Grimm bares its "Bad Teeth"

Grade 84%

NBC became the first out of the gate with a fall show last night, brining back GRIMM for a second season. Yes, it’ll be weeks before any other networks throw their hats into the ring, almost a month until the first big wave of premieres, and one has to wonder if this experiment will work. Then again, with an odd show like GRIMM, it’s worth trying something bold.

GRIMM began season one as a police procedural that happened to have supernatural elements tossed in. Boring and sticking to formula, it delivered the kind of fare that clutters the airwaves. Then, late in the season, a remarkable thing happened. It became all about the mythology, some weeks not even having cases, and it tied together early events and characters from the beginning of the season, raising the whole endeavor up a notch. This may doom it to cult status, but it makes the series worth watching.

Season one ended on a cliffhanger, and season two’s first episode, “Bad Teeth,” picks up right where it left off. A little before, in fact, as viewers relive the climatic fight scene between Nick (David Giuntoli) and Kimura (Brian Tee, Crash), only this time from the perspective of Kelly Burkhardt (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Law & Order: Criminal Intent), who is skulking around the fringe. Viewers already know how this showdown ends, with Kelly subduing Kimura and revealing to Nick that she’s his long-thought-dead mother.

This changes the dynamics of the show immediately. Nick digests the information that she’s alive quickly enough, and seems to be glad to have her back, even if he’s a little annoyed she stayed away all these years. Of course, himself keeping secrets from his own loved ones to protect them, Nick can’t be too judgmental. He seems to accept her explanations at face value, and looks to already be counting on her help on a regular basis.

Kelly likely has other ideas. It’s incredibly difficult to trust her. It isn’t just that she hates Nick’s lovable friends, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner, promoted to series regular), who happen to be Wesen, or fairy tale-esque creatures. It’s the way that she guards herself and averts her eyes. There is just something sinister about her and the way she carries herself, and she definitely has ulterior motives for showing up now, not just coming for a family reunion. Nick trusts her too much, telling her about the coins and the key, relics that can be very powerful, and she is likely to abscond with something valuable, hurting Nick.

Nick doesn’t need to be hurt anymore. He’s has a very rough go of things, with conspiracies he doesn’t know about yet closing in around him. One involves his girlfriend, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) who is in a coma, rapidly losing her memories, a final revenge act by Adalind (Claire Coffee) before she fled. But while Monroe and Rosalee work on behalf of a cure for Juliette, so, too, does Adalind’s mother, Catherine (Jessica Tuck, True Blood), at the behest of Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz).

Why does Renard want to keep Nick around and under his command? The mysteries surrounding Nick’s boss have been varied and confusing. Season one teases his involvement in larger plots, including the “families” we keep hearing about. But we’ve yet to see what motivates him, or what his plans are. It’s nice that they don’t involve hurting Nick, and he hasn’t really done anything against Nick, anyway. But are his intentions benevolent or is he just using Nick? It’s time for a little more revelation on this front.

There are also new characters introduced in the very busy “Bad Teeth.” James Frain (The Cape, True Blood, The Tudors) is up to no good, as only he can be. A Mauvais Dentes creature (Eddie Davenport) is trying to kill Nick. Kimura may be dead before episode’s end, but Nick has no shortage of foes left to face.

Which is why it’s hard to rate “Bad Teeth” as an episode. As much as last spring’s finale only felt like half a story, with no closure of any kind, so, too, does this episode feel very transitional. It ends on another cliffhanger, Nick’s life in mortal peril. Is this the way GRIMM is going to be now? Never finishing a story, just continuing bits and pieces of larger arcs? I won’t necessarily complain too loudly if this is the case, but it would be nice to have a little more movement on the mysteries.

Lastly, there’s Hank (Russell Hornsby), who is losing it mentally. Having seen Monroe as a Wesen, and getting other clues about the supernatural world, Hank thinks he is going insane. Nick doesn’t confirm anything to “protect” his friend. But the time for protection is over. Hank might be able to handle the situation if Nick fills him in. Right now, he’s just on edge, and on the path to do something reckless, screwing up his life. Shooting at a creaking door is not something a stable person does. Nick has to tell him the truth before it’s too late.

