Looking to get into the Halloween spirit? One Grimm episode to rewatch in October is “La Llorona”.
Season 2, Episode 9 originally aired on October 26, 2012, just a few days before Halloween. “La Llorona” takes place right in the middle of Halloween night in Portland, complete with trick-or-treaters, dark parks, and a genuinely creepy ghost story.
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| Grimm "La Llorona" Intro |
More than a decade later, it remains one of the best episodes for seeing how effectively Grimm used Portland itself to create the mood of the show.
A Portland Halloween Story
The episode begins with the disappearance of a young boy near the river.
Nick and Hank eventually discover that the child’s disappearance resembles others tied to the legend of La Llorona—the Weeping Woman, a centuries-old Latin American ghost story about a woman associated with the loss and drowning of children.
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| La Llorona Paste Magazine 2022 |
Detective Valentina Espinosa arrives from Albuquerque after following similar cases, including her own nephew's, and the investigation sends Nick across Portland in search of the missing children.
Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge
The episode's frightening opening sequence was filmed at Cathedral Park beneath the St. Johns Bridge.
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| St. John's Bridge on nbc.com/grimm |
It is one of those locations where Grimm barely had to do anything to make Portland cinematic. The gothic arches of the bridge, the river and the wooded edges of the park already look like they belong in a fairy tale, a very dark fairy tale.
When I originally covered the episode in 2012, I called it one of the show's most horrifying opening scenes. Watching it again in 2026, that still holds.
The St. Johns Bridge appeared repeatedly throughout Grimm, but “La Llorona” may be one of its most memorable appearances.
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| Grimm filming under the bridge 2014 - courtesy S. Filler |
Halloween on Sauvie Island
The second child disappears from a Halloween gathering supposedly taking place at “Sauvie Island State Park.” Children in costumes wandering through the dark woods made for an appropriately unsettling Halloween scene.
One small Portland detail spotted by the locals: There is no Sauvie Island State Park. There is, of course, Sauvie Island and the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. But Grimm created its own version for the episode.
Kelly Point Park Becomes La Llorona's World
The climax brings us to Kelly Point Park, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers.
The Grimm production crew did considerable work there. A portion of La Llorona's house was constructed for the scenes, including set pieces made from foam.
Back in 2012, we were lucky enough to have photos from the filming showing the temporary house, dock and production work at Kelly Point.
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| La Casa de La Llorona 2014 - courtesy S. Filler |
It's something we saw repeatedly while following Grimm: a familiar Portland location transformed just enough to become it feel slightly unreal.
But while Nick is dealing with one of the darker cases of the season, Monroe is having a very different Halloween.
And Then There Was Monroe's House
One of the pleasures of going back to this episode is remembering just how committed Monroe is to Halloween.
His house is covered in decorations. He has trick-or-treaters coming to the door. Nick contributes a medieval-looking weapon to the display. And Monroe happily explains that Halloween has some particularly deep roots for the Wesen world.
The production crew went all out decorating the exterior for Halloween, filling the yard and house with the kind of elaborate display that seems completely believable for Monroe.
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| Halloween at Monroe's House 2014 - courtesy S. Filler |
There is even a great little Monroe subplot involving neighborhood bullies stealing a girl's Halloween candy. As anyone familiar with Monroe might expect, that situation does not end particularly well for the bullies.
Looking Back From 2026
When “La Llorona” aired on October 26, 2012, Grimm was only in its second season.
At the time, we were following the filming week by week, figuring out which Portland park was supposed to be somewhere else, spotting houses and bridges, and occasionally getting photos of the crew working around town.
Fourteen years later, it's fun to look back on those old filming locations. The show continues to have a following as well as new fans who are now finding it on streaming services.
So this Halloween, if you're looking for a Grimm episode to revisit, start with Season 2, Episode 9: “La Llorona.”
Then see how many Portland locations you recognize.
More from the archives:
Portland Locations on Grimm Episode 209: “La Llorona”
Grimm Portland Filming Locations Map
House of Monroe
