Take it EASY

Article first published as EASY Review on Seat42F.

NETFLIX is making your viewing decisions EASY this weekend (excuse the pun). It’s new eight-episode anthology series, EASY, which follows a diverse group of people in modern Chicago, dropped this morning. I’ve watched the first two half-hour installments, and my early impression is that it’s neat, authentic, well cast, and has something very relatable and very interesting to say.

The first episode is titled “The F**king Study,” which should tell you right away that the content is for mature audiences. Title stars aside, nudity and swearing are not bleeped in the show, though I will say the main characters are treated with dignity and realism, which means their bodies are only shown sparingly, not gratuitously. Usually, they are wearing something as they get it on.

Anyway, the plot of this first episode, to give you a taste of what EASY is, begins at a party where a study is being discussed. Apparently, it has been found that couples who stick to traditional gender norms have more and better sex. This greatly worries a husband (Michael Chernus, Orange Is the New Black) who stays home to write plays and take care of the kids. Although she plays it off, his wife (Elizabeth Reaser, Twilight), is also bothered, although she handles it differently.

What follows is a portrayal of two people who have been in a marriage a long time, do love each other, but aren’t sure what that means any more. We’ve seen couples struggle to maintain that intimacy and love before (HBO’s Togetherness springs to mind), and I won’t say EASY is entirely breaking new ground here. But what it does, it does very well. I fully believe these two actors, and can easily empathize with them, getting into their heads and understanding where they are coming from. Sure, it’s a bit depressing, especially for someone approaching who is that point in their own life (full disclosure: I am). However, as young people so often fail to understand, there’s no blueprint for any phase of life, and all we can do is figure it out as we go along, which is something that must be learned in of itself.

The second episode jumps to the very beginning of a relationship, as a woman (Kiersey Clemons, Transparent) questioning her sexuality (and everything else about herself) meets her “Vegan Cinderella” (Jacqueline Toboni, Grimm). It’s obviously quite a different take than the first episode, and yet it feels consistent in tone and style, even if the point of view shifts dramatically. Quality is maintained, and there are some fun little connections, the protagonist for installment two being the babysitter from episode one.

I’m not sure all the episodes will be so focused on love and sex, as the series description also mentions navigating technology and culture. In general, though, I think it’s safe to assume that it’s a brief circle through many perspectives, with an indie-movie feel and some genuine characters. Again, this is not a totally new concept, but it’s one that I dig when well executed, as it certainly is with EASY.

Television is entertainment, yes, but the best of it is meant to give us insight into our world and ourselves. That’s not as lofty a goal as it might sound, with the earliest examples of theatre seeking to do just that. EASY holds a mirror up, and maybe we don’t see our reflection every time, but it keeps turning that mirror until we do identify something looking back at us, or at a friend or family. It’s feel-good without being soapy, and drama without being dramatic. It’s comfortable, enjoyable, and I still come out of it feeling like I learned something about life. I can totally get behind this.

EASY is now available on Netflix streaming.

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.

GRIMM Makes Me "Cry"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This year’s season finale of GRIMM is called “Cry Havoc.” Picking up from lack week’s cliffhanger, Nick (David Giuntoli) still reeling by the box containing its mother’s head, the hour features the showdown between our heroes and the royals who have plagued them this season. It also features the death of a main character.

“Cry Havoc” finally fully eliminates my frequent complaint that the show has become too procedural. Nothing about this installment is case-of-the-week. With Nick going after Kenneth (Nico Evers-Swindell) and Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), and Renard (Sasha Roiz) dealing with the fall-out of his Jack the Ripper possession, the show only has time for serial arcs, not anything new.

Unfortunately, that’s not enough to save this season finale from being completely terrible, doing nothing to redeem a once-good series.

The opening of “Cry Havoc” is absolutely awful. The house is a “trap,” and yet a henchmen calls in to Kenneth to get permission to attack Nick, several minutes after Nick enters? Permission is given freely and without hesitation, so why wasn’t it pre-granted? Then, the bad guys all come across the street very obviously to the front door, leaving the back completely unguarded. If this is a trap, it is the worst trap ever. And Kenneth is surprised when it doesn’t work? Really? This from the scary group that policies the Wesen world. Guess they aren’t so scary, huh?

