Adalind Schade: If We Didn't Know Any Better.....She'd Still Be the Worst

[Actionmage]

Claire Coffee is the tough-as-nails lawyer/hexenbiest nemesis of Nick and Juliet since Episode 1. She's fun and snarky and bad in the not-good way.

[msbeesknees]

I love seeing her actually care about something for once. Her character is getting depth as she becomes a mother and as she begins to see all these people helping her, I wonder if her grinchy heart will grow?? 

[Actionmage]

I'm anxious to see the meeting of Juliet and Adalind. There's a lot  of stuff there, so I hope it doesn't get short-shrift.

[shapeshifter]

Season 1 Adalind was an evil bitch whom rightfully Juliette and Nick should hate.  Having a baby softened her but I don't think a redemption arc is in her future.  I really don't see how the writers wrap this up

It's a shame they initially made her an evil caricature, because Claire Coffee has so much range. Too bad they didn't give her amnesia and reboot her into a friend of the Scooby gang. They could be making wise cracks about stuff she did when she used to be evil. The could still redeem her, but she would almost have to simultaneously save the lives of Bud, Rosalee, and Juliette.

[MarySNJ]

It's a shame they initially made her an evil caricature, because Claire Coffee has so much range. Too bad they didn't give her amnesia and reboot her into a friend of the Scooby gang. They could be making wise cracks about stuff she did when she used to be evil. The could still redeem her, but she would almost have to simultaneously save the lives of Bud, Rosalee, and Juliette.

I actually prefer the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" approach to Adalind vis-a-vis Nick and others. She's the reason another Hexenbeist was murdered so she could get her powers back, and has other crimes to atone for. The fact that she was able to love and bond with the baby that she was originally ready to sell to Stefania (before being betrayed) doesn't make her a sympathetic character. And yet, I felt sorry for her screaming in the street after Diana was taken from her. Maybe this will be an opportunity for her to reflect on what she'd done in the past to contribute to this mess. Of course she probably won't. Instead she'll probably seek revenge on Renard and his allies for stealing her baby.

[Happywatcher]

I like Clare the actress because she does a funny football blog.

 

That being said, Juliet and Hank owe Adalind a beating to within an inch of her life, followed by them showing her the baby and giving it away in front of her.

[Yeldarbe]

Did Adalind inherit her mom's money? I totally forgot she was a lawyer.. and whatever the explanation was for how she has money without working.

[CoderLady]

No. By the time Adalind got back from her adventures overseas, her mother's entire estate was reduced to what was in the storage locker and the rental on that was about to expire. It's still a mystery.

[Yeldarbe]

Oh that's right, that all recently happened, too. I have a terrible memory. I can read an entire book and then totally forget what happened enough to read it again with almost fresh eyes six months later. I guess I read too quickly (or smoked too much of the good stuff in my early twenties). Thanks for the reminder! Yet another loose end.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Yeldarbe

[johntfs]

Instead of Adalind Shade: She's a Mother, can we have the title be Adalind Shade: She's a Bad Mother- Shut Your Mouth!

Edited May 25, 2014 by johntfs

[catrox14]

Adalind Schade: If We Didn't Know Any Better.....She'd Still Be the Worst

Edited May 25, 2014 by catrox14

[formerlyfreedom]

Do we want to get a bit more input, since we have two different titles in the mix?

[johntfs]

I did mine to make a Shaft joke/referance, but I still think it'd make an appropriate title.  The woman did plan to sell her child, after all.

[caseylane]

Stacy, how do we vote? By likes or posts? My vote goes for "She's the worst".

[formerlyfreedom]

I'd say let's get a consensus in here by the end of the day tomorrow - the two choices I am seeing are;

 

Adalind Schade: She's a Bad Mother- Shut Your Mouth!

Adalind Schade: If We Didn't Know Any Better.....She'd Still Be the Worst

 

Discuss below, make your arguments, and I'll change the title Monday evening. If it's close, then I'll make the call. Sound good? (BTW, I like both of the ideas, so let's see who can convince me!)

