Original Release Date (Netflix): Friday April 19, 2013
Well, today’s episode of Hemlock Grove moves a little fast at first for my liking. I mean, we spent the last couple episodes with Roman in a coma. At the start of this episode, we see Peter distraught over what he did to Letha moments ago. He’s standing by Roman’s bedside and then suddenly Roman awake with a start. He’s a little disoriented but nothing else is seemingly wrong with him, and he looks over at Peter and asks him for the time, startling the poor boy. Peter tells him he’s been out for two weeks. Roman, acting like he just had a nap, seems a little confused by this knowledge, and for good reason. Roman asks about the full moon, and when he’s told its tonight, is convinced that’s why he came back now.
After they argue about Roman’s state after being in a coma, and Roman confesses how he got the coma, they decide in the end to get going on their old plans of hunting down the vargulf. They are now friends again, for good or for ill.
The way this is handled…didn’t seem all that believable to me. I see what they were trying to do, but it just seemed rushed. Things do need to move forward, so Roman had to wake up sometime. Anyhow, credits roll and on with the show!
Roman goes to the garage to find his car in tip top condition, just like his mother demanded last episode. Peter tries to tell Roman he should tell someone he’s okay, so when they find him missing from the bed, they don’t freak out too much. Roman explains how his mother isn’t a part of the thing they have to do now. He tells Peter that if she gets pissed he will blame it on the blank spot. Peter tells him he’s not driving, and after they fight about it for a moment, Roman sees the wisdom in his words.
And Peter gets to drive in one sweet car! You can even see the pleasure in his face he’s trying to hide with concern.
After they drive down the road littered with fallen leaves, the scene changes to Clementine going over the pictures again. She can hear the couple next store having sex, and is slightly annoyed by their noises. She picks up her phone and calls her brother Michael. We see her brother answer, and he is in a sealed off room, with a camera and a gun. He goes to the window while talking to her, taking pictures of his target. After some small talk he asks her what’s on her mind and she says, “I’m done. After I do what I came here to do, I’m leaving the Order. It’s not supposed to feel this way.”
He asks her what way and she tells him, “Like doing the right thing is fucked up.”
She hears the shutter going off of his camera after he puts her on hold a second and realizes he’s working. He lies to her and tells her he’s on a beach in Hawaii. After he finishes, he comes back to the phone and asks her if they will let her leave the Order. She says no, but asks him to help her. Michael seems torn by this, but eventually says he will help her. She asks him to meet her tomorrow at dawn by the water. “You know the place.”
After she hangs up with her brother, she goes back to staring at a picture of Peter.
The scene changes back to our boys driving along the beach now that overlooks the old mill. There is a bunch of construction going on there. Peter stops the car to tell Roman that the vargulf is his problem. He claims he is the one on the hook and asks why Roman is coming. He’s confused because after things went to shit, he didn’t understand anymore why Roman cared. He demands to know why Roman wants to come with him tonight. Roman responds with, “It’s not about being a hero.” And Peter asks him if he’s sure about that. Roman says, “I’m sorry for being a pain in your balls, OK? I got confused. Things are clearer now. “
Peter sighs and rubs his temples as he says to Roman, “At what point does trusting you make me a fucking idiot?” Roman just replies with, “I wish no one else had to get hurt.”
Peter says briskly, “Someone is…tonight.”
After they agree on that much, Roman admits that he just wants to be Peter’s friend. That he shouldn’t be out there alone. Peter isn’t sure how to take that, but nods anyhow, saying, “Simple as that.”
He then starts the car and looks over at Roman, saying in a silly voice, “You’re a loose cannon, Godfrey! I’m gonna have your goddamn strips for this!” Which makes Roman laugh as they drive off.
After that scene things change to the school. Letha is walking with Shelley, as they talk about life observations. Letha says, “We’re all just passing through the motions of our days like shadow puppets or ghosts of who we were.” Shelley responds with, “I miss him too.” That she types into her machine around her neck. Letha asks her if things can ever be the same before leaving Shelley alone in the hall. Shelley walks solemnly to her next class.
