Grimm – “The Grimm Identity” Review. Hell Hath No Fury Like a Grimm Scorned.

Season 5, Episode 1

Air Date: Friday, October 30, 2015 at 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“It is not light that we need, but fire.” – Grimm

Distraught, angry, and confused are just a few emotions that can sum up what Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) may be feeling right now. If you missed the season four finale, “Cry Havoc,” click here to get caught up. Basically, Nick lost his mother Kelly (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) in a brutal fashion—talk about losing your head—and his friend, and fellow Grimm, Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) had to kill Nick’s girlfriend Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch). Mind you, Juliette had become a raging Hexenbiest and was going to kill Nick if Trubel hadn’t stepped in and slayed her first.

Nick tries to explain what happened to Hank but it sounds so outlandish. Hank has a hard time absorbing the information.

Season five opens, “The Grimm Identity,” as most Grimm season premieres do, picking up where the previous season finale left off. While Nick grieves over Juliette’s lifeless body, armed men storm into Juliette and Nick’s house. These masked men grab Trubel and subdue Nick. “The Grimm Identity” starts off with a replay of these events and then, the next thing we know, Nick awakens to an empty house, clean of any remnants of a crime or bloody massacre ever occurring. Trubel, Kelly’s head in a box, and Juliette’s body are gone. Two questions linger in my mind: where is Trubel and is Juliette truly dead? I’m deeply saddened at the way the writers chose to end Kelly’s story line. Mastrantonio deserves a better end than to be known as the Grimm mommy who got her head lopped off. Perhaps we’ll get to see more of her through flashbacks. I mean, she was gone for a while taking care of a baby Hexenbiest. As an aside, I don’t know what the masked men drugged Nick with but the odd black and white scenes at the beginning are beyond Portland weird. Kelly’s disembodied head floating around in its box, in vibrant color no less, adds to the peculiar dream-like scene.

Grimm is, by far, one of my favorite shows on television. And although I’m not fond of “The Grimm Identity,” I understand its purpose and the content to help propel the plot lines forward for the remaining season. Frankly, “The Grimm Identity” comes off a tad boring. What transpires in this season premiere didn’t capture my interest until toward the end of the episode. I understand Nick must go through a grieving process and in order to make sense of it all, he needs to find Trubel to figure out what is going on. He also needs to know where his mother’s head and girlfriend’s body have disappeared to. Nick’s reactions are quite robotic. His blunt delivery of Juliette’s death to friends isn’t quite how you’d want to learn about a beloved friend’s tragic demise. It’s not until he thinks he hears Juliette’s voice calling out to him that we finally see some real emotion. Don’t bottle it up Nick…just let that ugly-cry out.

That looks painful, Adalind. Nick just isn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with this…

Without spoiling too much, we all know Adalind (Claire Coffee) had a bun in the oven during season four and we all know Nick is the father (though not by choice). Well, a new addition to the cast has arrived. What I’ll say about the scenes involving the birth is that the only people who seem to care about it are Adalind, of course, Bud (Danny Bruno), and Rosalee (Bree Turner). Nick’s indifference is forgivable due to him mourning the deaths of his mother and girlfriend within the last 24 hours. Don’t mourn too long Nick, your son needs you! Brava to Adalind for the choice in the baby’s name; a very touching sentiment.

Nick is on a mission to find out who took Trubel and locate the missing body and head of Juliette and his mother, respectively. The only clue he has is something Trubel mentioned about FBI Agent Chavez (guest star Elizabeth Rodriguez). One aspect of “The Grimm Identity” I appreciate is the reappearance of our old resistance fighter Meisner (Damien Puckler). I’ve adored Meisner since season three, episode 15 “Once We Were Gods,” when he helped Adalind escape into the Swiss Alps to have her firstborn Diana. There was a strange chemistry between Meisner and Adalind, but I also believe a connection was made when Meisner delivered baby Diana into the world. There is evidence of this kismet at the end of season four when Meisner rescues Diana from her grandfather, King Frederick (Dan Kremer).

Uh, taking an FBI Agent hostage doesn’t seem like a good idea…but Agent Chavez is hiding something. #WesenRising

The entire subplot of the resistance movement – Wesen vs. Royals – fascinates me. In my conversations with the writers/producers at San Diego Comic-Con, they mentioned that we will learn more about that mysterious key which creates a map. Remember, there are seven keys and Nick has one of them. Since season one, this mysterious key and its six counterparts have played a huge but silent role in the background. The royals are desperate to have these seven keys, especially the map it makes. The question is – to what or where does the map lead?

I’ll continue to be a loyal Grimmster and cross my fingers that the remainder of season five will deliver the powerful punch I’m hoping for. And I think I know who’s locked up in the underground cell Agent Chavez visited. I’ll just say, I don’t think Diana is a two year old anymore. The “Wesen rising” is coming.

What did you think of “The Grimm Identity?” 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.

Biography of the Author(Read Below)..
Latest Posts (view them )..

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.