[CoderLady]

I'd go with the "She's the worst" title if it's a choice between the two.

 

ETA: I picked this one because if the show has any longevity, Adalind will probably never get Diana back though there's lots of mileage and drama in her pursuit. I think she's moving back toward what she started out as, a major-league shit disturber. I wouldn't define her as a mother over "evil, scheming witch" based on those two episodes.

Edited May 25, 2014 by CoderLady

[jhlipton]

Adalind Schade: She's a Bad Mother- Shut Your Mouth!

 

Not only is the Shaft reference funny, but Adalind really is a bad mother.

[catrox14]

My rationale for the one I suggested is that Adalind caused a lot of problems before she spawned a creepy baby.  She's ruined everyone's life in Portland practically and none of that had anything to do with being a mother.  And even after spawning said creepy baby, she's still causing problems. 

 

Also it was a play on Renard saying "If I didn't know you better, I'd be in love with you."

[formerlyfreedom]

Okay, change made. Now back to our regularly scheduled Adalind discussion!

[catrox14]

I'd like to thank the Academy but I don't know which one. 

[jhlipton]

Academy of St Martin in the Fields (Sir Neville Marriner conducting) is always a good bet!

 

[Classical music joke]

[Prevailing Wind]

Hahahaha.  Did anyone  besides Marriner ever conduct them?

[jhlipton]

Yes.  If you look at their Wikipedia page, there have been 2 or 3 other conductors.  But when I listened to classical radio, any time they started with "The Academy of St Martins", I would say it with them "in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner".

[Actionmage]

Seeing the posts above got me wondering about Catherine, Adalind's mother.

 

A) Was she being 'kept' by Renard? If she wasn't, how did she afford such a nice house in a neighborhood where the neighbors care enough to phone the cops if they hear a ruckus in your house?

B) Were Catherine and Renard really having something between them? They acted like it was a past fling, but Sean would show up and seem to give Adalind doubts. Then Sean was very flirty/ almost stalkery with Adalind, and in those scenes, Renard seemed to use the promise of more as a way to keep Adalind in line/on his side/ off his cell phone/whatever.

C) If Catherine was as canny as we were led to believe, why isn't Adalind looking for hidey holes (as it were) for where her mom squirreled away rainy day cash or the like? A woman who could fight a Grimm mostly equally would not leave her future money situation to chance. And triple that if Catherine had a sugar daddy of any sort.

 

There was no real history on Catherine, so I was a little disappointed when Kelly killed her. Yet, the way the writers don't seem to care about realistic reactions to a parent's violent death, even a parent one disliked/hated, seems short-sighted. There is so much to possibly mine with Adalind, but the writers, or whomever, have squandered two fun actresses and one of the main characters to not delve into the Hexenbiest way of life. We have only seen bad and morally gray hexenbiests- are there any good ones? If not, why?  I guess I'm not supposed to think about that. /vent

[TwistedandBored]

I actually love Adalind Schade. She is never boring to me unlike other women in the show. 

[Shadda2]

I love Adalind Schade.  As I said in another thread she makes me laugh and that goes a long way in making a character someone I want to watch.  Claire Coffee is a wonderful actress and does, as someone up thread pointed out, have great range.  She has managed to give depth and layers to a character that is written very one dimensional.  I too wish they could make her more gray and able to interact with the "Scooby Gang" in different ways. 

[TwistedandBored]

@Shadda2, I wish they would make her character more gray and interactive with the team as well. 

[hincandenza]

From the preview of next week where Adalind apparently is already back in Portland (which is odd, since last season it was a big multi-episode ordeal for her to get across the border... and yet somehow she's just waltzed back to the other side of the planet after escaping from Victor's castle in the most improbably prison break since, well, Prison Break), you may get your wish.