As she is going to class, Peter drops Roman off on the school grounds, where he skulks around so no one sees him. He looks for Shelley, finding her in her art class and waves at her through the window. She sees him and asks to go to the washroom to meet him. They meet in a hall and she hugs him tightly. He tells her he’s fine and that he didn’t want her to worry. Shelley asks if their mother knows, and he asks her to keep it secret. She tells him not to go and he says, “I’m not going anywhere, but I started something I can’t walk away from, and it’s really important you still believe in me. OK? Nothing is more important right now.” She nods, and he tells her he will be home soon. “I’ll come back to you.” Then he touches her face and leaves. As he’s leaving, she tells him to be good, and he turns, smiling and says to her, “That’s the idea.”
Peter listens on the radio as someone interviews Sheriff Sworn about the “wild animal attacks while he lights up a joint and waits for Roman to come back. When roman returns he passes the joint to him as Sheriff Sworn discusses the curfew for all minors after sundown. They drive off, knowing the consequences of their actions after sundown.
The next scene is Olivia finding Roman has awaken. She comes in with a tray of food for him, only to be surprised by his disappearance. Somehow, she doesn’t seem COMPLETELY surprised, just startled it happened now. She gets an idea in her head to look out the window, and when she sees the full moon rising says begrudgingly, “That little shit!”
Mommy isn’t as in the dark as Roman thinks.
The scene changes to Clementine coming out of an ammo store and answering her ringing cellphone. She talks code at the person on the other end, which happens to the bishop she works for. He tells her, “So we’ve made progress with the target and now we’re ready for containment?” After she responds with yes, he tells her he’s pleased to hear that, after receiving a disconcerting call from her brother. She’s surprised to hear this, and the Bishop goes on to say he’s worried about her, which he says, “…is rather a team sport for those who are fond of you.” She tries to tell him he has nothing to worry about but he calls her on her horseshit. He asks her if she really is alright, and she tells him she can’t claim it’s been easy. “But in the words of the immortal Hank Williams, I’ve seen the light.” He tells her in response, “I worry that of my assets my own objectivity is most clouded where you are concerned.” She asks him if he is expecting an apology for her winning personality, and he just tells her he’s proud of her. She thanks him, as he talks to her standing under a very interesting stained glass archway of a saint with birds and a wolf around him. Interesting indeed…
He wishes her good luck before hanging up, and we see Clementine drive off to where the Sheriff and his men are planning their perimeter walking for the night. She is not welcome there when she arrives, and the sheriff tells her so. He tells her he’s at the end of his rope with her, that he’s done dealing with her. She nods in understanding but tries to give a little advice anyhow. She tells him to not let the comfort of numbers confuse him that he knows where he is needed. He asks her where that is exactly and she says, “I’m my line of work we use the term unwelt. It’s a model of the world based on a specific creature’s experiences, their perceptions—how and what it sees. Trust that feeling in your gut. This thing we’re after is not anything close to done. I’m gonna do my part, just making sure you’ll do yours.”
He tells her that besides the obvious he has no clue what she’s talking about. She just tells him he has a lot to protect, but he knows there is something she’s hiding. She of course won’t give anything up, and thanks him for his hospitality.
Next we are brought back to Christina, who’s sitting on her bed in Hemlock Acres looking thoughtful. Norman enters to talk to her, asking her about her day and looks at her book sitting at her feet. He thinks she’s been writing, and as he peruses the book, realizes that she’s blocked. She talks about it, how she feels the drugs are the reason she’s blocked. She asks him if she can lower her medication dosage. He tells her they can start to do that soon. She tells him about how her favorite thing in the whole world used to be swimming in a lake under the full moon. She asks him if he believes in magic and Norman tells her sometimes. He gives her the option to go home tonight with her parents but she refuses. She tells him, “It will get me if it wants me.” He tries to comfort her, to tell her she will be safe in Hemlock Acres. He leaves her and she looks around her room, lost and alone.
