Twelve Days of Krampus

"" is the eighth episode of Season 3 of Grimm and the fifty-second episode overall. It first aired on December 13, 2013 on NBC.

Synopsis
It's almost Christmas and two boys, Derrick Bryce and Quinn Baxter, smash the window of a car and steal the presents inside. As they make their escape, they are wished "Merry Christmas" by a Santa on the streets. Delighted by their success, they rifle through their loot before being attacked by a creature in a Santa Suit who declares, "You've been naughty!" The creature catches hold of Quinn, hitting him mercilessly with a whip before stuffing him into a sack. Derek manages to hide in a car, but is discovered by the creature. It slashes at him with claws, leaving two long cuts down his cheek, before leaving with Quinn slung over his shoulder.

In the Austrian Alps, Tavitian is stopped by the police on the road due to an accident ahead. He starts shooting them, knowing they are Verrat. He takes down everyone at the scene including a female Hundjäger who tries to retaliate. Tavitian arrives at the Resistance's hideout, and is greeted by Sean Renard, Meisner, Frenay, and other members, who inform him of Breslau's betrayal. Tavitian flaunts his hatred of the royal family unabashedly, spiking the interest of Sean. Sebastien takes his leave, not wanting to make Viktor suspicious.

Rosalee asks Monroe if he is going to come by the Spice Shop, but he awkwardly excuses himself by trying to make excuses that he will be busy. Rosalee, amused, leaves for work. Monroe then quickly lets Juliette, who has been waiting at the back door, into the house after confirming that Rosalee had not seen her.

At the Resistance's meeting, members express their distrust in Sean due to his lineage. They heatedly debate for a while, before inviting Sean to say something. He states his understanding in their distrust, but assures them that his blood gives him access to the people needed and that he understands Wesen in a way they cannot. Finally, he wins them over by reminding them that he has a Grimm. After no one dares contradict him, they decide to leave the area because it has become unsafe.

Nick and Hank are called to the crime scene of Quinn's abduction, where someone had found the body of Derrick. They find the stolen presents, a jacket with "QB" written on it, and a piece of coal. Wu bags the coal to bring with them to get analyzed. An officer walks up to them and shows them the body of Derrick. Wu enters the car to see if he can find a wallet for identification, but when he tries to search Derek wakes up and freaks out, proving to not be dead after all.

At Monroe's house, Juliette helps Monroe set up Christmas decorations. Juliette says that she thinks Rosalee should be the one helping Monroe because it is the first Christmas they are spending together, but Monroe insists that it would be better if they surprised her, especially because of the fact there are 42 boxes of decorations.

Nick and Hank briefly discuss with Derrick's doctor how Derrick could have gotten the scratches on his face before they question Frank Bryce, Derrick's father. He expresses disappointment in his son and suggests that the jacket at the crime scene could belong to Quinn, Derek's friend. The duo attempt to question a dazed and unwilling Derrick, learning that someone attacked Derrick and Quinn, and abducted the latter, before Derek catches sight of a man in a Santa costume outside his room. He starts screaming and freaking out that the Santa was not going to "get him." Nick and Hank question the man in the Santa costume, but he has an alibi, as he was in the hospital "spreading Christmas cheer" at the time Derrick was abducted.

A teenager on a skateboard grabs a woman's shopping bag and escapes. He is rifling through the bag in a lonely parking garage, when the creature from before attacks him, hitting him with a switch. As it tries to stuff him into a sack, a man enters the garage and is bewildered by the scene before him. The man threatens to call the cops and catches sight of the creature's face as it leaves with the boy kicking and screaming in the sack. Once more, the creature leaves behind a piece of coal.

In Vienna, Sean and Meisner break into Adalind's hotel room. Sean finds the jar of the substance from Frau Pech's remains that Adalind has been applying to her stomach. Upon opening it and sniffing it, he woges briefly in disgust. He then notices a hidden camera in the corner of the room and leaves Adalind a rose and note on her dresser.

