It wasn’t until I sat down to watch this week’s episode of Grimm that I realized I had failed to post anything about last week’s – it’s that crazy time of the year; the time when forgetfulness hits me full blast.
I’ll cover both eps here: I loved them. Grimm is my happy place. Not surprising as I found this show after Sera Gamble did the unthinkable: Killed Bobby Singer for no other purpose than a really gripping script and a midseason cliffhanger. After that, I turned to Grimm. Grimm has had its ups and downs. While Monroe and Rosalee and their relationship, as well as their friendship with Nick have consistently been highlights, and Hank’s discovery of all things Grimm and how he struggled but worked his way through it for the sake of his friend and police partner Nick was handled very well, things were not so well handled regarding Juliette. But, now, with the Season 1 lying done and the Season 2 amnesia long faded into oblivion, Season 3 has Juliette embracing all parts of Nick’s life. I like it. I like it a lot.
One of my biggest issues with Juliette in Season 1 and Season 2 is that I didn’t see any reason that these two were a couple. I blame Nick and his lying for all things in Season 1 and the poor storyline of amnesia which dragged on for 20 episodes in Season 2 for this. Now that the writers have decided that Juliette is in on all things Grimm, they’ve made this couple into a powerhouse of fun and a true partnership. Juliette is smart – hey, veterinarians are real doctors! She knows her biology and her chemistry and she’s used both to assist this season. She also cares. She cares about people who are hurting and she cares about Nick. The man she has chosen to be her partner in life – even as that proposal is still waiting in the wings – is a Grimm. For Juliette, this simply means that she has to learn everything she can about this life and embrace it. For her, it seems to be: if Nick is a Grimm, then I’ll be Mrs. Grimm. It’s refreshing.
As for the Scooby Gang, it took two seasons to put them all together but now they are a tightly knit team. Last week had the gang enjoying a nice dinner together all while discussing the current case. They traded comments filled with gory and grisly details all while pondering which side dish to enjoy next. I loved the ghoulish hilarity of it. This week it was great to see how the team worked independently of each other, yet remained in sync. Rosalee had to contact the Council – something we learned in Season 2, and Monroe did all he could do to support her in that while at the same time alerting Nick because he believed Nick would work to save the boy if possible. While Monroe was willing to risk his and Rosalee’s standing with the Council, Nick was not. Nick, with Juliette’s assistance, was able to find a way to save the boy, uphold the alliance between the Council and Grimms and still protect Rosalee and Monroe. It was a great moment that showcased how far Nick has come. He can protect the Wesen community, be a cop, and be a friend all at the same time. Things won’t always be that easy – he was a zombie not that long ago, but in this case it was a win.
Things are moving slowly on the Royals front but they are moving, step by little step. I’m all right with that because this is the big overall myth of this season – I think – and it apparently is timed to coincide with the birth of Adalind’s baby – at least based on the current progression of things. Grimm is a bit procedural and a bit overall mythology in that it takes a page from USA’s shows which similarly had a case of the week combined with an overall mythology. USA’s standard was that the mythology could never be the focus of any particular episode, there always had to be a case of the week. It worked well for Burn Notice and Monk and White Collar. It also works well here for Grimm. What Grimm is doing well is that the characters continue to grow.
Granted, a lot of growth has now occurred with Hank on board and Juliette embracing her man’s life, plus Monroe and Rosalee are an established couple. However, there is still plenty of room to grow: Rosalee and Monroe have parents who will likely have something to say about a Fuchsbau and Blutbad being together. Hank will likely have to continue to walk the line of detective and friend to a Grimm. One day he might start dating again, and what will happen with all things in the Portland Police Department when Renard decides that protecting and working with Nick is no longer in his best interest? Plus, there is the ever growing Wesen population that learns about Nick and discovers he’s more friend than enemy. We also have the Council keeping an eye on Nick, and there may come a time when they decide they don’t like his ways.
But Grimm of Season 3 is a far cry from Grimm of Season 1. They’ve gotten better at pacing their episodes as well. While I could see that hypothermia was going to be the saving grace of the boy last night, I didn’t mind it. Mostly I didn’t mind it because it was a chance taken by Juliette and Nick and not known to be the be-all-end-all cure. Also, it wasn’t the end of the episode; there was still a moment with the Council at the end. Usually these Hail Mary moments are the final 60 seconds of an episode and it’s all done. Again, Grimm has been pacing itself better this season.
Next week is the midseason finale. It’s too soon! Since Grimm only came back on 10/25, it is, in fact, too soon. However, to make us feel better we get two episodes on the same night. Hooray! According to futoncritic Grimm will be back on January 10th with the first of four in a row. It will get bumped during the Olympics but at least we’ll still have ten episodes to follow once it returns after the winter Olympics. Not bad.
Until next week, thanks for reading, Elle2
