Grimm season 5 episode 12 review: Into The Schwarzwald

This review contains spoilers.

5.12 Into The Schwarzwald

This week Grimm hit its much talked-about 100^th episode, and in the main, it didn’t disappoint.

Show creators Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt had previously teased a big reveal to the four-and-a half-season-long storyline involving those damn keys, but they were still in no hurry to reveal their secrets.

As a result we see Nick and Monroe overcome one obstacle after another in their search to locate the buried treasure. In the style of the best Indiana Jones outings, the two have to deal with underground catacombs, piles of ancient bones, and figure out a secret marker to the treasure before finally uncovering the mysterious chest of secrets. (Because it’s Grimm though, they also have to escape an angry German priest and a rather bitey Weasel-Wesen too.)

As a side note, the gang still only have five keys and not the full set of seven. But that’s okay, because apparently they can pick the other two locks! This seems a little bit of a cop-out, like the writers just threw their hands up in exhaustion at the thought of prolonging this storyline any longer.

Nevertheless, the two eventually transport the chest and themselves safely back to Portland, so it’s only a matter of time before we discover what the chest holds inside. The gang gather, keys in hand, ready to unlock the secret. We wait with bated breath as the dramatic music crescendoes, the five turning the keys in the locks and… nothing. Oh yeah, there’s one more thing they have to figure out first to so with some ancient Grimm seal.

They actually figure out that puzzle in record time, due to one of the many leaps in logic that the show specialises in. But now they’re in… and what they find is a stick. Yep, just an old piece of wood. Cue confused faces all round.

But what the gang doesn’t realise is this stick – whatever its origins – boasts mystical healing properties; Monroe springs back to life from a potentially fatal case of blood poisoning by just being in the proximity of the wood.

So whether it’s a part of the Jesus’ cross, or a piece of wood from Noah’s Ark (the show did start to drift into biblical mythology at one point) or something else entirely, we shall have to wait and see. Although the producers might choose to only reveal it in season eight or something.

Elsewhere mayoral candidate Andrew Dixon doesn’t survive the assassination attempt. We weren’t given the opportunity to really get to know the character, so his loss isn’t really felt aside from a plot point.

His death prompts both Renard’s men and Hadrian’s Wall to pursue the assassin, leading to some heat between the Captain and Meisner as the two cross paths during the hunt.

But this episode also sees pennies dropping all over the place. Firstly Renard realises he’s been played by Black Claw, who used him to kill the assassin, Hanano. Then he cottons on that Dixon’s campaign manager and his current lady love interest, Rachel Wood, was in on the assassination.

It transpires Wood is a Löwen working for Black Claw and that the group has its own plans for Renard. In what could potentially be a game-changer for the show, Lucien and Wood want to recruit Renard to run for mayor himself, acting as a political ally for the group. While it may be natural to think of him as a good guy now, we have all witnessed Renard’s lust for power – the spell on him in Three Coins In A Fuchsbau from season one only intensified his own craving for power – and a heel turn could well be on the cards. To be fair, Renard has probably never completely made the transition to white hat so it’s wouldn’t be that much of a leap.

This is a tremendously exciting prospect for the show if it goes down that route, pitting Renard not only against Nick again, but the might of Meisner and Hadrian’s Wall. It could lead to some amazing action sequences as well as plots twists and betrayals, which is a massive step-up from the flatlining appearances Renard has made so far this season.

On top of that, Renard might have his former partner in crime back on side! After months of domestic duties, Adalind is starting to see her Hexenbiest powers start to return. Hooray! She is less happy about it, however, fearing Nick will throw her and Kelly out of his life. But it’s something fans would definitely get behind – particularly if Adalind and Eve get to throw down again in the future. We can but hope.

Read Christine’s review of the previous episode, Key Move, here.