Monroe

Monroe is a Wieder Blutbad who lives a fairly solitary, reformed life among humans. Monroe helps Detective Nick Burkhardt navigate the Wesen world.

The pair form an unlikely friendship as result of Nick oftentimes calling upon Monroe for help. Most times Monroe is consulted for his knowledge pertaining to creatures of the Wesen world, usually whenever the information offered by the books and diaries inside Aunt Marie's trailer proved insufficient at providing Nick with any assistance. In addition, Nick has come to rely on Monroe's support in various capacities: Monroe has helped from tracking to protection to clandestine investigative methods.

In, Detective Nick Burkhardt encounters Monroe while investigating a series of disappearances, the latest being a young girl named Robin Howell. Monroe came to Nick's attention when Nick sees him morph into a wolf like creature, while watching a group of passing children. The police search Monroe's house, but find nothing.

Det. Burkhardt stakes out Monroe's home at night. In order to get a better view of the Blutbad's activities, Nick gets closer to the house. He observes Monroe in his backyard "marking" his territory. Monroe realize he is being watched and goes back inside his house. Nick is ambushed by Monroe, who jumps through a window. The two men briefly grapple, with Monroe easily getting the upper hand for a while, but Monroe stops, and asks Nick inside for a beer.

Monroe is astounded to meet an actual Grimm. The two men talk about the history of Grimms, Blutbaden, and Monroe's life as a Wieder Blutbad. After talking with Monroe, Nick realizes he has the wrong Blutbad. Monroe reluctantly helps Nick find the one responsible. He leads him to a house in the woods, home of the Postman, but has to leave because he feels he can no longer suppress his Woge.

In, Monroe again assists Nick by guarding Aunt Marie when her police protection is canceled. Monroe arrives at the hospital, and he and Marie have a terse conversation, which is interrupted by Monroe noticing men that are stalking Marie's hospital room. He follows one of the assassins down into the hospital basement, and is ambushed by a second assassin. Monroe assumes his Blutbaden form and severely beats the two, tearing off a gun arm (not escaping without harm). Monroe then leaves quickly so that he isn't caught at the scene. Before leaving Monroe phones Nick to tell him that he has to abort protection detail and warns him to get to the hospital because he isn't sure that he got all the assassins. As Monroe flees, a man dressed as a priest attacks Marie, but she fights back and kills him just as Nick arrives. Sadly the stress was too much for her weakened body to take, and she dies in Nick's arms.

In, Monroe and Nick go to rescue a young Blutbad that had been living as a wild thing in the woods for nine years. The girl, Holly Clark was abducted by a pedophile that lived next door to her adoptive parents. When the pedophile attempted to take her, she turned and bit him in the leg, severing bone. She then ran off and scavenged. Monroe was nearly killed by two rednecks that were trying to kill Holly to avenge their brother, but Holly killed one, and Nick shot the other. Holly had become especially close to Monroe as she had never met another Blutbad, not knowing what she was, and because he and Nick protected and cared for her.

In, Hank is attempting to face Oleg Stark, an ogre. As Nick is hospitalized, he gives Monroe the key to his aunt's trailer so he can take the weapon needed to kill Stark. Though the key has been returned, Nick's actions clearly reveal his trust in Monroe. In Of Mouse and Man, Monroe is attacked by Reapers. This is their way of telling him that they disapprove of creatures friendly interaction with a Grimm. When Nick sees Monroe's extensive injuries and hears what happened, he quickly offers to never ask for Monroe's help again. But Monroe firmly states that he'll continue assisting Nick.

In, Monroe helps Nick by buying dried human gallbladder for $300 from a shop that sells human organs. Monroe also tells Nick that human organs are used for creature enhancement. NOTE: Monroe has a formal dinner with Nick for the first time (at Monroe's Home).

In, Monroe helps Nick to find an underground fight club, but is captured by Gladiator Lowen who are actually looking for a Blutbad contestant. During his time in a filthy cage, he pulls a nail from Dimitri's hand and is subjected to electric shocks--in the arena he had a clear visible injury on his back, having been injured with a mace-like weapon. Nick runs to save Monroe's life and arrives just in time to risk his life in the arena to save Monroe. Fortunately they are both saved by the arrival of police back up.

In, Nick asks Monroe to come to the trailer and translate some German text for him. After he does so, Monroe snoops around the trailer and discovers old camera equipment. This excites him, as he says he recognizes the equipment as being of the sort his maternal great-uncle Olaf would use as a newsreel editor in Berlin during the 1920's.

In Plumed Serpent, Nick runs into Monroe at a fire dancing (strip?) club. Monroe admitted that he came there often, to see Ariel preform. Later, Nick asked Monroe to come with him to help rescue Juliette. Monroe correctly guessed that the Fred and Ariel Eberhart's lair would be in a tunnel at the end of an abandoned railroad line. Monroe sneaked past the two Dämonfeuers to help rescue Juliette. After they were all out of the tunnel, Monroe introduced himself to Juliette saying he was a "private investigator."