At first, it looks like Hank and Juliette are being let in on the secret, but for a series like GRIMM, that would be too many main characters clued in too quickly. These matters must be stretched out to build tension. Juliette is forgetting what she knows, so she’s basically being reset. Which leaves room for Hank to be the newest member of Nick’s gang.

GRIMM is walking a delicate tight rope here. It reached a level of enjoyability late last season that was amazing. But the messy events of the finale and premiere aren’t quite at the level of slightly earlier episodes, even if they contain some fantastic action sequences. The mythology is building, setting itself up for comparison to king of this world, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But while GRIMM is trying to instill humor now, as well as drama, it doesn’t quite live up to that level of quality, with the writing being a little less snappy. This series will either grow into itself and be something great and memorable, like Buffy, or fall apart, like Heroes, and be nothing but shattered dreams.

Which will it be? Tune in Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC to find out.

"And When I Die" hits True Blood hard

     There's a lot going on in the True Blood season finale, "And When I Die." Most importantly, Marnie (Fiona Shaw) takes over Lafayette's (Nelsan Ellis) body, kills Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) to steal his dark magic powers, and captures Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgård), intending to kill them as well. Sookie (Anna Paquin), Tara (Rutina Wesley), and Holly (Lauren Bowles) go to the rescue, and with the help of some ghosts, including Sookie's grandmother (Lois Smith), drive Marnie away again. Sookie heals Bill and Eric, who are partially burned, but unable to choose which one to give her heart to, rejects them both.

     Where to begin dissecting that bit of plot? Marnie taking over Lafayette seems like a surprise twist, yet, in retrospect, it is perfectly set up throughout the season. We see Lafayette's abilities, and how he can be taken over by a dead person. We see Marnie's fascination with bringing things to life, and she gets a taste of possession when she is taken over by Antonia (Paola Turbay, Royal Pains). As such, it's completely predictable that this will happen. But it cannot be complained about when it feels so spontaneous, and gives both Shaw one last chance to show her skills, as well as highlighting Ellis's immense, sometimes underused, talent.

     Sookie goes home, and is attacked by Debbie (Brit Morgan), who blames Sookie for taking away Alcide (Joe Manganiello) from her. Even though Alcide does come on to Sookie in "And When I Die," Sookie rejects him, too, so it's really not her fault. Plus, Alcide dumps Debbie because she is with another man, which has nothing to do with Sookie. Also, Sookie and Debbie are just beginning to build a friendship, prior to the dumping. But all the same, Debbie shoots at Sookie, and only Tara jumping in front to take the bullet saves Sookie's life. Sookie, shocked at seeing her best friend shot, blows Debbie's head off. It's almost out of character, but grief is an acceptable excuse.

     Jesus's death in "And When I Die" is not all that surprising, nor is Debbie's, as she dies in the fourth book (from the Sookie Stackhouse series, on which True Blood is loosely based) in a somewhat similar manner. But Tara being shot seems to come out of nowhere. Could she possibly be dead? She's an important main character, but at the same time, her plot seems to have run its course. After all, Tara tries to escape town earlier in this season of True Blood, and is tired of the supernatural. Nothing that happens after that would make her want to stay any more. If Tara doesn't die, would she even be willing to stick around? Which is why this might be the perfect time to kill her off.

     If Tara dies, coming right on the heels of Jesus, we can expect a much more somber Lafayette in season five. This removes his only close family member and his lover from his life. Considering how Ellis shines in "And When I Die," given something complex to play, it will not be unwelcome to allow him some bigger range to work with. He can certainly handle the heavy acting. It will be very interesting to see in what direction the writers take him from here.

 
     Sookie cannot be with Bill or Eric because she loves them both. This conundrum haunts her throughout the latter part of this season of True Blood, and instead of choosing one, forever wondering if she made the right decision, she picks neither. Does this make sense? Two guys that she is in love with, and she won't be with either one of them? You'd think Sookie would want happiness, too, and surely either vampire could give her that, no matter what her choice. Instead, might she spend next season with Alcide, or will her weretiger boyfriend from the books, Quinn, soon be cast? It's hard to know, because True Blood, while staying loyal to the spirit of several characters, doesn't exactly go for strict adaptation, and there are already so many men vying for Sookie's attention. As well as so many characters in general.

