Grimm is back tonight for the second half of season two, and it’s already incredible – just wait until you see it (and then read the review, of course)! We were lucky enough to chat with Bitsie Tulloch, who plays Juliette, and Sasha Roiz, who plays Captain Renard. Their characters have gotten into a tangled mess of lust due to a spell performed by the ever-conniving Adalind at the end of season one, so they were the perfect pair to talk to as everything comes to a head on tonight’s new episode!
We first talked about each star’s favorite episodes of the show.
Bitsie – From Season 1 I really like the episode Game Ogre just because that was the first time Juliette was inadvertently drawn into the fray in a of physical way. And I also liked from Season 1 The Thing with Feathers, which is the one where Nick and Juliette go away for the weekend to that romantic cabin and all hell breaks loose. I think one of the reasons I like it is because she ends up having to hunt down and sort of save Nick. And then there’s been a lot of great stuff from Season 2, but I would say so far my favorite episode is the one that’s going to air on Friday night.
Sasha – Yes, I would agree, the one that airs Friday night is pretty amazing, and it’s got something for every character, so I think that is really what appeals to me – when everybody’s kind of featured and there’s such high stakes. I think from Season 1 is probably Three Coins in a Fuchsbau because it was the first time we get a sense or a glimpse into the Captain and some of his personal life and ambitions. So that was a lot of fun for me.
Next, we asked Sasha if he’d expected the showdown with Nick to come this soon.
Sasha – I was actually surprised it’s as soon as it is. I thought it could even be dragged out until the end of the season. But I’m really glad that it’s happened. I’m really glad that we had a chance to finally confront each other because I think it’s something the fans had been waiting for a long time. And we – as characters and actors – had been waiting for as well. So yes, I don’t think it’s a moment too soon.
We then asked Bitsie about the changes Juliette has gone through in season two and whether that’s given her a better understanding of her character.
Bitsie – Yes, absolutely. I’ve had so much more to do with her – which is not to knock the storyline from Season 1 – at the beginning of Season 1 this guy who I’ve been dating, who I loved, he lost basically the woman who raised her. I know a lot of fans were saying “How can she be so naïve? How is she not seeing this?”, but she was just being really understanding and sensitive to Nick’s situation.
But waking up in Season 2 from a coma and then having this big empty hole where this man once lived has been sort of crazy, and I have to say you have not seen the worst of it. What goes on with Juliette gets much worse before it gets better. They’re just starting to lay out what’s going to happen the rest of Season 2.
As an actress it’s definitely been so much fun for me to really go into these deep dark depths of the character and her mental space. And she’s really starting to lose it. It’s crazy to wake up and see pictures of this guy – this stranger all over your house and be told that you guys were going to get married and all this stuff, and you have no recollection whatsoever. Then all of a sudden she’s lusting after someone she barely knows and can’t control herself. It’s enough to make anybody mad. So that’s been fun for me.
Sasha told us what he liked and disliked the most about Renard.
Sasha – I like and dislike how secretive Renard is because on one hand, it’s really fun to play. On the other hand, sometimes even I don’t know what he’s up to. He’s just a very mysterious character, and the writers keep me guessing because we don’t always know. So it’s a very difficult balance to strike sometimes, but it also keeps me very engaged as an actor and viewer.
Next, we asked Sasha about doing his own fight scenes, and Bitsie chimed in as well.
Sasha – It can be taxing after a while. With Bitsie and I, it wasn’t bad. I was surprised we both walked away from it fairly unscathed. The one with David and I, it was 2 o’clock in the woods on a Friday. We were just exhausted from the week, and we’re doing our best for this really long fight sequence where there were some stunt men, in fact, because there were some things you can’t do.
Bitsie – They won’t let you do.
Sasha – Yes, exactly. We did most everything on our own, and we did kind of end up hurting each other, David and I. But that’s par for the course and it’s fun to do it, and it’s just challenging. It’s just another challenge I suppose.
Bitsie – Without teasing too much, I had a scene recently where I did my own stunts, and I had to be rigged to something so that I wouldn’t fall off. And I’m supposed to go to the edge, and literally on the first take, I almost fell off. I would have just been dangling there. And then our stunt coordinator was just like, maybe we should have used a stunt person. It was really funny. And then I was fine the rest of the time, but I think it’s pretty fun.
Sasha – The fact that you’re still in one piece after 40 episodes is remarkable.
We asked what the most difficult scene or episode they’ve had to do so far and why.
Bitsie – Mine hasn’t aired yet. There’s a lot of really, really intense emotional stuff coming up for Juliette, just really heavy and pretty serious. So that’s probably the hardest that I’ve had to do – that episode is something to look forward to.
Sasha – Friday night’s episode was pretty hard for me. I think it was challenging on all levels physically – Bitsie spoke about a lot of fight choreographies and sequences and long hours. And then emotionally as well, it just kind of took Renard to every realm of emotion, and so it was pretty challenging.
Both actors then discussed their favorite Wesen.
Bitsie – I loved the beavers, and I loved the actor who plays the Eisbiber, Danny Bruno. He’s fantastic. I’m so proud of him. Smartly, they’ve written him into a pretty major recurring role just because he’s just so lovable. It’s nice to have a Wesen that’s not necessarily, a scary blood thirsty Wesen. As far as the scary ones, I really like the Mauvais Dentes, the saber tooth tiger Wesen from the first two episodes of Season 2.
Sasha – I don’t think anything would make Bitsie happier than if they wrote in a French bulldog Wesen. She would be in heaven – sort of a lovable, sloppy, slurppy French bulldog. (Bitsie has a French bulldog named Henry.)
I like the Reapers. I like what they represent mythologically, the scythe that they carry, the fact that they come in to reap revenge, that they’re after the Grimms, and they have this very specific purpose in the world. I also like my own character because we never had any half-breed before. So the fact that you could cross pollinate and have all these part Wesens makes it really interesting for me. I’m really curious to see that develop and to see that other culture that has just a trace of Wessen blood.
Finally, we discussed why they think Grimm is doing so well.
Bitsie – Because it’s fun. I think this is something that all the cast have been saying ad naseum, but it’s true – the show has a little bit of everything for everybody. It’s for people who like procedurals,and you have the romance. It’s funny, especially with characters like Silas Weir Mitchell’s character, Monroe, and Reggie Lee’s character, Sgt. Wu – they’re pretty funny. And then you have the fantasy, you have the sci-fi, you have these monsters, you have the visual effects. There’s really a lot going on.
Sasha – I agree with Bitsie. I think we strike a really delicate balance where there’s so many different styles at play, and there’s so many different things that can appeal to the viewers. But I think ultimately we also don’t take ourselves too seriously. There’s a humor to the show that underlies the entire thing, so it’s just very palatable.
The second half of season two starts tonight! Don’t miss it – and be sure to read the review after you watch!