Nick goes with the police lab reports to Monroe's house. However all the scientific names are hard for Monroe to identify, so they both go to the shop. In the basement, Monroe explains about a drug called "J". As both start to leave, Rosalee stops Monroe and both of them morph. At the station, Rosalee requests that Monroe stay with her. Nick agrees and calls Monroe.

Monroe goes to Rosalee's brother's house, he is given the couch to sleep on. The next morning, Rosalee wakes up Monroe, and he is startled and transforms briefly into a Blutbad. Rosalee says she is going back to the shop, so Monroe goes too. At the shop, Monroe asks Rosalee about her experience in Apothecaries, however, is interupted by Wu who collapses in front of them. Monroe calls Nick. Both Monroe and Rosalee work to create an herbal remedy with Keim extract. 30 minutes later they find Wu is looking better. Monroe is obviously impressed with Rosalee's skills. They take him back to his apartment where both Nick and Monroe find out about Rosalee's past addictions. Nick and Monroe decide to go to the Trauminsel. Monroe has trouble smelling with all the fumes of the drug so they split up. Monroe finds Joshua and chases after him, but once they get outside, Joshua turns a gun on Monroe. Luckily, Rosalee is there and knocks the guy out with a brick. Monroe is once again, impressed.

Rosalee is at the shop when Monroe comes in. He has a bouquet of flowers and hands them to her. He says they are for saving his life, he knows it's not equal trade. Rosalee says she plans to stay in Portland, and decides to reopen the shop. Monroe is glad, he says he has the rest of the day off and would like to help put things up in the shop.

Nick calls Monroe from vacation to ask about his neighbor. A disgruntled Monroe at 2am explains that it is a Klaustreich, a creature he has animosity towards. He explains that he dated a girl named Molly in high school who left him for one. The Klaustreich got her pregnant and she had his “litter” at prom. When her parents found out who the father was, he got in trouble. As a goodbye, he slashed Molly’s face. When Nick asks if they ever found him, Monroe replies that the police didn’t but somebody did, hinting that he may have gotten revenge in Molly’s honor.

Monroe is helping Rosalee in her shop. Nick calls to ask about a Seltenvogel. Both Rosalee and Monroe explain the history and the rarity of the Wesen. Monroe warns Nick to be careful, as the Seltenvogel might be in danger.

Later, Nick calls Rosalee for help to remove the Unbezahlbar from Robin (the Seltenvogel). Monroe is a little insulted that he called Rosalee and not him, but helps Nick through video phone with Rosalee on how to remove the egg. Both are intrigued and very impressed to have seen a rare occurrence. Monroe tells Nick to call him later.

Monroe helps Rosalee Calvert with the Zaubertrank put on Hank Griffin.

Monroe helps buy time for Rosalee to escape when Edgar Waltz is holding her at gunpoint, allowing Ian Harmon to eventually kill him.

Monroe goes to dinner at Nick and Juliette's house which makes for an interesting conversation over the meal. Monroe decapitates the second reaper saying "Two heads are better than one" when Nick wants to send a message.

Monroe brings the Murcielago Mutraca to Nick, allowing him to save Taylor Kerfield from Lucinda Jarvis.

Monroe is visited by his Wildermann friend, Larry, who was suffering from a condition that inhibits his Woge. Unable to rush him to the hospital, Monroe calls upon Nick. Monroe later uses himself as decoy and was seen in Wesen form by Hank as he is running through the forest, trying to distract the dogs from his house. He tells Nick about Konstantin Brinkerhoff, and gives Nick information about his Wildermann friends. After Larry died, he and Nick carried his body over to the forest to be found by the cops. But before leaving, he offers an adage to eulogize Larry.

Monroe is visited by Nick Burkhardt, trying to show Juliette that the Wesen he sees are real. Nick asks Monroe to Woge into a Blutbad, but right before Juliette can see, she faints.

Biography
Monroe is a Weider Blutbad, or a reformed Blutbad that no longer lives on the wild side. He has not always been this way, and in the past he, along with fellow Blutbaden Hap and Angelina, did live in a more dangerous fashion. While he still has feelings for Angelina, Monroe is no longer in a relationship with her, and is mostly happy with his current peaceful life. Monroe's family has had many run ins with Grimms, so it is likely they do not share his view point.

While Monroe doesn't know German very well, he is able to read it at a basic level, struggling with pronunciation, but generally close. High German was his grandfather's muttersprach, so he knows enough German to help Nick at a basic level in his research. Monroe is also able to read Spanish.

Physical Description
When untransformed, Monroe is a rather tall and lanky well-built man in his forties' with brown hair, brown eyes and somewhat weedy appearance. In Wesen form his facial features become sharper and more pronounced while his hair stands up on ends forming a widow's peak hair line.

