Grimm: Wesenrein review

This Grimm review contains spoilers.

“He had them brought before the court, and a judgment was handed down.”

Picking up after the holiday break, there are unwanted side effects to the restorative potion and ceremony that resulted in Nick’s regaining his Grimm abilities. Juliette has been left with more of Adalind than she obviously would have wanted. There were warnings at the outset from Renard’s mother, however Portland needed a Grimm to keep the monsters in check. Juliette is a Hexanbiest, and by her reaction, isn’t taking the news and reflection in the mirror well.

The parallel stories in “Wesenrein” continue along with Monroe’s kidnapping due to marriage intolerance and bringing Wu up to speed on all he’s been missing throughout the season. Sergeant Wu is finally getting what he thinks he wants: answers and to know he hasn’t been going insane. Nick and Hank give Wu a guided tour of the secluded trailer of secrets, books, and weapons. The bigger question is whether knowing the truth about Nick, Monroe, and Rosalee will help or hinder Wu.

This episode was light on actual story, relying more on sound cues for forward momentum. In previous show critiques, I wanted to be frightened, surprised and/or the promise of being spooked while watching. Unlike shows or movies that deal with witches, ghosts, angels, and demons, Grimm‘s premise has no basis in reality, thereby making it more difficult to relate to certain episodes over the years.

A challenge with ensemble shows is trying to play fair with rotating plotlines similar to theatre-in-the-round on a slowly spinning stage. Perhaps spending too much time on the main characters could become tedious, but I think Grimm’s gotten off track from what made me originally tune in. All cast members can’t be the star in an ensemble, however I’d like to see more depth for the supporting cast when the focus shifts from Nick and Juliette.

Apart from the writing and directing, the acting should balance the scales. I want something different or more from the show to sustain my childlike interest. I’m on board with suspending my disbelief on the premise, but I don’t want to feel as I’ve been left hanging or scratching my head weekly as a fan.

I  think back to scary shows and movies I wasn’t supposed to watch as a child because they might have given me nightmares or made me sleep with the lights on. I want suspense and intrigue without music attempting to manipulate or guide me to an emotional response because something’s lacking in the writing, directing, acting, and cinematography. Am I asking too much of Grimm? Let’s see how the rest of the season unfolds. Stay tuned!