Let the Games Begin. Review: Grimm – Season Two Finale, “Goodnight, Sweet Grimm”

Season 2, Episode 22/Season Finale

Air Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 10/9c on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

“And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” —Grimm

David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt

A quote from Hamlet makes me pause but it is “Cracher-Mortel,” aka The Baron (Reg E. Cathey), who has me quivering in fear. “Goodnight, Sweet Grimm” is a play on Horatio’s line in Hamlet – “Goodnight, sweet prince” — so this season finale may not fare well for our beloved Grimm, Nick (David Giuntoli).

Reanimated corpses (rather than zombies) are running amok in Portland and with little time to spare, Nick enlists the aid of his most trusted friends and a very spirited Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), who refuses to be left behind anymore. Rosalee (Bree Turner) and her exceptional spice shop are the heroes of the hour but seriously, isn’t there a way to get more of the three-pronged needles she calls “piquet guille conteste” (loosely translated, “needle stake challenges” in French. Huh?) to dispense more antidotes for the walking dead? There isn’t enough time to treat the hordes of angry zombie mobs one at a time, especially when all you have to administer the cure are antique tools.

Monroe is trying his best to protect his woman Rosalee from the hordes of zombie like minions heading their way

Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) does his absolute best to fend off the growing crowd surrounding Rosalee, Juliette, and himself while Nick tries to find The Baron, but one Blutbad cannot take on 50+ raging maniacs. And Sean’s (Sasha Roiz) warning to Nick about the presence of his half-brother Eric (guest star James Frain) in Portland does little to quell the onslaught of mayhem in town. The whole thing, however, is a brilliant ruse…an elaborate distraction for Eric’s true quest.

I appreciated the references to Harry Potter (with Frau Pech’s (Mary McDonald-Lewis) doppelganger potion), and The Wizard of Oz,” with Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) quip, “Ding dong, the witch is dead.” Both certainly have a certain ring of truth to them given the circumstances. And when Stefania (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and Frau Pech face off (giggle), things go from weird to all hell breaking loose. Aghdashloo really sells the Stefania character as a manipulative and brazen woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She is a brilliant actress and brings richness to the character unlike any other I know. She makes it impossible to envision anyone else as the ruthless Stefania. And as much as Frau Pech freaks me out, I think she brings a certain element of authenticity to the show. Being an elder Hexenbiest, she could be a role model, of sorts, to Adalind. Though Frau’s agenda regarding Adalind’s royal ‘bun in the oven’ is uncertain, I think Adalind also needs to be wary of the cunning Stefania. Why does Stefania want the royal offspring, anyway? I’m curious to see whether Adalind will regain her powers in full once she gives the child away, and if she does get her powers back, will she be at the mercy of Stefania for life for restoring them?

I’m happy there are plenty of aspects of “Goodnight, Sweet Grimm” that I loved. Unfortunately, there are others I didn’t particularly care for. The acting, by all, is excellent. Cathey’s Baron sends chills down my spine. His deep, gravelly voice lends a bit of the macabre when he performs a show-and-tell for Eric about how he does what he does. Frain superbly portrays a confident Prince with charisma and panache. He’s so believable, so convincing, you find yourself unsure whether he is truly the bad guy, at least until he does something quite dastardly to our lovable Grimm, Nick.

Will they ever tell Sgt. Wu about Nick being a Grimm?

What I didn’t like were the zombie like minions. Admittedly, throwing people out of store windows and in front of moving cars was quite shocking, but I was hoping for more blatant disregard by these so-called zombies. Seriously though, what is with the biting? If Sgt. Wu (Reggie Lee) gets infected, I’m going to be upset…unless it gives him more screen time without him croaking. I’m ok with that. Why does the crappy stuff always happen to Wu?

Giuntoli continues to impress me with his portrayal of a guy torn between being a normal man who happens to be a police detective, and juggling his covert supernatural life (well, not so secret anymore) as a Grimm. I hope his abilities increase in season three as he battles evil forces and vile Wesen…that is, if he can be rescued. Rosalee, we are going to need more antidote, STAT!

Season two has had its ups and downs. I know everyone was upset about the long hiatus over the winter break, and then the whole Juliette losing her memory/coma story line was dragging on, but the season ends on a high note with a delightfully enticing cliffhanger. Though I’m saddened to have to wait to find out what happens to Nick, I think I’m antsier because I’m already hyped up for season three. Will we see Nick’s mother again? Is she a part of Eric’s grand scheme? And can Sean help save Nick from his half-brother’s clutches? Who is Adalind’s baby daddy? And will anyone tell Sgt. Wu there is a reason things are so weird in Portland? He needs to be part of the inner circle. *Eyes the writers*

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Follow these cast members on Twitter: @russellhornsby, @mistergiuntoli, @BitsieTulloch, @sasharoiz, and @MrReggieLee.

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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.