Grimm Review: “Blond Ambition”

Ah, the wedding episode. Castle, Modern Family, Grimm—these are just a few shows that had big wedding season finales this year. It’s difficult to avoid the clichés when this commonplace storyline is being utilized. We know things are going to go wrong, we know one of the bridesmaids is going to get drunk, and we know something tragic will happen to the wedding dress. “Blond Ambition” plays with all of these familiar tropes, but this is Grimm! So things get a lot more interesting than they might in another show. The finale is exciting and fast-paced and—unlike a lot of season finales—it doesn’t try to pack in or wrap up too many storylines in one sitting.

It’s Rosalee’s wedding, but it feels like Adalind’s episode—after all, it’s all about her blonde ambition and the trouble it causes. She’s just so conniving and, well, naughty in this episode. It’s fantastic! The last time we saw her she was teaching us about pointy witch hats. In this episode she’s causing mayhem and confusion as the purple lingerie-thieving “Juliette.” You can’t help but cringe as she slips that gorgeous thing off and slides into bed with Nick, while Juliette (no quotation marks) was gone, getting ready for the wedding.

Now, let’s discuss the dress for a moment. If we’ve learned anything from this episode it’s that sometimes your sister getting drunk and spilling red wine all over your wedding dress is a good thing. If Mommy and Daddy have the cash, their dual guilt may result in you getting the $7,000 dress of your dreams. Score one for Rosalee.

Unfortunately, that new dress is about the only good thing about the wedding. Well, that and her love for Monroe and their super-sweet vows. But while they’re exchanging vows, Trubel’s fighting off the wesen who shot Renard. Renard comes to give Nick the potion he doesn’t even know he needs to ward off Adalind’s spell. As Renard’s getting put out on a stretcher, Trubel’s rushing to the wedding where there are more wesen getting ready for the surprise of a lifetime. And while she’s doing that, Officer Wu is poking around upstairs and finds the book of Grimm—not good, considering that whole Aswang/mental institution situation. It’s going to be really interesting to see his storyline play out next season.

Trubel’s arrival at the wedding makes for an excellent scene. She steps in and we know it’s about to go down. Everyone’s woguing in celebration of the almost-newlyweds (we didn’t quite get to hear them pronounced “husband and wife”), when a grimm shows up. We’re reminded of Claire Coffee’s warning to us, as things do indeed go batshit crazy. When they finally get Trubel in a safe room Nick explains that he didn’t see any of the woguing. Well, crap. Adalind’s paid him back for that one time when he stripped her of her powers and taken away his grimm-hood. Even the mention of Adalind sends Juliette someplace dark… she’s pretty much over this relationship for the moment. And, really? How much can a woman take? Monsters and wesen are one thing, but when they start stealing your face, your lingerie, and your man? It might be time for a break.

And even though Adalind is the bad guy in all of this, that final shot of her on the plane, envisioning her baby is a reminder that she was hurt and deceived too. Like any mother desperate to be reunited with her child, she’s acting a bit cray.

So we end a solid season of horrifying monsters, new grimms introduced, and old grimms who may be not-so-grimm-like anymore.

The underlying commentary of Grimm is what really keeps drawing me in to the show. There have been fascinating allusions to cultural and racial issues, and all of the women taking over the show have made it a truly good time for us feminists. Even in tonight’s episode, there were these almost-imperceptible nods to religion. Monroe’s father misquotes a popular misquotation from the Bible (instead of “God works in mysterious ways,” he says, “the world works in mysterious ways), and right after we see a nude (Eve-like) “Juliette” whisking away in one scene, we see Trubel washing an apple in the sink—a nod to the book of Genesis, perhaps? Either way, all of the imagery is great stuff that proves the show is full of layers.

Until Next Season…

Renard looked pretty dead there… is he dead?

What will become of Adalind once she gets to the Royals?

Men, everywhere listen up. “I was going to propose to you, but…” is always going to be the least sexiest phrase on the planet. (Although, it should be said that Nick managed to looke pretty hot in those prescription sunglasses.)

Favorite Quote of the Episode: “Call me!” (Adalind as “Juliette” to Renard)

Shannon M. Houston is Assistant TV Editor at Paste, and a New York-based freelance writer with probably more babies than you. You can follow her on Twitter.

