrison’s lawyer, Laney, meets with the Excandesco seen in the beginning of the episode. Laney scolds the Excandesco for not checking to see that there were no people in the store before setting the fire. Furious, the Excandesco sets Laney on fire in his car.

Back at the precinct, Nick shows Orson a picture of the Excandesco from the Grimm Diaries and Orson identifies it as the Wesen that he saw when investigating his old case. When Nick suggests that the Excandesco might be producing the fire from within his own body, Orson realizes that the Wesen might have been using white phosphorus from his own body. In the right conditions (in heat greater than 86 degrees Fahrenheit and when exposed to oxygen) phosphorus can ignite, like a match, and start a fire. Orson says that he might be able to make a fire suppressor to prevent the Excandesco from igniting but he would need some specific ingredients. Nick cautiously calls the Spice Shop and when Rosalee says that Monroe is away, Nick rushes over with Orson.

At the hotel, Adalind is restless and wants to go see Juliette, however Viktor tells her that she needs to wait. She doesn’t have to wait too long as Sam, Sean’s P.I., walks in and informs Viktor and Adalind that Kelly Burkhart was initially driving a truck registered to Juliette and has since sold it. Sam promises to find Kelly as Adalind states that she would like to try “a little diplomacy” with Juliette and leaves to stake out her house.

At the spice shop, Nick and Orson come in to ask Rosalee about the ingredients they need when Monroe enters, having returned earlier than expected. Monroe and Orson immediately woge and start yelling at one another. Rosalee tries to reason with Monroe, reminding him that she almost lost him due to the very kind of hatred that he and Orson are displaying toward one another. She states that she will help the detectives and asks him to do the same but Monroe storms out of the store. As the group starts preparing the ingredients, Monroe returns, having cooled off, and agrees to help.

Grimm

When Nick gets a call informing him of Laney’s death, the group must leave to investigate, leaving Monroe and Rosalee to finish the preparations. Monroe apologizes to Rosalee, acknowledging that she was right in helping the detectives.

At the Harrison residence, Andy refuses to go to the funeral of his employees as his father tries to reason with him. John Harrison wants to rebuild the company but Andy states that he never wanted any of it and storms out. He then gets a call from the Excandesco, who informs him that the two need to meet and discuss how they’re going to handle the murders. Andy refuses to meet and hangs up.

At the crime scene, the detectives are investigating Laney’s death. Wu informs them that one of Laney’s previous clients was Damien Barso, who was charged with setting fire to his school gym but, thanks to Laney, was able to get the charges dropped. After seeing his picture, Orso recognizes Barso as the arsonist he saw, the Excandesco.

In the meantime, Barso calls John Harrison and tells him that he is an arson investigator and has found the cause of the fire. He asks Harrison to meet him at the store. When the two meet inside the store, Barso ties up Harrison as a trap for Andy.

The detectives show up at the Harrisons’ house and run into Andy, who confesses to having hired Barso. Realizing the danger John Harrison is in, they all rush to the store. Monroe and Rosalee show up with a kind of Super Soaker guns filled with the concoction meant to stop the Excandesco provided that they can apply it on him after he woges.

Grimm

Orson volunteers to entice him and goes into the store to tempt Barso to woge. Once Barso runs outside, the Grimm team soaks him with the homemade remedy. Being unable to release the heat externally, Barso spontaneously combusts, although Wu suggests that they write in their report that he died from homemade bombs that were supposedly strapped to him. Monroe and Orson agree not to forgive each other, though agreeing to remain amicable. Orson is brought back to jail as Nick adds the Super Soaker to the weapons collection at the trailer.

In the meantime, Adalind knocks and then enters Juliette’s house without permission. She demands to know where Kelly is and thanks Juliette for the one-night stand with Nick. Juliette is furious and uses her telekinesis to throw a vase at Adalind.

Grimm

The two women woge and fight in an epic battle, as Juliette throws all the kitchen knives at Adalind, who barely gets away.

When Nick gets home and sees the house in disarray, he is furious, swearing that he is going to kill Adalind. Juliette states that she nearly did and woges into a Hexenbiest. Nick cowers back and the episode ends on a cliffhanger.

grimm_trial_by_fire_Juliette_bloodied

 

Psychology Evaluation:

I really enjoyed watching the interactions between the sworn enemies, Adalind and Juliette and also between Orson and Monroe. The latter especially shows a longstanding feud between the two different kinds of Wesen – the Bauerschwein and the Blutbad. Interestingly, even though the two hate each other, they were able to find a way to work together. According to the Realistic Conflict Theory, when people very strongly identify with a specific group that they belong to, such as their Wesen type (or a Hogwarts House), they might be more likely to view their own group members and activities in a very enthusiastic way and the members and activities of the other group in very negative terms, increasing rivalry and feuds.

The Realistic Conflict Theory suggests that people are more likely to fight with one another when their resources are low (think Hunger Games or the Walking Dead). However, under certain circumstances, particularly when people from rivaling groups need each other to achieve the same goal, they are more likely to work together and even get along. The Intergroup Contact Theory, developed by psychologist Gordon Allport, suggests that people who are in conflict with each other and/or are prejudiced against one another are more likely to get along if they are working on the same goal and if they are fairly similar in their status (neither group dominates over the other one). The more the people help one another and the more they get to know each other, the more they are likely to get along.

grimm_trial_by_fire_monroe_orson

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 trauma at the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management and Sharp Memorial Hospital and is also a professor at Alliant International University, San Diego. Dr. Scarlet is a chapter author of Walking Dead Psychology 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

About author View all posts

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