 

Which I don't like at all, because Adalind has done faaaaar more than enough that the Scooby gang is well aware of to be completely unforgivable:

 

• Attempted twice to kill Marie, and succeeded- via assassins- the second time
• Used enchanted cookies to make Hank fall in love with and be obsessed with her, to the point of falling into a coma and only released when Nick stole her powers
• Related to the above, nearly killed Wu when he ate those same cookies
• Would later also send Wesen to beat the crap out of Hank
• Poisons Juliette in a way that leaves her in a coma, removes her memories of Nick, and makes her become obsessed with Renard
• Despite all of this, the Scooby gang still helps her and her baby because they are good people
• Believing the Royals had stolen her baby, she nevertheless sides with them and hexes Nick, causing him to lose his Grimm powers.  This, at least, is partially excusable due to her desperation, but our gang would never see it that way.

 

That's what I can remember, and we don't even know half the things she probably did pre-show while working with Renard.  She simply can't be grey at this point- even though I like Claire Coffee on the show- because it would be a total retcon of everything we've seen.

Edited November 9, 2014 by hincandenza

[theatremouse]

From the preview of next week where Adalind apparently is already back in Portland (which is odd, since last season it was a big multi-episode ordeal for her to get across the border... and yet somehow she's just waltzed back to the other side of the planet after escaping from Victor's castle in the most improbably prison break since, well, Prison Break)

FWIW, I don't think the Adalind-looking person in the preview was actually her.

[Shadda2]

•Attempted twice to kill Marie, and succeeded- via assassins- the second time

 

 

At Renard's  behest so if you accept Renard as a gray character you really can't use this particular thing against her.

 

•Used enchanted cookies to make Hank fall in love with and be obsessed with her, to the point of falling into a coma and only released when Nick stole her powers

 

 

Bad Adalind.

 

•Related to the above, nearly killed Wu when he ate those same cookies

 

 

Technically not her fault.

 

•Would later also send Wesen to beat the crap out of Hank

 

 

Bad Adalind

 

•Poisons Juliette in a way that leaves her in a coma, removes her memories of Nick, and makes her become obsessed with Renard

 

 

Since I'm not a big Juliette fan the only thing I hated about this story line is it lasted forever.  Also, if you mess with a hexinbeast you really should expect trouble.

 

•Despite all of this, the Scooby gang still helps her and her baby because they are good people

 

 

Baloney, they did not help her because they are good people.  They helped her because Momma Grimm made them.

 

•Believing the Royals had stolen her baby, she nevertheless sides with them and hexes Nick, causing him to lose his Grimm powers.  This, at least, is partially excusable due to her desperation, but our gang would never see it that way.

 

 

Believing that Nick and company had given her baby to the Royals she believed Royals when they said they had Diane and would let her see Diane if she took Nick's powers.  Also, as for taking Nick's powers, there is the old what goes around comes around and Nick certainly did the go around and got the come around. 

 

I enjoy Adalind for what she is and how Claire Coffee portrays her and for the fact that she funny.  Not in the mustache twirling way, but in the way she can laugh at the things that happen to her.  Mostly at the things she brings upon herself. 

 

I think she loves her baby far more than she thought she would and she's a little shocked by it.  I also think the Scooby Gang acted despicably.

 

Adalind is not a good person.  That doesn't mean I hate the character, on the contrary, I find her delightful.

[Actionmage]

•Poisons Juliette in a way that leaves her in a coma, removes her memories of Nick, and makes her become obsessed with Renard

 

To be fair,the italicized portion was aside effect of Catherine's potion, given to Renard to wake Juliette. Same family, different witch.

 

but our gang would never see it that way.

 

I think they would, but also would not feel they have to excuse her actions away. They get to be angry. But this isn't the thread for that.

 

I think she loves her baby far more than she thought she would and she's a little shocked by it. 

 

ITA with that. The trek through the Viennese woods and the accompanying horrors seemed to bewilder and terrify Adalind. That it was centered on Diana, brought out a survival instinct and feelings that Adalind didn't think she had.

 

I also think the Scooby Gang acted despicably.

 

While I do not agree with their plan, I can't call them despicable. We'll just have to disagree amiably on this point. Because...

