Grimm "Tribunal" Review: What Monroe Did for Love
Grimm S04E10: "Tribunal"
One of the foundations Grimm is built on is the undeniable truth that being a Grimm actually kind of sucks. The magical world of Wesen and the other literal stuff of fairy tales may be exciting and intriguing, but then there's the constant peril, the challenge of navigating and adapting to this hidden world, and the inability to ever truly leave it behind. Grimm has established that being a Grimm is a burden—one that Nick is more than willing to carry—but a burden nonetheless.
On the other end of the spectrum, there's being a Wesen, and we're gradually learning that, aside from having nifty woging powers and a pretty sweet built-in Halloween costume, Wesen face their own difficulties—and that's especially true for Wesen who buck tradition. As though Monroe and Rosalee haven't traversed enough rough terrain in the lead-up to their wedding, between their reluctant families and the usual brand of Nick drama, the Wesenrein have stepped in, and their beef with the Blutbad in this relationship goes further than his marriage to a Fuchsbau.
"Tribunal" was essentially a love letter to Monroe, whose other crimes—according to the Wesen-nazis—included being friends with Nick in addition to marrying Rosalie. The horror. i briefly believed that the Wesenrein might be swayed by Monroe's passionate speech about love forming deeper ties than mere blood, buuuuut no.
Fortunately, Monroe's diverse allies and the strength of their loyalty proved him right, and Team Grimm swept in like a less-flashy Justice League to save the soon-to-be-executed Blutbad. His Fuchsbau wife, his BFF Grimm, an accidental Hexenbiest, and the enthusiastic new guy came through when Monroe needed them most, and even the Wesenrein's blood may be pure, they're going down in history not as bastions of tradition and purity, but as a bunch of crazy assholes.
Meanwhile, Juliette is, like, totally a Hexenbiest, which may just be the most interesting thing Grimm has ever done to her. It certainly opens up some interesting potential stories. While it's true that Grimms are born into their lives just as much as Wesen are, at least from Nick's perspective, it's not the sort of thing you grow up with the way most Wesen children do. Wesen kiddos' culture and identity aren't something they discover only in adulthood; their Wesenhood is part of who they are from the moment life begins. Theoretically, there's no need for an adjustment period later on, whereas Nick suddenly learned his lineage one day and still struggles with incorporating it into his everyday life. While being a Grimm isn't exactly randomly thrust upon an individual, for those in Nick's position, it can certainly feel that way.
Grimmhas occasionally featured unfortunate victims of a surprise Wesen manifestation, most notably that poor Krampus dude, but in general, the assumption has always been that Wesen are born, not made. It's magical genetics, but it's still genetics.
We don't yet know whether Juliette's new Hexenbiest status was intentional or accidental, but her situation completely shatters preconceived ideas about what Wesen are and how they come to be. That Rosalee was familiar enough with the concept of a "made" Hexenbiest to comment on their dangerous instability makes me believe that this isn't that uncommon of an occurrence, and while Nick and Juliette's relationship is usually the last thing I care about on this show, I can't help but wonder what this means for them. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm actually interested in what's next for Nick/Juliette.
A Wesen's life is full of secrecy and tradition and the constant struggle to balance that secret identity with the desire to exist within the human world. It's a struggle that Wesen are raised to understand from the get-go, so what does it mean to be shoved into the life as an adult who has always, as far as we know, been a boring old human?
Through Nick, Grimm has explored the meaning of being a Grimm with great success. Now that he has wholeheartedly accepted his lot in life, it's actually exciting to see Juliette receive the same level of attention and detail, especially with her newfound "otherness" falling into an awkward place in relation to Nick. More please!
ALL ABOARD AUNT MARIE'S BOOKMOBILE OF CRAZY
– It's nice to see that Wu isn't sucking at being a new Grimm groupie.
– What are your Juliette theories?
– What's Adalind up to?
– Is this the last we've seen of the Wesenrein, or are they kind of like Hydra with all their evil heads popping up and ruining lives?
