SciFi4Chicks Grimmly Speaking: GRIMM Rises Up

Episode 502 “Clear and Wesen Danger”
Written by Thomas Ian Griffith
Directed by Norberto Barba

[recap by Maia Ades]

I’m going to trust that the writers have a plan. Or I’m hoping they have a plan. I’m hoping that this Wesen uprising will be a large season arch and it will be fleshed out over the season. I want a strong story that we can eagerly follow and become vested in. What I don’t want is a story that starts, looks interesting and is unceremoniously dropped. This is probably my number one complaint about Grimm. So many ideas and story lines have been introduced, followed for a while and then never resolved.

The panel: Kammie Settle, Maia Ades.

This episode has a couple of storylines. One is the police case, which reveals more evidence of Chavez’s dying words. The second is actually connected with the Wesen uprising but it’s Nick trying to get information about what’s going on. There’s also the bits about Nick’s new version of family life.

The first is about the money trail of this Wesen uprising. An accountant, Wemlinger, has been redirecting funds from clients and is found out by his boss. He kills his boss and then calls the police and the office manager, Betty. That’s not a coincidence. They are working together for their Wesen gang, legion or something that has yet to be identified.

Because Nick was told to take time off, Hank is partnered with a new partner, Pogue. The biggest problem with a new partner is that of course Pogue knows nothing about the world of Wesen. Hank tells Renard that the job is hard enough when you know what’s going on. It’s even harder when you can’t do a thing about it. They do solve the case, but if Hank is going to have to work more cases with Pogue he’s going to have to come up with better ways to deal with him.

Nick takes the guys to the scene where Chavez was killed only to find that the entire crime scene had been cleaned up. Much like his house was cleaned up when Trubel was taken. The 4 slash marks on the wall were even painted over. Luckily for Nick’s sanity the paint was still wet when they find it. As they leave, Meisner watches from the shadows.

I’ve heard that the keys are coming back as a story element. That’s some of the best Grimm news I’ve heard lately. That was the whole point of season 2, it’s why Renard eventually joined forces with Nick. Then they were also part of two episodes in season 3. Then the keys weren’t mentioned at all in season 4. If they really do come back and have some resolution or at least further the story that would be welcome.

The tease since last season was that Nick would be darker, edgier and out for vengeance. Nick hasn’t been darker in the first two episodes. Perhaps some have forgotten a lot of the past episodes. Nick has been a dark character. He decapitated two Wesen sent to assassinate him. He was a zombie for Pete’s sake! I’m not a zombie expert, but isn’t that pretty dark? How dark can someone become and still be our hero?

Two episodes in, he is actively trying to get answers to what has happened to Trubel, and where Juliette’s body went to. But, I wouldn’t call him darker than he was. I don’t want to see him become darker. I want to see more depth to his character. I want to know there is more to him than being a detective/Grimm and pretty. Show me that he has an unusual skill, or interest. Those are the things that have made Monroe an audience favorite. Monroe has all these quirky interests and knowledge of obscure topics. Give Nick some of that.

Nick has never been my favorite character, sorry David Giuntoli. Mostly because Nick shares so little of himself. All we really know about him you could learn in the show description of the pilot episode. Through knowing him, other characters have developed and grown. But Nick is still so unknown. Writers, please give us some more depth to his character.

Do I think it was a good episode? Yes, I do. What’s made Grimm popular are the core characters and the fantastic beasts that populate this world. The bonds between these unlikely friends is stronger than most family bonds. They believe in each other, they support and defend each other. We all want friends like that and admire people that are that loyal to each other. When they should be enemies as in Wesen vs. Grimm it’s even more interesting.

Next week, things don’t look good for Rosalee, or Monroe for that matter. There’s a spoiler out on the internet that another one of the main characters is going to be killed off. Giuntoli, has said that no one is safe on the show. He calls this season, a reboot of the show. That strikes me as odd. I get that a couple of our characters are gone, or may be gone, and Nick is going to sell his house. From the production side this means a loss of actors, perhaps new actors stepping in, new sets for the new house. I guess from his side it is more of a big deal than from my side of the TV set.