 

Adalind is not a good person.  That doesn't mean I hate the character, on the contrary, I find her delightful.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with this. (Which is why I'm sad they have her be a lawyer that doesn't bother with understanding what she is fully doing, like her spell to de-Grimm Nick. Why she thought she could game Sean's family of Royals would be easy. )

[hincandenza]

Right- it's not about an absolute judgment of Adalind or the third-person omniscient perspective we have as viewers... it's that the Scooby gang at this point wouldn't possibly trust her further than they could throw her based on their experiences which involve Adalind repeatedly scheming and plotting to her own ends without any concern towards the effects on people like Hank, Nick, and Juliette among others. 

 

That more than anything prevents her being an ambiguous character: if the Scooby gang somehow forgives and forgets, it's simply bad writing at this point.

[Actionmage]

I am torn: cold water has to be a massive pain to be in, but warm water seems like it'd be icky. 

 

Hang in there Adalind.

[Slovenly Muse]

Never has this thread title been more appropriate. In her minimal screen time this week, Adalind succeeded in foiling what was (admittedly unlikely to have actually been) her own escape attempt in order to scream at the walls until they drowned her.

 

If she hadn't been clever enough to have her powers taken away against her will, then frolic in icky sludge while pregnant, so that she could be tricked into de-Grimmifying Nick months later, I could almost believe that she was not a competent person.

[Shadda2]

One thing I think they have shown is that Adalind is very single minded about things.  She was determined to get her powers back and took a very long circuitous route to get there.  She is currently as determined to get her baby back.  I don't count her out.  What Adalind needs is a support system and a sounding board.  Claire Coffee continues to delight.  I hope they continue to mine her comedic talents/timing. 

[TwistedandBored]

I wouldn't call what the Scooby Gang did during the baby storyline helpful. Helpful would have been letting her have a choice of either escaping with her child o else. Just have her involved more with that decision making process regarding with to do. Instead they choose to make a mistake. They must be stupid to think Adalind was not going to do anything to find her baby and make them pay in the process. If anything, Adalind was better off getting help from other people. 

[TobinAlbers]

It's ludicrous that the group had no cover story to cover their butts regarding Adalind about Diana. Honestly it's plot contrivance by the writers so they could have her go after Nick and Co. For the OMG moment of taking his powers away. She had good enough reason if Nick had told her 'Yeah, I gave your kid to my mom and don't feel one bit sorry for your pain. She's better off without you and if you don't see that, too bad' to take revenge out on him.

As it stands poor thing has just been made a fool of by everyone and now even her Hexenbeist cred has been cut now with Juliette being a made Hexenbeist that will be more powerful and dangerous than Adalind.

The only hope I have of Adalind getting back to boss bitch is that she is playing her own con and she actually went back to Viktor after going to Meisner and The Resistance first and they came up with the plan that she would be their Trojan Horse as a way to get into the Royale's trust and pass on secrets and/or be in position to kill Viktor when needed if they helped her find her kid.

And I still don't trust Sean's mom. I think a twist will be her taking Diana and actually be in cahoots with Viktor. Actually why didn't Sean send Diana off with his mom rather than Kelly?

[theatremouse]

And I still don't trust Sean's mom. I think a twist will be her taking Diana and actually be in cahoots with Viktor. Actually why didn't Sean send Diana off with his mom rather than Kelly?

Because the baby was already long gone with Kelly when his mother showed up; and he didn't seem to have any way of knowing she was about to or when/where he might ever see his mother again in general. Kelly was there when the baby needed spiriting away. His mother was not. I can't decide if Adalind's freak out would be more or less if she knew the baby disappeared with a hexenbiest who was not her. Guessing worse.

If any of this horribly drawn out plot turns out to be a long con on A's part, I'll be impressed, but I also would never take a bet on that being the case.

[johntfs]

As for the eventual showdown, I figure Adalind will probably win after some initial surprise simply because of greater experience.  Figure Round 2 of Lioness Queen vs. Grumpy Kitten will be very different.

[johntfs]

I loved the scene with Viktor.  Adalind declares she'll never forgive him and then she's like "Shoes!"  Lord, she is such a sack of hair.