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New kids on the block: introducing junior Moss, Beckham, Law and Hirst

Dave Benett — one of London’s most in-demand photographers — is struck by their chutzpah: ‘To take on something that your parents have excelled in, it’s brave. Most people can make their mistakes early on without anyone noticing, but the spotlight is on them from such a young age.’

Earlier this month Connor Hirst, the 19-year-old son of artist Damien, was knocking back tequila cocktails in Covent Garden at his art debut; across town Daisy Bevan, a willowy 22-year-old doppelgänger of her mother Joely Richardson, made her stage debut. And 16-year-old Lottie Moss, Kate’s ethereal half-sister (above with Kate at LFW), feels no need to maintain Kate’s mantra of ‘never complain, never explain’. Her Twitter feed is full of lively observations.

Whether they’ll prove to have the staying power of their parents and siblings depends in part not only on their talents, but the continuing relevance of the family name. But with youth and fabulous genetics on their side, they’ve got the best head start.

LOTTIE MOSS

Half -sister of Kate Moss

Who Lottie has shimmied on the FROW next to Kate of late, and is poised to keep the Moss name rolling down the catwalk when her older (by 24 years) half-sister finally retires. The Justin Bieber fan lives in Surrey with their dad Peter and her mother Inga, and recently had her tongue pierced.

What On her 16th birthday she was signed by Storm Model Management — the same agency to spot Kate at 14. Lottie landed her first gig for Dazed Confused in January and has since modelled for Miss Vogue. ‘I’d love to walk in the Chanel shows,’ she says. ‘That would be amazing. Wouldn’t it be fun to be backstage with Cara? She’s so funky.’

BFFs Lottie’s new life rocking up to Topshop shows has landed her next to Anna Wintour and Kendall Jenner. Despite having GCSEs on the horizon, Lottie also found time to party with Naomi, Sienna and Suki at the launch of Kate’s Topshop collection last month.

Family talk Lottie says: ‘Modelling kind of runs in the family.’

CONNOR HISRT

Son of Damien Hirst

Who Damien’s straggly haired son pulls off enfant terrible nearly as well as his pa, who he’s followed into the art world. Having grown up in a £3.5m farmhouse in North Devon, Connor Ojala now lives in Richmond with his dad and younger brothers Cassius Atticus and Cyrus Joe. 

What Last month Connor made his art debut, revealing his sculptures — deconstructed everyday objects — at an exhibition curated by his friend Sascha Bailey (photographer David’s son), where he stood around looking angry next to his work: a broken Mac computer cast in resin.

BFFs Connor accompanied Amba Jackson to her mum Jade Jagger’s most recent jewellery launch and gads about with Hollyoaks actor pal Alfie Browne-Sykes.

Family talk Damien says: ‘[He] made a huge mosquito out of plastic boxes once, so I took it to the foundry and had it cast in bronze.’

Anais Gallagher

ANAIS GALLAGHER

Daughter of Noel Gallagher

Who Anais is the ultimate rock sprog, daughter of Oasis frontman Noel and his ex-wife, professional party-attender and scarf-weaver Meg Mathews. Anais was signed by model agency Select aged just 11 and has already been captured by the lens of photographer to the stars Mario Testino.

What Currently in her third year at boarding school, Anais also finds time to blog for Claire’s Accessories, a job that involves posting photos and videos of her and her mates at parties and interviewing tween idols such as Union J. She has her sights set on becoming a TV presenter. 

BFFs School besties aside, she looks up to the likes of Gizzi Erskine, Pixie Geldof and Jaime Winston- they met on the Moschino front row. She’s also a massive One Direction fan and after Harry Styles gave her free tickets to a show, she tweeted ‘…truly rocked it better than my dad’.

Family Talk Noel says: ‘My kids have got to work themselves around my life, not the other way’.

Brooklyn Beckham with his mother Victoria

BROOKLYN BECKHAM

Son of David and Victoria Beckham

Who The eldest Beckham boy was always destined to be a megababe and has gone straight to cover-star status, smouldering on the front of Man About Town magazine in March. Having lived in Madrid and LA, Brooks is now settled in the capital (hooray!) where he attends a West London private school and dates the lacrosse-loving 15-year-old daughter of an aristocrat.

