Mishipeshu - Grimm Mini-Review and Recap

So this week's episode of 'Grimm' is one of the show's occasional jaunts into non-Wesen territory. The killer of the episode is Mishipeshu, a Native American spirit that possesses a teenager whose father was beaten to death by racists That has some unfortunate real-world connotations that would be a bit more noticeable if the producers had used blacks or homosexuals instead of Native Americans.

Mishipeshu's design is very elegant and eye-catching. Kudos for that.

On the subplot front, no sign of Adlind or Prince Kenneth. Rosalee and Monroe are trying to find a cure for Juliette, but Renard isn't much help. He's got his own somewhat confusing problems, having gone from bleeding chest wounds to random muggings.

And Juliette goes descends even further, getting herself arrested so she can either thank Nick for indirectly giving her vast supernatural power, or hate him. It's hard to tell these days.

Overall, an average episode. Nick doesn't really do much, and Russell Hornsby gets an "acting!" moment when he's possessed. "Mishipeshu" is an odd diversion before the big rush of season-ending episodes.

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The Spirit you seek in the water is only a reflection of yourself.

Two Days From Now

At a home in the country, Hank attacks Nick, his face glowing blue and the image of a cat-like creature superimposed over his face.

Now

Nick and Hank arrive at Monroe's and the couple invites them in. They offer drinks and Nick asks for something stronger, and then apologizes for Juliette blaming them for her transformation. His friends try to reassure her, and Nick wonders what else he can do. He gets up to go, saying he can't be there while Juliette is out there somewhere, and leaves. Rosalee refuses to accept that there's no cure, and suggests that they talk to Renard and check the Hexenbiest book. Hank warns them that they can't do anything if they don't have Juliette.

Juliette goes to a bar and a man, Rick, comes over and hits on her. She accepts and invites him to guess her name. Rick gets it wrong but she agrees that it is now and asks who his friend is. Juliette says that he can't handle her alone and starts to leave, and Rick interrupts, saying that he just wants to know who she is. When he says that he likes everything about her, Juliette woges and the lights burst. Rick stares in horror and when he tries to go after her as she leaves, Juliette throws him across the room as the bartender calls the police.



A custodian, Laurence Killburn, is polishing the floor at a school when he hears someone moving around. He grabs a wrench and goes to investigate, and the buffer comes on behind him. A figure leaps out of a nearby closet and attacks him.

The next day, Nick and Hank meet Wu at the school. He explains that the school principal found Larry  that morning and called 911. The county sheriff, Deputy Sheriff Janelle Ferris, arrived first and secured the crime scene. Janelle suggests that it was an animal attack, and confirms that class was canceled. The detectives go to talk to the principal who discovered the body.

Renard arrives at the spice shop with the Hexenbiest spell book and warns that there's not much hope of finding a cure. Rosalee wonders if he's talked to Juliette recently, and Renard avoids mentioning having sex with her.



Principal Wiley assures the detectives that she didn't get into the custodian's personal life. They did have an incident at the beginning of the year when a Native American boy found racial slurs on his locker several times. Only Wiley and the custodial staff had access to the school. The boy, Simon George, dropped out several weeks before he would have graduated and later left home. As they leave, the detectives consider checking on Simon's background. Janelle asks to go along, explaining that her ex-husband was a member of the same tribe.

In the forest, Simon wakes up covered in blood. He wakes up and staggers to a pool of water, drinking deeply. Simon jerks back when he sees his reflection in the water, a glowing cat mask superimposed on his face.

At the station, the detectives discover that Laurence has a criminal background for drunk and disorderly several years ago. Simon entered foster care at age 5 when his father was murdered, and his mother died in childbirth. Janelle has heard that Simon's father, Gus George, was beaten to death and Simon witnessed it when he was 5. They never found the killers, and they figure that Simon was involved. Janelle suggests that they speak with the tribe and offers to help. Wu come over and tells them that the central precinct has Juliette in custody, and Nick immediately leaves. Janelle comes back and says that Simon moved out to the reservation six months ago and Hank goes with her.

A mechanic, Declan Henry Burke, is working at his auto repair shop. He is under a car when he hears someone comes in and tells them that he'll be right there, and something yanks him out and kills him.

Nick gets in to see Juliette in her cell and asks what happened. She admits that she did it and Nick wonders why. He says that she doesn't scare him and can never hurt her, and will never let go of her. Juliette says that she doesn't know if she can avoid hurting her, and warns that part of her loves how Nick caused her to be transformed. She warns that she can't stop and strokes his hand, and then woges briefly. As Nick momentarily draws back, Juliette says that she just wanted to see if he would come rescue her. Nick refuse to let her out, figuring that it's safer for her if she's in jail, and Juliette says that it's safer for him.


At the reservation, Hank and Janelle meet with Hector, one of the tribal elders. Hector explains that Simon went on a power quest after the racial incidents at the school. Simon came to live with a family at the reservation, and Hector helped prepare him for his spiritual journey. The boy is on his third day, at Spirit Mountain, and could be gone for another couple of days trying to connect with his guardian spirit. Hector warns that Simon could be anywhere on the mountain, but they'll try to find him. Hank asks about Gus George's death, and Hector explains that the man was a friend of his. Simon saw his father beaten to death, and no one bothered to try finding the killers because Gus was an activist. Nick calls Hank and tells him what happened, and says that he's going to keep her locked up as long as he can. he then informs Hank that they have another victim.

