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.

"Headache" from GRIMM Subsiding

Article originally written for Seat4F.

This week’s episode of GRIMM on NBC, titled “Headache,” actually picks up right where last week leaves off, finally following a serial story! Nick (David Giuntoli), Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Wu (Reggie Lee) continue to investigate the grisly murders, and the evidence leads them to Captain Renard (Sasha Roiz). Is Jack the Ripper after their boss?

It’s pretty obvious early in “Headache” that Jack is Captain Renard, or rather, he is inside Renard. To GRIMM’s credit, though, Nick suspects as much by a quarter of the way through the hour and voices the theory, not drawing out a twist that’s already been given away. It’s nice to be able to give the show and its story credit after being so disappointed in it for so many months.

The better part to this plot is that Jack gets inside Renard when he is dead, a thread from the very beginning of the season, and has been growing in power and influence since, eventually hoping to replace Renard. This explains Renard’s arc throughout the year; his strange visions and behavior. It’s a nice pay-off for a long simmer, and while it should have been reached much sooner, I’m not disappointed by the way it plays out now.

Roiz is the star of “Headache.” The actor wonderfully embodies the maniac serial killer, differentiating him fully from the police chief. The dual role is something most actors long for, but few do it as well as this one, transforming body, voice, and mannerisms into a vastly different part. Watching him is the highlight of the episode for me.

Far less satisfying is the other story in “Headache.” Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) takes up with Kenneth (Nico Evers-Swindell), sexually now as well as just helping him with evil schemes. Together, they kill Nick’s mother and gain custody of Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) baby.

The plot itself isn’t terrible. Juliette’s complete behavior change has been explained by the Hexenbieste inside of her, which apparently is more destructive and dominant than a normal Hexenbieste. It’s no surprise, then, that she would help Nick’s enemy or take the child. 
What’s unforgiveable is Juliette’s involvement in killing Kelly Burkhardt. This spells the end of Nick and Juliette as a couple forever, methinks. Nick’s utter grief at the close of “Headache” is very moving, and it’s far too deep for him to overlook. Even though Kenneth is the one who actually kills her, Juliette deserves punishment for her involvement. At this point, assuming Nick finds out Juliette is complicit, he might even kill his former fiancé. The homicide would be justifiable.

It’s a fascinating story to take so much away from Nick in this manner. In a way, Juliette dies the moment she becomes a Hexenbieste, and he’s just trying to save a relationship that is already over. The version of Juliette that lives now is a totally different person, and even if they can restore her, there’s no telling if she’d get her old personality back or if Nick would be able to forgive her. Certainly, that would take years, at minimum. I’m sad because I think there could have been some interesting possibilities for the couple that will remain unexplored, but this is a pretty cool direction to take GRIMM in.

The worst part by far of “Headache,” though, and what dampens this part of the story is that Kelly’s death happens off-screen. I assume that is because the actress was unavailable, as we only see her from

afar and hear her fighting. Still, if GRIMM couldn’t get her, they shouldn’t do this story now, or find another way to bring the baby pack into the picture, or cast an actress with more free time in the first place, considering the vital part she plays in the series. I know availability isn’t always known in advance, but to have such an important character meet their fate like this just plain sucks. This is more unforgiveable than the rotating royals, another pet peeve of mine, and no head-in-a-box (no matter how high quality it is) makes up for it.

Still, even with that huge complaint, which is not something that can just be overlooked, “Headache” is the best episode of GRIMM in a very long time, building upon last week’s improvements. I can only assume at this point that next week’s season finale will be equally well done. The test is if the show will maintain the momentum into next year, or if, like last fall, it will fall back into rote procedural, ruining an at-times solid series.

GRIMM’s season finale airs next Friday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

GRIMM Finally Takes An "Iron" Out of the Fire

Article originally written for Seat42F.

As this season of GRIMM draws towards a close, the episodes are getting better, even as they fall far short of what the series once was. This week’s “Iron Hans” finds the detectives investigating a camp for teen Wesen and their fathers when bodies turn up nearby. At the same time, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) continues to be self-destructive, and Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) secret gets out.

I don’t know how Kenneth (Nico Evers-Swindell) knows that Adalind’s unborn child was fathered by Nick (David Giuntoli), not Viktor as she claims, but I’m glad he does. It’s a plot hole that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it finally moves along an arc that has been dragging quite severely. Adalind remains a member of the main cast, but her story is told in very small pieces. This revelation should help kick it into gear and make her relevant again in a way she hasn’t been for awhile.

It’s interesting that the first thing Adalind does once this comes out is go tell Nick that the baby is his. Why does she do so and why does Kenneth allow it? What is their plan? For a better series, I would be engaged with trying to figure out motivation and twists. With GRIMM, I just worry these actions won’t be explained well enough. Still, the fact that she tells Nick keeps the pace moving and opens the door to all kinds of drama for our core cast.

I don’t think GRIMM would ever put Nick and Adalind together. There’s just too much hate there. But what would co-parenting look like? It certainly couldn’t be anything resembling normal, as the child of a Grimm and a Hexenbieste will have to be in constant danger. I don’t know what the baby will be like, but it’s unique enough in this strange world that people will want it. If some sort of co-parenting arrangement is worked out, this not only keeps Adalind around more, a good thing, but also provides story outside of the case-of-the-week junk the program has been stuck in.

