Grimm season 5 episode 4 review: Maiden Quest

This review contains spoilers.

5.4 Maiden Quest

Grimm this week fell back into its old ways, relying on its recurring theme of ancient Wesen tradition versus the modern world.

This tried-and-test formula can be an interesting hook, if handled well. But this week’s plot involving mobsters, revenge and trials for a fair maiden’s hand was just a little underwhelming on all fronts. The two-bit gangster at the heart of the story was a walking cliché (anyone else expecting him to tell one of his goons to ‘fuhgeddaboudit’?), the identity of the killer was obvious from the opening minutes, the revenge angle turned out to be tenuous, and, frankly, we weren’t seeing anything new about which to get excited.

It was a run-of-the-mill episode, where Hank and Nick get caught up in Wesen criminal activity that gets resolved by the 42-minute mark.

This is a shame, as the season started with a bang and promised much. In terms of developing the ongoing plot involving the disappearance of Truble, again we were only thrown a bone in the final two minutes, when we see her arrive, battered and bruised at Nick and Adalind’s so-called secret hideaway.

We don’t know how she found Nick, or more importantly, whether she escaped from her captors or if she’s now working alongside Meisner. Last week we saw the resistance henchman open Truble’s cell and tell her, “It’s time.” (My own theory is that she is being trained to fight, developing her warrior skills that she learned from Nick, to be used as a weapon in the fight against the Occultus Liberare uprising.)

So for now we have to make do with snippets of what is arguably the most interesting of all the current story arcs.

I mean, Adalind and Nick’s domestic tribulations? Yawn. While there’s some fun to be had with the situation – the pair which have fought and killed monsters are utterly helpless when it comes to a crying baby – it all feels a bit heavy-handed. Nick giving Adalind one of his shirts to wear after her shower was one of the most obvious signposts of some impending sexy time. The fact he also seems unnerved by Adalind’s bra hanging in the bathroom indicates the Grimm fortress could soon be renamed the Love Shack.

Elsewhere, Rosalee receives a letter that reminds us of her troubled past in Seattle. Seriously though, is there a less likely drug addict than Rosalee? It sets up the opportunity for her past to return to haunt her now in her new cosy life with Monroe.

The only other thing to note was that Captain Renard met with an ambitious young politician that has designs on becoming Mayor of Portland. Renard himself is the ultimate politician in his own world, and although it’s not clear yet where this is heading, it could prove an interesting storyline of its own. It’s also good to see Renard have something to do, as he’s been pretty much side-lined since the Jack the Ripper nonsense last season.

There is some hope for some real action on the horizon, however. Next week’s instalment promises a meeting, finally, between the two alpha males that are Nick and Meisner. Maybe we’ll get a few answers, or maybe we won’t. Regardless of that though, if you’ve seen the promo, the episode looks like it’ll feature one of the more hilariously over-the-top Wesen we’ve seen so far…

Read Christine’s review of the previous episode, Lost Boys, here.