Courtesy of NBC
There’s more to the case of the week than first meets the eye as Grimm awkwardly initiates a Nick (David Giuntoli) / Adalind (Claire Coffee) relationship.
Let’s bitch it out…
Case of the Week: The murder of Mr Childs (Gary Kraus) is really more of a B-plot. Despite opening the episode, most of the proceedings are relatively predictable / straightforward / uninteresting since we know that employee Paul Wemlinger/Simon Kincaid (Jonathan Slavin) is the killer from the get-go. Obviously the most engaging component of the case is exploring how Hank (Russell Hornsby) goes about developing a relationship with a new partner since Nick is on stress leave. We’re back in pretty familiar territory here: one partner is in the know and the other is unaware, though it’s a nice change inversion to see Hank on the other side of the equation for a change. Plus the awkward dancing around the truth affords Wu (Reggie Lee) a chance to crack wise about visiting Pope, the new partner, in the looney bin should he ever learn the truth.
Uprising: The most interesting beat in the otherwise unexceptional case is the appearance of the Uprising mark in the rest stop bathroom when Wemlinger kills the two Marshalls. At this point, though, the sign is more of a tantalizing enigma than a true development – it piques the interest, but for now it doesn’t actually mean anything.
The reveal that receptionist Betty (Susan Ruttan) is part of Wemlinger’s plot isn’t overly surprising (otherwise why was she in the back room with him when Nick and Hank arrive?) Still, her sudden and abrupt suicide after deleting a picture of Renard (Sasha Roiz) off the computers and declaring “Free the Hidden” is enticing. As groundwork for the long game, this early-season stage-setting has loads of potential.
FBI Issues: Early in the episode we learn that the crime scene where Chavez died last episode has been wiped clean, up to and including the mark of the Uprising. Nick comments that it’s the same technique used to wipe his house clean in the premiere, suggesting that this is about keeping the Uprising under the radar. We also learn that Meisner (Damien Puckler) is in town, which isn’t exactly news, but hopefully suggests that he and Adalind will meet at some point.
Unfortunately Chavez’s disappearance spells trouble for Nick. At this point no one knows that she’s dead, but Nick’s strange behaviour in last week’s premiere puts him under the FBI microscope. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure out that this is going to cause him a great deal of trouble moving forward.
Mama Drama Attraction? Adalind (Claire Coffee) and baby Kelly arrive from the hospital…to stay at Nick’s house?! Monroe is absolutely right that it is super weird. Dude, it is totally time to sell that house. Thankfully Nick starts to see the light and proposes a move to Adalind a few scenes later.
The retcon on Adalind is probably the episode’s biggest narrative stretch. The flirtatious vibes between Adalind and Nick over sandwiches is a clear hint of where the writers want to take this story line, but it feels out of place to see Adalind so introspective and…calm. Her relationship with Rosalee (Bree Turner) is a nice change of pace – female friendships on this series remain quite rare – but it also feels too rushed. These two had an uneasy understanding in the past, but now they’re positively chummy. I’m not opposed to their friendship, but it does seem as though we’re simply meant to overlook Adalind’s sudden personality change between seasons.
Courtesy of NBC
Other Observations:
- It is still so weird that people are only just finding out that Juliette is dead. After all, she’s been dead to us for months!
- The fight scene with Wemlinger in the dark alley with Hank and Nick is suitably impressive. Grimm has a decent track record with its fight choreography, so it’s nice to see the series continue to bring that dynamic to the front.
- Who or want exactly the Uprising is remains unclear. We know Meisner is involved because he was the one calling Chavez, but what is the deal with the creature hidden behind the locked door in the basement? What exactly does the Uprising want? Presumably the picture of Renard suggests it is tied to the Royals, but going after Renard is a bit of an odd choice considering how removed he is from the action in Vienna.
Best Lines:
- Adalind (reflecting on her time as a Hexenbiest): “I was not kind”
- Female FBI agent: “Congratulations on your baby” Never have these words sounded less genuine.
- Adalind (spazzing out about what Kelly could be): “What if it’s some kind of weird combination of us like a Grimmenbiest or a Hexengrimm?!”
Your turn: how are you feeling about the Uprising story line? Does the Uprising aspects justify the less than thrilling case of the week? Will Chavez’s death mean big problems for Nick? Is Adalind’s personality make-over happening too quickly? Sound off below.
Grimm airs Fridays at 9pm EST on NBC