Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt
Directed by Terrence O’Hara
I think all “Grimm” viewers were expecting that Juliette’s condition was going to lead to a Sleeping Beauty scenario sooner or later. The question was less how they were intending to incorporate it into the story and more how it was going to set things up for the second season. On the whole, I’m fine with the notion that she doesn’t remember Nick, thanks to Renard’s little gambit, but it does run the risk of falling into cliché.
Also as anticipated, this episode saw the (momentary?) departure of Nick’s mother, who takes the fall for some of what needed to be done to stave off the attacks by the Wesen on Nick and his allies. Considering that I didn’t really see the point in bringing her back, I’m not disappointed. What did she really bring to the table? A little exposition here, a reaffirmation that Nick is unusual for a Grimm, given his choice of allies? That aspect of the story fell a little flat, in the end.
I suppose it was a mechanism to get the coins out of Nick;s possession, so he wouldn’t continue to be a target. It also gave the writers a way to keep Nick in the dark about certain things until the writers were ready to pull that trigger, by having his mother return and reveal what she has learned. But it still felt like something was missing from that part of the story.
What definitely worked, as usual, was the wonderful interplay between Monroe and Rosalee. Setting aside the fact that Rosalee is utterly crush-worthy, the two of them have an easy chemistry together that makes them a huge asset to the series. This is one instance in which I hope the writers resist the natural urge to put their relationship on the skids, because if nothing else, those two are the most stable elements in Nick’s life right now.
With the mythology of the show crystallizing, as this season focuses on the Wesen royals searching for the keys (of which Nick has one), it makes sense that Nick’s involvement with the wider law enforcement world would expand as well. This uneasy situation with the feds ought to make things interesting if his current story doesn’t mesh with something he needs to do down the road. And getting Nick out of town could help change things up now and then.
Captain Renard is quickly emerging as a favorite character on the show, and this episode drops a lot of information about him. He is a member of the Wesen royalty, but apparently a half-human bastard, which explains why Nick doesn’t see his Wesen form and why he’s not quite on the same page with the royals. If the Wesen are old school in terms of royal bloodlines, Renard would represent a dangerous wild card. It puts his desire to control Nick in new perspective; is Renard hoping that Nick will be his weapon against the royals?
Hopefully the writers will not have Juliette bonding with Renard too much, but I think it’s inevitable. Honestly, I still feel like Nick would be better served to hook up with the Dragon Girl; one can just imagine how his mother would react to that! Even so, there’s that little matter of Juliette’s unusual skill with weapons that feels like it will come into play sooner or later. If only Nick and Juliette had the same level of chemistry as Monroe and Roselee!
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Score: 7/10