Grimm – “Bad Night” Advance Review. What the Heck Is Going On?

Season 5, Episode 20

Air Date: Friday, May 13, 2016 at 9/8c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal.” – Grimm

The Grimm writers have really done it…I’m absolutely clueless as to what the heck is going on after watching “Bad Night.” I don’t know when I got lost but somehow, from the beginning of season five until now, I veered off the beaten path to an almost unrecognizable road.

Is Sean pretending to be “Occultatum Libera” with Black Claw or has he truly bought into their madness?

The group of Wesens known as “Black Claw” has their hands deep into the proverbial cookie jar that is Portland. I thought Sean (Sasha Roiz) was playing the part to get his daughter Diana (Hannah R. Lloyd) back but unfortunately, he has apparently drunk heavily from the Black Claw Kool-Aid pool and believes in their cause. Has he been brainwashed? The young Diana proves to be more calculating than I imagined. Initially, I believed she had been programmed to follow Black Claw’s beliefs but I’m now wondering whether she’s the one helping them change people’s minds.

I can’t be the only Grimm fan out there who is baffled by what’s been happening. The season five story arcs have shifted so much since the beginning of the season, I’m not sure what to expect anymore. While that’s normally a good thing, it isn’t in this instance. I am perplexed by where I thought season five was going as it has taken a 180 degree turn somewhere along the way. I was excited about the possibility of what the keys led to but as of now, we only have a magic stick that is part “miracle” and part “perilous.” It makes me wonder if something is going to happen to Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), as he’s the one who benefited from the stick’s healing powers.

Meisner said Hadrian’s Wall is funded by the U.S. Government. Is HW part of the Resistance?

Where is the Resistance? Remember that Meisner (Damien Puckler) was part of some elusive group that was set against the royals in Vienna—a group Sean was also a part of? Have the royals completely disappeared? We know Sean’s father, King Frederick (Dan Kremer), was killed at the end of season four in “Cry Havoc,” but there has to be more royals still occupying the palace in Vienna. The King had plans for Diana. Did those plans involve Black Claw? And what of the Wesen Council; surely there were contingency plans in place if one or more members of the council were assassinated, right? Is Alexander (Spencer Conway), the lone survivor of the massacre, still alive? Is he working his way towards Portland?

Nick desperately wants his son back but he’s going to need all the help he can get. I think Diana is going to be the one to contend with.

Throughout “Bad Night,” all that kept running through my mind was “WTF!” I tried to make heads or tails of what I was watching but it didn’t fully register in my brain. One shocking turn of events takes place during Sean’s victory speech when he introduces “the love of [his] life and mother of [his] children.” Wait…what? His CHILDREN? Baby Kelley is not Sean’s. Seeing Nick (David Giuntoli) as Adalind (Claire Coffee) walks on stage holding baby Kelley in her arms, I felt his anger through the screen. What’s also interesting is how Diana keeps putting Rachel (Anne Leighton) in check. Every time Rachel gets bedroom eyes for Sean, Diana is right there to squash it. I don’t think Rachel ever thought she would be afraid of a 10-year-old. I’m guessing that’s how old she is but the way Diana is behaving, I feel like she’s much older.

As for Hank’s (Russell Hornsby) hot and heavy romance with Zuri (Sharon Leal), well, I think it’s officially over. And now that Eve (Bitsie Tulloch) has a chance to interrogate Zuri, it’s going to be an instant replay of the last time she questioned a Black Claw loyalist. Speak no evil. I’m eager to see how this plays out.

Overall

Trubel is ready for the fight but not as ready as she needs to be.

“Bad Night” was kind of a bad night for me. While there are some interesting moments – Wu (Reggie Lee) learning how to contain the beast within and Nick showing Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) the secret hiding spot for the magic stick – the majority of “Bad Night” left me scratching my head. Why has Sean turned so wholly to Black Claw’s beliefs? He’s never bought into the idea that Wesen are better than “Kehrseite” (humans). One of the most intriguing scenes in “Bad Night” is the late night conversation between Sean and Nick. Grimms fighting alongside Wesens to take out human opposition, well, it’s just madness. I’m a Grimm fan through and through and have faith in the Grimm writers that all will be revealed in the end…at least I hope it will be.

We know Grimm will return for a sixth season, but will it be their final season? I’m waiting to see the writers pull the rabbit from the hat in the season five finale. Will Adalind be able to see her daughter Diana’s manipulations before it’s too late? I don’t think Diana really likes her baby brother too much, either. Her way of holding the baby isn’t how any mother wants to see their child being held…or should I say, suspended in mid-air.

What did you think of “Bad Night?” Are you just as baffled as I am or am I off the mark? I’d love to hear from other Grimmsters. Leave me a comment below or tweet me at @judybopp. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Tune in to the Grimm, Fridays at 9/8c, only on NBC.

For more on the show, go to the official site.

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Follow Grimm on Twitter @NBCGrimm, as well as these cast members: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, @MrReggieLee, @ClaireCoffee @RealBreeTurner, and @DamienPuckler.

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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.