Sasha Roiz and 'speaking in tongues'
As someone with a background in linguistics, I am endlessly, joyously surprised by Sasha's ability to handle differing languages with a variegated toolbox of sounds and modes of expression, rather than the common occurrence of it being clear that an actor has been drilled phonetically with Anglicized thoughts re-dressed in the necessary other forms.
In a Canadian, phenomenal French is not a shock, but his German and Russian each display the clear, known qualities of their root without slipping off into parody, and his personal background as one born in Tel Aviv presumably feeds into this. However, as a British person, I was impressed by how much Guildford has remained with him, as shown in the tone and consistency of 'Jack'. All in all, his…
A tilt in the axis
Overall, I am enjoying many things about Season 6, including Rosalee and Monroe's preparations for parenthood and Sean Reynard's apparent remorse, but there is one element which frequently assails my willing suspension - Diana, and specifically her power level and range. The always potent little girl has become the 'deus ex machina', fixing the problems, furnishing the clues and, for me, rendering the team largely redundant much of the time. Even if they want to, it doesn't appear they can fight her, and a little girl who can make her daddy kill and smother his girlfriend to death doesn't seem like someone who will hesitate to do whatever her whims prod her to. It feels occasionally as though Nick is only alive because Diana likes Kelly, s…
Paring down to essentials
I was struck by how much Sean Renard is "The Slave of Duty" (to borrow the sub-title of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'The Pirates of Penzance'), and I wondered how far, reasonably, the other main characters might be summarised with single quotes. Here's what I came up with, and if you disagree, please feel free to say so in the comments. Better yet, offer an improved alternative.
Sean Renard – Necessitas dat legem non ipsa accipit. (Necessity gives law, it does not recognise law for itself) Publilius Syrus
Juliette – Was aus Liebe getan wird, gescheiht immer jenseits von Gut und Bose. (Whatever shall be done out of love, takes place beyond Good and Evil) Nietzsche
Rosalee - Man propounds negotiations, Man accepts the compromise. Very rarely will he…
In the eyes of a Grimm
"Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein." - Jenseits von Gut und Böse: Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
This quote, usually rendered as "Wrestle not with monsters, lest a monster ye become. And if you gaze into the Abyss, know also the Abyss gazes into you." in English, seems to me to encapsulate the Grimm-Wesen dyad, the impact of the Wesen darkening the Grimm's worldview with monsters and the Grimm's eyes of bottomless, swallowing darkness which enfolds the Wesen. It was just an idle thought, but one I felt the urge to share. :)
NB As the German 'Ungeheuer' shares conceptual links wit…