Supernatural run-ins are not for the faint of heart–or stomach apparently–is what NBC’S fantastical and dark thriller Grimm seemed to be preaching in filler episode ‘Mommy Dearest”. Aired on March 7, the episode opened up to mainstays Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), Griffin (Russell Hornsby) and Sergeant Wu (Reggie Lee) as they responded to a call at a childhood friend’s home after she was assaulted by some freak pervert of a nightmarish creature feeding off of her unborn child. Sounds pretty romantic, doesn’t it? Also known as an Aswang, Filipino legend holds that the eldest son gives up first born to be syphoned off of so that his mother may live a longer life.
To that I say, slow down Lord Voldemort. It is no secret that coming face-to-face with the creature sparks the beginnings of mythological and personal awareness for peripheral character Sgt. Drew Wu–and yes that is, in fact, his name.
From the executive producers of cult favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel, “Grimm” follows detective Burkhardt who has inherited the ability to see supernatural creatures. He is tasked with keeping the balance between mankind and the mythological–or, at least, what they believed to be myth.
Griffin, who closely identifies with Wu’s plight, smartly states that, “Hearing the truth is not the problem. It’s seeing and not being able to explain what it is that pushes you over the edge”. And boy does Wu dive head first over that edge, going into a complete melt down at the end of the episode. In previous episodes, he has been subjected to some mysterious experiences, even eaten furniture before while under a spell. However, this seems to be the first time that he has been exposed first hand and been vulnerable without the sweet cushion of civilian ignorance. What a scary place to be. It also appears that the effects from what he has seen will linger with him through the season.
When the prospect of keeping Wu ignorant to Wesen dealings comes into play, a stony silence arises within the crew. They only have one choice–lie, big time. In last week’s follow up “Once We Were Gods”(in which the gang deals with the shenanigans following the unearthing of an ancient Egyptian artifact) Wu and the rest of the crew write it off as a figment of his imagination–letting him believe he is going crazy instead of telling him the truth about the wesen riddled area of Portland they work in. What a great support system he has.
In a phone interview with The Xavierite, Reggie Lee who plays the Sergeant gave insight into his humanitarian efforts outside of the show and his preference of the show’s characters :
The Xavierite: [Stepping] back a little bit from the show, we wanted to know more about the [Kusewera] benefits. Can you tell us more about that experience and how you got involved with it?
Reggie Lee: Yes. You know, it’s an organization — Kusewera is an organization — that basically allows people from all over the United States actually to go to orphanages both in Africa and the Philippines now. They’ve extended it to the Philippines — which is really fantastic for me since I’m Filipino. It means a great deal to me in that respect. I’d really like to be more involved and I haven’t been.
I have a good friend of mine who is really involved with it and they basically go to orphanages and involve these kids in creative play and activities. So they kind of enhance their experience and teach them to believe in themselves more so that they can use that and go out in the world and be useful.
So I think it is probably one of the most amazing organizations that I’ve ever touched upon or seen at work. It’s great to kind of start to infiltrate myself into that. So it’s probably an organization that I’ll become more involved with in the future.
TX: Wonderful. And also — just for fun — if you could play any other character on the show other than the sergeant who would you like to be?
RL: Definitely Adalind. Definitely Adalind [the show’s premiere seductive, manipulative and graceful witch with a royal baby on the way]. No, I’m just kidding. No, I’m not kidding. It’s fun. I mean I love playing that aspect of any person, you know, because I really don’t ever think that there’s a bad, bad person. I love – here’s what I love about – and I think that that’s true. I think that I’d want to be Adalind. Let’s not kid about that.
But I think that there’s a great deal to be said about the way the writers have really – there’s a gray area to everyone’s character on the show. There really is. You know, there is good and there’s bad. It’s really moral ambiguity which gives the show its life because you’re like that in real life. You know, you question am I being good? Am I being bad? What am I doing? What am I trying to do? I’m trying to be a good person. And I think everyone has that. But boy, I think Adalind has a lot of fun. I’d like to step into those shoes.
TX: Baby and all?
RL: Baby and all? That would be interesting. Then I’d feel more in tune with you women and really know the hardships that you go through when that happens.
While Sgt. Wu is known for his sardonic personality Lee maintains that he does not consider himself sarcastic in real life: “You can allow those things on screen, but the further away you are from those things, the better it is to play them.”
Zhana Johnson
Features Correspondent
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