“I have but to swallow this,

And be for the rest of my days

Persecuted by a legion of

Goblins, all of my own creation.

Humbug, I tell you; humbug!”

Last year it was Krampus and this year it’s three mischievous monsters causing Christmas havoc in good old Portland. December’s not December without fiends, a spot of violence and Nick Burkhart right in the middle of it all.

While Dennis Gladstone and his wife are hosting a Christmas party, Monrosalee flip the switch on Monroe’s famous train set, a single that Christmas is right around the corner. After she says yes to his honeymoon invitation, the mini-train derailment is not, according to Monroe, an omen. Too bad for Dennis that’s not the case. The rather large package dropped off at his house during the party sprouts arms, legs and some sharp teeth. Resembling a leprechaun, the creature lets its two buddies in and they go to town on the Gladstone’s decorations and put a beat on Dennis when he comes to investigate.

Rambunctious lil monsters ready to cause havoc

While one man is getting his teeth kicked in, the trio of Nick, Hank and Trubel are doing a bit of research on the Segundum Naturae Ordinem Wesen ,AKA the Wesenrein. They get a bit of confirmation on the Weserein’s objectives and a history lesson while Josh is still trying to suss out the reality of things going bump in the night. Juliette listens to his worries and concerns and reminds him that, one day, he may be next in his family’s line to become a Grimm. Speaking off, Nick and Hank are called to the Gladstone assault scene but don’t get much in the way of information. Trubel does a bit better when she investigates Shaw (the Wesen threatening to take out the at-the-time Grimm-less Nick a few weeks back) as a potential Wesenrein. Her suspicions are confirmed and, thanks to Josh’s quick thinking, she brings the evidence back to Nick and the gang. Nick gives her the greenlight to work with Bud to get a bit more information while he questions Dennis Gladstone about the attack. The man doesn’t given him much save that the attackers had to be kids in masks. Back at the station, Nick and Hank are profiling the areas of B&E with the latter noticing the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church as the one constant. Before they get called to a vandalism in progress, Renard chats with his Grimm detective about their mothers and preventing woman on woman violence when the two meet. To top it off, Nick has to find a way to keep Wu off his trail, not the easiest of tasks, considering the sergeant’s pitbull-like tenacity.

Heading back to the vandalism, the partners arrive to find the three terrors trashing decorations. When they spot the detectives, two escape but the third isn’t so lucky. It’s caught up on the roof, falling from its perch before being KO’d and kennel’d up at Monrosalee’s. The two non-Grimm women watch over the little devil while Monroe, Hank, and Nick gather more information at the Trailer. They discover the cretins are Kallikantzaroi, children of the Indoli Gentile. Evidently, the puberty transformation going is very rare; it happens during the twelve days of Christmas, only at night and comes with a fruit cake kryptonite. Now, only if they could track the others down…Don’t worry, the two that escaped do just that, finding their imprisoned bud and chase Rosalee and Juliette into the house. The women try fending the little bastards off until the cavalry arrives. Despite Nick and the others timely arrival, the Kallikantzaroi escape, but not without leaving a medical bracelet; just what the doctor ordered.

Nick & Co await to see if the fruit cakes turn the monsters back to normal

While Josh, still having this monster thing going round-and-round in his head, gets a more thorough explanation of it all (with emphasis on the hundjager after him) thanks to Trubel, Nick and Hank visits the parents of the medical bracelet monster. The parents are shocked to hear their son’s affliction and when they mention little John will be performing in the St. Demetrios Church Choir, it all falls into place. Now, all they need is a trap. One of the fruit cake variety.

Commandeering a fruit cake truck, the detectives enter the church just in time to see the John and his two buddies change. They’re able to lead the boys into it and let them pig out until they overindulge, thus triggering their change back to boys. The ruse works and everyone’s able to go home happy. Coming up the walkway, Nick finds a pensive Trubel. After hearing Josh’s story and his need to return home, she’s decided it’s time for her to go and what better way to do it than to help the son of a former Grimm return home. Nick offers his Aunt Marie’s truck as a goodbye of sorts, though he wishes he had more to give. “Nick,” Trubel says, “you gave me my life.” She can’t say goodbye to the others, though Juliette watches her leave with Josh through the window. But she has no time to be sad; there’s a pregnancy test on the sink waiting to be read. Juliette goes to check the results and…

Goodbye to You, Hello too…

  • By far the most important—and surprising—aspect of the show was Trubel packing up and heading out of Portland with Josh. True, the possibility has been there on plenty of occasions, with Agent Chavez’s offer the most recent of drivers, but I wouldn’t have guessed it to have happened this early. Now, just because she’s heading out of town doesn’t mean she won’t return. In fact, it’s almost a given that, sooner rather than later, Nick will need Trubel’s wit, attitude, and strength to fight what’s peeking up over the horizon…
  • One thing I’m not so sure Nick’s ready for is a lil sprog of his own. But what better way to dial up the intrigue than to have a baby-Grimm on the way? Imagine the tectonic shifts in priority and interest that will cause for Nick, Juliette, his friends and the Royals (because you know they’d get a whiff of that all too soon for our resident Grimm’s sake). Okay, so she may not actually BE with child (we never did see the results) but the morose look on her face pretty much said all we need to know.