Television Review: Grimm, Series 4

Synopsis: In the wake of Monroe and Rosalee’s wedding, things have never been more chaotic. Nick, having lost his Grimm abilities, must dig deep and decide what type of person he wants to be.

With Captain Renard in critical condition after being gravely injured and Juliette trying to come to grips with Nick’s recent betrayal, the world of Grimm is spiraling out of control more than ever.

As even more dangerous Wesen are making their way to the great northwest, it’s going to take all of Team Grimm’s strength and energy to keep Portland from bursting open at the seams.

Programme: Grimm, Series 3

Company: GK Productions

Date: 2015

Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3

I love Grimm. But this fourth series was disappointing: the pacing felt slow and story-arcs continued for too long.

The first half is Nick coming to terms with no longer being a Grimm. The deep and meaningful conversations about whether he should get his powers back or embrace the chance at a normal life were very lovely and moving, but they went on for too long. The first few episodes lacked tension and dragged.

The second half of the series is dealing with the consequences of getting said Grimm back. The side-effects are extreme, but undermined the strong character development of previous series. The effects impact Juliette, who initially seeks help while still being the same loveable gal.

Then, bam, Nick finds out and evil-Juliette appears, who spends the rest of the series opposing everyone else. This character development didn’t feel right; she was fine until Nick found out, so why turn her back on everyone just because he knew? Changing immediately would have made more sense.

Captain Renard’s plot-line also felt weak. He recovers from being shot through intervention from his hexan-beast mother, but is plagued by his wounds continually bleeding. The effects in Grimm have always been strong, so I cringed a little at the giant red hands reaching for Sean from the after-life. His story-arc also didn’t tie in with the rest of the characters, which undermined the dynamics and team relationship that worked so well previously.

Sergeant Wu is let in on the big secret and Truble comes to terms with what it means to be a Grimm. She disappears for half the series and I missed the different dynamic she brings to the team: Nick is protective of her in a previously unseen way, almost taking on a father-figure role. Rosalie and Monroe have a rocky start to their marriage but are there with butt-kicking solutions to the growing Wesen problem. Adalind is back in town, still on the hunt for her missing child with a constantly shifting allegiance.

Despite issues, I generally liked the direction the show went in: it was something new. Grimm constantly beats my expectations; it never keeps the same thing occurring for series after series but allows the plot and characters to develop realistically. This time, however, that development just jarred a little too much for me to enjoy it the way I have done with previous series.

I did think, however, that series four had some of the most powerful episodes yet. The mid-series two-parter literally had me on the edge of my seat. The final packed an emotional punch on more than one occasion. There was some strong script-writing and acting taking place in this series. The growing relationships between the characters gives a deeper impact to the events taking place.

Series four was not the strongest – series three has topped it so far for me. That being said, I did still enjoy the show and look forward to seeing the development that will take place next time!

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