‘Grimm’ Review: “Nobody Knows the Trubel I’ve Seen”

Tonight's episode of 'Grimm' comes as the Portland Trailblazers are actually doing well in the finals, and as Portland has only one professional sports team (and the Blazers haven't won a playoff series since 2000), I feel for Portlanders past and current who are torn between watching the game and watching the show.

That said, tonight's episode returns to the monster of the week-style episodes that haven't been as prevalent this season, as the show's mythology has been more front and center. But even for a return to the familiar, tonight's episode puts a twist on the "of the week" aspect.

The episode opens with the quote "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, nobody knows my sorrow." Renard is at a bar, drinking, and he writes the name of his child on a napkin. As he leaves he's spotted by FBI agent Stewart (C. Thomas Howell), who follows him and draws a gun, but Renard loses him. Nick and Juliette talk about what's going to happen with baby Diana when Adalind shows up. She needs Nick's help getting the baby back, and she's apoplectic. Nick tries to tell her there's nothing they can do, but that's not good enough for Adalind, who storms off. Meanwhile, a drifter walks down an empty street when a car stops in front of her. The people offer a ride but she walks on until the two men from the car drag her into the woods. They're wesen, and there's blood drawn.

Renard's car enters his garage when Adalind stands in front of him. She blames him and they fight, a fight that ends with Adalind threatening that once she stops crying something bad's going to happen. Nick and Hank are taken to a crime scene where the two wesen (surprise!) are found dead. Their fingerprints reveal a long list of crimes. Monroe and Rosalee talk about the baby heist from last week as they recycle (so Portland) when Adalind shows up. Nick and Hank talks to one of the victim's brothers who's also wesen, and the brother suggests only a Grimm could have killed them. The drifter wakes up, checks the victims' wallets and strips for a shower.

Nick and Hank look over known associates of the victims when Nick gets a call from Monroe about Adalind. Since she has no money nor a place to stay Monroe shows concern, and Nick suggests he look after her for a while, which makes Monroe nervous. Rosalee offers some sleep to Adalind and says that she can stay as long as she needs to. The victim's car is found and the best evidence they find is a half eaten french fry, so they send Wu off on a french fry hunt. Back in the Alps, Viktor tries to figure out how they lost the baby when Renard's father the king shows up and warns that the baby must be raised by them or the Royals will fall. Back in Portland, Renard checks on Stewart as Nick gives him the details on Adalind's movements of late. Hank reports they've got surveillance footage of the female drifter. Nick wonders what kind of wesen could do this as the drifter buys some new clothes, though during this routine act a woman is disturbed by her presence. The drifter goes into a changing room and starts a fire before she leaves. She's followed by the women who wants her stolen shoes, and reveals herself to be a wesen.

The two fight, but the drifter takes the other down. Adalind sleeps on Monroe's couch when Nick and Hank show up, and they leave to be away from her. Monroe lists off some wesen predators it could be when they get a call about the latest victim, who's barely alive, and Nick sees that she's wesen before she dies. Knocking on Monroe's door wakes Adalind up, and it's Renard with the baby until he turns into Viktor. Oh wait... Dream sequence! Back in Europe Viktor wants to know everything about Nick when Adalind calls him about the baby. Viktor pretends to have the child as he sees it as a good chess move. But Adalind is pissed. The drifter returns to her hotel room when the manager sees her wanted picture. Monroe consults with Nick and Hank when Wu reveals that they've got a hit on the suspect's location. The drifter packs her stuff (including a pretty big knife) and leave when Nick and Hank pull up. Nick follows her and they pin her in, but when she jumps over the car, Monroe gets out and wesens. They nearly subdue her when Monroe reveals she's a Grimm.

They hold her down, but it turns out she doesn't know what being a Grimm is. Shocker. They put her in the car, and promise not to arrest her. Nick tries to explain things but as she won't give up anything Nick says they should take her in. Adalind calls Viktor again and he offers the baby if she hurts Nick. Back in the precinct they find that the drifter is Teresa Rubel, and that she's been in psychiatric care. Nick also sees that she's kept a journal of the wesen she's seen. Nick takes her out of a holding cell and promises to show her something.

And, no surprise, Nick takes her to the camper. He shows her one of the Grimm diaries and she finally calms down. Nick tries to explain things to her and she wants to hear. Renard puts on his jacket to leave work when Adalind shows up. She hugs him, which he's rightfully suspicious of.Renard takes her home as Stewart waits outside. Juliette is getting Chinese food ready when Nick brings in Teresa, who says they call her Trouble (likely derived from T. Rubel, which -- especially knowing corporate communications -- may have come from her email address).

A baby Grimm? This is an interesting plot development for the show, and it features one of the finest/best moments in the series. It puts the viewer in the place of a Grimm who doesn't know why people turn into animals, who doesn't know why she's hated and hunted. That's some strong stuff. It's also one of those episodes where -- even though there's no "to be continued" -- by the time you get to the last section of the show you know that the drama is going to continue into future adventures. The idea of Nick training an apprentice has quite a bit of potential, so much so I hope this isn't just a two or three episode arc. But it likely is, as there's a big cast here that needs to be taken care of.

This is the first episode in a while that balanced the procedural elements with the show's mythology, though letting Miss Rubel go suggest Portland's PD are okay with some unsolved murders. Probably shouldn't think about that too much. The show has established a routine of giving the secondary character a scene or two, which is good, though as we head into the final stretch of the season, it's likely we won't get much of Juliette until the big wedding, which could be this season or next. This was a solid episode that opens some interesting doors for the future of the show, though I'm suspicious they'll be closed too quickly.