And why does Juliette look slightly concerned with hearing Nick’s death ordered but doesn’t say anything? Does she want him to do die or not? This isn’t clear even when she declines to flee Portland and returns for a final confrontation. First, she asks him to kill her, then she tries to kill him. Is she just drawn to him for some reason? I’m not saying the writers should hand us everything on a silver platter, but when a character is as back-and-forth as Juliette, we need some clue as to what her motivations are.

I hope Nick doesn’t hold it against Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) that she kills Juliette. Juliette seems irredeemable at this point, and while Nick can’t bring himself to snuff the life out of the woman he once loved, which seems a little weird given how final he is when he says he’s done with her, the world is better off without Juliette. At least, without this version of her.

Juliette’s fall is a tragic tale, and I hope GRIMM follows up with this next season. Her being dead doesn’t erase the trauma Nick goes through. While he shouldn’t send Trubel away, he needs to struggle with his grief and pain. These last couple of weeks see Nick go through the worst things that could happen to him. One does not just bounce back from that.

Might GRIMM put Nick and Adalind (Claire Coffee) together, a silver lining in the dark cloud? Nick doesn’t want her in his house in “Cry Havoc,” even after the danger seems to be past, but everyone is much nicer to Adalind than they’ve ever been. She’s almost a friend to the group. This change has come too quickly, though, without enough consideration of the bad things Adalind has done in the past.

“Cry Havoc” leaves fans with plenty of unanswered questions. Renard looks to be ready to move past the Jack the Ripper stuff, but his involvement with the royals can’t be over. When his father is murdered by the rebels to steal back Adalind’s child, doesn’t that leave Renard in line for the throne? How might that affect the show next year, if Renard is offered the position?

While the possibilities raised above, Renard ascending and Nick dealing with stuff and Nick and Adalind’s new dynamic, there are strong paths that can be used to build a more serial fifth season. Unfortunately, after the (at best) mediocre fourth year, it makes me wonder if GRIMM will pursue such things, or give them only short snippets in episodes mostly involving yet another stupid murder case. Probably the latter.

GRIMM will return next fall to NBC.

"The GRIMM Who Stole Christmas"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s holiday-themed GRIMM on NBC, “The Grimm Who Stole Christmas,” which is weirdly not the last episode the series will air before December 25^th, finds some evil elves destroying decorations. They aren’t actually elves, though. They are Kallikantzaroi, a Greek Wesen that experience twelve nights of hairy puberty somehow linked to this time of year. Get past that strange conceit without explanation, and the hour is better than many this fall, starting to get the show back on track.

GRIMM is best when it’s serial, even if there are strong procedural elements to the show. Recently, many episodes have relied too heavily on the monster-of-the-week format, without enough movement in the character arcs. “The Grimm Who Stole Christmas” strikes a bit better balance, still involving a creature, but also letting several in the ensemble progress a bit.

Nick (David Giuntoli) is back to being a Grimm, a welcome development since his loss of power slowed down the narrative quite a bit. This means Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) finally feel comfortable leaving town on their honeymoon, which they will be taking next week, not this one. Bud (Danny Bruno) gives the team important clues as to who is terrorizing the happy couple. Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) may just be pregnant, which might have happened while she looked like Adalind, meaning the baby could be strange. None of these are major plots; well the last one sort of is but not yet featured majorly. Combined, though, they start to give the series the development it needs to move the characters along.

More notably, Josh (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) decides he wants to go home and Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) chooses to accompany him. This comes a little out of nowhere, since Josh seems quite satisfied to be there and learn about his dad, and maybe even wants to be a Grimm, too. Trubel, though, is ready for a mission she can undertake without Nick looking over her shoulder. Now that he’s back to normal, it makes sense for her to want to go off on her own, doing something that matters, not just serving as back up from him. Josh provides a convenient way to do so, and given how they leave, it’s likely their story will re-connect with the main one later this season, so no fan should be too disappointed.

This leads to a very touching scene between Nick and Trubel, which is a long time coming, but can really only occur under these circumstances. Personally, I don’t much care for her character, though I like the idea of her. But it’s nearly impossible not to be moved by her teary-eyed farewell, and Nick clearly is. He has done something very important in helping her. Might this be a way to move Nick’s character forward, offering similar assistance to others like Trubel?

Wu’s (Reggie Lee) investigation is brought back up, though it’s still moving frustratingly slow. Next week’s preview indicates this will finally get some focus, and it is long overdue. Renard (Sasha Roiz) tells Nick that whatever Nick tells Wu, Nick shouldn’t tell Wu about Renard, which is slightly puzzling. So Renard is OK with Wu knowing about Wesen, but not about his own captain? Why? Does Renard have some reason not to trust Wu? This dialogue puzzles and intrigues me.

