Grimm: 3x08 “Twelve Days of Krampus”

“O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

How steadfast are your branches…”

Krampus: “Oh, you've been naughty.”

Well it has been known that for every force there is an equal and opposite force. So, Santa having an evil twin that punishes naughty children right before Christmas, makes total sense. 

 
His name is Krampus and he is as much a myth in a Wesen world as Santa is in ours. According to Bud, this “the most hideous beast nobody's ever seen” steals children, throws them in his sack, carries them deep into the woods and hangs them from the tallest trees. Oh, yeah, he eats them up later. Not gruesome enough? There is more. Rosalee’s favorite aunt and uncle were killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve when she was seven. What else? Oh, almost forgot, Nick and Hank beat up Santa. Hmmm… Grimm’s version of “Merry Christmas” turned out to be a very sad one.

But Grimm is never a one-tone kind of series. When there is sadness, there is also happiness and we were also reminded of what love truly is. It is a compromise, it is being able to put aside what’s important to you and respect and cherish the feelings of those you love. Monroe and Rosalee going back and forth with decorating the house was a great example of that. The resolution of their Christmas predicament was beautiful - Monroe’s over excessive decoration style was complemented nicely with Rosalee’s family tradition - beer and cigars for Santa instead of milk and cookies.

Also in a very holiday spirit the evil was conquered. Sort of. Let’s forget for a moment about the whole Christmassy aspect of this Wesen, because it’s another first in a Grimm world – a wesen who doesn’t know he is one. He transforms only for three weeks each year and has no recollection of being a cruel monster. How do you punish someone like that? Yes, he is guilty, no questions about that. Grimm and Co. stopped him this time around, but God knows how many kids were eaten alive in years before that. They couldn't arrest him and they actually couldn't kill him. So the decision to hand him over to the Wesen Council might be the right one and the only option they had, but it still felt like an easy way out for Grimm.   

Somewhere in Austrian Alps we finally got to a meeting. And it was a disappointing one. What was its purpose? Agree on including Sean in the Resistance? Somehow I was under the impression he is in it already. Or was it organized simply so the key members of the Resistance finally meet? Whatever the reason behind the meeting was, the Resistance looked weak. There is a serious lack of trust, and there is no common understanding of where to go next or even how. The heads of the Resistance groups aren’t getting along, and they don’t trust our Captain very much. But he might be the best and only ally they could ever have to win this war against Royal Families. He is a Royal and that gives him a certain access to the house and he is a Wesen which gives him insight into this whole world. And he has a Grimm. 

Is it enough to fight the seven Royal Families? I guess will see. But while Royal Families’ agenda is clear and is still the same - world domination etc. I am not entirely sure what is the Resistance’s ultimate agenda, and most importantly what is Sean’s?

Also it is a big question whether Nick will actually support him or not. Yes, Grimm were once loyal to the Royal families and helped them control Wesen, but the situation changed completely after what happened during that famous 4^th Crusade when seven Grimms found a powerful something and hid it from their former masters. Nick might be an important player on his own, after all he has one of the seven keys to the so-called treasure [we still don’t know what that treasure actually is], Royal Families have four and two are missing. Nick's key is safely hidden in the Spice Shop. Everybody seems to have forgotten about that, even though it was an important part of the story last season.

It is still not clear if Sean knows that Adalind’s child might be his. Now, that Eric is dead it’s sort of doesn’t matter. If Eric was the father then the child must be human, although now with everything Adalind has done to herself I’m not entirely sure what to think. Anyway if Adalind wasn’t so obsessed with her bloody ritual she would’ve noticed that huge camera earlier, thankfully Sean was more perceptive. Unfortunately it also means that Victor has seen him. I guess it doesn’t matter much since Sean’s arrival to Austria wasn’t exactly a secret well-kept.

Some observations  

It just had to be Sergeant Wu who reached for a not so dead body in a car.

Tavitian knew that it was Verrat agents who attacked him on the road, yet when he arrived at the meeting he didn’t mention it to the others. Was it because he didn’t want to frighten them knowing they would cancel the meeting or was there another reason? Do I smell a rat where’s none? Am I too paranoid?

That stuff that Adalind keeps using as a body lotion must be stinking like hell. Sean even woged after smelling it. 

No Prince Victor in this one.

No number of the episode hidden within, at least I didn't see one.

Memorable Quotes:

Sergeant Wu: “It's Christmas. Brings out the worst in people.”

Tavitian: “So you are the royal bastard.”

Sean: “Well, I am royal, and I can be a bastard.

Tavitian: “I can be too.”

Hank: “You get a description?”

Sergeant Wu: “Well, besides the red suit and the black boots, he looked like something

out of, and I quote, “my worst drug-crazed, acid-induced flashback nightmare.""

Did you like this Christmas episode? Sound off in the comments.