Courtesy of NBC
After what feels like forever, Grimm returns to address its January cliffhanger about Monroe’s (Silas Weir Mitchell) parents’ adverse reaction to his engagement. Oh right…and there are still scalpers.
Let’s bitch it out…
‘Revelation’ totally hits the sweet spot for me because like all of the best Grimm episodes, it successfully merges character development with its procedural elements. Previously the scalper storyline seemed like little more than the next big threat to Nick’s (David Giuntoli) safety, but as a climax that forces Nick, Monroe and Monroe’s father, Bart (Chris Mulkey) to work together, it all clicks. Sure the writers tries to make it seem as though Bart is a potential threat after he storms out, but the way that the episode is structured like a “learning to accept difference” after-school special, it’s pretty clear that ‘Revelation’ is more interested in exploring the baby steps that Bart and Alice (Dee Wallace) initiate in order to accept Monroe’s “alternative” lifestyle.
The other element that really works for me is the final scene. Not only is the “family dinner” stereotype hilariously (and awkwardly) inverted when everyone wogs out, it suggests that the status quo has only been gently altered. Bart and Alice are not ready to accept Rosalee (Bree Turner) or Nick, but they’re getting there – presumably in time for the wedding that Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch) mistakenly raises as a dinner topic (she believes she’s breaking the tension). These kinds of scenes remind us that the writers have a lovely sense of humour and that they have a grand narrative plan. All we need to do now is throw Nick’s mother Kelly into the mix (and perhaps a Royal Wessen baby). I’m more excited than ever for an incredibly awkward and uncomfortable wedding before the end of the season!
Meanwhile in Vienna, the slow burn on Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) mystical pregnancy is starting to heat up. When Renard (Sasha Roiz) learns that Stefania (Shohreh Aghashloo) and Prince Viktor (Alexis Denisof) are conspirators, he orders Meisner (Damien Puckler) and Sebastien (Christian Lagadec) to spirit the pregnant Hexenbiest away. This leads to a murderous hotel encounter with Viktor’s thugs that raises my suspicions about just what this unborn baby is capable of. I’ve seen enough supernatural series to recognize an empowered baby, so when Adalind suggests she’s uncertain if she was the one who telekinetically stabbed a thug in the eye with the pen from the night table, my “ah ha!” reaction is that the baby has its own powers. There’s no clarification, but with Meisner and Adalind holed up in a very Grimm-appropriate cabin in the woods and a spoilery preview (included below), it appears we won’t have to wait long to see what the new addition brings to the table. Bring on the Royal baby!
Courtesy of NBC
Other Observations:
- Stefania had better hope that Prince Viktor is happy with the way things turn out with this baby because it already sounds like he’s ready to murder her. Oh course Aghashloo has a pilot in the pipeline, so maybe we shouldn’t expect her to stick around much longer…
- I’ve long advocated that Arrow has the best fight scenes on TV, but the final battle at the trailer park may prompt me to reevaluate. Grimm has had a few bare-knuckle, drag-out fight scenes, but this might just be one of its best.
- With so much going on, poor Hank (Russell Hornsby) and Wu (Reggie Lee) barely get anything to do. These two really need their own B-plot, but it needs to be something substantial; at this point they’re basically narrative dead weight right now.
- Finally, the scene of Rosalee crying in the Spice shop after running out of Monroe’s broke my heart. I may have an unhealthy fixation with this character. Just a little bit…
Best Lines:
- Alice (leaving Monroe’s house, after meeting Nick):“I don’t even know who you are anymore.” Way harsh, Tai.
- Juliette (under her breath, when Monroe and Rosalee freak out over the scalpers): “That’s not why I came by, just so we’re clear.”
- Monroe (showing Nick the illustration of the scalpers attacking a Grimm) “This was one of my favourite books when I was a kid because the Grimm got, like, obliterated.”
- Monroe (when a third scalper appears after he and Nick each select one to take on): “What about that really big guy in the middle?”
Talk back: what did you think of this first episode back? Were you pleased that Bart and Alice haven’t completed accepted Monroe’s lifestyle? Did you like the big fight scene? What do you think Adalind’s baby is capable of? Should Stefania fear for her own safety? Share your theories in the comments below.
Grimm airs Fridays at 9pm EST on NBC. Next week: get the hot water and towels ready because it’s time to deliver the Royal baby! (I wonder if it’ll be named George?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tt8tic5tjI