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Unlocking the Mysteries of Grimm, Part 3: Burning Questions

Here we are, one hour from the 100th episode of Grimm, and I’m actually capable of thinking about something other than what those keys will lead to. Which is a sign of either stellar avoidance-coping skills or great mental fortitude on my part. I’ll let you decide.

In lieu of the appropriate level of mental screaming at the thought that we might finally find out everything about those dratted keys, I’ve been diverting my attention to some of the smaller background mysteries the show has presented that have stayed in the corner of my mind, just kind of itching there. They’re not killing me the way these keys are, and they’re not looming as large as something like, say, Grimmetics. But they’re certainly there, and in the show’s few quieter moments (or during the hell that is Hiatus), they rear their ugly little heads again and again.

Nick’s Superpowers

It’s already pretty obvious–though it’s never been explicitly stated in the show–that in addition to their “sixth sense” for seeing Wesen, Grimms are exceptionally quick studies when it comes to weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. It might also be argued that Grimms adapt to adverse conditions very quickly, and that they are stronger, faster, and heal better/quicker than the average human.

But over the course of his relatively brief stint as a Grimm, Nick has also gained some extra powers that, in a different universe, could potentially push him over the line into superhero territory. Let’s review:

Superhearing – Nick’s ability to perceive even very quiet sounds over much longer distances than the average human, and to filter relevant/threatening sounds from background noise, came about after he was attacked and temporarily blinded by the Jinnamuru Xunte Andre in the season two episode “Mr. Sandman.”
Stoneform – Nick gained this ability after he was cured of the Dämmerzustand at the start of season three. In this state, Nick’s heartrate and respiration slow down or even stop, to the point that an observer might think him dead. His skin also loses its color and goes cold. In this state, Nick is able to function normally without needing to breathe. This seems to be a spontaneous defensive reaction to being deprived of air, rather than a conscious action, and has thus far not been sustained for more than a few minutes at a time.
Increased Stamina – In addition to stoneform, Nick also gained increased stamina, to the point that he is able to run at increased speeds and for long periods of time without substantially increasing his heart rate or breaking a sweat.
Heightened Resistance – Also likely a side-effect of being cured of the Dämmerzustand, Nick has exhibited an increased ability to resist certain poisons, though he is not completely or indefinitely immune.

The most intriguing thing about these powers is that, like the show’s take on magic, they’ve never been fully explained or interrogated. It’s funny, for a group of people constantly surrounded by new and strange phenomena, Team Grimm is almost criminally incurious.

I guess one could argue that they have too many squeaky wheels needing grease to go looking for extra work to do, but come on…if I or someone I knew were zombified, cured, and developed superpowers as a result, I would want to know everything I could about them! How long can I hold my breath and still function? How fast/far can I run before my heart rate actually goes up? How far does my hearing range stretch? Can heat sensors still pick me up when I’m in stoneform?

These powers also raise broader questions about the nature of being a Grimm. Are they linked to his being a Grimm specifically? I mean, they seemed to go away when he didn’t have his powers anymore. Could that be considered support for the theory that part of being a Grimm is adapting to adverse physical conditions that would kill or incapacitate an ordinary human, a sort of hyper-accelerated evolution on a cellular scale?

And of increasingly relevant interest: can these additional powers be passed on to the next generation of little Grimms?

So many questions! Almost no answers. The only time we’ve seen Nick test the limits of any of these powers was that Fruit Ninja training session with Monroe in the woods. Which, fun as that was, just seems like a missed opportunity to me, and a gaping hole in the fabric of the story that the writers have yet to address.

The Mysterious Door

This is a somewhat newer mystery, and there aren’t that many layers to it (although my theories abound and are mostly silly).

What is behind that mysterious door in Nick’s bunker basement? Why is it so tightly sealed? What are the chances of it being a Big Grimm Deal, considering Nick chose this place rather than was led here (as far as we know)?

Better question: why is Nick so determined to find out? With everything else mysterious and weird about his life, why did he choose to develop some actual curiosity about this of all things? Hasn’t he ever heard the old saying about letting sleeping doors lie?

And why is Adalind so averse to Nick trying to open it?

The Bees

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone with this one: whatever happened to all the frickin’ bees?!

