Grimm season 6 episode 10 review: Blood Magic

This review contains spoilers.

6.10 Blood Magic

This week Grimm tackled the weighty subject of dementia and assisted suicide, but of course in a very Grimm-like manner. It was an interesting move, this late into the final season to offer up more insight into the Wesen world and its inhabitants, but it provided a genuinely emotional moment that is rare to experience on a show such as this.

It initially appears as if there are dual storylines; Nick and Hank have to investigate the brutal murders of Portland residents, while at the same time dealing with the death of the resident of an elderly care home, who may or may not have been Wesen. Of course, the two end up being linked but it’s not initially obvious as to how.

What we do discover, however, is that elderly Wesen who suffer from dementia sometimes experience uncontrolled woges. There is obviously a danger that the Wesen community will be exposed, and so the patient’s loved ones will call on a bug-like creature called a Gevatter Tod, to help end their suffering. He injects the suffering Wesen with their saliva, which while looking gruesome, helps them to ‘peacefully’ pass away, and this help to maintain secrecy of the Wesens’ existence.

What is also interesting is Monroe and Rosalee’s reticence to help Nick in his investigation. We find out this is an accepted and common practice, of which the couple both have experience. As they believe in the compassion behind the act, they are uncomfortable sharing information about the Gevatter Tod, which is unusual for the show.

The final scenes with an elderly man and his wife were treated with a gentleness and sympathy that we don’t often get to experience on a show about killing monsters and casting spells. But it was a genuinely touching scene, and kudos to the actors involved and the director, Janice Cooke.

Elsewhere, Eve is on a mission to discover if the strange world behind the mirror is a portal, and if so, where it leads. While the rest of the gang were busy taping up any reflective surface they can find, she’s hitting the books that once belonged to Adalind’s Hexenbiest mother, in the hopes of discovering a way through the portal.

Incidentally, Adalind seems to now be solely confined to the role of homemaker, making Nick’s dinner when he gets in from work, lending out spell books to his ex-girlfriend and not much else. If there’s a gripe about this season is that the writers are under-utilising Adalind, who used to be one of the most dementedly fun characters in the show’s earlier runs.

Renard, after yet another conversation with Dasha, finally confronts Nick and demands to know what’s going on with the symbols. The two have an uneasy working relationship – seemingly based on ignoring each other – since their stand-off a few weeks ago, and this will test that. As uncomfortable as it may be for everyone involved, an alliance will likely be formed between Renard and the gang as they prepare for the big finale against… whatever it is they’ll be facing. This is especially probable given Diana’s involvement with the symbols.

The episode ends with Eve discovering a powerful ‘blood magic’ spell that enables her to cross through the portal to whatever is on the other side. Next week we will discover what that world is, and whether there is a way back for Eve.