Air Date: Friday, December 4, 2015 at 9/8c on NBC
Rating:
**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**
“Rats! They fought the dogs, and killed the cats…” – Grimm
The hype of the “Rat King” episode had me quite excited but unfortunately, I’m left wanting. “Rat King” has its moments of intriguing plot points but overall, it is a lackluster episode. I am, however, happy to see Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) again, even though she is completely battered and bruised. Where has she been and what the hell has she been up to while she’s been gone?
I’m happy to see Trubel again, but how did she know where Nick was hiding?
In the case of the week, some Wesen feline creatures known as “Klaustreich” decide to stir up some trouble by going to the local dump site to hunt some “Reinigen” Wesen (rat creatures). They, unfortunately, get more than expected after meeting the mythical “Rat King.” While the overall case isn’t that intriguing, the fact that Reinigen can sync up with each other to form a giant, 20 foot rat is amazing. It has something to do with their bodies’ chemistry when they feel threatened. Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) recall an old Wesen folklore where this giant rat is a myth. I’m sure after seeing it for themselves, they adjust their way of thinking.
The real meat of “Rat King” is Trubel’s return. In the last episode, “Maiden Quest,” Trubel somehow found her way to Nick (David Giuntoli) and Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) secret new hideout (this will have to be addressed later) beaten and in dire need of medical attention. As Nick rushes Trubel to the hospital, he instructs Adalind to stay behind and lock things up.
Things get weird at the hospital. Dr. Nicholson (Ryan Tresser) and his nurse Christy (Rene Hamilton) behave very strangely. Christy goes into Trubel’s room after Nick leaves and proceeds to smack Trubel around to rouse her from her sedation. Christy woges into some kind of scary looking reptile creature to confirm Trubel is a Grimm by gazing into those completely black eyes.
I’ve been waiting for this moment since season 3 – Meisner and Adalind reunited again!
Dr. Nicholson and nurse Christy continue to leave Nick in the dark regarding Trubel’s condition while keeping her heavily sedated. But, not to fear…Meisner (Damien Puckler) is here! Meisner tracks the GPS on Trubel’s tricked out motorcycle to Nick’s place but only Adalind and the baby are at home. Adalind lets Meisner in and maybe it’s just me, but I feel there’s still a spark there between them. They have history; after all, he did help her give birth to her firstborn child. I digress.
Meisner needs to find Trubel because he knows she’s in danger so he calls Nick. Of course, Nick, not knowing who the heck Meisner is, doesn’t give away any information until Adalind jumps on the phone to vouch for Meisner. The two men arrive at the hospital and while formally introducing themselves, kick some major ass to save Trubel from whatever crazy plans evil Dr. Nicholson and his twisted nurse have in store.
Observations
When Nick brings Trubel to the ER, he lies and says she’s an undercover police officer to explain the excessive protective body armor Trubel is wearing. Did she go into battle or something? That’s a hell of a lot of body armor.
Nick and Meisner have an interesting and slightly awkward first meeting.
While waiting to find out about Trubel’s injuries, Nick goes through her jacket and finds a hefty sum of cash – both foreign and domestic currency – and several different forms of identification, including one for “Lauren Cole.” It’s obvious Trubel has been globetrotting but why? Is there a real Lauren Cole, and what is her and Trubel’s connection with Meisner?
On another note, mayoral candidate Andrew Nixon (Michael Sheets) pays a visit to Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) to show him his new campaign commercial. Andrew really wants Sean’s support, even going so far as to say something about Sean becoming Chief of Portland PD. Hmm…what is this Andrew guy up to? I smell something fishy here and I think Sean does too.
Overall
“Rat King” isn’t a horrible episode but it’s not great. The story lines with Trubel and Meisner help fuel my curiosity, though. With the nurse shouting “Occultatum Libera” to Meisner in the elevator, I know things are only going to get more interesting once we find out what the heck Meisner and Trubel have been up to lately. But with next week’s episode, “Wesen Nacht,” being the winter finale, we may have to wait until the New Year to get to the real heart of what season five of Grimm is all about.
What did you think of “Rat King?” What has Trubel been up to during her absence? Will Meisner and Adalind rekindle the spark they had in Vienna? Leave me a comment below or tweet me at @judybopp. Looking forward to hearing from you! And for Grimm fans, check out Twitter @TeamSgtWu and @Grimm_Family.
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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