While “The Grimm Who Stole Christmas” does spend at least two-thirds of its running time on the Kallikantzaroi, that story is fun and seasonably appropriate. Add to that a number of wonderful scenes that highlight the cast, which remain a definite draw for the show, and the episode ends up being pretty good. It’s not a perfect installment, but it’s an improvement over what GRIMM has been delivering lately. I appreciate that.

GRIMM next airs this coming Friday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

"Tears" for GRIMM

Article first published as GRIMM Review Season 4 Episode 6 Highway of Tears on Seat42F.

This week’s GRIMM, “Highway of Tears,” starts out far more promising than previous weeks, then sadly devolves as the hour goes on. I’m not sure why NBC thinks they need to reign GRIMM back into a case-of-the-week procedural, or even if that’s a decision being pushed at a network level. But especially when the beginning of an episode reminds us of what GRIMM can be, it’s super disappointing when the rest of the installment returns to formula.

The best plot in “Highway of Tears” is Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) deciding to help Nick (David Giuntoli) become a Grimm again. She has to turn into Adalind (Claire Coffee) and sleep with Nick to do so, which awakens feelings of jealousy in her. However, once Juliette makes the decision that this must be done, made so that Grimm Nick can protect her harassed friends Rosalee (Bree Turner) and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), she takes the situation in stride, finding humor and nobility to help her through it.

Juliette hasn’t always been the strongest character, at times whiny or helpless. “Highway of Tears” has her stepping up, being strong, and saving the day. She is pretty much the hero of the hour, making a hard sacrifice, not just in the moment, but also giving up any last chance of a normal a life, in order to do what’s right. This is a turning point for her, accepting her fate with Nick, and being a fully contributing member of the team. She has sporadically been a part of this in the past, but this seems more of a conscious decision to embrace the role, which makes a difference.

Plus, when she goes to protect Rosalee with her gun, that’s pretty badass.

Kudos must be given to Claire Coffee for her performance in “Highway of Tears” as Juliette. Tulloch did a decent enough job as Adalind when their roles were reversed, but Coffee has Juliette down. Every mannerism, expression, phrase, even the way she walks, is dead on. I kept looking for flaws in the portrayal, and found none. Coffee is truly a talent to watch, and it makes me sad GRIMM typically uses her in tiny ways, such as her small scenes figuring out where her baby is this week, when she is clearly capable of so much more.

The place where this story falls apart is after Juliette’s role in it is over. I’m completely confused about how the series tests Nick’s Grimm powers. Humans have seen a woge before when a Wesen wants them to, so why can’t Nick ever see a Wesen at all now? And in the past, it’s been established that Wesen can recognize Grimm, so why does Monroe have to ask Nick if the spell worked? Shouldn’t he be able to tell himself? Worst of all, Nick finally changes back into a Grimm during a fight scene, stupidly rushing into danger when he’s physically having issues, and then changing at exactly the right moment to sway the battle, a very tired, cheesy cliché.

Another mark against “Highway of Tears” is that the characters ignore the Wu arc again. Is he or isn’t he after Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni)? Let’s see movement on that. I’m tired of waiting.

Overall, GRIMM’s fall run has not been up to snuff. “Highway of Tears” has promising signs, but the back half of the hour, which is where the Nick-rebecoming-a-Grimm tale falls apart and the focus shifts more to the case, besmirches that a bit. I really wish the writers would buckle down and help this show hit its potential. It’s probably too late for it to be as good as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which it could easily have been, but perhaps it still has a chance to be worth re-watching years down the line, which I’m certainly not seeing at present.

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

I "Cry" For GRIMM

Article first published as GRIMM Season 4 Episode 5 Cry Luison on Seat42F.

This week’s GRIMM on NBC is called “Cry Luison.” Luison is a variation of the werewolf mythology, used primary in Paraguay and other Guarani-speaking cultures. Which means, roughly, there is a South American werewolf on the loose, terrorizing people. To be more accurate, there are multiple werewolves, and they’re only terrorizing one woman, whom no one believes when she mentions said wolves. But you get the point.

Once more, a large chunk of GRIMM is given over to a formulaic plot. Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) investigate the woman’s case in a story that really has nothing to do with the larger mythology, save for letting views know that Blutbads aren’t the only wolf-type Wesen out there. It’s very standard fare, Nick still not having his Grimm powers, and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) just helping out a bit, as is often the case.