     Even without Sookie to compete over, though that likely won't ever go away completely, Bill and Eric have plenty else to worry about. Nan (Jessica Tuck) asks them for an alliance against the American Vampire League, but (surprise!) they kill her instead. While Nan is not trustworthy, if the AVL comes after Bill and Eric, they are going to need all the help they can get. Taking her out removes an important ally, and makes them all that more vulnerable, and thus, is a dumb idea. Considering Nan is ordered to kill the pair, it is unlikely that murdering her, traitor though she is to the AVL, will do much to appease the group. As such, Bill and Eric are in some pretty deep crapola.

     Add to that, it appears Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare) has escaped his concrete prison and he has a vendetta against Eric and Bill, who put him there, and True Blood's fifth season will be mighty exciting on the vampire front!

     Russell isn't the only past enemy who will be turning up in season five. Jason's (Ryan Kwanten) story in "And When I Die" ends with Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian) showing up on his doorstep, now a vampire. Steve is an anti-vampire religious nut who Jason once trains under, and who is missing these past six months. Guess this at least partially explains why he disappears. Is Steve there to kill Jason, or recruit him? The former seems more likely, considering how they end things the last time they are together. Sure, Steve can't enter Jason's house without permission, but that doesn't mean Jason isn't in serious danger.

     Jason's only hope of survival seems to be the return of his new vampire lover, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll). If Jessica comes back to the house, for any number of possible reasons, she can defend Jason. And she likely will, considering he so recently saves her life, and they are enjoying fantastic sex together. Their relationship still seems wrong, given how Jessica is most recently with Jason's best friend, Hoyt (Jim Parrack). But Hoyt fits the old, meek Jessica, while Jason is a better match for the new, bolder Jessica. At least for now.

     Speaking of True Blood characters being left in danger, Sam (Sam Trammell) is attacked by a wolf in the woods. Who is it, and why are they coming after him? Is it in revenge for Sam killing pack leader Marcus (Daniel Buran)? Because, if so, Sam only goes after Marcus because Marcus kills Sam's brother, Tommy (Marshall Allman). And Alcide is the one who actually takes Marcus's life, not Sam. Because of this, either the werewolf about to attack Sam is misinformed, or is there for an entirely other, yet unexplained, reason.

     Something else unexplained is why Terry's (Todd Lowe) former commanding officer (Scott Foley, Grey's Anatomy) comes to town in "And When I Die." He seems friendly enough, telling Arlene (Carrie Preston) that Terry saved his life in the war, twice. And Foley is usually a friendly face, who will be a welcome addition to season five of True Blood. However, he must have some dark secret, because Arlene's serial killer ex, Rene (Michael Raymond-James), comes back from the grave just to warn her about him. So there's that.

     There's also Andy (Chris Bauer), who in last week's episode has fairy sex in the woods. Given that the fairy population needs to reproduce, and that they are not happy about Sookie rejecting them, this could very well be part of a larger plan. Surely it's not a coincidence that another fairy baby could be conceived in the same town? Not to mention, time moves must faster in fairyland, so it is likely Andy may soon meet an older child, possibly even a young adult, that he is the father of. The kid will probably show up, of course, right after Andy and Holly find happiness together. This plot is completely out of left field, so there's no telling where it's going, but it's intriguing.

     Last, but certainly not least, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten) is upset that Eric chooses Sookie over her. Not necessarily as a romantic partner, as Pam generally prefers the company of women. But Eric sired Pam, so they share a special bond. Plus, in Pam's eyes, Sookie is "just" a human, who stirs up trouble wherever she goes. Pam sees Eric's choice as a severe betrayal, and there is no telling how that will change their relationship come next season on True Blood.


     All in all, an exciting, death heavy finale for a great series! True Blood will return to HBO next summer.

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Article first published as TV Review: True Blood - "And When I Die" on Blogcritics.