REVIEW - Grimm S02E17

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Just a few weeks ago, I never thought that I would say ‘Grimm is a show that just keeps getting better’. It doesn’t feel like the storylines are balanced well with the Monster of the Week format and certain actors eat up all of the air-time. Previously, however, we saw minor characters become big players in ‘Nameless’ after weeks of being overshadowed in plot relevance.

Not only does ‘One Angry Fuchsbau’ continue this new trend, it ties most of the plot together very well and takes a clever approach to introducing this week’s ‘villain’.

Longtime fans of Grimm might recall the Ziegevolk, a satyr-like wesen who ensnared women and kept them captive at a bed and breakfast in the episode ‘Lonelyhearts’. Newcomers won’t, but they are only disadvantaged for a few seconds: Hank is used to give Nick someone to explain what they do to. This Ziegevolk, a lawyer of all things, uses his pheromone based powers to suggest testimonies to witnesses and verdicts to the jury. To rub salt in the wound, he is defending someone who we saw murder their wife in the cold opening.

Rosalee, unfortunately, is on this jury. This makes her sick and ruins her date with Munroe, he goes with her to court in case she needs support and then he sees Mr Lawyer eat a frog. After that, our foursome are hellbent on stopping a murderer go free.

Like I mentioned before, this episode goes out of its way to bring Rosalee and Munroe into the main plot. However, we also get two familiar bit players in on the action: Sargent Wu as the first guy on the scene of the crime and the always loveable Bud as a third party brought in to help neutralise the threat.

You read that right: after being victimised seven episodes ago, Bud gets to help Nick on one of his investigations. It seems like everyone in the cast is becoming more competent. This week’s conclusion was so satisfying I had to watch it twice. I’m not going to spoil anything, but after one and a half seasons of most of the players being in the dark, it’s awesome to see everyone working as a team.

Now, even though this plotline is expertly woven into the episode, it’s not the primary focus of the trailers. No, that honour goes to Juliette going to the trailer and realising she had been there before. After the cold open, Munroe telling Nick then deciding to take her to the trailer is centre stage. It’s after these crucial scenes Munroe goes home to find Rosalee, adding another layer to the well-woven web of storylines.

For fans screaming ‘hurry up and remember Nick’, I assure you she’s definitely on that path…even if she’s getting a Nick overload right now. In fact, she seems to be getting a sanity breaking Nick overload.

This episode, like the premiere, has a few nods to previous episodes. Disregarding that Bud is in this episode, we also get an email from Momma Grimm talking about the coins and the grandmother from ‘La Llorona’ makes her grand return to spout more myticisims at Juliette.

Also, the sanity breaking Nick overload has a few hidden in the dialogue.

No episode is perfect; we have another Adalind scene. Is it me, or do Adalind’s scenes have the least plot relevance in the show?

Renard got a pass in my books because his scene deals with the Veratt and a crime that was committed in Portland. Adalind’s, however, only serves to confirm what we already know from past episodes. I feel her plans of revenge would be more shocking if we weren’t told about them five minutes per episode.

Grimm is a show that just keeps getting better. At times I feel whoever is writing an episode should think carefully whether or not adding in a scene improves it, but the damage done is hardly unbearable.

Review by Greta Rehak

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