What The editor of Man About Town called Brooks ‘a diligent, relaxed cover star… a true professional’. Between school, babysitting little sister Harper and accompanying his mum to red-carpet events (Women of the Year awards, left), he’s found time to follow in his father’s footsteps by signing up for Fulham’s academy.

BFFs Brooklyn is besties with Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Megan, and is also mates with Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s son Rocco and his Fulham FC team-mates. He’s certainly not wanting for friends, if his 29K Twitter followers are anything to go by, nor female attention — ES once spotted Brooklyn strolling down Kensington High Street, arm in arm with two Sloaney girls. #jealous 

Family talk David says: ‘Brooklyn is now at the age where he wants to do things and go places and you have to hold him back.’

CORA CORRE

Granddaughter of Vivienne Westwood

Who Cora Honeysuckle is the daughter of Serena Rees and Joe Corré, founders of lingerie label Agent Provocateur. Her grandmother is Vivienne Westwood and her grandfather was the late Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren.

What Cora recently graduated from Bedales and has modelled Marc Jacobs make-up for LOVE magazine and graced the cover of Teen Tatler, as well as taking to the catwalk for Giles Deacon at LFW. Oh, and she takes a lot of selfies.

BFFs Marley Mackey is a mate. Family friends include super-stylist Katie Grand (she set up the LOVE shoot — she’s the editor and Marley’s stepmum), Kate Moss and party perennial Fran Cutler’s 13-year-old daughter Mercy.

Family talk When Cora was ten, Granny Viv was upset that she refused to wear the boiled-wool trousers she had bought her: ‘She’s really conservative. I’m very disappointed in that. She wears jeans. I think jeans are terrible. She said to me, “It’s more important if people are nice than what they wear.” I said, “That’s rubbish.” ’

ROCCO RITCHIE

Son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie

Who Rocco is a sports-mad thrill-seeker who splits his time between Mum’s New York home and his dad’s London pad in Fitzrovia. He calls Malawi, the country his siblings David Banda and Mercy James were adopted from, his ‘second home’.

What Practises parkour and goes snowboarding, mainly. He calls himself ‘Soap’ (because he’s white and shapeless, apparently) and uploads Vine and YouTube videos of himself doing extreme sports and diving into five-star swimming pools. There’s not much talk of school, but he did volunteer with Disaster Relief in Haiti.

BFFs In London he pals around with his ‘homeboy’ Brooklyn Beckham, but his best mate is Dom Sesto, a North London-based gymnast with whom Rocco plans to start a rap band called Modoccor. Rocco is constantly on holiday with his posse of young guns, who call themselves ‘The Beasts of the Northern Wild’ and go snowboarding topless.

Family talk In January, Madonna posted a picture of Rocco boxing, with the comment: ‘No one messes with Dirty Soap! Mama said knock you out! #disn****’ She later apologised for the controversial hashtag.

DAISY BEVAN

Daughter of Joely Richardson and Tim Bevan

Who As the fourth generation of the Redgrave acting dynasty — she’s got trademark piercing blue Redgrave eyes — Daisy is regularly mistaken for her mother Joely, particularly as they now share wardrobes at their West London pad. Her dad, Tim Bevan, is the film producer extraordinaire who is one half of Working Title.

What Daisy, a Bedales alumna, recently made her stage debut alongside Jack Fox in Dorian Gray, and appears in her first leading film role in The Two Faces of January, opposite Kirsten Dunst, from today. But it hasn’t been a breeze for the young thesp: ‘It’s quite scary being the next generation of acting. It’s this huge pressure. What if I’m the black sheep?’

BFFs She formed a Girls-like gang when she was studying at the legendary Lee Strasberg Theatre Film Institute in New York and would often bump into chum Cara Delevingne, who was in her year at Bedales.

