GRIMM Outlook

Article originally published as GRIMM Review "The Grimm Identity" on Seat42F.

NBC’s GRIMM begins its fifth season this week with “The Grimm Identity.” In it, Nick (David Giuntoli), reeling from the immediate events of last year’s finale, decides to go after Agent Chavez (Elizabeth Rodriguez). With no evidence of Juliette’s (Bitsie Tulloch) death to go by, though, nor anything else Nick accuses Chavez of, Nick’s friends become concerned about his erratic behavior and intention to assault a federal agent. Is Nick going crazy, or is Chavez part of a secret organization with the resources to cover such things up?

“The Grimm Identity” begins with a lot of glimpses of scenes, Nick attending Juliette’s funeral and such. I very much do not understand what is accomplished by this. Obviously, within just a few minutes, it becomes clear that these things aren’t real. Nick is hallucinating and this is what he sees? I know the brain is funny and works in mysterious ways, but I just don’t understand why these particular scenes are chosen.

After that, the hour gets a little better, but only a little. It’s not a case-of-the-week, thank goodness, but a story about Nick’s possible mental stability. Conspiracies and missing bodies and claiming unlikely things are meant to keep viewers guessing whether Nick is truly right or not. Since he sees things in the opening that aren’t real, those glimpses mentioned above, maybe he isn’t right about Juliette and Chavez, either?

Except, I think GRIMM makes it pretty clear early on whether Nick is losing his mind or not. The glimpses aren’t done in the same style as the actual events of “The Grimm Identity,” so it’s pretty easy to draw a conclusion about this and be confident about it. Not that viewers need to mistrust Nick to enjoy the episode; he’s the hero of the piece, so of course we rally behind him. The show could have made us doubt his account, but it doesn’t, and that’s a valid choice to make.

Why, though, do the other characters not believe Nick? I get that he’s behaving a bit unlike himself, but they’ve all known Nick long enough to trust his word, body or no. The fact that others in his group aren’t sure they believe what he’s saying, including thinking Chavez might not be a Wesen, is strange. Presenting “The Grimm Identity” as a mystery is a mistake precisely because there is no mystery, nor should any character believe that there is.

The plot involving Chavez, who kidnaps Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) and steals Juliette’s body (is she really dead?), is far more interesting. A shady government agency is often used in shows of this genre, but that’s because it’s a good idea, not a bad one, at least when done correctly (I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but The Initiative was a misstep). To bring another faction in now feels a little late, but as long as we learn Chavez and her people have been watching Nick longer than Nick knows, that would be fine.

I just don’t know if this is a sign GRIMM will turn things around, though. Last year is dreadful, with the series constantly artificially pushing their arcs into small moments of each installment, and instead concentrating on whatever beast Nick had to fight that week. That’s not what the program does when it’s at its best. There are some intriguing strands of “The Grimm Initiative” that are better storytelling than this, but the way so much of the hour doesn’t make sense, as mentioned above, makes me worry GRIMM won’t find a strong path forward, or was only even going back to a serial narrative half-heartedly. I guess we’ll find out soon enough if the show will fix itself or continue to devolve.

GRIMM airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

"Octopus Head" Shouldn't Make You GRIMM

Article first published as GRIMM Review Season 4 Episode 2 Octopus Head on Seat42F.

Tonight’s GRIMM on NBC is called “Octopus Head” because of the type of Wesen causing trouble in town. Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) continues to hunt the creature, past the boundaries Nick (David Giuntoli) sets for her, which of course leads her into trouble (yes, I know what I just did there and I am appropriately ashamed). But the killer isn’t the only problem in town as Nick remains without his Grimm powers, which not everyone thinks he should try to get back, and Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz) is dead.

Thankfully, Renard stays dead only a very brief time before his unseen-until-now Hexenbeast mother revives him. Sure, there is something to be said for killing off main characters, and it is an effective tool that GRIMM has yet to use. But the way in which Renard dies isn’t high on dramatic impact, so it’s better that he survives now to die another day.

Besides, Renard is our connection to the European royalty, namely, Viktor Albert Wilhelm George Beckendorf (Alexis Denisof), whom Adalind (Claire Coffee) returns to in “Octopus Head.” Adalind took Nick’s powers in the hopes that Viktor would give her baby back, but since Viktor doesn’t have the infant, that presents a problem. This means Adalind winds up in a dungeon instead of reunited with her child, something that seems totally in-character for Viktor to do to her. I’m sure he’ll let her out again as soon as he has another use for her, but poor Adalind is merely a piece in someone else’s game these days.

Unlike Adalind, Trubel resists any attempt to be a pawn at every turn, refusing to go along with what anyone tells her to do. This streak is noticeable in her before, and on a show like GRIMM, that means it’s only a matter of time before she gets hurt. That happens twice in “Octopus Head,” once when confronting the Wesen she’s hunting, who gets the drop on her, and again when she is kidnapped by Agent Chavez (Elizabeth Rodriguez).

Viewers are not clued into what Chavez’s plans are yet, but since she doesn’t immediately kill Trubel, the girl is probably safe enough for now. When Trubel does eventually get out of the situation, though, will she have learned her lesson? Or will she be as fool-hardy and independent as ever? I get her life up to this point has prepared her for the latter and a quick taming isn’t in the cards. But I also see the way she relates to Nick and Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), craving their approval, so I hope she calms down before something really bad happens to her, which, since she’s not a main character, could be her fate.

With Trubel out of action, Nick needs to be a Grimm again more than ever, but it’s no simple task to restore his powers. Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) are skipping their honeymoon to try to find a cure, but Juliette asks them to hold off, thinking her life might be simpler if her boyfriend was not a hunter of the supernatural. She’s right, I’m sure, but that doesn’t mean she’s making the right decision.

I don’t think anyone believes Nick will stay Grimm-less for long, no matter what Juliette says; the fact that Monroe and Rosalee ignore her request to halt their work supports that. However, I’m more interested in what it will do to Juliette and Nick’s relationship if she doesn’t come around. Things are already rocky between them after Adalind tricks Nick into sleeping with her. Nick ignoring Juliette’s wishes could further jeopardize the union.

Something else in jeopardy is Wu’s (Reggie Lee) place in the dynamic. He knows Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby) have been lying to him. He has put the pieces together about Trubel, if not the Wesen. He’s clearly getting into the loop one way or the other in the very near future. The question is, will Hank and/or Nick ease him in, or will he force his way in, causing conflict among the main cast? The latter option is more interesting, of course, and seems to be the way GRIMM is heading, but eventually, we’ll want to get to the former so the detectives better quit burning bridges with the under-used officer, who, as a fan of Lee, I’m excited to see take on a larger role.

“Octopus Head” is an episode that moves the larger arcs forward, but doesn’t stand on its own. This is the type of installment I prefer, advancing the story without worrying about a procedural format. GRIMM often does this well, though not always on a weekly basis.

GRIMM airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.