Grimm recap: Plagued Portland

Wesen can sure be nasty, freaky things at any time, but in the latest episode of Grimm we learned that a disease called Fluvus Pestilentia a.k.a. Yellow Plague can heighten all that – and can turn up a Monroe/Rosalee lovey-dovey moment to the entertainment volume of 11.

Yes, Rosalee is back! After being MIA last week, when her knowledge of Wesen spells might have proved useful in the wake of Juliette’s awakening, she returned in this week’s episode, “Quill.” Still no word on what she thinks of Juliette’s very selective memory loss, but her herb-mixing expertise did save the day.

Monroe and Rosalee finally kissed! And as things often tend to go on genre shows, it was far from a perfect romantic moment. Interrupting the adorable duo’s picnic (and their near-kiss) was a porcupine-like Wesen who is infected with Fluvus Pestilentia, a disease, Nick learns, that makes Wesen uncontrollably violent and covers them with yellow pustules (gross, right?). Of course, Rosalee becomes infected too, but first Monroe mistakes her disease-fueled over-eagerness for naturally occurring love sickness. Way to live up to your Fuchsbauness, Rosalee, you foxy lady. While Rosalee smothers him with kisses, Monroe tells Nick over the phone, “Dude, you gotta be really careful with this stuff because the symptoms will fool you. First they don’t seem to be sick. It’s like the libido kicks in big time. It supposedly makes you kind of love drunk—” and then he realizes. But even under the influence of Fluvus Pestilentia (say that ten times fast), these two are just too cute.

NEXT: Juliette, Renard, Nuckelavees and other unanswered questionsNow, onto our troublesome Juliette. She’s still not remembering Nick, but it does turn out that she can recall people talking about Nick. Unfortunately, that means out-of-context memories of Bud speaking fearfully about her boyfriend (pre-Bud-the-ever-thankful-and-pie-and-quilt-giving Nick fan). So Juliette invites the Eisbiber plumber over for tea, and Bud lets slip that Nick is something called a Grimm. Damn you, Grimm for making us wait until next week (it better be next week) to find out what happens when Juliette next sees Nick after this odd meeting.

We’re also kept waiting to see just how Catherine’s potion is having residual effects on Renard, what’s going to happen when Juliette inevitably comes face-to-face with the man who woke her up, what this Nuckelavee from Rome is up to, and whether or not Renard knows that Hank knows that Nick is a Grimm.

Maybe Grimm should have an episode à la Friends’ “The One When Everybody Finds Out.” Just imagine the hijinks. (Hank: “So Renard knows that I know that you’re a Grimm.” Nick: “But Renard doesn’t know that we know that he knows. And he doesn’t know that we know that he knows that I’m a Grimm.” Monroe: “My head’s starting to hurt.” Rosalee: “This is getting confusing.” Monroe: “That’s why my head’s starting to hurt.”)

Also a mystery: why the Stanton house was surrounded by red caution tape instead of yellow. Did Nick, Hank and Wu somehow travel to the alternate universe?! Or is red police tape a real thing and not just a Fringe other side thing?

This episode left us with plenty of unanswered questions, but at least the show did address one big topic of discussion from last week’s episode – sort of: How/when can a Wesen recognize a Grimm? The very question that was on your minds after last week’s recap was addressed at the beginning of this episode, while Hank is questioning Nick about this new world in the oh-so-private-and-overhearing-proof location of a Portland diner. Nick responds, “I think they can sense it when I recognize them, but I don’t know for sure. My ancestors never wrote that down.” Helpful, real helpful.

One other curious revelation from this scene: Nick says that he’s only seen about two dozen Wesen. I suppose we can take this to mean that Nick hasn’t had any off-camera, not-so-primetime-worthy encounters with these creatures in between episodes. But it also seems to be a pretty inaccurate number. Doesn’t he often encounter more than one Wesen per episode? And didn’t he see a whole slew of Wesen in “Leave It to Beavers” at the Eisbiber lodge? Hmm.

Okay, Grimmers, time for me to stop yakking and for you to weigh in. What did you think of all the Monroe/Rosalee action this week? What kind of adventures of Nick, Hank, Monroe and Rosalee would you like to see now that Hank’s clued in to their Blutbadness and Fushbauness? What’s going to happen when Nick finds out about Bud’s visit with Juliette? And is anyone else wondering where Nick’s car is?

Finally, I’ll leave you with some quotables:

“OK, that warrants a ‘How the hell did it do this?’” — Monroe, after seeing the cage Adalind’s cat has clawed its way out of.

Hank: Could be his mistress.

Wu: You would go there.

Hank: Or his mother.

Wu: Too late, you went the gutter first.

Bud: You don’t know what a Grimm is?

Juliette: No.

Bud: Uh… uh… well, a Grimm is kind of a term for a good cop, a guy, a person, who helps people in need, you know, the needy.

Monroe: You could be infected.

Rosalee: With love!

Monroe: No, with Fluvus Pestilentia.