[jhlipton]

I loved the scene with Viktor.  Adalind declares she'll never forgive him and then she's like "Shoes!"  Lord, she is such a sack of hair.

 

That was kind of weird -- she can be bought for so little.

[johntfs]

I don't think Adalind can be bought, but she can clearly be rented.

[OtterMommy]

Okay, so all this talk of Adalind being bought brings up a big plot hole for me.  Did TPTB forget that she sold her baby in return for her powers?  Obviously, she renegged on that contract....but the contract was binding (and considering her "signature," I don't doubt that).  So, um, the contract holders--which ultimately were supposed to be the royals--don't have the baby..so why does Adalind have her powers?

[johntfs]

Okay, so all this talk of Adalind being bought brings up a big plot hole for me.  Did TPTB forget that she sold her baby in return for her powers?  Obviously, she renegged on that contract....but the contract was binding (and considering her "signature," I don't doubt that).  So, um, the contract holders--which ultimately were supposed to be the royals--don't have the baby..so why does Adalind have her powers?

 

Because it wasn't a magickal "contract with the devil."  Theatrics aside, it was essentially a regular contract.  If you contract with someone to teach you to speak Spanish and you renege on that contract, the other person can't wave the contract and "repossess" your knowledge of Spanish.

[FormerMod-a1]

I do wish they'd bring it up when talking about her motivation for getting her baby back. She was going to give he baby away. She never wavered on that. But ever since that didn't happen she's gone all "mother scorned", like the only reason she wants the baby back is because she won't get the chance to raise it or be a good mommy or something other than what her real plans and feeling were.  She's become too much like Clair on Lost.

[johntfs]

I do wish they'd bring it up when talking about her motivation for getting her baby back. She was going to give he baby away. She never wavered on that. But ever since that didn't happen she's gone all "mother scorned", like the only reason she wants the baby back is because she won't get the chance to raise it or be a good mommy or something other than what her real plans and feeling were.  She's become too much like Clair on Lost.

 

That's not actually true.  After she actually had the baby, she decided she wanted to keep her.  Right now what she wants is to get Diana back and then raise her within the Royal family.  Adalind hasn't quite put together that Viktor will likely have her shot in the head the second she's no longer useful, but that's because Adalind is kind of dumb.  Cunning and ruthless, but still a little dumb.

[Mars477]

I loved the scene with Viktor.  Adalind declares she'll never forgive him and then she's like "Shoes!"  Lord, she is such a sack of hair.

Sorry, this is still just too perfect.

[Actionmage]

While I do like Adalind, she has not been set up as the best, most fearsome hexen Portland or Europe has seen.

 

*She had to be "protected" (?) from the bee wesen in "Bee Ware"; was it a wesen law firm or was it just coincidence that Adalind and two other hexenbiests worked at the same law firm? The show hasn't ever responded.

*While I understand feeling cowed by a vicious parent, and crushing on royalty/Renard. Adalind never seemed to be the one to take initiative, like to snare Renard for herself.

*She understandably ran to her mom after Nick de-hexed her. When Catherine and Renard were denigrating her, she didn't/couldn't stand up for herself. ( I am talking verbally.)

*Adalind seems to rely on seduction primarily, to the detriment of most other hexen options, like potions and spells. Yes, she screwed over Majique and Juliette, but because she was angry. Like when she got revenge on Nick- because she was pissed.

*Speaking of , Adalind seemed at a loss when it came to opening her mother's spell books. That points to either a lack of attention to how her mother used magic or a disinterest in spells that her mother used. Adalind also seemed to not understand the history of her tools. Why would she abandon her mom's version of Aunt Marie's Grimmabago? She has no idea what she is leaving behind. That or we are to believe that Adalind didn't think or care if anyone else found it.

*The continual 'What in the who now?' reactions to pretty much anything the Euro-side/ Royals/Resistance does. She seems to eventually take everyone at face value, except some hexen and when the script calls for her to distrust a male outside of Nick or Renard.

