Hemlock Grove 2.04: “Bodily Fluids”

Again?!
Bodies in the woods! I think the moral of the story is that you should never, ever go into the woods in Hemlock Grove. There’s a lot of bad stuff lurking therein.

So, woods…remember when Shelley pulled the vargulf’s mouth apart? Well…

Professional discourtesy.
Dr. Johann Pryce (Joel de la Fuente) is still running bio experiments and debating with Dr. Galina Zheleznova-Burdukovskaya (Shauna MacDonald) about stabilizing… something. The girl in the tank? We’ve only been in that basement lab once so far. One of the things I’d hoped they explore this season was the White Tower and what exactly Pryce was up to. We've gotten snippets, but I feel it fell by the wayside in order to focus more on the werewolves and Roman’s personal crisis. I love the stark, clinical, overly-bright look of the inside of the Tower. It’s unsettling in its own right, no matter what Pryce is cooking up.

With plenty of creepy house staff and toadies at work, he still seems very alone.
One of the things I love about Roman (Bill Skarsgård) is how much he loves Shelley. I’m dying to see them back together. Meanwhile, Roman is still gunning after Pryce, for whatever he’s doing in the basement of the White Tower, and trying to master his bloodlust. He’s still going after the homeless and people no one will miss, but how long can he keep this up? Even though he’s feeding the cravings, he’s not getting better, and it’s not getting easier.

Damn, used the last bag of frozen peas on the guy assaulting me.
These transformations that Peter (Landon Liboiron) goes through are so well done. I love the spinal deformations and the sound of the bones shifting. I can’t sing the praises of the effects crew loudly enough. He’s off on another dream-lead. I think the masked crazies are after the kids. Peter gets a little heavy-handed with the dire warning/get out of town thing. As always, there are consequences. Enter Sheriff Chasseur (Demore Barnes), and Peter’s spending a night in a less-than-cozy cell.

A Big Wheel is no match for 4-wheel.
I’m really enjoying these vision sequences. They’re breathtaking, with a surreal element that gives just enough unease to leave you feeling that evil that Destiny warned Peter about. The same goes for the limited glances we get through Roman’s perspective. The blurred images and the underlying sound of blood pumping and heartbeats is disorienting. The visual effects are one of things I loved about the first season, and I’m glad they’ve carried on with creating these little slices of otherworldly experience.

It’s not about the money…
Remember when I said Elmer Fudd the Drug Lord (aka Mr. Beaumont, played by David Richmond-Peck) was crazy? That was an understatement.

Shelley (Madeline Martin) and Jason (Jack Fulton) are so freaking cute together. I’m not sure how long they’ve known each other, but Jason just accepts Shelley the way she is, no questions asked. She deserves to have friends who don’t care about how she looks. Unfortunately, Jason’s got an abusive father, and I don’t see any of this ending well.

Most new parents put up cute murals, not industrial sound-proofing and security.
What to do with Miranda? She’s stranded in Hemlock Grove for a reason, and it’s about time we get a hint as to why. So far, all she’s done is hang around with Roman or Peter, or sit around the house sketching. I feel the writers are letting her hang, but now, we’ve got a clue as to her purpose. She’s discovered Roman’s secret, and honestly, I’m not sure what’s going on. More importantly, are they ever going to name the baby?


Meghan Harker grew up in a small, awkwardly-named town in Georgia. She attended Brenau University, where she earned her BA in English and a minor in Graphic Design; she also attended the University of Cambridge, England, where she didn't quite master the perfect Oxbridge accent. She's an avid reader, writer, and fire spinner. She's currently working her first novel, a paranormal thriller. Visit her blog at ExquisitelyOdd.com.

Read all posts by Meghan Harker for Criminal Element.