In the season one episode “Beeware” we were introduced to the Mellifer Queen and her swarm, who seemed to have a giant soft spot for Nick, at first.

They were apparently on their way to warning him of some coming horror, which they were unhelpfully vague about. They were also dead-set on murdering Adalind, the last of a trio of lawyers (all Hexenbiests) that had worked together to drive them out of their homes.

Back then, of course, Nick was still erring on the side of cop whenever possible, and he and Hank were assigned to protect Adalind until the killers were caught.

It all came down to a stand-off in a hotel basement, during which the following exchange took place between Nick and the Mellifer Queen, Melissa Wincroft:

Melissa: I have to kill her. You don’t understand.
Nick: Drop it. I’m arresting you for the murders of Serena Dunbrook and Camilla Gotlieb.
Melissa: I did it to protect you.
Nick: There’s no excuse.
Melissa: We’re clarions. We send the warning call. We’re on your side. The lawsuit, it was a conspiracy to get rid of us. They’re not just lawyers.
Nick: lt doesn’t matter. You killed two people.
Melissa: Two Hexenbiests. Closing the mill was their way of stopping us from warning you.
Nick: Warning me?
Melissa: Something’s coming. Something bad. I have to finish this.

This exchange was followed by a lot of confusion and gunshots, and in a move I’m sure he’s regretted more than once over the years, Nick chose to shoot Melissa Wincroft rather than allow her to kill Adalind. When the dust settled, Adalind was left sobbing in Hank’s arms and the Mellifer Queen lay dying of her wound. But before she went, she had one more thing to say:

Melissa: He’s coming for you.
Nick: Who?
Melissa: Beware. It’s close.

Where do I even begin? Apparently the Mellifers were trying to warn Nick about something, or someone, or both. And Adalind’s trio of evil hexen-lawyers were assigned to make sure the Mellifers couldn’t stick around.

Considering who Adalind worked for at the time (off the books, that is), it seems as though the likeliest subject of the Mellifers’ warning is Sean Renard. But then…in retrospect this seems very odd, considering that Sean himself turned out to be barely a threat at all compared to Adalind herself.

Then again, there is that lovely quote at the start of the episode to consider:

“She’ll sting you one day.
Oh, ever so gently,
so you hardly even feel it.
‘Til you fall dead.”

On first blush, the reference to stinging makes it seem like this quote must be about the bees. But after everything that’s happened since, I find it much more likely that this quote was about Adalind. In fact, this episode is arguably the one that began the series of events leading to Nick having to remove Adalind’s powers, which itself began a cycle of vengeance and violence that continued all the way through the end of season three.

Back to the bees, though, I find it extremely odd that as prominent a role as Hexenbiests have played in this story, their natural enemy would show up one time and then be absent forevermore. Especially when that appearance was one of the first hints of a mytharc we were given.

That episode is so memorable in so many ways. It has such a portentous gravity to it, especially the ending, that it seems strange to think nothing more has ever been mentioned about it.

Unless, of course, the Mellifers were really that pissed at Nick, that they withdrew from the coming fight (and the world) completely. I mean, he did kill their queen, after all.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Grimm, Part 2: An Ever-Expanding World

Over the course of its four and a half seasons, Grimm has gone from a fairly straightforward concept–fairy tales brought to life in the form of creatures hiding in plain sight–to a complex, multifaceted world in which Wesen are the stuff of daily life while stranger things lurk in the shadows.

The show has pointed several times to creatures and phenomena that cannot be explained by the existence of Wesen. Here are just a few of the most tantalizing mysteries the show has presented to us over the years (and thus far, never fully explained):

Non-Wesen Creatures

Beginning with La Llorona, the writers introduced the idea that there were hidden creatures in the world beyond just Wesen. La Llorona was believed to be a ghost in the traditional sense, a once-living woman whose disembodied spirit remained on Earth after her body passed. This in itself raises intriguing questions about the possibility of an afterlife in the Grimm world, but that’s really for the second section of this post.

Other non-Wesen creatures have included Volcanalis, Mishipeshu, Jack the Ripper, and the Golem. Volcanalis seemed almost demonic in origin, which again begs its own questions about the possibility of any kind of hell existing in this ‘verse…whether as a literal place within this reality, or as another dimension (a la the Buffyverse).