Nick and Hank arrive at Quinn's house, only to have Bud answer the door. Bud assumes that they are there because Quinn's father, Jerry reported Quinn's disappearance. Jerry confirms that the jacket belonged to Quinn and gives them a photograph to identify his son. Hank then receives a call that they are needed. When they are out of the house, he tells Nick that someone witnessed "Santa stuffing a kid into a bag."

Monroe looks out his window as Rosalee drives up. Rosalee steps into the house to find it filled to the brim with Christmas decorations. While Monroe excitedly tells her about the decoration's history, she seems to wilt more and more, before finally telling Monroe that her favorite aunt and uncle died in a car accident on the way to her family's house for Christmas Eve when she was seven years old, and that Christmas has been a dark time for her ever since.

At the crime scene of the second boy's abduction, Wu briefs Hank and Nick about the witness' account. The witness describes the Santa as "my worst drug-crazed, acid-induced flashback nightmare." Nick and Hank exchange a look and they decide to investigate the place where the boy had snatched the shopping bag, as well as the Santas at the scene.

They stop at a food cart and demand the license of the owner. He reluctantly gives it to them and Hank tells him to take off his beard. The owner insists that he hasn't done anything. Incensed, he woges into a Schakal and is horrified to realize that Nick is a Grimm, so he runs. Believing this is the proof he needs, Nick tackles the Schakal and punches him repeatedly. This gets filmed on video by bystanders, some of which are horrified by the attack on "Santa."

Monroe lies awake in bed with Rosalee, before getting up and walking into the living room, surveying the decorations.

Adalind comes back into her hotel room and finds Sean's note which reads:

"Cameras in room, watching you. We must talk. Seitenstraße Cafe. Do not leave this note in your room. Stay five minutes. Change your clothes. Smile as if I wrote something charming. Sean."

Adalind attempts a watery smile and folds the note. She cautiously looks around for the camera and locates it, realizing that it perfectly captures the mirror before which she cooed to her child.

Rosalee wakes up in an empty bed. She gets up and goes downstairs only to find all the decorations gone and Monroe passed out on the couch.

Juliette calls Nick over to look at the news on TV. It's footage of Nick roughing up the Schakal Santa. Juliette asks Nick, "you arrested Santa?" There's a knock at the door and Nick switches off the TV as Juliette goes to get the door. It's Bud, who is worried about Quinn. Bud comments on the arrest that's all over the news and asks Nick if that's the man responsible for the kidnappings. Nick states that all he found was two lumps of coal, before leaving for work. Stunned, Bud muses over what Nick said, before making a connection and running out frantically.

At the precinct, Wu comments on Nick and Hank's arrest of Santa. He then reveals that the coal at the crime scenes was mined from the North Pole. At a loss, Hank questions what to do. Nick suggests they go "talk to someone who believes in Santa."

At the spice shop, Rosalee confides in Juliette about ruining Monroe's Christmas. Juliette suggests that they do what Nick and her did; make up their own traditions. Rosalee ponders over her traditions, remembering that her aunt used to put out beer and cigars for Santa instead of cookies and milk.

Nick and Hank pay a visit to a gloomy Monroe, who goes on for a bit about Rosalee's distaste for Christmas. Nick then brings up the Christmas from a couple years ago when Monroe said that he liked dressing up as Santa. Nick had expressed disbelief at the time about a Blutbad as Santa, and Monroe had said that he was "no Gefrierengeber." Nick describes the abductions to Monroe, and asks if it could have been a Gefrierengeber dressed up as Santa. Monroe declares it impossible to be one, but asks the dejected detectives if the kidnapper had left behind any coal, or if the victims were doing anything that could be described as "naughty." When they confirm both, Monroe cautions that they might be dealing with something awful; Krampus, a creature who kidnaps children and hangs them from the tallest tree at the tallest spot until he decides to devour them on the winter solstice, or December 21st. They realize that it is already the 21st, and that they don't have much time to save the children.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Krampus empties his sack, taking out a struggling girl and puts her into a basket, and hangs it up onto a branch. There are several other baskets hung there, all of which contain shouting teenagers who are cold and hungry.

