GRIMM — “El Cuegle” Episode 604 — Pictured: (l-r) Russell Hornsby as Hank Griffin, David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt, Reggie Lee as Sergeant Wu — (Photo by: Allyson Riggs/NBC)
If you could know that a baby would grow up to kill ten random people – or worse – would you kill that baby?
That’s the situation that Nick Burkhart faces on this week’s episode of Grimm (NBC, Fridays, 10/9C), El Cuegle.
El Cuegle opens with Renard’s (Sasha Roiz) unexpected reunion with Meissner (Damien Puckler) before moving on to the kidnapping of a baby by a three-armed, three-eyed Wesen.
There’s a face-off between Renard, Nick, Hank (Russell Hornsby), and Wu (Reggie Lee) in Renard’s office; a reunion for Nick, Adalind (Claire Coffee) and Kelly – with Diana (Hannah R. Loyd) at the Spice Shop (with Diana making an observation regarding Bree turner’s Rosalee), and the discovery that El Cuegle (Carlos Sanz) isn’t just a baby-eating monster. He claims he’s preventing future tragedy!
Written by Brenna Kouf and directed by Carlos Avila, El Cuegle offers an examination of that ethical problem about whether one could kill the baby Hitler if they could see into the future to see what evil he would do. The problem being, of course, that the baby hasn’t done anything wrong, yet, so would it be right to kill an innocent?
GRIMM — “El Cuegle” Episode 604 — Pictured: El Cuegle — (Photo by: Allyson Riggs/NBC)
Deepening this idea, El Cuegle certainly doesn’t seem to be enjoying his work – though there is circumstantial evidence that he’s telling the truth about the reason for his activities. Very interesting circumstantial evidence…
Another concept that is being looked at this season is that of power corrupting. Diana has a lot of power and has used it for what she considers to be good reasons – but as a child, she could be easily manipulated. In fact, there’s a subtle kind of manipulation exercised by her father this week. So, is Renard corrupt for trying to influence Diana on his behalf? Is Diana’s use of her powers in the ways that she’s used them, necessarily evil?
Add to the episode this idea that those whom God would destroy, he first makes mad. Is Meissner’s reappearances to Renard a sign of outside interference or perhaps a manifestation of his conscience – or is Renard going mad? Or, maybe, a bit of all three?
As Grimm’s final season progresses, the tension grows and now there’s a fair bit of action as well – plus the show’s more metaphysical/philosophical underpinnings are deepening as well.
And just what the heck is Eve (Bitsie Tulloch) doing in the tunnel after digging out the mysterious Stick?
It seems a shame that Grimm is coming to a conclusion when it’s reaching new heights.
Final Grade: A