In the fortieth episode of Monster, Dr. Tenma meets an odd stranger on his way to Prague. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Monster.Â
Trigger Warning: For mention of child abuse, death
This was a strange one, but in the sense that Grimmer unnerved the HELL out of me. As I’ve said before, I fully expect new characters I meet to have some sort of importance in the future, so I’m anticipating more of Grimmer in the future. He is simply too weird for this to be the last appearance, and I desperately need to know who the hell he is and why he’s on this path.Â
Because what the FUCK!!! Here is a man who is researching—apparently??? is that story even TRUE???—the exact thing that Dr. Tenma has been tracking down. The truth of what happened at Kinderheim 511 is at the center of Grimmer’s research, which means that he’s most likely not all that far from discovering the existence of Johan, one of the kids who survived that hellish orphanage. But how exactly did Grimmer get interested in this? Does he have a personal reason for it or did it just capture his attention?Â
I ask this because I suspect that there is most definitely something else going on with this character. His demeanor was, at times, perplexing. He is aggressively kind, in the way that suggest that he behaves as he does for a reason. Like, the episode makes a big deal out of how much Grimmer believes a random stranger in the Dresden train station. I think most of us have met those type of scammers on public transportation. But not only did Grimmer not appear to be suspicious of the man, but when he is told that he probably got lied to, Grimmer seemed excited about that? I mean, I respect the fact that he gave that man money because he wanted to and because it was kind. I don’t see anything harmful in his outlook. If anything, Grimmer seems to want to spread positivity and an appreciation for life. Which also feels linked to the death of his son??? WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?
His path intersects with Tenma’s… because of coincidence? Shit, I don’t even know if I can say that with any certainty. Like I said on video, Grimmer is so damn intentional. Nothing seems to be an accident or a coincidence with him. So why was he on that specific train? Did he want to interact with Tenma? Let’s assume he didn’t and that I’m just being paranoid. Then that means he got the chance of a lifetime to interact with someone he recognized from news coverage. Then, using his own “expertise†in reading criminality (and I love how this was tied to oppression and obfuscation in East Germany), he knew Tenma was innocent and helped him escape from the guards. THEN GUIDED HIM TO THE BORDER??? Like… holy shit, that is so much? And then, apparently he walked back to the nearest station, boarded a train, and continued on to Prague??? WHO THE FUCK IS THIS MAN?Â
I’m just fascinated about how he is made out to be a parallel to Tenma while still having a wholly different story. I commented on video about how that scene with the kid and the stolen shoes reminded me of Tenma/Dieter, but I think there are other similarities. I have this idea in my head that the reason Tenma opened up about him shooting Roberto is because Tenma recognized someone like himself in Grimmer. I think Grimmer has a huge secret, too, one that has affected who he is now. In that moment on the mountainside, Tenma felt safe enough to confess this thing that had been haunting him and explained why he so intensely rejected the claim that he was still a doctor. His hands had been used to harm someone. Deliberately! He learned that he was capable of such an act, which has understandably fucked him up.
So what about Grimmer, then? He is so good at his job, y’all. He found the old director of Kinderheim 511 and just ROLLED UP on him. Is that man going to tell him the truth? Or is Grimmer wasting his time? Something tells me the former is about to happen, and I can’t wait to find out more about Kinderheim 511. Also, Grimmer and Tenma are about to be in the same city together AGAIN. UGH. This show is so tense!!!
The video for “Grimmer†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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