The Seven Year Itch (Grimm)

The episode was viewed by 4.08 million people, earning a 0.8/3 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale, ranking third on its timeslot and eighth for the night in the 18-49 demographics, behind Dr. Ken, 20/20, MacGyver, Hawaii Five-0, Blue Bloods, Last Man Standing, and Shark Tank.[1] This was a 5% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 4.28 million viewers with a 0.8/3.[2] This means that 0.8 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 3 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it. With DVR factoring in, the episode was watched by 6.27 million viewers and had a 1.5 ratings share in the 18-49 demographics.[3]

"The Seven Year Itch" received mixed reviews. Les Chappell from The A.V. Club gave the episode a "C+" rating and wrote, "And then an episode like 'The Seven Year Itch' decides to end a dramatic fight scene with a hippopotamus wesen biting the head off a cicada wesen. It's one of the goofiest and most anticlimactic moments I've ever seen on the series, one that definitely works in the moment for absurdity and shock value but one that doesn't make for a satisfying close to the story. If nothing else though, it at least fits into the whole of 'The Seven Year Itch,' an episode that has some intermittently interesting moments but for the most part misses the mark on what it's trying to achieve."[4]

Kathleen Wiedel from TV Fanatic, gave a 3 star rating out of 5, stating: "It's probably fair to say that there is a significant portion of the fan base that finds Wesen-of-the-Week stories... well, boring. Especially when thrown up against exciting and dramatic long-term arcs. Alas, Grimm Season 6 Episode 5 does little to discourage the sentiment. With the series rapidly drawing to a close, is it really the best use of time to have our beloved Team Grimm go after Cicada Guy?"[5]

Sara Netzley from EW gave the episode a "B−" rating and wrote, "Eh, the stretch of top-notch Grimm episodes had to come to an end at some point, right? At least tonight's monster-of-the-week entry was saved from out-and-out meh-ness by the killer (literally!) last 10 minutes."[6]

TV.com, wrote, "The best that can be said is that it really doesn't seem like a 'final chapter' episode. Neither did last week's. Neither does next week's 'Breakfast in Bed.' It seems like the kind of padding you'd get in a 22-season episode, like we've got over and over again in seasons 1 through 5. It wasn't a horrendous episode, but it was bottom of the barrel by Grimm standards. And a joke by 'final chapter' standards."[7]

Christine Horton of Den of Geek wrote, "As much as this episode doesn't do much to progress many of the recent storylines, it delivers what fans generally like about the show: the hunting of malevolent mythical creatures, acerbic one-liners and a little Monrosalee-shaped fluff."[8]