Air Date: Friday, November 20, 2015 at 9/8c on NBC
Rating:
“After three days and nights, whoever tries and does not succeed shall be put to death.” – Grimm
After reading the synopsis for “Maiden Quest,” I wasn’t sure if this was going to be an interesting episode. I am now eating my words. As soon as I tuned in, I was hooked…even with baby Kelly crying. Note to parents – do not give cell phones to your infants. It may not have been the light from the phone that calms the baby…it could have been Rosalee’s (Bree Turner) soothing voice that does the trick. I digress. “Maiden Quest” involves an ancient Wesen tradition known as the “Maagd Zoektocht,” in which three male Weten Ogen vie for the hand and dowry of one woman.
Hank and Nick pay a visit to the Troyer family and inquire about Issac’s death.
Grimm writers do an excellent job of bringing something so old-fashioned into the modern day with the Weten Ogen Wesen tradition. Daniel Troyer (guest Richard Portnow), a wealthy businessman with mob ties, sends three young men on a task to avenge his son’s (not seen) death. Each man must pull a gold Griffon feather to see who goes first. The mission – to bring Troyer the head of Frankie Adkins (guest star Robert Baker), a low level crime boss who Troyer believes is responsible for the death of his son. And with only his daughter Emily (Madeline Zima) left, Troyer offers up her hand in marriage to whoever succeeds. But Emily doesn’t seem too pleased with this so-called tradition.
During all the mayhem involved with the three suitors attempting to kill Frankie, there is a subtle side story developing in the background. Rosalee receives a letter from someone she used to be acquainted with in Seattle. If you recall from season two, Rosalee has a tainted past, rife with drug abuse and jail time. When I spoke to Turner at San Diego Comic-Con this past July, she mentioned her past would rear its ugly head this season; obviously, “Maiden Quest” is just the beginning. Who wrote that letter; it sounded like someone young? And who is the guy who wrote that “terrible” song?
Frankie tries to kill Troyer but is foiled by his so-called savior…Emily draws the line when someone tries to kill her dad.
Getting back to the “maiden quest,” in spite of the unsuccessful attempts to “whack” Frankie, it seems there is a Weten Ogen in “shining armor” protecting Frankie. Every time one of the suitors tries to kill him, a mysterious and very fast Weten Ogen swoops in and slays the would-be killer. Poor Frankie; he can’t stop thinking about those “yellow eyes” of his savior. Karma is a bitch, Frankie. That’s what happens when you tell your girlfriend she can’t have a burger. You go get that burger, Lola (Carly Kingston). The ending becomes all too predictable after the second suitor gets his throat ripped out. What surprised me is what Troyer says to Emily about the true nature of the “maiden quest.”
Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee are absolutely delightful in their excitement when explaining the “Maagd Zoektocht” tradition to Nick and Hank (Russell Hornsby). Apparently, back in the day, dragon slaying for a fair maiden’s hand was a real thing. I know Monroe would totally try to slay a “flock of dragons” for Rosalee, sans the armor…that pesky “nickel allergy.” I adore these two!
Adalind and Nick…I’m still not on board yet.
Something I’m not really fond of this season is the whole Nick (David Giuntoli) and Adalind (Claire Coffee) story arc. Yes, they have a son together, but as loyal Grimm fans know, it wasn’t a planned pregnancy. Adalind, disguised as Nick’s late (still not sure whether she’s dead) girlfriend Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), fooled Nick into sleeping with her, thus becoming pregnant. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, but with Adalind and Nick’s rocky past, it’s hard to grasp them as a couple. And is Adalind the most fertile Hexenbiest in the world or what? But, Adalind casually saunters around in Nick’s white button-down shirt, leaving her bra hanging in the bathroom, leads me to believe she’s flirting with Nick. So my question is – does Nick have burgeoning feelings for Adalind? She claims she hates feeling helpless and asks Nick to sleep in her room again. But is that really the truth or does she have something else in mind? She doesn’t have her Hexenbiest powers back…yet, although, she’s not completely incapable of protecting herself and baby Kelly.
In other plot points, during one of Nick and Adalind’s many bonding moments in “Maiden Quest,” a loud noise outside draws Nick to investigate. When we last saw Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) at the end of “Lost Boys,” she looked completely beaten and exhausted. With her surprise appearance, collapsing into Nick’s arms, I’m not so sure if she came of her own volition or was sent by someone to gather intel on Nick. Do you think she’s been brainwashed? And, if Nick’s new home is so top secret, how the hell does Trubel find him?
Overall
“Maiden Quest” proves to be an engaging and quite revealing episode. We learn a bit more about Adalind’s life during a simple dinner with Nick. While it feels too soon for Nick and Adalind to be in a romantic relationship, I’m going to give the writers the benefit of the doubt. I’m anxious to find out what happens next week in “The Rat King.” I saw a photo from the episode where Meisner (Damien Plucker) and Adalind are face to face. The last time they saw each other, Adalind was fleeing Vienna with her firstborn child. I always thought these two should end up together.
What did you think of “Maiden Quest?” What do you think about Nick and Adalind? Am I just not seeing something? Leave me a comment below or tweet me at @judybopp. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Tune in to Grimm, Fridays at 9/8c, only on NBC.
For more on the show, go to the official site.
Like Grimm on Facebook.
Follow Grimm on Twitter @NBCGrimm, as well as these cast members: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, @MrReggieLee, @ClaireCoffee @RealBreeTurner, and @DamienPuckler.
Photos ©2015 NBC Universal. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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