Danse Macabre

"" is the fifth episode of Season 1 of Grimm and the fifth episode overall. It first aired on Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 10pm/9 central on NBC and is based off of of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The episode is named for the classical musical theme used in various scenes during the episode. This is the first and only Grimm episode in Season 1 to be aired out of its usual Friday 9/8c timeslot.

Synopsis
A rave is being held somewhere in Portland, Oregon where a popular DJ, Retchid Kat, is disc jockeying. At the same time, a string quartet consisting of Sarah Jennings, Carter Brimley, Trey Harrison and Marvin is practicing Saint-Saëns's Danse macabre (translating as "Dance of Death") under the direction of Paul Lawson at the Von Hamelin Music Institute. Later that evening Lawson enters his car and finds many rats inside. The rats attack. The next morning, the school principal, Grace Kaplan finds Lawson dead in his car with rats walking on his partially eaten body. The police find cages labelled with "Geiger Pest Control" in the bushes.

While interrogating the members of the quartet, Nick and Hank learn that there was a student called Roddy Geiger that was suspended a few days earlier, though Sarah says that Roddy wouldn't do something like that.

When they get to the Geiger home, Nick and Hank hear violin music which leads them to Roddy playing in a shed where rats are pressed up to the cages, listening. His father, Ephram Geiger, accuses them of coming to arrest and hurt them, woging into a Reinigen just before he tries to strike Hank for grabbing Roddy (who was probably about to run away). Roddy sees that Nick is a Grimm and instantly distrusts him, accusing Nick of wanting to kill him before attacking (which is stopped by Nick punching him in the face). Both Geigers are arrested.

Ephram Geiger says that he was in the mountains during the time of attack while also saying the cages were stolen and that the students at the school never let his son forget their lack of wealth. He also says that Roddy is a prodigy. During Roddy's interrogation, details about his suspension surface. He was suspended for attacking Carter and Trey, though he claims that "Yeah, I attacked after they jumped me." He also admits that he was at the rave the night before and says that one person can alibi him. That person reveals that Roddy is DJ Retchid Kat and Roddy goes free though his dad stays.

Doctor Harper calls them and tells them that Dr. Lawson did not die of the rats; he died of a heart attack. Harper also shows green and red nylon fibers that she found in a rat's stomach which could have come from the car.

This then goes back to Roddy who is watching a car and obviously aggravated as he woges into his other form. Sarah gets out of the car and Roddy tells her that the cops have his dad and that the person who did this wanted them (the police) to think it was one of the Geigers. Sarah says that everyone thinks that and says that it makes sense and that Lawson was the one that got him out of the quartet. Roddy says that it's bogus and she knows it. She says that they're her friends, and when he asks her what he is, she claims that he's someone she used to care about. Roddy kisses her and says that she still loves him, but Sarah says that she can't keep sneaking out to be with him before pushing him away. She asks if he didn't put the rats in the car then who did and Roddy accuses Carter. She refuses to believe it, however, and they are interrupted by Sarah's mother who tells Roddy to stay away from her daughter. He meets Carter on his way out and steps forward threateningly, but Carter has his phone already dialed to 911. Roddy hits the car window before stalking away.

Hank comes in with the report that says the fibers came from blankets and an expensive German car. Sarah's mother walks in at the end of the discussion an demands to know why Roddy hasn't been arrested, accusing him of harassing Sarah and saying that he's "out of control". She then says that they should get evidence that Roddy was guilty of the murder. When she says that he doesn't belong at the school, Hank asks "Or your neighborhood?" and she avoids the subject by saying that they should be writing this down because she was filing a report. Hank later says that he hasn't "had that much fun since that drunk threw up on [him] at the Christmas party."

Nick goes to Monroe who tells him about how Reinigen are at the bottom of the food chain and Nick shows that he already knows a bit about them by saying that they're only violent when pushed to the limit. Nick then asks Monroe to talk to Roddy and convinces him to by describing Roddy's musical talent.

Hank and Sgt. Wu go out drinking and Hank admits that Nick's instincts are often right. Hank leaves and meets Adalind Schade who asks to buy him dinner. Captain Renard is watching them from his car.

The camera shows a picture of the quartet minus Carter with Roddy in his place. Roddy is playing a Brahms concerto which Monroe comments on ("You were kicking some butt on that Brahms concerto, man!"). When Monroe says that he is a friend of Detective Burkhardt, Roddy tries to close the door. Monroe catches it, partially woging and revealing his Wesen form. This causes Roddy to back away in fear. Monroe tells Roddy about how Nick isn't like other Grimms and that he's worried about Roddy. Monroe then proceeds to try to lecture Roddy on "not being stupid" and how he has talent. Monroe leaves feeling proud of himself.

Unbeknownst to him and Nick, Roddy gets a call from Officer Clay who says that Roddy's father was injured when he refused to enter the cell. Roddy destroys his room (including smashing the picture) in anger. The next day, he unleashes the rats and packs up his violin and Retchid Kat head before heading off to a warehouse with the rats following, accidentally leaving a set fire behind.

Hank and Nick are telling Renard about the the results they found with the fibers and it is discovered that Carter drives a car of the description they're looking for. Renard grants them a search warrant.

Carter, Trey, and Marvin are talking about the rats and how Sarah is now suspicious of them. They each get messages about Retchid Kat playing. They all decide to go.

Nick and Hank search Carter's SUV (while being badgered by an indignant father) and find a school banner that matches the fibers as well as a rat dropping. They then go to Sarah's house and find a text on her phone that says that Retchid Kat would be at a warehouse on Front Street.

When the quartet arrive, they think that they might be early and decide to just follow the music which leads them downstairs, Nick and Hank arriving just as they start heading down. In the warehouse, Retchid Kat stops the music and says how they were the ones that killed Lawson which causes Sarah to realize the truth. He then starts to play the violin showing that it's Roddy, and the rats start to attack. The boys run away and Sarah is alone and still being attacked, so Roddy stops the music just before Hank comes in and shoots his gun upwards so that rats will disperse. Nick rushes to Sarah and gets the remaining rats off her.

The boys admit to the police that they did it, but they only meant to scare Dr. Lawson and make it seem Roddy did it. Sarah bluntly says that Roddy was better than all of them and asks them to tell Roddy she's sorry. Hank says that she should tell him herself.

While trying to write the report, they decide to let Roddy off the hook seeing as it was doubtful anyone would believe them and no one forced the four to go down there.

Nick also learns that his presence is beginning to affect the creature world when his refrigerator repairman turns out to be an Eisbiber that's terrified of Nick.

Press Release
Nick and Hank's investigation of a dead high school teacher leads them to the school's outcast, Roddy. Nick realizes that there's more to Roddy than meets the eye, and enlists Monroe's help to get through to the troubled teenager before he exacts revenge on the students who wronged him. Meanwhile, Nick learns that his presence is beginning to affect the creature world.

Wesen

 * Reinigen
 * Hexenbiest
 * Blutbad
 * Eisbiber

Continuity

 * This marks the first appearance of Bud the Eisbiber who reappears in later episodes.

Trivia

 * "Danse Macabre" is French for "the Dance of Death"
 * "Danse Macabre" is also the name of a symphony piece by Saint-Saëns, of which the violin solo is played by Roddy several times. The tune was also used in "Hush," an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
 * The Von Hamelin Music Institute references the town Hamelin, known for the story "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", which was the influence for this episode.