“Revenge
Is the act of passion,
Vengeance
Is an act of justice.”
Nick and the gang are back, Grimmsters, and as we build to an inevitable firestorm waiting for us at season’s end, the Portland detectives are dealing with a murdered teen and a new type of Wesen ritual centered on honor and justice.
Things start off with Nick having a clandestine meeting with Eve who drops one of two big bombs: “Renard is cooperating with Black Claw”. As if that wasn’t enough, she lets him in on Adalind’s return to Hexenbieststatus. When Nick briefs Monrosalee on the info, the fairer of the pair fesses up that she already knew about Adalind’s change and, more importantly for Nick, he has to let Ads come to him or there will never be trust between the Grimm and his Hexenbiest.
Speaking of trust, Nick may have strong feelings for Adalind but he’s not ready to share everything with her. He’s still keeping secret of the magic stick and cloth as well as the newest tunnel he discovered. On top of that, he asks Monrosalee to explore said tunnels when Adalind goes to interview with her old law firm. The couple discovers the tunnel networks with an older web of tunnels but even the skeleton they find isn’t as interesting as the conversation they overhear between Adalind and Eve…
Now, on to the mandatory crime case. In this instance, teen Brian Johnson is taken from his home by a Wesen, buried up to his neck by the water then beheaded. When Nick and Hank begin their investigation, they discover Brian and his friend Roger’s conviction of a criminal negligence homicide due to their friend, Kuma Akagi killed the year before. Brian’s father believes Jin, Kuma’s father, is to blame, but things become a bit more involved. After telling the detectives what he saw (a monster) and Roger expressing the same regarding what Kuma transformed into, Nick confronts Jin and his wife about their Wesen status. With no real alternative, the Akagis brief Nick and Hank on the idea of the Inugami, or Ghost Dog. A protector of a family, the Inugami seeks justice for said family when honor calls for it. A bit of brainstorming points to Takeshi, the Akagis lawyer, as the primary suspect. When all is said and done, they track Takeshi down moments before he takes Roger’s head in retribution for Kuma’s death.
While the police drama unfolds, Monrosalee remains stuck in the crawlspace when Adalind returns to the flat. But they hear quite the interesting conversation when Eve arrives; the reprogrammed Juliet warns Ads that Black Claw will approach her for their own nefarious purposes. But the big warning comes when she tells Adalind that “if you hurt Nick, I will come for you.”
As perfect a sendoff as that may be, the biggest reveal is the final scene when Renard comes home to Rachel…and a prepubescent Diana. Kids, they grow up fast…
Grimmtastic
- There are two things Grimm loves doing; bombardments of flashbacks and procedural cases that, while somewhat interesting when they involve Wesen (and more often than not, they do) offers no emotional hook. “Inugami” contains both points in spades. Sure, the whole ‘Ghost Dog’ thing is an appealing aspect, especially when framed in the introductory quote on revenge and vengeance but, let’s be honest, do we ever really get a chance to feel anything other than mild intrigue for the players on this particular stage?
- With that said, there were quite a few threads we’ll see pay dividends down the road. Wu’s nightmare-turned-sleep running in the woods should be reaching some type of head once the full moon comes out. Adalind’s full-on Hexenbiest return is the Wesen in the room as it pertains to her relationship with Nick. And then there’s the return of Diana. How the return of Adalind’s first child, Renard’s eventual ‘proposal’, and Nick’s relationship with the pair shakes out has all the makings of a drama-filled Season Five finale.
- Two other strands dangling in the wind includes the true purpose of Black Claw’s governmental coup and the Knight’s treasure. With only a handful of episodes left, Grimm has a task ahead of itself, trying to tie up all these loose ends…unless a few will be left frayed and lead into next season. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see…
