Grimm review – 4×02: ‘Octopus Head’

I suppose if you’re going to use a particularly visual villain, you might as well go the literal route when it comes time to give the episode a name.

Let’s bitch it out…

In the unofficial second half of the season opener, Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) takes the lead pursuing the titular Octopus Head, Timothy Perkal (Brian Letscher). We don’t ever learn the extent of the State secrets Perkal is after – it appears that his motivation is less important than the impact of his presence. Tracking him down requires skills that Nick (David Giuntoli) no longer possesses, which puts Trubel in the line of fire as the Grimm team learns to adapt to their new status quo.

Of course things would go easier if the girl didn’t live up to her namesake. It’s easy to see why Trubel has a rap sheet the length of her arm considering how reckless she is. It’s a bit of a wonder that she’s managed to survive as long as she has given how quick she is to walk into danger (Side Note: while she may be lousy at keeping hidden, Trubel proves surprisingly adept at both tracking and kicking butt with her hands locked behind her back).

What’s most interesting to me in these first few episodes is how infrequently Nick’s loss of powers have come up. It’s been mentioned a few times and Bitsie Tulloch’s Juliet risks losing all of her audience goodwill by suggesting to Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) that they’re considering leaving the Grimm stuff behind, but in general the whole “loss of powers” thing has proven to be a non-issue. Instead of everyone freaking out (which is what we’d expect), instead there’s been a focus on everyone, especially Nick, Juliette and Hank (Russell Hornsby), acting as parents to Trubel.

There’s a comedic moment in ‘Octopus Head’ where Hank warns Trubel to be careful and she chides him for worrying…then she promptly asks for money for lunch. It’s a silly bit, but it really does position Trubel as the group’s “child”. This is never more clear than the episode’s closing scenes. After bounding down the stairs like a teenager who has slept in, Trubel steals the communal bacon and brushes off concerns from Nick over her injuries. When she asks to borrow Juliette’s bicycle, it’s the equivalent of a child asking to borrow her parents’ car and Juliette’s dismissive “Just take it!” mirrors this. Following Nick’s cautious “Be careful” (one of several concerned warnings peppered throughout the episode) we get the most telling visual of the episode: Trubel riding her bike down a residential street before being snatched in broad-daylight by an ominous black van. The play on parental fears about the safety of children speaks volumes about how Grimm is approaching Trubel as a character. Interestingly, it also troubles her role in the series: she may be the only one who can defend the city against evil Wesen, but Grimm‘s writers also want us to see her as a young girl who needs saving by her parents. I’m interested to see if this idea continues next week.

Other Observations:

• In Vienna, Adalind (Claire Coffee) falls for Prince Victor’s (Alexis Denisof) lies and is immediately imprisoned. Victor is determined to use this opportunity to smoke out members of the resistance and make crude remarks about her appearance. When did Victor become so creepy? And when did Adalind become such a wimp?
• The first side effect from Adalind’s magical vajayjay spell arrives in the closing scene as Nick and Adalind, rocked by migraines, see through each other’s eyes. Adalind immediately identifies the connection because she can see Juliette, but I’m curious how long it will take Nick to realize whose eyes he’s hijacking.
• Wu (Reggie Lee) continues to unravel the truth behind Trubel after placing her at the scene of the crime early last season. Keep at it Wu – with insider status comes better storylines!
• Who is Agent Chavez (Elizabeth Rodriguez) working for? She deliberately woges in front of Nick to determine if he’s a Grimm and now she’s publicly abducting teen girls. Will this end up being the work of the resistance or is Chavez the face of a brand new player in the Wesen community?
• Good thing none of us really believed that Capt Renard (Sasha Roiz) died last week. After sticking him with a (poor CGI alert!) two-headed snake, mystery blonde Elizabeth (Louise Lombard) revives him so that she can have a heart to heart with her son. That’s right, the stone cold fox who looks younger than Renard is actually his mom. It’s fun…and requires a meatier explanation.

Best Lines:

• Victor (mocking Adalind): “It’s not every day a Grimm shags a Hexenbiest. Or was it the other way around?”
• Hank (upon learning Elizabeth is Renard’s mom): “Oh” Renard: “She’s had a lot of work done.”

Your turn: do you see the “Trubel as child / Nick as parent” reading, or do you still consider it more protégé / teacher? Is Juliette overstepping her boundaries? Is Adalind dumb for blindly believing Victor? Will Renard be able to aid Nick in recovering his powers? And who is Chavez working for and why does she want Trubel? Sound off below.

Grimm airs Fridays at 9pm EST on NBC