I wish GRIMM would stop doing this. There are subplots in “Cry Luison,” which I’ll get to in a minute, that are very good. But GRIMM is a genre show and should start acting like it. Forcing crime procedural stories into this structure is unnecessary and annoying. Perhaps it seems worse this fall after a long-arcing tale last spring that abandoned the standard format. But I’d hoped GRIMM had moved beyond that and am very disappointed that it hasn’t.

Now, while Nick, Monroe, and Hank are off on this, there are a number of other, much more interesting, stories playing out. Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) has to decide if she wants to temporarily look like Adalind (Claire Coffee) and have sex with Nick so he can be a Grimm again. Adalind is trying to escape a prison that messes with her mind. Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) secretly protects Nick when Bud (Danny Bruno) blabs about Nick losing his Grimm powers. Renard (Sasha Roiz) speaks to his mom (Louise Lombard) about his daughter. All of these could be expanded and made to fill up an episode, and probably should be.

Juliette’s decision is a hard one. Nick doesn’t want to tell her he misses being a Grimm, but surely she knows him well enough to figure that out. Plus, she overhears the trouble Bud causes, so she’ll see the wisdom in in helping Nick get back to fighting form. But she would like a chance at a normal life, which Nick does want to give her. And she’d have to look like Adalind while having sex with Nick, which brings up oh so many bad emotions, especially jealousy and anger. What will she do?

I think it’s almost certain that Juliette will go through with this. She has to, to keep the premise of the series going. Plus, Nick’s calling is noble, so she would be petty to stand in the way of it. She has her own heroic part to play by sacrificing the life she thinks she wants for Nick. Besides, she has Wesen friends now, too, so surely she doesn’t want to leave them behind, as detestable as the act will be to undo the spell.

Nick’s talk about moving away and giving up the Wesen-hunting calling in “Cry Luison” is only talk. Were he to follow through, there would be no show. However, he really should mention to Monroe how hard it will be to leave friends behind. I feel bad for Monroe when Nick is going on about this choice without bringing up the strong bond they share.

I’ve missed having Bud around, who has been seen sparsely in the past season or so. “Cry Luison” doesn’t make it easy to miss him, though. I know he’s a little talkative and that’s always been a weakness of his. But he has to know that blabbing the particular secret that he does is a huge mistake. Bud feeling bad isn’t enough punishment. GRIMM should take this element and run with it, giving Bud a good story to enact change and growth for himself. They probably won’t, though.

Adalind’s prison experience is cool enough that it doesn’t completely seem like filler, though that’s primarily what it is. Last week’s near-death disaster turns out to be a hallucination, and it isn’t the last one she has. If her going through this ordeal doesn’t convince Viktor (Alexis Denisof) she’s telling the truth, I don’t know what will. I’m actually feeling sorry for her, even when she disobeys the Key, because motherly instinct would be hard to shut out and she doesn’t have a reason to trust him, anyway.

Once more, Wu’s (Reggie Lee) involvement in the supernatural world is kicked down the road. Renard mentions to Nick that Wu’s investigation into Trubel must be stopped, but “Cry Luison” doesn’t go any further than that. Is Wu really content to let things simmer this long? Come on already!

“Cry Luison” has good elements, but isn’t a great episode overall. After some excellent runs, it’s sad to see GRIMM decline in quality this year. I hope the change is temporary.

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

Prayer For GRIMM To Improve

Article first published as GRIMM Review Season 4 Episode 4 Dyin' On a Prayer on Seat42F.

Unfortunately, this week’s installment of NBC’s GRIMM, “Dyin’ on a Prayer,” was another case-of-the-week snooze fest. A Gollum attacks an abusive husband. Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) have to investigate, bringing in Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) when they think a Wesen might be involved, since Nick is still without his Grimm powers. The fact that, while certain people involved in the case are Wesen, the murderer itself is not, makes it even more like every other crime procedural on television.

GRIMM airs Friday nights at NBC. If there were ever a night and time to break the standard formula and do something interesting instead on broadcast television, it’s that one. Add to that, GRIMM has already done several good arcs in the past that depart from the common structure, with a heavy supernatural mythology. Why, early in its fourth season, would it revert to a weaker story makeup? If viewers want a run-of-the-mill police story, they have a plethora of other choices. GRIMM should stick with what makes it special, not try to be like everyone else.

