User blog:Grimmaniac/Thoughts on Ep. 610, "Blood Magic"

"Wow." I think that was the first thing I said, with teary eyes to be sure, at the conclusion of "Blood Magic," as Grimm's 120th episode pretty much left me speechless. Despite the many great episodes that have come of this series, this one truly felt different and stands alone. It was spectacular on so many levels – beautifully written, acted, produced, edited, directed... everything you can think of, they completely nailed it. A huge, huge shout out to guest stars Nancy Linehan Charles and Frank Birney, who did an absolutely incredible job of portraying the Stantons. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give to those involved in making this episode happen is this: as best as I can remember, never before has an episode of Grimm introduced two characters in a single episode and had me so invested in them by the end of it, who they were and their story. Not quite in the way that I was with "Blood Magic." I can't praise these guest stars enough; their portrayal of the Stantons, both the heartache and devastation caused by dementia, as well as the love these characters clearly had for one another, was just so poignantly and beautifully portrayed. You begin to feel the emotions of the final scene between those two just thinking about it all.

Grimm has always done such a great job of telling a story that integrates real world events or problems in real life, but judging from the response from some Grimmsters after seeing "Blood Magic," it seems I'm far from alone when I say this episode hit home on a whole other level entirely. This episode really shed a lot of light on the impact and fallout that families suffer when caring for a loved one who has dementia, and, while it was absolutely gut-wrenching and so tragic to watch at times, there was something so pure, inspiring, cathartic, and just so moving about it all. I can't help but feel compelled to write a thank you to the show for even just this episode alone.

So, to Grimm, I find myself thanking you so very much yet again. As many people can likely attest, the pain, frustration, sadness, and helpless feelings of watching a loved one suffer through dementia is one of the toughest things to experience and all too difficult to think and talk about. The memories I have of witnessing my beloved grandmother go through the ups and downs of it all are all still fresh for me. I don't think that "hurt" ever truly goes away; it was all brought back in many ways while I watched the final scene with the Stantons play out, and like a tidal wave, all kinds of emotions hit me in that scene. However, in a show that deals with all kinds of monsters, Grimm continues to prove how very humanizing it can be at the same time; that heartbreaking goodbye between the Stantons was incredibly emotional, yet so delicately and intricately portrayed, that I was deeply moved by the humanity portrayed in that moment. The way that this episode, and those final scenes in particular, illustrated the struggle and emotions that are so painful and difficult for many, including me, to articulate... it just couldn't have been done any better. "Blood Magic" showed that even when things are seemingly at their worst, people can still be at their very best with the power of love, friendship, understanding, empathy, and support. That and so much more was all wrapped up in one of the greatest episodes of television, never mind just Grimm, I've ever seen.

Through six awesome seasons, Grimm has made its fans laugh, think, and cry, and in the great words of, "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day." I can't agree more, and Grimm has really been one heck of a show. I'll be savoring the final 3 episodes as best I can!

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As always, to all the readers out there, thank you once again for your time.