Claire Coffee

Grimm continues its strong run this week, picking up right where the recent two-parter left off. Nick’s mom may be on the lam, with Adalind and Capt. Renard’s daughter Diana in tow, but the pace doesn’t let up one bit as Adalind reacts to the loss of her daughter and a new player, Teresa (make that “Trubel”), blows into town in a big way. Adding such a significant new element right as Adalind’s storyline transitions is a surprise, but it works well and helps provide an extra push of momentum for the final stretch of the season.

Grimm has long been a series that distinguishes itself with its portrayals of nuanced, independent, and yes, strong (physically, mentally, and morally) women. In “Synchronicity” and “The Law of Sacrifice”, the women take center stage once again and give viewers two of the season’s most engaging and entertaining episodes. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio made an impression in season two but has been wisely kept among the guest cast, popping in here for only the second time; the show is already struggling with its large cast and fun as Nick’s mom may be, there are regular characters who need the time more. Bringing her back now, and for apparently only two episodes, gives needed weight to the Adalind’s baby storyline and a personal touch to the action setpieces along the way without bogging down the entire end of the season in the still underwhelming Royals/Resistance drama.

The Grimm premiere picks up right where last year’s finale left off. Actually, that’s not quite right- it rewinds a bit, replaying those final moments with the added perspective of Renard, who apparently was just off camera, lurking and overhearing enough of his brother’s dastardly scheme to be able to thwart it, at least somewhat. There’s a bit too much retread, but this is more understandable in a premiere. Otherwise, the setpiece at the docks works very well, giving each of the characters enough to do and providing an entertaining, engaging backbone for the episode.

Grimm is one of the more successful and inventive of the genre series on network television right now and, perhaps more interestingly, it’s one that seems to absolutely understand its genre predecessors and fanbase. It may not garner huge ratings or critical attention, but it quietly serves its audience each Friday on NBC, providing reliable, …

In Grimm the Wesen crimes Nick has to solve fall into two types: those concerning Wesen’s with emotional issues (like the Mauzhertz in ‘Of Mouse and Man’ or the Genio Innocuo in ‘The Other Side’) and those concerning Wesen’s with eating-people issues. The show is always at its best with the latter at the center of the tale and this is what we got this week. This Wesen not only morphs into a parasitic fly, it enjoys using its proboscis to lick up the tears of its victims, but only after it has infected their eyeballs with its flesh-eating young.