Penny Thoughts ‘14—Grimm, season 3 (2013-2014) ****

TV-14, 22 45-min. episodes

Creators: Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf

Directors: Norberto Barba, Eric Laneuville, Karen Gaviola, Steven DePaul, John Behring, Aaron Lipstadt, Terrence O’Hara, Tawnia McKiernan, Allen Kroeker, Peter Werner, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Rob Bailey, Paul A. Kaufman, David Solomon, Clark Mathis

Writers: Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf, Sean Calder, Rob Wright, Michael Golamco, Michael Duggan, Thomas Ian Griffith, Dan E. Fesman, Alan DiFiore, Brenna Kouf, Marc Gaffen, Kyle McVey

Starring: David Guintoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Sasha Roiz, Reggie Lee, Bree Turner, Claire Coffee

Guest starring: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Reg E. Cathey, James Frain, Christian Legadec, Robert Blanche, Jean-Luc Boucherot, Kamyar Jahan, Jay Karnes, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Damien Puckler, Dan Bakkedahl, Danny Bruno, Michael Welch, Stephanie Nogueras, Brian McNamara, Derek Ray, Sara Fletcher, Manny Montana, Gina Gallego, Bertila Damas, Matt McTighe, Tim Griffin, Gabriel Suttle, Julianne Christie, Alexis Denisof, Matthew Willig, Sharon Sachs, Derek Mears, Shane Coffey, Bernhard Forcher, Sharon Leal, Mark Ivanir, Alicia Legano, Aleksandra Kaniak, Angela Gots, Dalpre Grayer, Emily Rios, Gonzalo Menendez, Kirk Acevedo, Todd A. Robinson, Amy Newman, Matt Lasky, Chris Mulkey, Dee Wallace, Freda Foh Shen, Alain Uy, Tess Paras, Anne Dudek, Gene Freedman, Sam Witwer, Carlo Rota, Chryssie Whitehead, Philip Anthony-Rodriguez, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, C. Thomas Howell, Jacqueline Toboni, Sasha Goldberg, Conner B. Neddersen, Michael Graziadei, Karissa Lee Staples, Camille Collard, Aparna Briel, Sam Anderson, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe

In season 3 of the NBC supernatural horror/adventure series “Grimm” everything returns to grand form. Gone is the endless subplot of Juliette being under a spell. In fact little this season lasts the entire season. The subplot of Adalind’s pregnancy and baby is ongoing, but its one with developments and mysterious and powerful implications. I did get concerned in the final few episodes when it looked like Adalind might be gunning for Juliette a second time, but Juliette was her means not her target this time.

I think the most wonderful aspect of season three, however, is the loving relationship between Monroe and Rosalee. Their romance has been a bright spot in the show ever since Rosalee’s introduction halfway through the first season. This season’s finale was the culmination of the romance with the show’s first wedding. It was a wedding in full “Grimm” fashion, however, and I’ll admit I felt a little bad for the couple, because that isn’t really how you want to remember your special day. And, how great is it that the casting department has such a sense of humor that they would cast the mother from “Cujo” to play Monroe’s mom, a type of wessen that is similar to a dog?

While this season’s overall arc is even more profound and complicated than any previous season, the writers are still doing a very good job keeping the series heavily episodic in nature. That’s one of the aspects I’ve always liked about the show. Even in the mythology heavy episodes, they usually give you a main storyline that is contained within that episode. When they brought a second Grimm on in the final few episodes of the season, I figured it would be all mythology from that point on. However, they still managed to keep things episodic and worked in the importance of bringing on a second Grimm with their rather unexpected cliffhanger. Still can’t wait until the next season.