‘Grimm’ Star David Giuntoli on the Loss of Nick’s Powers: ‘He Grieves It’

“He deals with loss the same as every other person,” the actor tells TheWrap

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Scott Green/NBC

It’s a new chapter for “Grimm” as it launches its fourth season on Friday. Its hero, a member of a class of humans who are able to see demons among us, has lost his superhuman abilities.

“He deals with loss the same as every other person,” star David Giuntoli, who plays Nick Burkhardt, told TheWrap. “He grieves it.”

On the Season 3 finale, Nick’s powers were stolen from him via a spell cast by witch aka hexenbiest, Adalind (Claire Coffee). But, the loss doesn’t mean the demon-fighting is over.

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“He has to remember why he became a cop again,” the actor said. “He has to remember that he was a good detective before he could see monsters. It’s an adjustment period and now he has to gather around all of his resources. It’s not like the Wesen world died when he lost his powers, so now he just has to kind of learn how to manage that.”

When Will Nick’s powers return? Will young Grimm Trubel (Jacqueline Toboni) replace Nick? And what’s the fate of Captain Renard? Read our discussion with Giuntoli below.

TheWrap: What would you say is the theme for season four?
David Giuntoli: Identity, I think, is what I would say. I don’t think Nick knows what his identity is and how his relationships are going to shape and do I want to be a Grimm any longer.

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The return of Nick’s powers doesn’t resolve itself in one episode. What can you tell us about how he deals with the loss?
He grieves it, but when it comes to something like the Grimm powers there’s a silver lining there. He’ll get a somewhat a normal life back, or at least he thinks he may. It could be good for his relationship, but again, it doesn’t undo the past. It’s kind of a mixed bag for him. Being a Grimm certainly was the thing that was messing up Nick and Juliette’s relationship.

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David Giuntoli and Jacqueline Toboni (Scott Green/NBC)

Trubel will have a role in helping as Nick is dealing with the loss, but what else can we expect from her this season? Is she going to be around for a while? Does she kind of go away?
She’ll be around for a little while. She’s great. She’s so committed. She’s a wonderful actress. She’s so eager, fresh, you know, it’s exhausting. She’s like so excited. It’s great. The crew and cast love her, so she’s pretty special.

What can you tell us about what occurs with Captain Renard?
Well he dies in the first episode. That’s kind of what I can say.

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Seriously?
I mean, yeah. You’ll see. I can’t really say. Yeah.

So, Wu had PTSD following him around after dealing with a monster personally. In the finale, he had a freak-out when he saw the book before the season ended last season. Will there be a big fallout from that?
That carries on completely. We do not abandon that storyline. He is starting to really hate Nick and Hank, and he knows we’re hiding something, but he doesn’t know what, and he doesn’t like us for not telling him.

What kinds of monsters will we see this season?
We have the chupacabra episode, which is really, really going to be fun. We do a golem episode, which is kind of Jewish folklore. So, I really like when we get into different culture’s actual folklore. It ain’t bad for viewership either.

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What would you say is the craziest monster so far, of the ones that you’ve experienced?
The Gedächtnis Esser or The Octo-man — that’s what we called him around set. He’ll be around for a couple of episodes. He steals memories and takes identities.

We see Adalind kind of leaving, but is that something that we will see pop up again?
Oh yeah, that baby storyline, that’s going to be cooking. That’s going to be cooking. That’s going to be the engine of her hate for some time, and rightfully so.

So we’re not going to see the good version of her for a while?
Oh boy. No. I mean I can’t overemphasize how messed up it becomes with Adalind in the first five episodes.

“Grimm” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

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