Family talk Joely doesn’t do helicopter parenting: ‘The biggest thing as a parent is to step back and, after you’ve looked after this little thing for years, say, “It’s your life.” ’

Spitting image: Jude Law’s son Rafferty

RAFFERTY LAW

Son of Jude Law and Sadie Frost

Who Law’s eldest son is the spit of his dad when he shot to fame in 1997. He is based in Primrose Hill with his mother Sadie and siblings Rudy, 11, and Iris, 13. Last year Jude forbade Raffi from getting a tattoo: ‘I told him to wait until he is 18.’ It didn’t stop him from getting his nose pierced.

What Raffi is the lead singer of Dirty Harrys. He has starred in a Tiger of Sweden campaign and appeared in a Vogue shoot with Pixie Geldof. His band played at the Barfly in Camden last month.

BFFs He is dating rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio’s 16-year-old daughter Ella, whom he met at his arty Hampshire boarding school.

Family talk Jude said that he was ‘worrying about [Rafferty] all the time’. His friend Jonny Lee Miller then comforted him by saying, ‘Jude, you were a maniac when you were 17.’

AMBA JACKSON

Daughter of Jade Jagger

Who The younger daughter of Jade Jagger (centre) and artist Piers Jackson; Grandpa is Mick Jagger and Grandma is Nicaraguan bombshell turned human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger (far left). Amba, who turns 18 later this month, first hit the London party scene a few years ago, along with her older sister Assisi, now 21 and due to give birth to her first child any day — Jade is also giving them a little sister soon.

What Before heading to university to study fashion, Amba is taking a gap year, travelling around South America with her boyfriend Frankie Legrange (son of multimillionaire Belgian financier Pierre). They first met as children on the Caribbean island of Mustique, where both Mick and Pierre have villas, and later ended up at the same London sixth form college. The couple live together in West London. ‘We’ll be getting married,’ she says. 

BFFs Amba is usually chaperoned by her mother, grandmother or sister.

Family talk At just 13, Amba appeared in a raunchy video to promote Jade’s new clothing line, causing much controversy. Jade has defended herself, saying, ‘[My children] kind of manage themselves and I oversee it.’

MARY NIGHY

Daughter of Bill Nighy

Who The only child of Bill Nighy and actress Diana Quick, Mary Bing Jamie Alfreda Leonora Quick Kit Nighy was always destined for fame. Her parents denied her access to an agent until she was 18, however, which meant Mary spent most of her time with her head in a book. It paid off: after studying at Westminster School, she got a First in English from UCL. 

What As a director she owes her profession not to her parents but to Sofia Coppola, who convinced Mary to take up the director’s chair having cast her as Princess Lamballe in her 2006 film Marie Antoinette. Mary has since directed several short films and has her own film company, Foster Films.

BFFs The fashion pack, including Anna Wintour and Dree Hemingway, after she was commissioned by Vogue to make a film inspired by last year’s Met Ball punk theme.

Family talk Despite buying his daughter moleskin coats from Margaret Howell, Mary has always suspected Bill would have preferred a son: ‘When she was growing up she’d say: “You wanted a boy, didn’t you?” I’d say: “No!” and I really didn’t — I actively didn’t want a boy. I thought, “Let’s fill the house with women.” ’

MARLEY MACKEY

Who Son of Pulp bassist Steve Mackey, who also produces Florence + The Machine and M.I.A. His stepmum is über-stylist Katie Grand of LOVE magazine.

What Trains to be a rock star, by the look of his Twitter feed. He has possibly the coolest music-related bio of all time, the lyric ‘I don’t have to sell my soul/He’s already in me’, from The Stone Roses’ ‘I Wanna Be Adored’, and his feed is littered with pictures of guitars and music chat. There’s also a picture of him at Goldeneye in Jamaica with his dad’s mate Jarvis Cocker.

BFFs His ‘godsister’ is Daisy Lowe, and he hangs out with Rafferty Law.

Family talk When Marley was born his dad said: ‘You’ve seen other children but you don’t know what it’s like to have one. It’s a bit like waiting for your Christmas present — you know something is going to happen, but you’re really not sure what’s in the package and when it’s unwrapped you’re really excited because it’s what you’ve always wanted. You do adjust, your life doesn’t change that much. You just get less sleep, you don’t have to stay in and watch EastEnders. We take him out all the time, he sits under the table at the restaurant.’

 

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