As Norman is leaving and looking at his cellphone, Sheriff Sworn shows up. They talk about what’s going on tonight and how the sheriff posted extra men at the gate as Norman requested. Sworn asks about Christina and Norman tells him that there isn’t much improvement yet, which is common for her condition. Norman asks him about the home front, and Sworn explains how it was a struggle, but he locked the girls down. After that they joke about how Sworn better get a beer after this and the two part ways.
The next scene is of Olivia again, sitting on Roman’s bed. Shelley comes in and she questions her, asking if she knows anything about Roman’s disappearance. She says, “The beauty of your inability to speak is the inability to lie. It’s rather refreshing of my children.” She asks Shelley to sit with her, and tells her she’s not cross with Shelley. Shelley sits and asks if she’s worried, to which Olivia responds with, “Of course I am. But there’s no pleasanter feeling than necessity. Unfortunately, if you’ve done your job adequately, in spite of yourself, you find you’re not needed at all. You think I didn’t know what he was up to this entire bloody while? These roles were assigned before recorded time. These same boards trod a thousand generations. And somehow the climax is as unforeseeable and astonishing every goddamn time.”
Shelley asks her if he will be alright and Olivia responds with, “It’s a pity you don’t drink.”
The scene changes and we are at the mill, with the two boys. Roman is leaning against his car with Peter, asking him if he’s sure about this. Peter just replies with, “Are you?” As Roman lights a smoke. Peter explains how he can pick up its scent where it left the girl. He points in the direction the body parts were found. Roman asks if he will be able to keep up and Peter tells him no and that he should watch his back. Considering what’s about to happen, Peter may be the one who needs to watch his back more.
Roman brings up Letha and Peter’s relationship to her. He asks him if he loves her, to which Peter tells him yes. Roman curses, but doesn’t kill him like he threatened to. Peter curses right along with him and they kind of share a smile over that. Peter asks him about the coma and if he remembers anything, and roman says, “A little. Still mostly a feeling, like I have something unfinished, something I need to do.”
Peter asks him what that is and Roman can’t say. All he can respond back with is, “ I guess I’ll know it when I see it.” Peter shrugs and nods.
The scene abruptly changes back to Christina in the hospital, as she stares off into the distance. Then it shifts quickly to Sheriff Sworn at his house, hearing a trash bin crashing nearby. He gets up to investigate as he talks into his scanner. He looks out the windows and then locks the front door.
We then see his twin girls going on about gossip and Facebook pages, being silly young girls trying to entertain themselves. Sworn goes in to check on them, and they tell him their fine (even if they are a bit bored out of their skulls). Alyssa reassures him that their mother sees what he does for them and they hug him tightly. They clearly love each other a lot.
They are blissfully normal, silly girls.
After that heartwarming scene we are back to Peter and Roman, as Peter gets antsy before his change. He paces back and forth before getting a chill down his spine, then grabs Roman by the shoulders and says, “If anything happens tonight, this is on you. I have to do this alone.” Roman tells him he knows and Peter says, “God help us.” They laugh nervously and Peter goes off to change.
Roman says he won’t follow him, and for the moment, he doesn’t.
The next scene is Norman going into his house, and greets his wife reading at the table. She tells him she’s in for the night with her book and wine. Norman says, “Well, it is an occasion.” They talk about Letha and her mood lately. They talk about how Peter was attacked after school yesterday and that she saw the whole thing. Letha’s mom says, “At a time like this, the only thing to do is to stay together.”
Norman goes into the kitchen to talk to Letha, who is very moody at the moment. He asks her if there is anything she wants to talk about, and she tells him, “I used to think there wasn’t a problem in the world you couldn’t solve.” He sighs and tells her, “You know, I wish it wasn’t part of the mythic cycle that I inevitably disappoint you.” She tries to reassure him he can’t and doesn’t disappoint her, but there is something in her eyes that says otherwise. He asks her if she’d wanna watch a bad movie with him later and she says maybe, and then gets up and leaves him.
