The fourth season of “Grimm” came back with force Oct. 24, promising viewers new thrills and unexpected developments, despite showcasing a few character flaws along the way.
The show’s strength is in its pacing. After ending previous seasons with cliffhangers, the writers generated enough suspense to maintain viewer interest for another run — but they’re smart enough to quickly resolve these loose ends at the opening of each new season to avoid unnecessarily prolonged plotlines.
Following a well-structured, but not yet tired formula, the first episode of season four introduces a new crime case and a new Wesen: mystical characters based loosely on elements of the brothers Grimm fairy tales. Perhaps the biggest change involves the Grimms in town. After Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) loses his ability to see Wesen, Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) appears to be the only Grimm left in Portland. Seeing these creatures becomes a metaphor for the inner darkness within the viewer. This season, the innocence of a young girl who is learning to understand this darkness is juxtaposed with more malicious characters — a contrast sure to be explored later in the season as the forces of good and evil battle it out in a supernatural arena.
Though the themes explored in “Grimm” — such as seeing the invisible, understanding one's identity, and the marginalization of hidden communities — are well thought-out, the character development leaves much to be desired. Nick's character is a heroic archetype without any true flaws. Though a lead character should be likeable, Nick has yet to face any difficult decisions or succumb to human weaknesses.
Meanwhile, all secondary characters, particularly the now-married couple Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner), have been reduced to narrative elements. Their entire lives seem to revolve around Nick, and they are conveniently placed throughout scenes to help move the plot along — a shame because these actors actors are more than capable of delivering equally-impressive performances to that of “Grimm’s” lead.
Adalind Schade (Claire Coffee), perhaps the most interesting character on the show, is notably missing from the season premiere. Her character has displayed the most growth over past seasons, but her very nature also makes her the most susceptible to fall back into old ways. Adalind had finally begun to mature into less of a self-interested person, but when her newborn child is stolen her horrific traits return. Adalind is simply wrathful and her anger as a vengeful mother will be a powerful force to reckon with in this new season.
Even without exploiting the diverse talents of its entire cast, “Grimm” continues to entertain audiences and, at this point, the writers can take this show in any number of directions. Season four is off to a solid start, leaving “Grimm” with plenty of room to explore the visible and invisible darknesses that enrapture audiences.
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