*Adalind, the sneaky hexenbiest, had to be told what happened to Diana, her infant, as opposed to being quick enough to parse the players and figure out what those particular folks would think was best.

*She trusted Viktor. Again. Because She Read The Script. ( The less said about the imprisoning...*sigh*)

*Adalind does not do her own research or have spies that are hers alone/ poached. That's why she was caught off-guard.

 

I do lay much of the above at the writers' feet. Either make Adalind like The Master, circa the 3rd Doctor ( theatrical, evil, but smart enough to be a threat and to sneak away for a return) or make her the most Gomer Pyle of hexenbiests. You cannot have both, not with this show and these writers.

 

For a recurring foil/villain, I have to be able to root a little for them. The writers have painted Adalind so inconsistently, with a wide range of scary to naïve, that I can't root for her any more. It's not fun, really, to see her get so blindsided from every side. If I pity her, she has lost her ability to be a threat, imo. (Not that smart writers can't turn that around, but I'm not holding my breath for that.)

[OtterMommy]

 

Also- Nick has had soooo many chances to kill Adalind & he hasn't. I really wanted her dead by the end of the season (and I wanted Juliette to do it) but now I don't think that's going to happen. Her coming in & out of the picture has just gotten old. But that's my opinion.

 

I think the writers and producers have caused them quite a bit of trouble for themselves regarding Adalind.

 

She was only supposed to be in a few (maybe even just one?) episodes in the first season.  My guess is that they quickly realized that they had a great actress on their hands and they probably didn't want to lose her to another show, so they put her under contract.

 

Here's the problem: Claire Coffee is a great actress and deserves to have a show--she is worthy of a long-term contract. The character of Adalind, however, is not worthy of a long-term contract on a show.  Nick should have killed her--maybe not when the mellifleurs were after her, but definitely when he took her away her powers towards the end of season 1.  He's had several opportunities after that to seal the deal...but it won't happen because they show doesn't want to get rid of Coffee (I don't know much about these contracts, but I'm guessing that there is a clause allowing for one party to terminate it if circumstances require it).

 

So, now, the writers are twisting themselves into knots trying to find a way to keep Adalind relevant to the show and to Nick.  The fact is that this show doesn't need a dedicated villain and it doesn't need Adalind.  They have a gray character in Renard (and I, for one, am perfectly happy having him remain "gray."  I think if he crosses over to either side, he will be a failure as a character) and enough dangling and long-term story lines to keep things moving.  And, if you need a bad guy, you always have the Wesen of the Week.

 

As I've said in other posts, I think the best thing that could happen to this show is for some other producer is to offer Claire Coffee her own show and give her an offer she can't turn down.

[icewolf]

There is a big problem with this show. That problem's name is Adalind.

The writers don't have a clue about what to do with her after season 1 ended. Adalind was perfect as the reoccurring antagonist that only appears in a handful of episodes in S1, and her arc pretty much ended with her losing her powers after the first year. It would have been great if that was the last time we ever saw her.

But the showrunners have this bizarre fascination for the Adalind character, likely fueled by their love for Claire Coffee. While I liked the S2 two parter with Adalind and the keys, the character has been running in circles ever since. We didn't NEED to see her plot with her getting pregnant, the magic baby (extremely overused plot in fantasy shows), attempts to sell the baby, running around forests in fake Europe with good looking bodyguard, stuck in a dungeon for multiple episodes, and being Viktor's lackey.

Also as a villain, Adalind sucks. She is ridiculously easy to trick and manipulate, and every single spell she has cast has been undone by our heroes. MAYBE they could have taken the route to redeem her and have her become an anti-hero who reluctantly helps our heroes, but that ship has sailed after she poisoned Hank, put Juliette in a coma, and tricked Nick into having sex with her to take away his power. On any other show, Adalind's antics would have gotten her killed off ages ago, but Adalind continues to make the lives of our heroes a living hell, and she keeps getting away with it. This makes Nick look terribly ineffective.

Adalind has become the albatross around this show's neck, and sadly I don't think the writers will ever get rid of her.