The scene changes and Roman is waiting for Peter by his car. He looks impatient and starts looking for where Peter went off to. He finds Peter eventually after seeing his shed skin lying about on some rubble. When he finds Peter, he looks the wolf straight in the eyes, finding it recognizes him. He tells it he will just wait where he’s standing, as it growls at him with annoyance for disobeying his request. Roman asks if there is a scent, and the wolf starts sniffing around. Once he has the scent though, he goes off running. We see him running through debris as Clementine chases after him up in the rafters. She’s got a sniper rifle with her and shoots him with a tranquilizer dart.
Hearing Peter whimper, Roman runs to his aid, only to come face to face with the barrel of Clementine’s gun. Roman asks her what she shot Peter with and she tells him to not take another step or she will shoot him too. She demands he doesn’t make eye contact, as Roman tries to rationalize things to her. He tries to tell her Peter isn’t the one she is looking for. He tries to tell her how he knows, but he lies because he can’t tell her it’s just a feeling he has. She can read him because he has a tell. Roman threatens her and she responds with, “You threaten me again I’ll come over there and break your teeth in.” he keeps trying to appeal to her sense of reason but it’s useless. He tells her they were tracking the vargulf, trying to get its scent and that’s why they were there. Clementine doesn’t by it of course and tells him, “Just how much of what you think you know is what he told you?”
Roman replies with, “if there’s another one tonight, it’s gonna be your fault.”
Clementine tries to tell him that Peter isn’t a person. Isn’t his friend and that she knows it’s hard to accept, and that it’s probably hard for Peter to accept too. Which to me, just sounds like doctrine she’s been taught by the Order. She then says, “I believe you came here to find the monster. So did he. Because he can’t know that about himself. You can’t know that about yourself and continue being a person.” Of course Roman can’t believe that statement, considering who and what he is.
Clementine of course doesn’t care when Roman calls her comment bullshit. She replies with, “This is an animal. That is what this is.”
She tells him to step away and not make eye contact again, then when Roman asks her why she won’t let him help she exclaims, “Because you don’t believe in God! “ She points a handgun right at his face and asks him one more time to get in his car and leave. She tells him she’ll be real pissed off if she has to shoot him, and he says he’s not afraid of her. She puts the gun away and gets knife going down to her knees to deal with Peter. Roman flips, thinking she’s gonna hurt him and tells her he swears he’ll kill her if she does hurt him. She just yells at him to get the hell out. As he runs away, threatening to find her, she tells him, “God doesn’t want you to be happy Roman. He wants you to be strong.”
Now, I wanna comment on the neat effect they did that if you watch closely you’ll catch. Unlike in a lot of things with wolves muzzled, the wolf in this is actually aware of his situation. The eye moves as if to follow the movement of where Roman was standing. Usually when they show a wolf for a moment lying prone, its eyes don’t move like that. It was probably a CGI trick, but it was an effective one from my point of view.
And as Roman is leaving, we get a shot of none other than Olivia, smoking away, watching things unfold!
The scene that follows is of Shelley writing to herself, flooded with emotions she can’t share easily. She tells her journal she writes because she is terrified she almost lost Roman once, and she doesn’t want him risking himself again. She feels helpless to his obsession and knows she can’t stop it. And worse, though she fears for her mother’s safety what she fears most is her mother’s response.
As she should.
We come back to the scene with Clementine and Peter, as she puts him muzzled and drugged into a large cage in the back of her truck. She tries to call the bishop and tell him that he’s been contained and will arrive shortly. She is told directly by the bishop not to purge the beast herself. With trepidation she tells him she understands and tells him that Peter is in sleepy town and he should make a bed before hanging up. After the call she examines his paws and stares at him intently. Talking to him she says softly, “Don’t worry baby. I can save one of us.” And takes out her knife and prays.