Monroe, Nick, and Hank discuss which tree is the tallest in Portland and where the tallest point is also. They suggest Forest Park, Council Crest and Washington Park. Just then Bud knocks and Monroe answers the door. Bud tells them about the connection he had made between the coal and Krampus, and Nick, Hank, and Monroe let him know they realized the same thing. Bud believes the tallest tree and the tallest spot are in Council Crest, and the team decide to go there, despite Bud denying Krampus' existence.

The team arrives at the forest, but Monroe's Blutbad senses are overwhelmed by "the smell of fear on Bud." Nick hears the cries of the victims in the distance and leads the team to the tree where the children are hanging in baskets. While Hank, Monroe, and Bud rush up to help, Nick hears Krampus coming up from behind. He seeks out, and finds Krampus, who has brought another victim. Nick is at first overpowered by Krampus, and Krampus begins to choke Nick, causing him to turn grey. Nick in a sudden burst of energy, punches Krampus. Hank and Monroe rush to Nick's aid, but arrive to find the creature already knocked out. Hank asks what he is, to Monroe's surprise that Hank can see him woged. The trio debate what they should do and Hank and Monroe say they probably need to kill him before he disappears for another year and starts kidnapping more victims. Nick tries to figure out another way and tells Monroe and Hank they should kill him. Monroe says "it's not really a Blutbad thing to meat out justice." Monroe tells Nick it will be hard to bring Krampus into the precinct and explain everything. Krampus starts to wake up and Hank tells Nick if he wont shoot him, then he will. The clock strikes midnight and suddenly Krampus reverts back into his human form. The man is baffled and realizes "it happened again."

At the precinct, the detectives question the man, who is a freelance photographer from Salt Lake City. He tells them he blacks out every December and then wakes up on the 22nd in a forest dressed as Santa, sometimes with blood on him. He tries to tell them he has done nothing wrong and is innocent. Nick asks the man what kind of Wesen he is, but the man claims he doesn't know what that means.

Nick, Hank, and Monroe go to the trailer where Nick adds an entry about Krampus into one of the Grimm diaries. They deliberate over what to do with the man who doesn't even know he's a Wesen and end up deciding to inform the Wesen Council.

Monroe returns home to find it fully decorated again. Rosalee is asleep on the couch, and Monroe tenderly puts a blanket over her, before seeing the beer and cigar Rosalee had left out, causing him to smile.

Press Release
A DARK JUSTICE DESCENDS ON PORTLAND AS THE CHRISTMAS SEASON BEGINS -- After a string of delinquent teens go missing, an old Wesen tale of an evil Santa who brings more than just a lump of coal may be the prime suspect. The investigation intensifies as Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) take things a little too far. Meanwhile, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) enlists Juliet (Bitsie Tulloch) to surprise Rosalee (Bree Turner) for their first Christmas together with unintended results. Elsewhere, Captain Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) tour of Europe brings him closer to tracking down Adalind (Claire Coffee). Reggie Lee also stars.

Wesen

 * Blutbad
 * Fuchsbau
 * Half-Zauberbiest
 * Krampus
 * Eisbiber
 * Schakal
 * Hundjäger
 * Gefrierengeber (mentioned)

Diseases

 * Post-Traumatic Zombification Disorder

Cast interviews






Trivia

 * During the time of the Hapsburg Empire it was believed that Krampus accompanied St. Nicholas on his rounds. He punished the naughty children whilst the Saint rewarded the good ones.
 * The title is a play on the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
 * December 13th, 2013 marked the first day where two episodes first aired on the same day ( & this one)