In the case of the last three, they were all spirits that were drawn inadvertently into the world (but from where?). Once summoned, they were able to take corporeal form or even possess other living creatures in order to accomplish their goals.

Sean’s possession by Jack the Ripper in particular seems to make a strong case for there being some kind of afterlife, otherworld, or Death Dimension where the souls of the deceased are sent. He clearly went somewhere, and was latched onto by a something that was already there.

We can only hope the writers will continue to explore this question as the story continues.

Interestingly, there are also several “creatures” in the Grimm world that are neither Wesen nor spirit in origin, but the result of a disease or disorder. These include:

Wældreór – a Wesen suffering from a rare blood disease that induces rage and bloodlust. Quite possibly the origin of the “Chupacabra” myth.
Kallikantzaroi – Indole Gentile children with a genetic disorder that causes them to transform into mischievous (and smelly) goblins at night…but only during the twelve days of Christmas.
Fluvus Pestilentia – a blood-borne disease that affects only Wesen. Its symptoms include increased libido, lowered inhibitions, unconsciousness, and eventually extreme rage. If left untreated, the disease is fatal.
Grausen – a parasite that infects human children and causes mood-swings, violent outbursts, increased strength and speed, and a horrifying facial transformation resembling a woge.

The biggest question here, of course, is what else might be out there that’s beyond the Wesen world? If diseases and disorders can create symptoms that mimic or alter a Wesen’s woge, could the existence of Wesen (or hey, the Grimms for that matter) be the result of a genetic mutation?

And the greatest mystery of all: will we ever encounter something so strange and unheard-of that nobody on Team Grimm knows what to do? Not even Rosalee?

A Higher Power?

Since we’ve already established that Grimm is hinting heavily at the existence of some kind of afterlife via La Llorona and Sean’s possession, it shouldn’t be a big surprise to find that they’ve also hinted at the possibility of a Higher Power.

The most blatant references to this occur in seasons four and five. In the season four episode “Dyin’ On A Prayer,” a Golem was raised through a man’s prayers and sent to protect his nephew, in response to which Juliette asked: “It’s kind of a big deal, don’t you think? Maybe somebody should be proclaiming this from a mountaintop.”

And I mean…maybe someone should. Because unless you write off prayers as a kind of word-based magic, you have to wonder who or what exactly is listening and answering prayers.

Then just a few weeks ago, an ancient ritual was performed in the season five episode “Star-Crossed” which appeared to literally make it rain…though Nick cautioned Hank–and perhaps us by extension–not to go there. Again, you could put this down to just ritual magic. But even then there are questions to ask, which I’ll get to in the third section.

Slightly more oblique, but still relevant, is the way Diana Schade’s “destiny” was spoken of in season three. It’s never outright stated that there was a prophecy of any kind, but the authority with which Kelly spoke about Diana’s future and what would happen if she were raised by either the Royals or the Resistance had that kind of ring to it all the same.

So is there some higher power lurking above the Grimm world? If so, is it benevolent? Could there be more than one, a god/devil dichotomy? Or even a whole pantheon?

Then again, perhaps the answers lie a little closer to home…

Magic and Mysticism

The most ubiquitous mystery in Grimm is one you may not have poked at too hard before, simply because it’s there in almost every single episode, moving the plot. I’m talking, of course, about all the Magic.

There’s been magic in the show since its beginning, from Adalind’s various spells to Rosalee’s spice shop concoctions. There’s been blood-magic (the lock on Adalind’s mother’s spell book, and the way she lost her powers after biting Nick), herbal magic (everything in the spice shop, basically), and ritual magic (everything surrounding the restoration and suppression of both Grimm and Hexenbiest powers, involving a lot of step-by-step instructions, dead bodies, and sex).

With all this hocus pocus going on, I have to wonder: what are the rules, exactly?

Grimm is one of the few shows that features magic this prominently without laying out at least a rudimentary set of rules. The way the magic works, the costs and consequences, the limitations of it…it’s all very mysterious. Clearly there are “side effects” to certain spells (such as Nick and Adalind being linked, Juliette becoming a Hexenbiest, Renard being possessed by Jack the Ripper, Renard and Juliette ending up obsessed with each other, etc), but even an experienced Hexenbiest like Elizabeth Lascelles seems uncertain as to the exact nature of those side effects in most cases.

