Contributor: John Keegan
With “Once Upon a Time” struggling to regain its momentum, one would think that “Grimm” would be the obvious alternative. We’ve already seen how a bland and all-too-standard take on Hansel and Gretel could be done, so why not delve into something a little more unexpected? Looking back on this episode, I could forgive someone for missing the precise source material for the “folklore” in this episode, despite the teaser with the “oven”. (The kids were named Hanson and Gracie, though, so it wasn’t that hard to figure out!)
Perhaps the episode fared better than expected because it diverged so far from the trapping of the original story. I think this was one of the better balanced episodes of the series, especially since it focused so much on the “creature” side of the equation. Sure, there were the usual procedural elements that no episode of “Grimm” can possibly avoid, and the victims were oddly photogenic homeless teens, but the story revolved around the medicinal properties of ground-up human organs. Preferably harvested fresh from living “donors”.
I liked the fact that the relatively simple notion of kids being lured to their deaths with promises of cakes, candy, and all things delightfully sugary (apparently child predators have used the same methodology throughout history) got a twist. Instead of something unnecessary and excessive, the lure was the “candy” of free medical care. It also served the purpose of allowing the “creatures” to evaluate their potential organ donors before harvesting them. It ties back to the original idea of something seemingly innocent leading one to ruin.
But what I really liked was the first real indication that Nick is beginning to embrace his status as a Grimm. With Monroe “all in”, so to speak, it makes sense for them to interact more closely, allowing Nick to straddle the mundane and Grimm worlds a bit more evenly. (I still say his human partner should be brought into the fold, and possibly Juliette, before they become fodder for season finale slaughter.) Nick was a lot more apologetic for how “creatures” responded to his Grimm nature in earlier episodes, but he was definitely comfortable throwing his weight around in this installment.
Speaking of Juliette, I was a bit worried about her in this episode. For whatever reason, I kept wondering if the necklaces were going to turn out to be some kind of signal to the harvesters, especially when Nick wound up leaving Juliette alone in the car. It would have gone against the Hansel and Gretel mode, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in danger.
I also appreciate that the writers haven’t completely forgotten about the whole “reaper” storyline that they started, even if it’s been handled in a somewhat infuriatingly vague way. I don’t mind mystery, but there are times when writers can be almost too cagey with dialog and revelation. And since this subplot is tied to the other subplots that were introduced early and have yet to reappear in any major way, it might be nice to start shedding light on those things.
All that said, this was a better episode of “Grimm” than we’ve had for a while, though it is still struggling to rise to the occasion compared to the rest of the Friday night lineup. It’s probably holding its own from the network’s point of view, but at this rate, I’m still looking for the show to move to the next level. It’s entertaining enough when I get around to watching it, but it’s still not making a case for making my “must watch” list.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10