Grimm - 3.01 - The Ungrateful Dead - The Problem's in the Pacing - A Very Short (very late) Review

Originally I wrote a recap of this episode (which I'll post on this blog tomorrow), but I found myself losing interest halfway through and struggling to finish. I wasn't sure why since all the elements that usually make Grimm great and then some were there. The episode contained 4 times the action as normal, a plane crash, zombified Nick, and each character was given moments to shine. Heck, even Adalind brought the funniest line of the night. That should have all equaled a stellar episode. Don't get me wrong. I liked this episode and voted it "Good" in the SpoilerTV poll. However, after such a long wait and with such an exciting premise, it fell a bit flat. From comments others have made, I was not the only one. After the second watch, I figured out why.

The Bad:

While action took center stage, the way the episode was cut made Nick's experience disjointed and more surface than visceral. Cutting away to Adalind's subplot in the middle of crucial action scenes nullified the momentum and overall effect. Just when Nick was about to do some real damage, helping us not only to see but feel the consequences of his condition, the show flipped to the weirdly lit Adalind scenes. It made his zombie form less intense for me and more of a caricature of the recent zombie fad. In the end, Nick basically pushed people a lot only to cut to the residual damage. If Nick is going to feel real guilt about the things he does as a zombie, then the circumstances must be ramped up next episode. They also need to make Nick's experience feel different than half a dozen zombie shows currently on. They started to do this when Nick threw the gun at his reflection, hinting that Nick was there inside his zombie exterior but not able to take control yet. I wish they had let that scene breathe a little more before moving on. While Adalind's one-liners brought the majority of the episode's snark, the whole subplot felt out of place and unnecessary. Nothing happened in it that could not have been left for another episode. Add poor transition to the stuttering pacing as well. I'm not sure if they wanted to emphasize the dark of Nick's world and the light, yet horror-filled one Adalind found herself in, but it did not work in the long run. As Kyle from We Love TV More pointed out, it was season 1 island flashback on #Arrow abrupt. I think it was a mistake to take the focus off of Nick and the Grimm Gang. As an action aficionado, these scenes should have been my favorite but they didn't allow the sequences to run long enough for the audience to immerse themselves into Nick's experience.

The Good:

Of course there was a lot to love in this episode as well. While Juliette drove me nuts most of the episode, screeching about Nick, she rocked working with Rosalee to create a workable antidote. I really hope they give these two more screen time together. I think they would make a good team and complement each other's knowledge base. Equally I liked that Renard is still a murky character. He was definitely more concerned about his brother taking his Grimm than he was about Nick himself. It was a great reminder that Renard's first allegiance is to himself. While his goals match Nick's now, it should be interesting to see where he falls when they are at counter purposes. I'd really like to see more of the royal family and uncover some of the mysteries of the Resistance, and I think the best way to do that is to increase the war between the brothers. While I am sad that Nick is not castle-bound, I think Castle Spy will have an increased role. Some of the spoilers also give me hope that we will start seeing the greater Wesen world. Another plus was Sergeants Wu and Franco banter. Last season Wu took the snark mantle away from Monroe and here he passes it to Franco. Rosalee: "If we don't do something fast, they'll kill each other." Franco: "That'll be alright with me." Ha! I like that Wu is getting a bigger part this season and I hope he brings Franco along for the ride. They were great, but still it is Adalind that steals the best line. Adalind: "How many tests do you have?" Bwah! Exactly what I was thinking.

Screencaps by Screencapped.net

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