I do like the Rabbi (David Julian Hirsh, Weeds) who calls forth the Gollum to protect his nephew, David (Jakob Salvati, Red Widow). There is massive opportunity for character development here, a man who abhors violence, but accidentally sets it loose, not understanding what he is doing. The Rabbi is very clearly a good man, and is plenty willing to pay for the consequences of his actions. Unfortunately, “Dyin’ on a Prayer” spends very little time exploring that element.

There are subplots that entice this week. Adalind (Claire Coffee) continues her escape from the castle, only to be stymied by a weeping wall which threatens to drown her. Her fate is not shown. Again, this is another cool concept that is actually visually pretty impressive. There are real stakes in these scenes. But they are brief, barely a few minutes of the hour, and underdeveloped.

“Dyin’ on a Prayer” teases us with a story involving Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) dealing with haters, who don’t believe Wesen should marry a different breed of Wesen. This hate-crime thing is probably a little dated, but when a brick is thrown through the shop window, I sit up and take notice. Unfortunately, that one moment is all GRIMM does with this, not making any effort to show us how the characters deal with the attack.

A third storyline in which Elizabeth Lascelles (Louise Lombard) figures out what Adalind did to Nick is cool. She is an intriguing character, and has some great lines. I don’t know how long she’ll stick around, but she is a welcome addition to the recurring cast. However, in spite of providing a nice capper to the episode, she is also barely used.

A fourth (yes, fourth!) possibility for greatness emerges when Wu (Reggie Lee) brings his suspicions about Trubel to Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz). Renard knows who Trubel is, of course, and must protect her, so doesn’t give anything away to Wu. It is past time Wu is brought into the secret loop, though, and the more he pushes, the more likely that is to happen.

So, in summary, GRIMM gives us four excellent threads (five if you count the Rabbi, which is arguable) in “Dyin’ on a Prayer,” and still chooses to make the vast majority of the episode revolve around the one storyline that is boring and trite. The ingredients for a truly excellent series are present, and the writers tease us with them without delivering on any. How frustrating is it when a show that has been so good in the past stubbornly refuses to maintain that quality on a consistent basis? I can’t wait to get past these crap episodes at the start of the year and to this season’s real plots, which are surely coming, but not nearly quickly enough.

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

"Fight" the Formula, GRIMM

Article first published as GRIMM Review Season 4 Episode 3 The Last Fight on Seat42F.

NBC’s GRIMM goes back towards being a standard procedural this week in “The Last Fight.” A murder leads Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) to investigate a boxing establishment that they think is run by Wesen. Of course, since Nick no longer has his Grimm powers, they can’t know for sure without bringing Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) along to help. That isn’t the best idea, since she’s not a cop. But the ‘mystery’ of the hour is pretty normal fare and is easily solved by the end.

I don’t like procedurals. The format is tired and stale at this point, presenting the same boring story week after week. Some shows, like GRIMM, have taken the genre and turned it on its head a little bit, but refuse to leave it behind completely. What’s disappointing about GRIMM is that it hews so closely to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a brilliant series that ditched the monster-of-the-week formula in season one. GRIMM sometimes follows this example, but not always, and by comparison, it is definitely inferior.

The reason “The Last Fight” is not as annoying as most instances of this repetition is because the case serves to highlight a number of things. Most importantly, the status quo is not working. Nick has to rely too much on Trubel when dealing with the Wesen, and she’s not reliable, neither experienced nor reasoned enough to follow instructions. He is endangering her and that’s frustrating for him and the viewer, and probably to Trubel, too, to a lesser extent.

Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) are working on a cure for Nick. This week, they team up with Renard’s mother, Elizabeth (Louise Lombard, CSI), to retrace Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) footsteps and recreate the potion. It’s an uneasy alliance, but I think we can trust Elizabeth. After all, Renard (Sasha Roiz) trusts her, and he has proven himself to us time and again. He doesn’t trust her enough to tell her exactly where the baby is, but the fewer people that know that, the better.

Speaking of trust, it’s time to trust Wu (Reggie Lee) with the secrets that the rest of the main cast already know about. Nick begs off of explaining things this week, claiming that, since he’s not a Grimm any more, he doesn’t have anything to tell Wu. This is bull crap. Nick could still show Wu the trailer and Monroe and fill him in on what’s been happening. There will obviously be a big adjustment period for Wu once he does find out, but the sooner Nick starts talking to him, the sooner Wu can be useful. Right now, with his powers gone, Nick needs all the help he can get.

