(L-R) Landon Liboiron, Bill Skarsgard and Kaniehtiio Horn in a scene from Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” Season 2. Credit: Steve Wilkie for Netflix.
A major character dies and several secrets are revealed in the second season finale of Hemlock Grove.
We open with Peter (Landon Liboiron) and Roman (Bill Skarsgård) stuffing the bodies of the white-masked gang members, who they successfully defeated in the previous episode, into a Godfrey truck. Meanwhile, in Roman’s house, Destiny (Kaniehtiio Horn) and Miranda (Madeline Brewer) try to clean the bloody floor with bleach as Anna cries over the death of her lover, Conway.
Miranda naturally questions how the blonde leader of the gang died after baby Nadia simply stared at him. Of course, Roman tries to justify the situation by saying he probably died of a brain hemorrhage after Miranda hit him on the head with a globe. This is coming from the guy who eats people and has a werewolf for a best friend.
Miranda, obviously, refuses to trust everyone after her horrific day. To get her to calm down, Destiny makes a mixture of Vicodin and orange juice. While Miranda drinks up, Destiny tells Roman how wrong she was about him. Will there finally be peace amongst the group?
Of course not, especially now that Miranda’s nipples are leaking blood as opposed to milk this time around.
Norman’s new revenge plan
Norman (Dougray Scott) ends up learning that Olivia (Famke Janssen) has cancer after discovering all of the tablets she is taking. During the long-awaited confrontation with his lover, Norman tells her how he already knows about her upir-ism and that she killed Marie — you know, typical things couples talk about after learning a significant other is lying.
As much as Olivia promises Norman that she has changed, Norman does not listen and tells her that instead of killing her, he will watch her die horribly from her cancer. The jilted lover walks off but it looks like Olivia will not take Norman’s comments to heart. She wouldn’t be Olivia Godfrey if she did.
Shelley’s heart breaks
Shelley (Madeleine Martin) is about to undergo the procedure where her soul enters Prycilla’s (Alexandra Gordon) body. She tells Pryce (Joel de la Fuente) she doesn’t want to be buried in her family plot and instead wants her ashes spread in the old river where she used to sit and read after school. It was the only place she could be alone and it was perfect.
Later, Norman complains to Pryce that he can’t see Shelley and this is when he learns about the procedure she is about to go through. He attempts to save her with a defibrillator and succeeds in waking Shelley up.
His niece, however, is not happy to be waking up in her old body but it’s a good thing she did wake up or else she would be dead. Olivia ate Prycilla to cure her cancer and this news devastates Shelley.
Madeleine Martin (C) in a scene from Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” Season 2. Credit: Steve Wilkie for Netflix.
The truth about Dr. Spivak
We learn very early on that the man in the fedora featured in several visions and dreams throughout the season is actually Dr. Spivak (J.C. MacKenzie)! And we thought he was just some strange guy who hated Norwegians.
After learning that Miranda is on her way to the office, Dr. Spivak sends his assistant out to get some medical supplies even though the office is fully stocked. It becomes very clear the Norwegian hater clearly has something planned.
Meanwhile, Destiny takes one of Miranda’s post-natal nutrition pills to get a vision and sees flashes of Dr. Spivak, the White Tower and a creature with scales and wings.
When Miranda and Nadia go to the office, Dr. Spivak tries to tell Miranda the only reason her nipples are bleeding is because of stress. It doesn’t look like we can trust the doctor’s strange medical advice anymore though since he has Nadia in his hands and won’t let her go.
Apparently, the doctor has been watching Miranda for a long time. Dr. Spivak learned her blood was “the proverbial needle in the DNA haystack.” Her breast milk is actually giving Nadia her powers. After learning this, Dr. Spivak tried to get Miranda into Hemlock Grove.
And he did this successfully by running her car off the road earlier in the season.
While Miranda fights to save the baby, Olivia walks in to collect her granddaughter. While the two of them fight, Olivia scratches Dr. Spivak’s face and reveals scales underneath his human skin.
Miranda tries to leave the building with Nadia but Anna stops her and tries to take Nadia.
But the baby did not like being handled by this woman and ends up making Anna’s face bleed just like he did to the leader of the cult.
