This television season has us looking at two similarly themed shows: Grimm and Once Upon a Time. Both dealing with the tales of the Brothers Grimm, the two seem have to have very different approaches. However, since this humble writer has yet to see Once Upon a Time, this will cover my first impressions of Grimm based solely on one episode.
Only one episode you ask? How can one base a show on only one episode? Well, for starters, it has the recommendation of my wife. When one considers that this fare is not normally in her viewing repertoire, that is saying something.
On to the premise: Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntilo) learns that he is next in line of a long line of fairy tale monster killers. Which means exactly what you might think it means. This guy’s family has slain things such as big bad wolves and the like for centuries. As a side note, they are also descendents of the Brothers Grimm. Second side note: the Grimms are hunted by (you guessed it) Grimm Reapers. Witty, I know.
Then one day Nick’s aunt shows up with a trailer load of happy fun time medieval weapons. It turns out she knows her time is coming to an end and she’s arrived to rock Nick’s world by informing him that he is to pick up the mantle of the Grimms. Also, like standard storytelling pattern, Nick can’t tell any one what he is, including his fiancé and partner on the Portland Police department.
To the plot of the first episode! A college student is jogging in her read hoodie sweatshirt, rocking to some ‘Sweet Dreams’ by the Eurythmics, when BAM she’s pulled off the path and disappears. Nick and his partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) are assigned to the case. In studying his aunt’s materials Nick figures that the girl was attacked by the Big Bad Wolf. Your first clue was the red hoodie the college student was wearing. We meet up with Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) a reformed Big Bad Wolf. Despite a bit of animosity between Nick and Monroe, they are able to find the Big Bad Wolf responsible for the murder of the college student and the capture of a young girl. The episode ends with Marilyn Manson’s version of ‘Sweet Dreams’ playing in the background. Oh, and there are some hints of larger conspiracies and all that, but I’ll need that to play out a bit more before I can pass sufficient judgement.
I really like this show. Yes, it has only been one episode that I’ve watched but it has got a good mix of dark and slight silliness in order to maintain itself. I hope that this show carries on a long time and given that it does not air on FOX, it should be able to do that.
Pingback: Once Upon A Time Review | The Noisecast