Contributor: John Keegan
Written by David Simkins
Directed by David Straiton
With this season of “Grimm” on a roll, thanks to bringing Hank into the Scooby Gang finally, it’s time to slide into a bit more conventional material. In this case, that means a plague that strikes the Wesen in particularly nasty form. Granted, it has some initial side effects that any fan of our favorite Fuchsbau can appreciate, but it’s a nasty piece of work, regardless.
This episode proves, without a doubt, that the Monroe/Rosalee relationship is one of the best things going for this show, and the writers know it. The two of them couldn’t be more adorable together. It doesn’t hurt that Bree Turner is ridiculously cute, and Monroe has always been a fan favorite, given his sarcastic wit. The writers should resist any Whedonesque desire to mess with a good thing; let these two key members of the Scooby Gang have their fun (so we can, too)!
Especially since the Nick/Juliette business is getting more and more complicated. Whatever Renard did to Juliette is just not resolving itself, and it means that she remembers everything in her life except Nick. And of course, as she asks around about Nick, based on the apparent gaps in her memory, she learns more than she thought she would. Now she’s heard of the Grimms, and even out of context, how long could it be before she puts the pieces together?
Meanwhile, Renard’s other plans are thrown for a loop when the royals decide to take matters into their own hands and send someone for Nick’s key. Renard tries to intercept this operative, which plays out over the course of the episode. It’s a transitional piece, but it also serves as a reminder that Renard is an atypical member of the royal families, and their patience with him is running out, since now they understand Nick’s importance in the scheme of things.
Which brings me to the real advancement introduced by this episode: Hank’s first case with Nick as one of the gang. And it works exactly as well as one might have hoped. Hank is still a bit wary of the whole situation, but for the most part, he’s embracing the reality that preserves his sanity. And Nick doesn’t have to spend as much time working around Hank to get the real job done; Hank can either help or run interference, leaving Nick to focus on the task at hand. With Monroe and Rosalee as backup, the Scooby Gang is far more efficient this way!
And that’s why it was so maddening to see the writers waiting an entire season to pull that particular trigger. It’s also why it’s a bit annoying for Juliette to still be on the outside looking in, since she could play an important role as well. But at least her lack of revelation is being driven by an actual plot point, not a slavish, transparent devotion to arc structure. This season is flowing far more smoothly than the first, and I’m enjoying the show more as a result.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Score: 8/10
