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:
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.
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