I’m not worried that GRIMM will become all about the babies. Even though there are now two that matter to the story, this just doesn’t seem like the type of series that would pivot to put children at the center of it. They are plot devices, not characters. But something more should be done with them. Otherwise, the story is wasting a lot of time.

As this happens, Juliette also gets back out into the world, courtesy of Kenneth. She isn’t acting like herself at all any more, though, being unnecessarily rude to Rosalee (Bree Turner) and burning town Nick’s trailer. At this point, it’s clear that the Juliette viewers are familiar with is long gone. Can she be restored, or has her transformation made her a total villain, which could be an intriguing way for GRIMM to go, especially if it redeems Adalind even a little so she can stay near Nick?

I’ve been complaining a lot about GRIMM dissing the serial in favor of stand-alone crimes, and I think that’s with good reason. The show is far more interesting when it concentrates on what makes it different from other programs, not falling into the same repetitive structure others do. At times in the past, it has done the former, but lately, the latter rules. Anything that provides a sign it might swing back the other way is more than welcome.

That being said, the case in “Iron Hans” is quite interesting. Nick, Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Wu (Reggie Lee) recruit Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) to look into a camp for Wesen teens just coming of age. Monroe went to a similar camp as a child, and so has insight.

The villain ends up not being the head of the camp, Elder Bowden (Jeff Fahey, Lost, Machete), but his daughter, Maggie (Hillary Tuck, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show), who feels left out of the boys-only club.

There are lots of juicy options to further explore this part of the Wesen mythology, giving us insight into how the secret society functions in the regular world, as well as gender roles, but sadly “Iron Hans” doesn’t explore these. GRIMM keeps touching on really good stuff that should be delved deeper into, not mentioned and tossed aside.

GRIMM is kind of a chaotic mess right now. Parts of “Iron Hans” make it enjoyable enough to forget that from time to time, and that’s better than the boring stuff it was delivering mid-year. Still, I wonder if someone can’t come in and fix a show that used to be good. Is there still a chance for it to recover?

GRIMM airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

GRIMM is a "Heartbreaker" For Sure

Article originally written for Seat42F.

On this week’s GRIMM, “Heartbreaker,” Nick (David Giuntoli), Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Wu (Reggie Lee) track a Wesen that accidentally fatally poisons people who are attracted to her. Two victims threaten to turn into more, and the cops must insert themselves in the middle of a family situation in order to not only save the lives of local men, but to save the killer herself. Of course, they do, with a slight twist ending that she ends up happy.

Not only has GRIMM become a crime procedural, mainly devoted to solving a case-of-the-week, but it’s become one of the crappiest entries in the genre on today. In “Heartbreaker,” no detective work is needed to track the murderer, Bella (Leah Renee, Franklin, The Playboy Club). Instead, every witness that Nick and company interview tells them exactly what they need to know without hesitation. When they look for a pattern with Bella’s mother, her police records, complete with photos, are already digitized on the computer, even though the incident happened before such paperwork was online. The trio simply follow the obvious breadcrumbs straight to their target, whom they give a magic potion to and let go, with no official wrap up.

During this, there is absolutely no character development. Hank and especially Wu are simply set dressing, contributing nothing at all to the proceedings. All they do is follow Nick around. Nick is cold and rude to those he interviews, not showing the least bit of sympathy for Bella or her victims. When they do catch her and Nick lets her go, after she agrees to drink Rosalee’s (Bree Turner) concoction, it seems strange Nick would even grant her this, considering how emotionless he is as he works the case.

What this means is that GRIMM has become nearly unwatchable. There are very few shows I’d consider giving up four seasons in, having already invested so much time and usually wanting to know how it will end, but GRIMM is the exception. Were I not committed to a weekly column and if I was just watching the show for pleasure, my season pass would definitely be canceled after tonight’s episode, if not before.

The far-too-small bits of the serial story we get are not much better. A major plot point has been Juliette’s (Bitsie Tulloch) break up with Nick. As she rejects him, she goes completely out of character. When they talk in “Heartbreak,” she laughs in his face when he expresses his love for her. This is not the Juliette viewers have come to know and care about. I don’t know who this woman is, but she’s lost direction entirely.

I’ll admit, this could be explained away as a side effect of turning into a Hexenbiest. Not only do I think GRIMM won’t do that, though, but even that revelation this late in the game would ring hollow, not providing a reason for Nick to not notice the huge personality shift. He’s her fiancé and a detective. He should be trying harder to do something for her, or at least confide in someone that Juliette seems to have lost her mind.

The second subplot finds Renard (Sasha Roiz) encountering the new royal in town, Kenneth (Nico Evers-Swindell, Manhattan Love Story). Kenneth tells Renard he doesn’t want to kill him, then proceeds to fight him for no apparent reason. This is after Kenneth kills Renard’s friend, whom Kenneth lets call Renard without working out the details of the trap ahead of time, such as what time they should ask Renard to come to the abandoned warehouse. So stupid.

Adalind (Claire Coffee) figures into this part of the story, too, lying about being pregnant with Viktor’s baby. This, after she plans to trick Viktor into sleeping with her after she’s already obviously pregnant, and without asking Viktor to back up her lie. It’s probably the worst thought out plot in the episode, and that’s saying something.

My respect for GRIMM has been rapidly fading all season, but “Heartbreakers” seems to hit a new low. Nothing about the hour makes too much sense, people are acting out of character, and the story is about as simple and dumb as one can get. I really don’t know how GRIMM could take such a turn for the worst so quickly, but it’s certainly happening.

GRIMM airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.