Thank Grimm it’s Friday – at last!
The majority of my television viewing is packed into Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and now, finally, I have something for Friday. Grimm returns!
I first started watching this show after Sera Gamble killed off Bobby Singer. That put ‘the end’ to my Supernatural watching on Fridays. Enter Grimm. Each season has focused on developing certain aspects of the show and the characters. Season 1 was Nick finding his way as he struggled to maintain two lives: the life of Nick Burkhardt, detective, nephew, friend, and boyfriend; then there is the life of the newly minted Grimm. He makes some friends among the Wesen world, but just about everyone else in his life is kept in the dark. Hints of a larger plan develop as dangers appear; dangers with one objective: find ‘it’, kill the Grimm.
Season 2 deepens friendships in the Wesen world as well as expands the circle of knowledge of all things Grimm. Hank learns Nick’s secret and we the viewer journey along with Hank as he learns about Wesens, and Grimms, the trailer, the spice shops, sees Monroe change into a Blutbad. Renard revelas his link to the Wesen world to Nick and the two become wary allies. Juliette, however, remains disappointingly, and boringly, in the dark as she has amnesia with regards to Nick. That epic failure of a season-long storyline, which should have been concluded by midseason at the latest, is thankfully out of the way come Season 3, and Juliette stands to develop, finally, into someone interesting in Nick’s life.
More allies and enemies appear in Season 2, as well as we discover what it is that is being sought from Nick: a key. The season ends with Nick turned into a zombie…cue five months plus of waiting and here we are, Season 3.
Season 3 looks to be the solidification of the Grimm version of the Scooby-Gang. All these people are brought together through one common person: Nick. However, in The Ungrateful Dead we see all of them work together harmoniously without the actual presence of Nick. Sure, they are trying to save him, but with him not in their midst, they learn how to operate as a team without their leader. Juliette shines as she is allowed to show many aspects to her personality: panicked girlfriend – hey, a horde of zombies is chasing you and your boyfriend is missing, you’d be freaked out too; good in a physical fight, clear-headed enough to be the one of all three of them to call Hank for help – and keep fighting as she explains the danger to Hank; mentally astute as she and Rosalee figure out the delivery mechanism of the zombie cure. She also has a mean slap all ready for Captain Renard. Good girl!
Renard is done playing nice with his family. “They took the Grimm.” Well, that’s enough for him to order a hit on his brother. Take that, Eric.
Hank and Monroe are in full blown find and protect Nick mode. They’re off hunting their friend, a hunt that continues into next week. I like that it wasn’t all resolved in one hour. Too many shows leave us with a massive cliffhanger and then resolve it all fairly neatly in the first episode. I’d rather it linger a bit so its impact is felt more.
Adalind has been accepted – yeah, I’m not that intrigued by this storyline. Don’t really care. I suppose she’s useful though; she does have history with Nick, Hank, and Renard, as well as Juliette, so her eventual return to Portland with her powers intact should be interesting. Right now, snooze. But hey, that’s me. I do like her snarky comments.
Speaking of snarky comments, Sergeant Wu is never at a loss. Regardless of all the chaos around him, he keeps it fairly light and fun. I like him. Keep in the dark regarding all things Wesen, makes him much more fun. Someone has to be the straight-man in the comedy of crime scenes that clearly do not make sense. His sarcastic remarks and general willingness to simply do his job, and do it well, without the whole Wesen world revelation helps to ground the show a bit. It’s a good balance now that everyone else around Nick is in on Grimms and Wesens and all.
The Ungrateful Dead resolved little, instead it continues on into next week’s PTZD. I like that. The stakes are getting higher, faster. The Royal family is willing to do whatever it takes to control Nick. Renard makes a big decision, one that will likely reverberate into the future. As for Juliette, well, it’s taken nearly two seasons to reveal the world of Grimm to Juliette; now she has to jump in with both feet. She does. She will (hopefully) step up to the task at hand: help Nick, learn about all things Wesen – she and Rosalee could easily be friends – and become a partner to Nick and prove Aunt Marie’s fatalistic viewpoint false. Nick can have a life, as well as being a Grimm. That tension is part of the fun. Now that Juliette is aware of what is going on around her, their relationship is finally on even footing.
Speaking of relationships, Monroe’s and Rosalee’s will deepen, and there will be complications there: Blutbads and Fuchsbaus are not a common couple. Adalind’s eventual return to Portland will add a wrinkle to Hank’s life as well.
The showrunners offered up 10 spoilers for Season 3. I’ll not spell them all out, except to say that many of the things I put above are going to be addressed, one way or the other: Wu, Rosalee and Monroe, Juliette, Eric Renard . There will also be some testing of friendships, the introduction of new Wesen species, and hopefully the return of Nick’s mother.
Grimm is back; Fridays just got even better.
As always, thanks for reading, Elle2
