Although inquiring minds want to know the scoop on season three of NBC’s wild dramatic series Grimm, Sasha Roiz (‘Captain Sean Renard’) was unable to spill the beans because he simply hadn’t seen that many scripts. At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con to promote the popular series, Roiz said he’d only had a look at three episodes, but he did provide fans of the show a few hints at what’s to come.
“There’s going to be a blow-out between Eric [played by James Frain] and I. There are going to be issues with the baby that’s coming. And there will be a lot of residuals from this zombie infestation, as there always is,” offered Roiz when asked if there was anything at all he could tell us about the third season.
Roiz believes that it could have been halfway through last season when Grimm hit its stride, or it could be that this upcoming season will find the show really solidly in the groove. “I felt like the season opener of season two was strong, we found our footing, it got very dark last year, and I think we feel much more comfortable in that sort of dark place,” explained Roiz. “And at the same time, it was really beautifully counterbalanced with the humor, with a great sense of humor. They’re not afraid to be quirky and funny, and I think that when we found that balance is when we hit our stride.”
As for his own character, Roiz says he’s pretty solid now. “Generally first years are funny because everyone’s trying to find their footing, including the writers, the network, the actors because we’re not quite sure…we know where we want to go, but we’re not sure how we’re going to get there. Eventually, once you get a second season, then you know that you’re supported and your vision and your work is so that you start to find your footing.”
And Roiz points to season two’s episode in which Renard and Nick (played by David Giuntoli) confront each other as his favorite thus far. “We have a fight in the woods, and there’s so much commotion going on,” recalled Roiz. “There’s one crazy woman and then another crazy woman, and the key and all this [stuff]. Just so much is going on and, finally, him discovering who I am and facing off is a lot of fun.”
So, is Captain Sean Renard a good guy or a bad guy? Roiz says it’s wonderful playing a character who no one really knows which side he’s on. “I lament the day where I won’t be ambiguous. I hope it never happens. I like a character with secrets, and I like somebody who’s very complicated and torn, and I think that makes for very interesting viewing. I think it’s a much more interesting character than someone who is predictable.”
“We have to walk a very fine line between committing and over-committing to something because it may be repealed, it may not work, they may decide to drive the story in a different direction,” answered Roiz when asked if it’s easier to play Renard not knowing exactly where he stands. “We never know because we have 22 episodes a season – so much can happen and so many storylines may not work. We have to always keep some sort of a balance between committing to this episode but not over-extending ourselves.”
