Grimm "Trust Me Knot" Review

Good for Grimm. The proposed resolution to Nick’s and Renard’s problems was classic Grimm. Nick, somehow, someway, would return to the precinct after Renard dropped the charges against Nick because she testified to free him of the murder charges. How tidy, right? Hadrian’s Wall called Trubel into service near the end of the episode, which is another early season Grimm tradition: Trubel takes off once the season premiere two parter has completed and the narrative has returned to the status quo. Grimm’s writers didn’t do anything of the above. They finally freed Nick, and themselves, from the prison of procedural case-of-the-week format. Nick remains the most wanted man in Portland after Renard’s Black Claw contact and Grand Jury judge dismissed the case prior to Adalind’s testimony. It only took cancellation for Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt to make the change.

Grimm should’ve dropped Nick’s work as a detective earlier in the series, especially when Nick and Hank met wesen after wesen after wesen every episode. The primary reason should’ve been the strength of the series’ serialization, though. The case-of-the-week episodes weren’t bad, but I wonder what Grimm could’ve been if the writers, or the network executives if it was them that upheld the series format, embraced serialization.

“Trust Me Knot” is the second part of the season six premiere. The characters, again, ran around to different locations. Nick, Bud, Trubel, and Juliette hid in the tunnels. Monroe and Rosalee watched Kelly and Diana as Adalind met with Renard in prison. Hank and Wu arrested Renard for the murder of Rachel Wood. The stick, and the stick’s cloth, was a major focus of the character. Nick reacted to putting the stick in the box like Frodo Baggins reacted after Sam rescued him from Shelob. The stick’s power has affected him. Diana read the many signs and symbols on the cloth, which Monroe explained as something related to astrology. So far, it’s all about the tease and the allusion to a great power, perhaps bigger than Renard and Black Claw, or perhaps not.

The episode had some of Grimm’s signature awkward and unnecessary instances of exposition, meaning characters repeat information to each other that the audience already knows. No one working for the show has attempted to make the exposition entertaining or funny either. I like it, though, for nonsense reasons. So, Diana sees Trubel and Juliette and tells Trubel that she likes Nick. She also tells Juliette that she’s different. Juliette says she know. The scene shows once more that Diana has special powers, powers that probably relate to the stick. Later, she told Nick that she likes Kelly. Nick appreciated that.

Anyway, Renard’s freedom means Nick’s doom. I know that’s hyperbolic. He’ll be fine. Nick told Adalind to move in with Renard. I don’t know either. Hank and Wu must resign from the precinct, which guarantees a departure from case-of-the-week episodes. Trubel urged Nick to join her with HW. Nick declined. Who else would defend Portland? Renard’s motivations still baffle me, as it is, like the decision to boot Nick from Portland PD, years past when it made ‘narrative sense’ but this show’s all about the nonsensical, and it’s the final season, so let’s roll with it.

Other Thoughts:

-I bet a magic stick that the trust me knot spell suddenly works at a most opportune time for Nick and Adalind. Blood magic can’t let a crooked judge deter it.

-Monroe told the group about Rosalee’s pregnancy. Thank goodness. Her pregnancy didn’t need to be a secret for multiple episodes. He told the group seconds before SERT broke in. Also, the stick took out six SERT officers. That’s a wild stick.

-Renard continues to experience guilt and visions associated with Meisner.

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-Jim Kouf & David Greenwalt wrote the episode. John Gray directed.