Grimm is doing a nice job thus far this season weaving in multiple storylines. Of course, we’re only two episodes in, so whether or not this continues remains to be seen. This episode closed out the monster of the week storyline from last week, while continuing on with some of the threads that began last week and are not yet tied up. While the actual monster in both these episodes and his surrounding story were not that interesting to me – something about being a spy and stealing memories to get information to sell to someone else, what this monster did regarding moving Trubel’s storyline forward did interest me.
Trubel is well-named; she not only attracts trouble but causes it herself. Not surprising that she bucks Nick and Hank’s advice as she is used to acting independently. I enjoy Nick and Hank’s resigned patience and concern over her actions. She’ll learn – unless she gets killed first. But, since she is the only Grimm in town at the time, I’m fairly confident she’ll survive her latest situation. To be fair, Nick was already a seasoned detective, thus better equipped at investigating, and he quickly gained support and mentoring from Monroe, as well as had his Aunt Marie’s archives to aid his research. David Giuntoli said Nick would be sort of a big brother to Trubel, and so far he’s got the worrying part down pat.
I’m enjoying Wu’s dogged search for the truth, and I like that he is confronting Nick head on regarding Trubel. I dearly hope, but don’t have much confidence, that they don’t make this some season-long drama as occurred in Season 2 with Juliette and the amnesia thing. While I prefer Wu not in the know because it grounds the show a bit, I don’t like that he is so close to the truth and is being lied to by Hank and Nick. Lying never solves anything, and if he is going to get this close, there really is no reason not to bring him into the “Scooby Squad.”
Agent Chavez is not backing down in her search for answers regarding Captain Renard’s shooting at the hands of their rogue, but now dead, Agent Steward. In a moment of I-absolutely-saw-that-coming, but still enjoyed it, Chavez wogues in front of Nick only to find him completely unreactive. For once, not being a Grimm actually helped him, kind of. I don’t know if Chavez is a good Wesen or a bad Wesen, nor do I know who she is talking to when she informs someone on the phone that Burkhardt isn’t the Grimm but she has an idea who is. Her capture of Trubel at the end of this episode will no doubt lead to some answers in the next, I hope. It’s another ripple in the pond that is ever-expanding, and while Juliette and Nick are both pondering life without being a Grimm, I think they will quickly realize what Monroe said is going to be true: once you know what is going on, you can’t ever really go back.
Renard’s mom’s arrival was fortuitous. Apparently, wherever she was, she was able to make a quick trip to Portland arriving just in time to save his life with the red and black jumper cable-like snake. I have a feeling, based in part on the previews for next week’s episode; she will be a lot like Renard: ally with questionable motives. Renard has protected Nick, assisted Nick, even had Nick as a confidante of sorts, but just what his purposes are remain hidden. It’s clear he is upset at the loss of Nick’s Grimmness. Nick is being circumspect with regards to the Renard as Trubel’s true identity remains a secret.
I can’t tell if Juliette is being manipulative by going to Monroe and Rosalee and asking them to stop researching for now or if she is being a supportive girlfriend. I’m tending toward the latter as both she and Nick discussed last week whether being a Grimm was a good thing or not, coupled with the absence of any request to keep her visit to the Spice Shop a secret. Also, while she jumped in wholeheartedly once she discovered Nick’s alter ego, it does make sense for her to question, along with him, whether his current state isn’t simply a happy accident. Her expression after picking up the surveillance photo of Trubel off the floor post Nick’s vision into Adalind’s prison, although they haven’t pieced that together yet, was troubling. She knows Trubel is a Grimm, but I’ll admit that I’ve forgotten if she knows of the circumstances around Nick and Hank first coming upon Trubel. There are times I wish NBC would have repeated the show during the hiatus so I could refresh my memory. It could very well be that Juliette is realizing that life with a Grimm, even someone who is currently without his Grimmness, is never going to be easy.
Grimm doesn’t try to reach for explosive heights such as The Blacklist did in Season 1 or PoI continues to do four seasons in, but it is trying to explore the many aspects of its characters as well as continue on with its basic premise and the established mythologies from Season 1. If Nick and Juliette and Co. spend the bulk of this season struggling with the questions of identity and how far to go with the information they currently possess, all while solving crimes and finding more keys, I’d say it’s going to be a good season.
I’m happy it’s finally on my Friday viewing schedule, after a long hiatus, so, until next week, thanks for reading, Elle2
