Hemlock Grove S1E5 - "Hello, Handsome" Recap

An advert for the Godfrey institute plays. We flash back to a rainy night on which two men, including Roman's father, remove a child-sized coffin from the trunk of a car. A man says that Shelley deserves a chance. They pass the coffin over to Dr. Pryce in front of the Godfrey institute. Roll opening credits.

Shelley has lunch with Peter and asks him what he and Roman are up to. Her skepticism stems from Roman's history of not having friends. She wants Peter to look out for Roman and make sure he doesn't get up to anything stupid. She also shares some information about how Roman's parents met and he gives her a ring in the shape of a snake eating its tail. Clementine visits the Godfrey institute and meets Dr. Pryce, who is preparing for the institute's 20th anniversary party happening the following day. He also informs her that he will be recording their conversation. She tries to play it cool but he tells her he knows that she has researched him and the institute. They discuss one his papers on how a corpse could be reanimated; could Shelley be a modern-day Frankenstein? She gets straight to the point and asks if any of his animal test subjects has escaped the Institute. After a flash of someone running through the roods, Dr. Pryce declares that none have. He also states that he believes the murderer to be a pathological sexual predator. He also shows her his "hysterical strength," a condition resulting from a malfunction in his adrenal glands. He warns her to tread lightly when dealing with the Godfreys. Following the conversation, Clementine is clearly unsettled by her time with Dr. Pryce. He is undeniably creepy and spending so much time in his presence has led her to have a drink. Right then, the bishop calls and asks if she is drinking again. She is shocked and looks around and asks what he would say if she said she wasn't. He responds that he'd have reason to believe she wasn't being truthful and that she has always been his favourite.

We flash back to a time when Clementine was jailed with a pregnant woman, who claims INS picked her up two days prior for no reason. The woman says that God does not want them to be happy, but wants them to be strong. She also has a medallion in her possession that present-day Clementine holds and chants a prayer with. Present-day Clementine puts the bottle back and looks over a photo of Peter.

At school, Peter tries to be kind to Christina but she blows him off, saying he won't away with it. When she has a moment alone, she become emotional before finding a white strand of hair among her locks.

At the Godfrey residence, the police question Roman about a shovel that was found at the open grave along with two sets of footprints. The shovel belongs to the Godfrey's gardener who has been in the hospital for two weeks. Roman feigns ignorance but Olivia knows that he and "that gypsy scum" are really responsible. She scolds him after the officer leaves. When he tries to explain himself, she slaps him repeatedly and he is reminded of his place. She reminds him of the gala and leaves him. Following this, Roman is seen driving Peter in his car. Peter asks about Letha, and Roman is still clearly agitated from the fight with his mother.

Returning to the Clementine flashback, we see Clementine trying to make weapons and the pregnant woman trying to make conversation. They bond and make plans to escape together.

Peter and Roman visit Destiny. Among other things, they've brought her the stolen intestines. Destiny retrieves a caterpillar and places him in the jar of bloody intestines and says that it must sit overnight. She then sends them out to pick up some tequila. Roman seems irked that Destiny both can't be bought easily, yet she is willing to sell so many things, including her body. Peter reminds him that womyn will do what they want, and they have a chuckle over it.

Norman questions Francis about Oroboros. He has difficulty understanding Francis, who then tells him to "ask that beady-eyed little fucker Pryce."

Peter returns to Destiny's alone as Roman has gone off to the gala. She removes the now swollen but still alive caterpillar from the now bubbling, foaming jar and swallows it with a shot of tequila. She has Peter tie her to a chair and her pupils dilate before her head is thrown back. Her voice becomes demonic and her eyes go black. At first, she begins speaking as the dead girl. Apparently, she came to Hemlock Grove because of an invitation and speaks of the events of the night of her death. She speaks of her car dinging from leaving the door open and about a large "dog" that she just wanted to pet. She speaks of yellow eyes and then Destiny vomits the contents of her stomach and we see the caterpillar still alive and returned to its original state crawling on top of it. Destiny spits and says that she needs to brush her teeth.

Dr. Pryce speaks into a recorder about his meeting with Clementine. Norman visits him and demands to know about Orobors, and Pryce claims it is a project with pit vipers. Norman asks what a homeless man would have to do with this project Pryce asks if he is referring to Francis Pullman. The conversations turns to Shelley and Norman states how she should have just been left dead and threatens harm to Pryce if he had any involvement in Shelley's pregnancy.

Back at Destiny's, she warns Peter to be careful with Roman. She also reminds him that Nicolai was afraid of the Upir and to never forget what Roman is. He asks her about angels, and she states that they are messengers that help them better understand God. She asks why he is asking and when he mentions a girl at his school, she asks what it is with him and crazy girls.

Pryce pays a visit to Shelley, who greets him with a massive hug and Olivia becomes frantic when she thinks she is out of eye drops. Eventually, she finds a bottle with one last drop and she indulges in her addiction. Pryce speaks to Shelley about her relationship with Norman and tells her there is no shame in having secrets.

Return to flash-back Clementine, who is still preparing for escape and speaking with the pregnant woman. Mid-conversation, the woman notices the moon and begins to change into a werewolf. Clementine kills her before she can complete the transformation and is released from the cell. She is welcomed to the Order of the Dragon and takes the girl's medallion.

Present-day Clementine sits outside the Godfrey institute where the 20th anniversary gala is taking place. She sees Norman and his wife arrive, followed by Dr. Pryce, and finally Roman and Letha. Inside, Olivia greets Roman. A man named Dale is angry about JR not being there and has nothing but negative things to say about Olivia and Roman. Letha finds herself feeling off and Roman gives her a neck rub while advising her to have her baby at the institute. She appears to agree with him before throwing up. Pryce attempts to examine her but Norman tells him off. Her mother tells her that she needs to start behaving as a pregnant girl and start resting. She drives her home but Norman stays at the gala. Roman begins downing bourbon.

In the restroom, Norman hears Dale ranting about Olivia and Roman and Norman tells him to go home and sleep it off. Turns out Roman was in one of the stalls snorting cocaine and overheard the conversation. Olivia gives a speech while Roman begins snorting and sharing cocaine with a girl he begins to hook up with. Dale begins making a scene during Olivia's speech and Norman lands a punch before security escorts him out. The girl Roman is with begins performing fellatio on him and he tremendously cuts his chest, bleeding on the girl, and freaking out the girl. He tells the girl to tell Theo that the institute will be in good hands. Looks like the girl was Dale's wife and this is was Roman's way of getting some seriously twisted payback!

The entire first season of Hemlock Grove is available for viewing on Netflix.