“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
To date, it’s been an extremely uneven year for Grimm in its final season. The first trio of episodes highlighted the confrontation between Nick and Renard. That story arc was strong in both narrative and action. Unfortunately, after that, this season—with one or two notable exceptions—has been, in a word, boring. Wesen-of-the-week episodes were less interesting than any time in Grimm’s six-year run but more than that, the table was never truly set for the big bad. This mistake has cost what could have been a fabulous swan song but, as it stands, better late than never.
Groggy from her trip through the looking glass, Julieve finds herself in the wilds. She may have been foolish to travel through the mirror without telling anyone but she uses her smarts in this Other Side, staying out of sight of the overly savage Wesen stalking the wood. It’s not long before Nick, with the help of the Stick, joins her and the two discover that they aren’t alone in this world. Aside from the Wesen (who do not woge, even after death), there’s also a human settlement, rightfully terrified of the Wesen. Oh, and they all speak German.
While Nick and Julieve are figuring things out on the Other Side, Team Grimm brings Renard into the fold. He gets a crash course in everything that’s been going on with the team these past several months, including the magical properties of the Stick and their current conundrum in getting Nick and Julieve back. Renard turns to Dasha who gives him the most shocking news: skull face is none other than the Zerstörer, better known as the devil. He doesn’t want much, save for taking the Shaphat (Hebrew for “Deliverer”) as his bride, have about a hundred kids with her, then rule his world and ours. So who is this unlucky Shaphat? Yep, you guessed it; Diana. That bit of information will no doubt forge a stronger alliance between Team Grimm and Renard but will it be enough?
Back on the Other Side, Nick and Julieve have one of the most poignant conversations that I could ever remember in Grimm. One of the things season six has done in a positive way is to murky the waters of the Juliet/Eve character. Last season, there was no doubts that the two, while maybe sharing some memories, were completely different people. That changed when Nick used the Stick to save her life. After that, it seemed that the Juliet persona was making a comeback, one that was unconsciously trying to reconnect with Nick. And that possibility was no lost on Nick, whose own subconscious seemed to reach for that same past with Juliet. But as they headed to confront the Zerstörer, Julieve, as focused as she’s even been, reminds Nick and, by proxy, the audience, that she is no longer Juliet and will never be that person again.
“I’m not Juliet anymore, Nick. She’s gone. There may be a part of me that is like her but it’s not who I am now, and it’s not who I’m gonna be again.”
“None of us are who we used to be,” is Nick’s dulled response. She expresses the sense of purpose she has and, while some of the dialogue is superfluous, the overall conversation is strong, both a love letter and epithet for the Nick/Juliet relationship. Saying goodbye to the past, accepting the present, and challenging the future. And this particular future is the fight against the Zerstörer, who swats Nick and Julieve, as it prepares to cross over into our world.
Get ready, Grimm fans, for the fight that has been years in the making.
Grimmtastic
- We’re coming down to the stretch run and, despite my extreme disappointments on this season as a whole, I cannot deny the bittersweet excitement I feel after watching this week and catching the promo for next week’s penultimate episode. Yes, season six may always carry the “what could have been” lament with me, but if it ends with the promising bang we seem to be headed towards, I won’t complain too much.
- Also known as the ‘Destroyer’, the appearance of the Zerstörer brings so many questions to the fray, though we’ll not get an answer for most. One thing is certain though; with Diana’s life—and possibly soul—hanging in the balance, I have no doubts that Renard and Team Grimm will be as connected as ever, ready to take down this devil from the Other Side.
- Yes, Dasha’s character has been nothing more than info dumper, and this particular Grimm lore of the Zerstörer seems to be a rushed meal instead of a marinated threat, that still doesn’t detract from the interest in this Other Side that’s been hinted at over the last few weeks. With only two hours left of story, they’ll be hard pressed to give a fitting explanation/threat level for the said Other Side but, just maybe, some of this could be touched on in a novelization or even web series. I know I’d take a look at both. How about you?
- A couple of final points: this Other Side, according to Dasha, almost seems as if it’s some sort of distorted mirror world. Dasha suggests it’s almost like a purgatory of sorts but with the Germanic language spoken and the reference to the Black Forest, it seems more like our world than not. Also, with the severity of this threat, Nick has to call in some extra resources. Hadrian’s Wall and Trubel can’t be far behind, can they?
