Hemlock Grove S2E8 - "Unicorn" Recap

Flasback to Paris 1884, and Olivia is being held prisoner. A metal mask is removed from her and she meets the Chancellor of the Order, who releases her on the condition that she will be monitored and she must convince the other upirs to self-regulate their feeding habits. She agrees but then threatens the chancellor, reminding him that she could kill him anytime she chose to.

Peter and Roman try to bury the bodies of the masked men in the woods but the ground is too frozen to dig the holes. Roman tells Peter that he is receiving treatments to be become human. They drag the bodies back to the car and Roman fights against his thirst to keep from feeding from these dead bodies… one of which turns out to be still alive. Peter removes the mask and finds it is a woman asking for help. Peter wants to turn her in to Chasseur but Roman wants to finish her off. They compromise by deciding to question her.

Nadine the prostitute goes in to see Chasseur, accusing Roman of ripping out the throat of her abusive boyfriend/pimp, which we saw Roman do in the first episode of this season. Chasseur's interest is piqued since he suspects Roman to have been involved with his sister's disappearance.

Pryce uploads Shelley's mind to Prycilla's body. But her brain still exists in her original body. The plan is to kill her old body because this is the one that is wanted for murder. It's an emotional moment but Shelley agrees to go through with this plan eventually.

The woman's name is Sarah, who tells Peter and Roman how she was kidnapped ten years ago by a man named John Boone as a child, thanking Peter for the opportunity to finally say her old name out loud. This man thought that killing families would bring about a religious Apocalypse. Roman looks up her name on his phone and finds a missing person matching her name/address, seemingly confirming her story. Roman is now the one who believes her whereas Peter thinks it's a con, feeling no pity for her because of all the killing she has done.

Norman and Leticia use a backlight on Olivia's home and from the patterns, determine that Olivia killed Marie and dragged her body upstairs to the bathtub. They can't call in the authorities because professional cleaners have already been through and destroyed any evidence that could be used against her. Norman says he will handle it himself but Leticia says he has no idea what he is dealing with.

Peter and Roman decide to bring Sarah back to her family but Peter stabs her when she begins to reach for something. It was the right decision, since she had pulled the pin off a grenade, which Peter hurriedly threw into the woods to spare them. As Sarah dies, she says, "The Caul. You can't stop us." Peter and Roman load her up in the trunk of her car right as Sheriff Chasseur pulls up. He wants to arrest them over these dead bodies but upon examining them, a watch with a particular design catches his eye and changes his demeanour. He releases Peter and Roman and tells them to keep quiet about what they've seen or they'll end up dead, too.

Peter and Roman return home and learn from the housekeeper that Miranda has run off with the baby, along with some diapers and toys. They try to figure out a course of action but then they receive painful visions of the White Tower and masked men.

While out with the baby, Miranda runs into Dr. Arnold Spivak. He asks who she's running away from and she insists she's fine, a lie he sees right through. He advises her to call someone, saying human beings aren't designed to function in isolation. She then runs off with Nadia before her food even arrives, or at least tries to until the car fails to start.

Olivia has a fall so Pryce loads her up to get a full scan and they find that she has terminal brain cancer, with only a 20% chance of surviving.

Roman is visited by Norman, who asks about the results of Olivia's DNA test. Roman tells him it's all true, that both Olivia and he are upirs. He doesn't know if Olivia killed Marie, but he tells Norman she's capable of it. Norman decides to finally admits that he is Roman's father and that he should have admitted it a long time ago. Roman isn't interested in his apology, and does not claim him as his father.

Destiny calls Peter to tell him that Miranda has arrived with baby Nadia.

Sheriff Chasseur confronts the priest, Francis, who previously warned him about losing the Order's protection. He gets physical on Francis, showing him the watch from the dead masked person. It has the same symbol on it that is in the priest's house. Francis makes a call to the Chancellor of the Order that reveals these serial killers are a rogue part of the Order. The Chancellor isn't concerned about this threat but Francis insists that she send reinforcements. Those reinforcements that arrive bring laser points that hone in on Francis… looks like this priest won't be around anymore.

New Shelley visits Shelley and the two share a nice moment. New Shelley tells Shelley she doesn't have to die. It's a touching moment but Shelley is still determined to follow through.

Roman and Peter tell Miranda about upirs and werewolves. Destiny is annoyed and wielding a knife, but Peter convinces her of the psychic connection he shares with Roman. Peter says they're getting these dreams for a reason and have to stop these masked men. Destiny puts a ritual together that involves the three of them holding her underwater, thus giving her vision of the masked murderers, their operation, and the children they've killed. She's pushed out of the vision by one of the Order's new reinforcements. Destiny says that the Order is after a particular baby, one born with the caul. Roman is alarmed; Nadia was born with a caul. They'll keep killing babies matching their description till they find the one they're after.

Dr. Z (the Russian war criminal) tells Olivia she can be restored if she consumes the biological matter of "the unicorn," Prycilla.

Sheriff Chasseur arrives at Francis' home and finds him shot up with arrows. He's been shot in a way that missed the vital organs so his death will be slow. Francis tells Chasseur that Olivia murdered his sister and that he had protected Olivia to save the lineage of the upirs. Michael puts Francis out of his misery and then leaves to find Olivia.

Norman loads up his gun, preparing to confront Olivia.

Peter finds the lair of the cult members that Destiny saw in her vision. He prepares to shift into his werewolf state but then cult members surround him and shoot him with the same weapons they used on Francis.

Olivia prepares to feed off a sleeping New Shelley but then she wakes up and says to Olivia, "Mother."

Hemlock Grove is available on Netflix.