User blog:PDXBlazer/James Frain (Eric Renard) may not be returning for season 3

Fall TV: James Frain on Eric Renard’s “Grimm” Fate

"Will “Grimm” viewers be saying “Goodnight, Sweet Royal” to Captain Renard’s half-brother Eric?

During season two of NBC’s “Grimm,” viewers got to know a lot more about Nick Burkhardt‘s boss Captain Sean Renard, including his connection to the Seven Royal Houses that covertly monitor the Wesen world. One of the most significant revelations was that Renard has a Royal half-brother, Eric, played by James Frain. The cultured, ruthless Eric appeared in six episodes and played a key role in getting Nick out of the way at the end of the cliffhanger finale episode.

But during a conversation with Frain on Friday, the actor — who is currently playing Lord Warwick in Starz’s “The White Queen” –says that at this point, he has not been asked to return to “Grimm” for season three.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with that,” Frain said. “…I’ll know probably about the same time that you do.”

According to Frain, Eric Renard’s unclear future on the show is in part due to a scheduling conflict.

“They had me as a recurring guest star (in season two), and then they had a (production) hiatus,” Frain explained. “During that hiatus, I got another job that’s shot in England: I did the British and French version of that Danish show ‘The Bridge’…We remade it in England (as “The Tunnel“), and set it in the middle of the channel tunnel. The body is found, and the French and English cops have to work together. But I got that gig, and when “Grimm” came back and they said, “What’s your availability?” we couldn’t figure it out somehow.

“And so, they had to kind of jiggle their plans,” Frain continued. “I don’t know if they’re going to want me to come back. Maybe they’ll decide to kill me off.”

We certainly hope not.

According to a representative from Universal Television, while there are no specific plans to bring his character back to “Grimm”, Eric Renard’s fate is best characterized as “to be determined”. The rep added that Eric’s storyline is somewhat explained in the first episode of the new season, which premieres 9pm Friday, Oct. 25 on NBC. (This news comes a couple of weeks following the announced casting of Alexis Denisof as Renard’s cousin.)"