Grimm review – 3×18: ‘The Law Of Sacrifice’

It’s a Battle Royale as everyone descends on Portland to get their hands on Adalind’s (Claire Coffee) magical baby.

Let’s bitch it out…

I’m prepared to go on the record and say that this is the best episode that Grimm has ever produced. Part of this is due to the fact that I have a preference for narrative arcs, so the lack of procedural “Wesen of the week” elements in ‘The Law Of Sacrifice’ is distinctively appealing. But more than that, this episode suggests what Grimm can do when it fires on all cylinders: it’s funny, it’s engaging and it tells a rip-roaring story with an emotional kick.

We haven’t really ever seen an episode like this. Oftentimes the show goes into overdrive around the season finale, but we’re still four episodes away from that. After setting up a dramatic confrontation on several fronts last week, ‘The Law Of Sacrifice’ executes a painful long con as nearly everyone on the team colludes to steal/protect Adalind’s baby from Prince Viktor (Alexis Denisof) and his band of Verrat/FBI baddies. One of the reasons that this works is because almost everyone (minus Bitsie Tulloch’s Juliette) has a significant role to play. Another reason is because there’s a lot of humour, which helps to balance out the fact that this is really the story about stealing a baby from its mother. And that theft is the final successful element: there’s genuine pathos in the resolution to baby Diana’s story, which has to be classified as a painful win .

Things kick off exactly where they ended last week with everyone and their dog after the baby. Nick (David Giuntoli) makes a diplomatic pitch to Renard (Sasha Roiz) and Adalind about trusting the Grimm you know, but the decision ends up being made for them when Viktor’s FBI henchman, Agent Stewart (C. Thomas Howell) comes calling with a few Verrat agents. Nick and mom Kelly (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) save the day and after a tense start, a barrage of humour lightens the mood as they take the party to Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee’s (Bree Turner) house. This leads to what may be the funniest scene of the entire series: Monroe and Rosalee try to catch up on what’s happening and who’s involved in what plays out like a really awkward game of telephone. These two are usually employed to bring out the heart of the series, but this scene really shows off their comedic skills, which have never been sharper than when they react to each new piece of information with amazement and foot-in-mouth shock.

After dropping off an exhausted Adalind, Renard, Nick and Kelly go on the offensive. I love that they’re so proactive (we’re talking about a member of the Royal family and two Grimms here!) and while their plan is admittedly convoluted, at this point in the series you just roll with it. I appreciate that the plan is devious and relies on Renard’s knowledge of what his half-brother is capable of, which helps to do away with some of its more outlandish elements.

What I wasn’t prepared for is how upsetting it is to see Adalind’s reaction upon learning that Diana is gone. Kelly’s confession in the precinct about the sacrifice involved in protecting a child makes for a chilling moment (Claire Coffee’s slow look of dawning horror is excellent) and while we know that Nick and Renard are pulling strings to ensure a happy resolution, since we’re not privy to the details of the plan, we naturally sympathize with Adalind. Her anguished scream in the middle of the street is just the right kind of horribly emotional reaction and completes Adalind’s transformation from villain to a victim worth cheering for.

The final scenes reveal what Adalind’s sacrifice has allows as Viktor and his crew are held up at gunpoint on the tarmac by our team in disguise and Kelly gets away with the baby. It makes sense since Kelly is the sole member of the team that Viktor can’t identify and she has a known connection to the baby (Diana even steals her locket halfway through the episode). The open-ended resolution provides Grimm with a plausible reason to temporarily get rid of Nick’s mom and the baby in one fell swoop, thereby clearing the path for other stories while ensuring we revisit the storyline down the road. This makes sense since Kelly is too powerful to keep full time (her presence changes Nick’s role). Plus we all know that babies, even magical ones, are the television equivalent of Nyquil. And so, goodbye for now Kelly and Diana. We’ll catch up with you soon…

Other Observations:

• Good to see the writers find another use for Monroe’s fluent German skills beyond simply deciphering the Grimoires in the trailer.
• I’m very happy that Kelly got out of this episode alive. She seems like the kind of character that will have to die eventually to instigate some kind of emotional reckoning, but as she’s demonstrated these last few episodes, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is an utility player who can be counted on for both action and comedy. The show is better off for keeping her alive.
• Juliette’s contribution to this episode = purchasing a truck. It’s one step forward, two steps back with this character.
• Finally, kudos to the casting director for finding that baby: Diana is totally adorable…until the FX on her purple eyes kicks in. Then she’s scary as hell.

Best Lines:

• Renard (as Nick approaches): “So I heard your mother’s in town.”
• Nick (to Renard, as Adalind vogs): “You find that attractive, really?”
• Kelly (upon learning Russell Hornsby’s Hank also slept with Adalind): “Popular, this Adalind.”

What did you think of ‘The Law Of Sacrifice’? Did the resolution to Adalind’s baby drama satisfy? Was Monroe and Rosalee’s phone conversation one of the funniest scenes of the series? Are you happy Kelly survived? Did you feel for Adalind when she realized Diana was gone? Sound off below.

Grimm takes an Easter breather and returns Friday, April 25 at 9pm EST on NBC. The next episode should be worth the wait, however, since there’s a new twist (and potential recurring character) in the form of Trubel, a <SPOILER> young female Grimm…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDDnIYv41TU