Grimm: What The Wesen See When They Look At Nick

On Grimm, Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) could see the monsters (known as Wesen) for what they truly were, but what did they see when they looked at him, and how did they know he was a Grimm? Inspired by the Brothers Grimm stories, the NBC series revolves around the idea that Nick is a descendant from an ancient line of monster hunters called Grimms who have a responsibility to track down and kill mythological beasts who live amongst humans in plain sight.

In the world of Grimm, people like Nick can distinguish the Wesen from the humans when the creatures “woge“, which happens when they are startled or angry. “Woge” is a common term in Grimm that describes how the Wesen’s appearance takes it natural form for a brief moment. Normally when a Wesen woges, this change can only be spotted by a Grimm. So when Nick and his partner Hank (Russell Honrsby) are on a case and interview a suspect or a witness, sometimes that person accidentally reveals themselves to be a Wesen by woging in front of Nick. But when this happens, they can also recognize Nick as a Grimm.

All of this begs the question: what does a woged Wesen see when they look at Nick, and what about him tips them off to his true identity? This is finally explained in Grimm season 3 when Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) explain that Nick can attend their Wesen wedding if he wears sunglasses to cover up his eyes. According to Monroe, it’s Nick’s eyes that give him away as a Grimm. While in a woged state, a Wesen sees Nick’s eyes turn black. To them, his eyes contain “infinite darkness“, and in his eyes they can see their true nature reflected back at them.

While viewers are able to see what a Wesen looks like while woged, how they see Nick is never shown on-screen. It makes perfect sense that viewers never get to see this on the show, as this allows the series to keep the viewers on the same page as its main protagonist. They only get to see what he can see. Regardless, revealing it through Monroe and Rosalee did answer a question that many fans had about Grimms and their relationship with Wesen, as it provided a much deeper explanation about why the Wesen are so terrified of Grimms.

It was said in the pilot episode of the series that Grimms have a reputation for seeking out and beheading Wesen. So when they realize Nick is a Grimm, it’s not surprising that they’re generally mistrustful and frightened of him. On multiple occasions, the Wesen panic or become hostile, as they expect Nick to try to kill them. It takes a few moments for Nick to calm them down and convince them that he isn’t a threat. Some of their reactions, though, have been a bit more extreme, and as Rosalee has pointed out, his eyes likely have something to do with that.

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