01-31-2016, 11:58 AM
(01-31-2016, 10:31 AM)Robyn Wrote:(01-29-2016, 10:25 PM)Hexenadler Wrote: ...and with this episode, the writers behind GRIMM have officially shown they haven't the slightest clue how to conceive believable characters and situations.
I need to sleep on this. I'm too angry to properly articulate my thoughts right now.
I temporarily lost sight in my left eye the first time watching the Nick/Adalind table scene. But as I re-watched the episode, some scenes multiple times, it began to make more sense.
David Giuntoli used the term Stockholm Syndrome when describing the Nick/Adalind relationship. Regardless of what the Greenwalt & Kouf intended, DG’s assessment fits perfectly with the N/A relationship & this episode.
Nick & Adalind were trapped in a situation neither wanted & neither could get out of, but they did what they had to do & made the best of it - a variation of Stockholm Syndrome. The ‘fortress that Nick built’ doesn’t only keep the evil out, it disconnects their past from their present, and whatever perception they have of their future.
Until, without warning, they’re confronted by a threat that is emotionally, intimately, and potentially powerful enough to destroy everything they managed to build.
At the end of Wesen Nacht, Nick was not in love with Adalind, at best, he’s realized he could love her. They’re not just living together & sharing a bed (Nick knows how good sharing a bed with Adalind can be, he just hasn’t allowed himself to act on it) Adalind is a good mother & supportive partner. Nick is a nester by nature, and coupled with this side of Adalind that is new & different & pleasant to him, it’s easy for him to follow a path that leads to loving her.
Nick hasn’t dealt with his emotions concerning Juliette & everything that happened, he compartmentalized those emotions so he could deal with unexpected responsibilities. And as long as he keeps memories of Juliette locked away, those emotions won’t interfere with his present & future with Adalind & Kelly.
But now Juliette is back, and there’s not a big enough lock to keep those emotions from spilling out. He can either revert to his past commitment & fight to the end to get Juliette back, again, or, confront his guilt & grief & anger, and prevent the past from interfering with his present & future life.
He told Monroe why he had to meet with Juliette: “Because I need to bury her one way or another.”
Nick’s choice to symbolically bury Juliette doesn’t mean he suddenly stopped loving her, and parts of the restaurant scene clearly show that he still loves her, but other parts show he doesn’t want her back.
If Nick is turning away from Juliette & a second chance at the life they once had, where are those emotions going to go? Transference.
Nick is again a basket case of emotions, and again, he has to make life-altering decisions with little forewarning or time. That doesn’t mean his feelings for Adalind aren’t genuine, but rather, he has to acknowledge those feelings immediately & act on them in the moment instead of gradually over time.
When Adalind’s fear about Juliette, and the possibility that Nick still loving Juliette, would threaten her & Kelly wasn’t appeased by his affirmation - “I’m not going to let her hurt you” - he moved forward & validated his commitment - “Juliette being back doesn’t change the way I feel about Kelly or you”.
The table scene - whew!
Nick doesn’t consider Adalind tricking him into sex (for the spell) or getting pregnant as the culprit in his & Juliette’s demise. Their downfall was his need to be a Grimm & their decision to reverse the spell instead of opting for a normal life. Adalind would have gotten pregnant even if they hadn’t reversed the spell, but the assumption is, they would have been on solid ground & would have survived the fallout of the spell - his & Adalind’s baby.
Nick admitting he doesn’t want Adalind to take back Kelly, his eyes glazing with lust while he relives a three-second replay of how Kelly came to be, the kiss - emotions run amuck.
That doesn’t mean those emotions aren’t real. But because Juliette’s return threatens the life they’ve made, and forces Nick to make sudden & swift decisions about what he wants long term, emotions & desires are forced up just as suddenly & swiftly.
Both admitted they’d thought about it, and both admitted they weren’t ready to confront it.
I appreciate that although Nick appeared ready to knock the coffee cups out of the way & throw Adalind on the table, he didn’t. He didn’t hide his desire, but waited for Adalind to acknowledge it & respond. And I appreciate that Adalind was the voice of reason, recognizing they were reacting to overheated emotions & ending the kiss, then cautioning they should be sure it’s what they want.
(01-30-2016, 01:35 AM)Hexenadler Wrote: I can't sleep. This damn episode has ticked me off so much I'm unable to even doze off. What about all the neighbors who were also slaughtered on the night Juliette fed Kelly to the Royals? Would Eve really say "I'm starting over" to the families of those victims?
The more I think about the story, the more I want to punch something.
Either here or on Wiki, someone compared the need to see Juliette and Adalind punished for their sins and redeem themselves to Monroe’s past sins that were talked about but never seen on the show. Our emotional tie to the characters & their sins is stronger when we’re privy to the devastation they cause and when they hurt characters we care about.
Monroe has redeemed himself & is dedicated to being a good person, but nothing hints at him making restitution to his victims’ families. And could he? Really? Other than reversing the tragedies, what can he do except move forward & commit to a better life.
With Juliette’s transformation into Eve, there’s not a Juliette to feel guilty & seek redemption. Eve clarified that the transformation/reprogramming saved her & that she remembers everything. For now, it appears her intentions are to fight evil, and in the mythical & strange world of Grimm that may be all we get.
Redemption and punishment don’t always happen, and when they do, they can have many interpretations and not live up to our expectations.
Robyn, thanks for that. I thought that was one of the more thoughtful and insightful posts I have seen on this board.