The other thing Nick is dealing with is his body switch with Adalind. We don’t know what causes it and it seems to be very temporary, but apparently there is some connection between the two that isn’t yet broken. I honestly have no idea what it means.

Adalind is still over in Europe, but at least she’s not locked up anymore. She makes a friend in the dungeon who escorts her out through a secret passage way. If I were Adalind, I’d be suspicious of this deus ex machina. For one thing, the man seems completely insane. For another, would Viktor (Alexis Denisof) really lock her up somewhere that was so easy to escape? I smell a trap here. The question is, what is Viktor hoping Adalind leads him to? The baby? Because he knows Adalind has no idea where the infant is.

For what “The Last Fight” is, a standard procedural installment, it does manage to be pretty darn good. By keeping lots of the mythology and on-going arcs in the episode, it helps ease the annoyance of the very predictable case included, too. I hope most GRIMM episodes are better than this, but this one isn’t bad.

GRIMM airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET 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.

"Thanks" GRIMM!

Article first published as GRIMM Review Season 4 Episode 1 Thanks for the Memories on Seat42F.

GRIMM returns to NBC with its fourth season premiere, “Thanks for the Memories.” A Wesen that can suck memories out of a person’s brain comes to Portland. Nick (David Giuntoli) begins investigating the case, made more difficult by the fact that he no longer has his Grimm powers. Luckily, he still has friends, and they are all willing to help him out.

Nick has quite a few things to overcome. For one, his job as a detective is harder. He is a fine policeman before he becomes a Grimm, sure, but now he’s used to operating a certain way and can’t any longer. With his captain, Renard (Sasha Roiz), fighting for his life in the hospital, Nick doesn’t have that automatic backing from above, and “Thanks for the Memories” doesn’t reveal what the new hierarchy may be in the department. Even if Renard lives, which I cannot say if that will happen or not, it seems certain it would be quite awhile before he could be back on the job, and GRIMM will have to figure out how to handle that.

Another complication at work is Wu (Reggie Lee), who is looking into the death at Nick’s house. Nick’s dwelling has plenty of Wesen documentation, which revives Wu’s suspicions about monsters. Personally, I feel it is time he is brought into the loop, allowing Lee a deserved larger role on the series. But if the writers decide to keep him in the dark, they must keep the characters dancing circles around Wu to confused and distract him, which is becoming harder and harder to do.

What’s more, because the deceased is an FBI agent, there is now federal involvement in the investigation. Since everything went down at Nick’s house, there is no way he can avoid getting involved. He has to deflect this unwanted attention and may have to keep coming up with plausible explanations as more and more things pile up against him. What we learn of the lead FBI agent in “Thanks for the Memories” only adds to the challenges GRIMM is throwing at its lead.

If that’s not enough, Nick still has Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) to look out for. Trubel is plenty happy to help by stepping up and taking on Nick’s Grimm duties, the first time she’s really been around people who count on her. Nick allows her to do some of this because, after all, someone has to, and he’s not up to it right now. But she’s a kid and she’s not a cop; he has to be careful around her. Trubel still isn’t a main character, which worries me about her continued survival, and she is liable to throw herself too quickly into a situation, endangering herself and others. Trubel could cause more trouble than she already has.

The one benefit of Nick no longer being a Grimm is in his relationship with Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch). She is complaining about what his destiny does to their relationship, and she’s definitely still not over Nick sleeping with Adalind (Claire Coffee), no matter how cleverly Adalind tricks Nick. But will Juliette soon come to regret her wish? If Nick is no longer a Grimm, he may not bring threats around as often, but he’s also less prepared to protect her in a world they’ve already, irreversibly gotten involved in. I have faith their bond can survive, once Juliette has time to get over Nick’s ‘betrayal,’ but I’m not so sure a Grimm-less life is good for them.

Add to this more Viktor (Alexis Denisof) machinations, newlyweds skipping their honeymoon to help out a friend, and the aforementioned case-of-the-week, and GRIMM’s season premiere is incredibly jam-packed with all kinds of drama and going-ons, much of which cannot be answered in a single hour. Thankfully, GRIMM is smart enough to realize that and take its time in letting the involved tale come to fruition.

“Thanks for the Memories” isn’t as exciting as many of the other installments of the series, but it is solid in its storytelling and deals with the aftermath of last spring’s finale in an entertaining and appropriate way. That’s good enough for me. It doesn’t stand strongly on its own, but I prefer the serial style, anyway.

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