Personality
At the beginning of the series, Monroe was shown to be somewhat an amoral character: he doesn't prey on humans, but at the same time, does nothing to prevent other Blutbaden from doing such. He claims this is because maintaining his solitary existence from others of his kind encourages them to follow likewise. He was also very hostile towards Nick, like in "Three Bad Wolves" he yells at Nick about Angelina Lasser. He later develops high moral standards thanks to his interactions with Nick, as seen when Nick insisted him to help track down Holly Clark; Monroe was initially reluctant, until Nick showed him Holly's picture. As an individual Monroe possess a rather laid back personality and is usually calm and level-headed in most situations. To go with his laid back personality Monroe possesses a somewhat dry sense of humor often making puns and sarcastic remarks. Monroe is also slow to anger although he does become slightly irked when someone or something prevents him from doing his daily pilates. One of Monroe's strongest personality traits is his kindness and loyalty to those whom he considers to be his friends which he has demonstrated many times toward Nick and Rosalee, and may have romantic feelings toward the latter. Accordingly, he is often devastated or distraught when he learns that something terrible has happened to anyone he considers his friend, as seen in when his Wildermann friend, Larry died.

Powers and Abilities
As a Blutbad, Monroe has all the standard capabilities of his race. Strength, speed, resilience, acute senses — all these attributes present while in human form are enhanced even further when he morphs into his Wesen form. Furthermore, as a Wieder Blutbad, Monroe has demonstrated sufficient control over his Woge, and has demonstrated being able to partially enter it, selectively morphing parts of his body at will, as seen in Danse macabre, where he summoned claws from his right hand to intimidate Roddy Geiger, or in Let Your Hair Down, where his eyes turned a fierce red color.

Trivia

 * Monroe has a very strict regimen to avoid any relapse of losing control with his innate Blutbad instincts. "How do I stay good? Through a strict regimen of diet, drugs, and Pilates" . He's very strict on his pilates schedule and finds great annoyance with any interference with it, shown when Nick came over Monroe's home at 6:30am asking for Monroe's help (Bears Will Be Bears).


 * While Monroe has maintained a strong control of his Blutbad instincts, he says it could be dangerous for him to associate himself with a 'wild' Blutbad as he could relapse because Blutbaden are dangerous in a pack, especially when they see red. One such example is when he housed Angelina, who reminded him of the 'old days' and convinced him to accompany her to the woods, where they proceeded to kill an animal and eat it—which completely goes against Monroe's principles, as he is vegetarian.


 * Monroe's favorite color is red.


 * Monroe enjoys collecting model trains and stamps


 * It is unknown whether or not Monroe is his first name or his last name; the missing part of his name has never been said nor has it been seen in props. The house number on Monroe's mail box is 418; the box does not bear a name.


 * Monroe loves the Christmas Holiday. He enjoys decorating his home in all manner of Christmas decorations, including a valuable antique train set. He has a Santa suit, and says he makes a good Santa, even though Santa Claus is not a Blutbad, but a different sort of creature, one that can easily survive in arctic conditions.


 * Monroe drives a vintage Volkswagen Beetle.


 * Monroe attended Brown University for graduate school (unknown major or undergrad). He told Hap this when he let him borrow his alma mater shirt.


 * Monroe wears plaid-patterned clothing frequently.


 * It has been hinted at though not confirmed that he has romantic feelings for Rosalee Calvert


 * Monroe is an accomplished cellist.


 * Monroe's front door sports a stained glass window featuring a coat of arms surrounded by a forest. The coat of arms can be described as "azure, a wolf rampant gules" (blue, with a red wolf walking upright with its forepaws extended") and also has red squares in the top corners and a red line across the bottom. The red-on-blue design violates the rule of tincture and is most likely not a genuine historical coat of arms.

Family


Monroe doesn't seem to fear the Grimms as much as other wesen. He starts the relationship with Nick by attacking him, and then asking him in for a beer. When Monroe was a kid he heard scary stories about Grimms and all the ways they have killed and dismembered his ancestors. In particular he has heard many frightening things about Marie Kessler, Nick's aunt, who seems to have a bloody reputation in the supernatural creature world. His great-grandma's head was cut off and placed on a lamppost by Marie. His grandfather was mutilated by the Grimms and his farm was burned down. He does admit that his grandfather may have deserved the treatment for some of the things he had done. Monroe also mentions that his parents are alive. He tells Marie that if they knew he was this close to a Grimm without avenging his family he would not be invited to any more Thanksgivings.

On his mother's side, he states he has a great-uncle Olaf, who was a newsreel cameraman in 1920's Berlin. When Olaf died, his camera equipment was transferred to Monroe's mother. Monroe mentions to Nick that he'd be rummaging through his attic for the camera equipment later, implying that his mother passed the equipment down to him.

Monroe has a cousin Nadler, who lives in Antwerp. Nadler called Monroe and informed him that a Grimm had been killed near where he lived.

Monroe mentions that after a couple of beers his grandfather would start speaking High German. Whether this grandfather is the one who'd been mutilated by the Grimms is unknown.