So…what are the rules? Are there things magic absolutely cannot do in this ‘verse? Are there things that are possible, but forbidden? Does all magic have a price, a la OUAT? Is all magic the product of connecting to a higher (or lower) power, like in Supernatural and Charmed? Is magic a primal force linked to gods and goddesses that can be utilized for good or evil, with rules about defying the natural order, like in the Buffyverse or The Vampire Diaries?

There are so many ways a show can go when it comes to magic, and so few details to go on. It makes the finer points of what’s happening on screen hard to pin down sometimes. And it leaves a pretty large hole in the fabric of the Grimm universe, not to know at least the basics of how it all works.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Grimm, Part 1: Origins

Well, here we are…in the final three days before the 100th episode. It’s so cool–and a little surreal–to be here, looking back on the days when we weren’t even sure if our “weird little show that could” would even get a second season! It’s been a wild ride of plot twists, shirtless rage, questionable CGI, and occasionally-butchered German.

I remember the exact episode that made me go from “this is kind of interesting” to “I am in love, I must start a blog immediately.” It was “Leave It to Beavers.” That episode, particularly the scene where Nick begs the Eisbibers to help themselves, was and always has been the epitome of everything I love about Nick Burkhardt as a character and Grimm as a show.

Since then a lot of things in the show have changed, and Nick has changed…not always for the better. But in some ways, it’s still the show I fell in love with four years ago. Its characters, the dark world they inhabit and the gray morality that allows them to survive in it, and the way this changes–and sometimes destroys–the dynamics within their little team: these are why I come back Friday after Friday, year after year.

Well, that and…the mysteries.

Over the last five years, Grimm has presented and refused to answer more questions than any show I can think of. Most shows would answer a few questions each season only to present even bigger ones, but not Grimm! It would rather heap the questions on top of each other for half a decade, until the majority of its fans have gone well past demanding, or even begging for, answers and into the realm of waiting helplessly for them to just put us out of our misery. Hell, even Lost didn’t leave me hanging on any one thing for this long!

So as we slog through the time remaining before we finally go “Into the Schwarzwald,” I thought I’d do a rundown, in three parts, of some of the most tantalizing questions that Grimm has yet to answer, starting with the ones we’ve been asking since Day One.

Part of the Grimm Writers’ ability to keep us on our toes has been their unusual approach to melding the mytharc with character arcs and monsters of the week. It’s never completely apparent which one we’re getting, for one thing, and they have no problem whatsoever mixing heavy with the last two while making us wait for the first one…and wait, and wait, and wait some more. Only to drop a new clue on us when we least expect it.

In a way, it’s built an odd sort of trust. For one thing, I never go into a new episode of Grimm thinking “oh here we go, filler episode!” For another, I know that no matter how long they go without mentioning the mytharc, they always come back to it eventually.

How many times have we thought we were getting just another MotW when, lo and behold, they pulled us back into the story they’ve been telling from the beginning? Isn’t it great/frustrating? Great because here’s a show that never leaves its roots behind…frustrating because we just want to know already.

So…without further ado, here are the burning questions we’ve been asking ever since Aunt Marie first showed up on Nick’s doorstep with a trailer full of books and weapons in tow:

The Keys

The first time we heard about the keys was in the pilot episode, when Nick was given one by Aunt Marie. At the time, all Nick knew was that he had to keep the key safe and hidden. And for a long time, that’s all we got.

Until the season two premiere, when we learned just a little more. Apparently, these keys once belonged to seven knights–ancestors of the Grimms, no less–who fought for the seven royal families sometime during the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204). During the sacking of Constantinople, these knights discovered a treasure of incredible power. Afraid of what their masters would do with so much power, the knights hid the treasure and put a map to it on the keys.

According to Sean in the season two episode “Endangered,” the Royals spent a lot of time and money (and spilled a lot of blood) to obtain four of the seven keys. Although at some point they must have lost a few of them, considering Team Grimm is in possession of five (and thus most of the map) as of the season five episode “Map of the Seven Knights.”