Olivia supposedly kills Dr. Spivak but that turns out to not be the case since the doctor’s assistant finds his body changing into something that can’t be human.
The return of the cringe-worthy Mr. Beaumont
We thought Mr. Beaumont (David Richmond-Peck) was done with making us cringe after removing his lackeys’ testicles in the fourth episode. He is still angry that Peter’s sebzilla didn’t live up to the sales pitch. So, he takes a shotgun and approaches Peter while he’s sleeping. Mr. Beaumont asks him to take his clothes off.
We know where this is going.
After explaining the cringe-worthy procedure, Peter tries to escape and takes the shotgun away from Mr. Beaumont. Just when you think Peter’s about to escape, Destiny enters the room and Mr. Beaumont holds a knife to her throat.
In exchange for Destiny’s life, Peter gives the shotgun back and Mr. Beaumont releases Destiny from his grasp.
Peter knows what he has to do in order to save both of them, as much as Destiny doesn’t want him to: change into his wolf form. He makes Destiny promise she will kill him afterward.
Just as we see Peter start to change into his wolf form (and as we get ready to say goodbye to our wolfy friend), Andreas (Luke Camilleri) comes in with a silencer and shoots Mr. Beaumont.
Peter and Destiny are just as confused as us viewers. Why does Andreas have a silencer on his gun? More importantly, why does he have a gun?
“That, my friends is a conversation for another time,” Andreas says as he promises Peter and Destiny that the place will be clean and tidy when they get back.
Back to business: Destiny tells Peter they have to go to the White Tower immediately.
Madeline Brewer in a scene from Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” Season 2. Credit: Steve Wilkie for Netflix.
Miranda has it harder than most parents
Thinking a baby would enjoy zoo animals like any average child, Miranda takes Nadia to see a monkey in the White Tower. What she didn’t expect is for Nadia to make the monkey’s head explode. This is why parents really need to look out for their kids these days.
Also, Miranda’s nipples bleed again as if she didn’t have enough problems.
Miranda walks upstairs to the roof with Nadia and sings a lullaby as she is about to jump. As Peter, Roman and Destiny try to stop her, Miranda tells Nadia how much she loved her and how sorry she was for turning her into a monster. Then Miranda starts to cry…tears of blood. This girl seriously has blood coming out of the wrong places.
Miranda jumps off the roof and almost falls to her death…until Dr. Spivak, in the form of a giant flying pterodactyl/manta/monster/whatever, flies over and prevents them from falling. He flies away as Peter, Roman, Destiny, Oliva and Pryce watch from different locations around the building.
Cliffhangers galore!
Pryce makes a deal with Roman
Early in the episode, Roman asks Pryce for his help in getting rid of the dead bodies of the white-masked gang. The doctor agrees to do so on the condition that Roman stops interfering with his work and on other conditions he said will be named later. What will Pryce ask Roman to do, especially considering he knows Roman killed Dr. Zheleznova-Burdukovskaya.
What happened to Jason?
Pryce tells Shelley that Jason was placed in foster care and he will make sure he is protected. Will he make an appearance next season? Shelley will definitely need some companionship after her ordeal.
What is up with Andreas?
Is he in the CIA? Is he part of some gypsy secret agent group? This should be a very interesting storyline once we see it come to fruition.
RIP Norman Godfrey
In one of the more shocking scenes of the episode, Olivia fights with Norman and removes his heart with her bare hands.
“It took me 20 years to realize how much I wanted your heart. Now it’s mine,” Olivia says in a moment that makes you want to laugh because of the pun but refuse to do so because Norman is dead!
Olivia sends Chasseur (Demore Barnes) a text from Norman’s phone with a photo of Norman’s dead body. Her text features the ominous words: “YOU’RE NEXT.”
What does Olivia have planned and who will ultimately win this battle?
What on earth is that flyingpterodactyl/manta/monster/whatever!?
This heading pretty much says it all but what is Dr. Spivak and what is he trying to accomplish with Miranda and baby Nadia?
“Hemlock Grove” has not been confirmed for a third season yet but we will hopefully get the answers to all of these questions eventually.
Grade:A+
Check out the recap of the last episode here.
Follow Jeremy Rodriguez on Twitter:@RodriguezJeremy
