Grimm Season 4 Episode 18 Review: Mishipeshu

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Native American lore abounds with rich material for a show like Grimm to work with, so I'm a bit surprised it took them this long to visit something like this, with a spirit being possessing a young man to take vengeance on the men who killed his father.

The titular Mishipeshu of Grimm Season 4 Episode 18 isn't a Wesen; it falls under the same unexplained, "other" category as Volcanalis and La Llorona.

One curiosity about this is that Nick really didn't stop to wonder about this for a moment. If the Mishipeshu is some sort of spirit being, where did it come from? Was it just hanging out at the totem until Simon George decided to go on a power quest?

And if it was conjured as part of Simon's power quest, how was it able to possess Deputy Farris? Possessing Hank made sense, since he was channeling Simon, but Farris wasn't, at least as far as I could tell.

Here's a better question: if Hector had exorcism powder with him, why did he take so long to use it on Hank? Maybe he just wanted to watch Nick get beat up for a bit?

The case itself was woefully predictable, down to the Misipeshu possessing Farris to complete its revenge, though I hope that Native American lore comes up again at some point, because it's just so rich and interesting.

Overall, everyone seemed remarkably accepting of the idea that a horned water serpent panther spirit possessed a young man to take revenge for the muder of his father. Think about it this way: it would be like an angel appearing from the heavens with a flaming sword and everything, yet everyone's totally down with it. Then again, with what they've seen... I wonder what Wu would have said about this had he been there?

Back in Portland, things were going downhill fast with Juliette, who ended up in jail after assaulting a guy in a bar. Despite Nick's promises that he won't abandon her, it was clear that he was practically at his wit's end with this situation. She wasn't making it any easier for him.

How much more can he take when she isn't even trying to meet him halfway? Juliette did her best to rub it in his face and hurt him as much as possible.

What do you want to figure out, Nick? How a Grimm and a Hexenbiest can live happily ever after?

Juliette

That happy ending seems farther and farther away with every episode. How far will Juliette take things? Has the Hexenbiest forever destroyed the woman she was?

I hope that Monroe and Rosalee figure something out with their investigations into the Grimoire. Speaking of, Rosalee brought up an excellent point: why was everyone just accepting Henrietta's word as truth?

You know, just because this Henrietta, whom I've never met, says it's irreversible, doesn't mean it is!

Rosalee

It's hard to make an informed argument for or against trusting Henrietta, since we know very little about her. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Henrietta turned out to be working her own agenda.

Historically, thoughtout the series Hexenbiests in general haven't exactly been the most trustworthy sort, even Renard's mother Elizabeth. Remember, she only intervened in Nick's situation as a favor to her son.

On a related note, I strongly suspect that someone is messing with Renard's head: he sucker punched some apparently random guy and stole the man's money-stuffed wallet... and apparently didn't remember doing it. It could be possible that Kenneth may be involved, but I might be totally off base. Any suggestions?

A few thoughts in closing:

  • Renard can't get in touch with his mother despite his best efforts. Coincidence? I think not.
  • Hector recognized Nick as different from Hank and Farris, and was concerned that the spirit world journey would harm him. I wonder why such a trip would hurt a Grimm?
  • Deputy Farris was last seen in Grimm Season 4 Episode 6, "Highway of Tears."
  • Hector blowing the exorcism powder in Hank's face gave me flashbacks to Noranti on Farscape, who did that sort of thing a lot (much to the annoyance of the rest of the crew).
  • Prince Kenneth and Adalind were conspicuously absent in this episode. No doubt Adalind's hiding from Juliette...

Grimm Season 4 Episode 19, "Iron Hans," is slated to air on April 24 at 8/7c on NBC. Until then, you can catch up on all the fun and excitement of previous episodes when you watch Grimm online right here at TVFanatic!

Mishipeshu Review

Editor Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
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Rating: 3.9 / 5.0 (19 Votes)
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Grimm Season 4 Episode 18 Quotes

I like this power, and you like it, too.

Juliette

You know, just because this Henrietta, whom I've never met, says it's irreversible, doesn't mean it is!

Rosalee