“Come to my assistant in my great need that I may receive the consolation and succor of heaven in all my tribulations, necessities, and sufferings.”
From the shadows just as Clementine brings the knife towards Peter, Olivia says, “I wouldn’t do that.”
As she steps out she tells Clementine, “I see you don’t like your privacy invaded either. Ironic, though, in fairness, you are trespassing and in the process of doing so dared to threaten the life of my son.”
Clementine points a gun at her head as she explains, “Where I come from its rather frowned upon to hunt on the grounds of one’s betters. “
Clementine threatens her, telling her to turn around and walk away, but Olivia isn’t fazed. She doesn’t care if Clementine tries to kill her at this point.
Olivia remarks with her trademark coldness, “The cross you wear is not of your order. St. Jude.” Which startles Clementine as she looks down at the necklace she took off her first werewolf kill. Olivia knows more than she is given credit for! She smiles a little and says coolly, “St. Jude. Little Mouse.”
Little Mouse is Clementine’s code name with the bishop. Of course, this is upsetting Clementine quite a bit. “Aw, Little Mouse. It makes you feel so lost.”
After Olivia says that, and continues to come towards her while doing so, Clementine shoots.
The sound of the gunshot reverberates, and then we get sweeping shots of the town of Hemlock Grove.
If you think that was intense, wait until you hear about what happens next. We are now brought back to Sheriff Sworn’s girls, as they call Christina to try and cheer her up. After calling her they go on about stupid gossip stuff and we get shots of their father listening to the radio waiting for call backs from his crew. As he is doing that, the girls are playing dress up and blaring loud music. Sheriff Sworn hears a thump and a door slam inside and goes to investigate. He looks outside, closes his front door and does a sweep of the perimeter. He makes the mistake of not saying anything to his fellow officers, but does tell them to come back at his house. He hears another noise and goes after it out back. The girls are still dressing up and blaring music as he does this, having a grand old time. As they are doing so, something is in the house. Sworn is in a shed looking for where the noises are coming from, as the girls twirl about and play. No one knows someone is in the house.
By the time Sworn finally figures out there is someone in the house, it’s too late. We see the poor girls get torn to bloody chunks by probably the vargulf. It’s gory and messy, and Sworn only realizes this is happening when he hears a shrill scream. But the vargulf is gone, and so are the girls.
We see him covered in their blood, stunned. He remembers looking at them in pieces, holding one as she dies. We see them carry out the corpses as his fellow officers try to ask questions. The poor man breaks down upon seeing the bodies again, and falls to his knees crying.
The Vargulf got his meal for the night.
The scene changes to Norman looking down at Letha as she sleeps on him. He goes outside with his wife and he confesses to her that he prayed that if it had to happen, it happen to someone else. So it wasn’t Letha.
Then we see a scene with Clementine’s brother, waiting for her by the water, at the place they agreed on. She doesn’t meet him there. He remembers the last time they were there. They share a drink and he realizes it’s not booze, and she tells him she’s been dry for almost a year. He tells her their dad is dead and that he was told to wait to tell her. She asks him if he killed him. He says no and she tells him, “Don’t you dare fucking lie to me Michael.” He responds with, “A man who lived like that, it’s more satisfying to watch him do it to himself.” They start talking about forgiveness then and if god wants them to forgive each and every one of his creations. Clementine responds her brothers question with, “I aint about to start answering that.” And then she walks away.
The following scene is of two kids finding bits of stuff down by a river. They find a microscope, Clementine’s pictures, and then her truck opened and torn up in the back, blood on the walls. The car alarm scares them off.
She’s gone. And so is Peter.
The show ends with her brother waiting for her, looking pensive.
And that’s it for this episode! It starts off a little rough in my opinion, but I like how it ends. Lots of interesting stuff unfolding. You think Olivia got to Clementine and set Peter free? Tell me your ideas in the comments.
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