The detectives meet Wu at the auto repair shop, and he had a record for assault and drunk and disorderly. Wu runs Laurence's name on Declan's computer, and Janelle wonders if the killer is using a dog. The sergeant discovers that Declan and Laurence knew each other, and starts running background checks.

That night, Simon is performing a spirit ritual. The image of his spirit guardian appears and enters his body, and Simon's eyes glow a cat-like yellow.



Later at the station, Nick, Hank, Wu, and Janelle go through the police files and come up with a match on a Maxwell McClay. He's the same age as Laurence and Declan, and they were running in same crowd. Maxwell has an address listed and they head out.

Maxwell goes out to chop some firewood and comes back in. He hears something growling in another room, grabs his gun, and goes to investigate. In a nearby closet, Simon watches the man. The detectives and Janelle arrive outside and Maxwell comes back, and Simon leaps on him. The gun goes off and the trio approaches the house, and Maxwell comes flying out the window, still alive. Nick and Hank approach the house and a transformed Simon runs out the back. Nick orders him to surrender and Hank confirms that he can see it. As they realize that they're dealing with something other than a Wesen, Simon leaps up onto the roof and runs.

At the front of the house, Simon drops down and twists his ankle. Janelle sees him but the creature flees into the woods. Nick and Hank arrive, and she tells them that Maxwell is okay. She says that what she saw looked familiar and suggests that they talk to Hector again.

The next morning, Renard is getting coffee at a food truck when Rosalee calls to ask for the percentages of the ingredient that Elizabeth used. They've found a possible cure but Elizabeth didn't tell them how much she used. Renard says that there's someone who could help them and asks them to wait until he gets back to them. He goes back to the food truck and sees that the next customer has foreign currency in his wallet, and stares at him suspiciously. He follows the man to his car and knocks him unconscious.

Back at the reservation, the detectives describe what they saw. Hector says that it's Mishipeshu, a horned water serpent. He explains that Mishipeshu lives in the depths of Lake Superior, and is common to several tribes. The detectives explain that Maxwell was involved with the other two victims, and wonders if Mishipeshu has possessed Simon. Simon's mother was Ojibwe, and Hector says that they must find Simon by entering the dream world.



Renard returns to his office and examines the man's wallet. Wu comes in and brings him up to speed on the case. Renard asks him to get it back to the owner and make it anonymous. Before he goes, Wu asks what percentage of crime in Portland is Wesen related. Renard admits that most crime is Wesen-related, surprising the sergeant.

Hector takes the others to a sweat lodge and begins a ritual. Hank drinks a potion, but Hector realizes that there's something different about Nick and advises him not to participate in the ceremony. He gives Hank and Janelle possessions belonging to Simon's parents and begins the ritual.

Simon finds himself running through the woods. His ankle is twisted, and the eyes of a nearby totem glow yellow.

In the sweat lodge, Hank suddenly has a vision of what Simon saw when his father was killed. Simon saw the three men who have been attacked, and watched as they beat him to death. Janelle feels ill and Nick takes her outside. Meanwhile, Hector tries to lead Hank out of the vision. Hank screams that they killed his father and goes running off into the woods. Hector comes out and says that Hank is still with Simon. He goes after Hank but loses him in the woods. He returns and says that Hank is going to Gus' grave on the forest, and Janelle insists on coming with them.



Hank runs through the woods, still plagued by the visions of the past. He comes to the grave markers and Simon emerges from the woods. Mishipeshu leaves his body and enters Hank, and the possessed Hank runs off. Nick and the others arrive, and they realize that Mishipeshu has left Simon. One of the totems looks like Mishipeshu, and Hector warns that the spirit is using Hank now that Simon is injured. Mishipeshu is a vengeful beast and won't stop until all three men are dead, and Nick figures that it's going for Maxwell.

As night falls, Hank arrives at Maxwell's home and goes inside. Simon is waiting for him, and Hector comes in and tells Mishipeshu that it's no longer needed.



Outside, Janelle waits with Maxwell.

Nick comes in and tries to get through to his partner. Hank attacks him, pinning him to the wall. Mishipeshu's face appears on Hank, and Hector tosses some powder on Hank. Mishipeshu is expelled from Hank's body, freeing him, and Nick explains what happened. Gasping for breath, Hank says that he lived through what Simon experienced.

The group goes outside and tells Janelle that Mishipeshu is gone. Hank yanks Maxwell out of the car and says that he knows what he and the others did. Smirking, Maxwell says that they have no way to prove it and orders them all out. Once he goes inside, Simon confirms that Maxwell was one of the men who killed his father. Nick warns that they have no evidence to tie Maxwell to Gus' murders, and a court might connect Simon to the two murders. As they drive off, Simon glares back at Maxwell.

Later, Nick goes back to Juliette's cell and watches her as she sleeps.

At his home, Maxwell dozes off holding his gun. Mishipeshu comes in and kills him, and then runs off into the woods. The spirit then runs off into the woods and leaves its host: Janelle.