There wasn’t a lot about the keys in seasons two and three, aside from one or two brief moments in which Nick would look at the one he had. Until, that is, Rolek Porter showed up in season three and passed the key in his possession on to Nick, just before his death. And then we got yet another season of practically nothing before the last two episodes, which brought the keys front and center. At last.

So far, we still don’t even know what the keys lead to, except that it’s supposed to be incredibly valuable and very powerful, powerful enough that, in the wrong hands, it could lead to world domination.

According to the portion of the map Nick now has, the treasure is hidden in the Black Forest. But what is it? And how do they expect to get it with only five of the seven keys? And for that matter…who has the other two? The Royals, perhaps?

Sean Renard

What are his motives? What is his endgame? Who is he, really?

Okay, so we know a bit about the last one. First introduced as Nick’s no-nonsense boss, Captain Renard was almost immediately revealed to be shady af when he ordered Adalind Schade to kill Aunt Marie while she was lying in the hospital. It became increasingly obvious over the course of season one that Sean was not to be trusted, and that he had secret ambitions–and plans for Nick. His identity as a half-royal, half-zauberbiest who had successfully hidden his Wesen identity from Nick for over a year just served to make him seem more dangerous, and more mysterious.

Now, two years later, it’s never been made explicitly clear what Sean’s original motivations were. He clearly wanted Nick in Portland and on his side, even under his control, but for what purpose? More importantly, has his endgame changed, or have his methods for achieving it simply shifted to accommodate new information? Was he seeking to control Nick because he’s shady and dangerous, or because he was worried Nick might be shady and dangerous (I mean, given the Grimms’ reputation, it makes sense)?

Matters aren’t helped by Renard’s inability to play well with others. He has worked with–and pissed off–so many groups over the years, it’s hard to pin down where his loyalties lie. He had no problem condoning and facilitating criminal and even murderous acts in his city, yet he seems fiercely protective of it at times as well.

The royals of House Kronenberg are his family, but there’s no love lost there, on either side. His friend and spy Sebastien was fiercely loyal to Renard, to the point that he died for him…but Renard didn’t seem overly grieved to lose him (then again, the man’s control over his emotions is the stuff of legend).

He worked with the Resistance for a time, but that seemed to be more a means to an end than anything else, and it’s fairly clear he and the Resistance never trusted each other. And at the moment he seems inexplicably embroiled in a weirdly flat side-plot to get his friend elected to office.

Only one thing is certain: he loves his mama.

Okay, yes he does, but in all seriousness: the only certain thing is that before joining Team Grimm, Renard seemed to be after the seven keys that create the Map of the Seven Knights himself. But he hasn’t made any attempt to take them from Nick and Co. since he joined up in season two. Is this because his endgame has changed, or because he decided the best way to get what he wanted was to throw in with Nick?

Who knows…maybe by this time next week, we’ll find out!

Grimm Heredity

Okay, I know that’s not a photo of anything sensible, like the Grimm family trees shown in “Map of the Seven Knights.” But I couldn’t find one and there wasn’t time to make one, so here. Have Trubel with a book.

This is one mystery we’ve gone over and over at FYNB, most notably with D’s

Grimm Punnet Squares. We’ve talked about how gender roles might influence how Grimm genes are passed, whether Grimm might just be another type of Wesen, and even had some back and forth with the Grimm Writers on twitter on the subject!

As the writers themselves have said, the secrets to “Grimmetics” are considered big-M Mythology. As such, the answers are being kept super secret, known only to Jim and David. Which is all well and good, but c’mon guys. It’s been YEARS.

What we do know for sure? Well, not much:

There are concrete and observable physical differences between a Grimm and a Kehrseite, at least in the corneas of their eyes.
These physical differences remain present and observable even when the abilities they afford are latent.
Male Grimms’ abilities show up later in life than female Grimms’.
A female Grimm and male Kehrseite are capable of having a Grimm son (Nick’s parents).
A male Grimm can have a son who displays no Grimm abilities.

It was once implied that the death of a family member could trigger abilities in a male Grimm, but this is questionable considering a) Nick’s abilities began to appear before Marie died, and b) Josh showed no abilities after his father died. Then again, Josh could simply be a squib, so-to-speak…but the sample size here is just too small to know anything.

How does it really work? We can only guess. ~~And beg the writers to tell us.~~