So many shows are near the axe but I was surprised to hear Grimm was on one of those lists. Besides Once Upon A Time, I find Grimm one of the best shows that has completely reinvented and reimagined way of bringing to life the classic fairytales we grew up with.
 |
| Hope you've been nice... |
For starters, the Grimm Fairytales were originally horror stories that have been completely white washed by Disney Studios. Murder, cannibalism, and child abuse but they all have a happy ending for the victim turned survivor. This collection of German Folktales was littered with morals that explained if you were good and said your prayers then you will be rewarded and your abusers would get what they deserved.
 |
| Bad Voodoo |
How the Grimm writers and producers reinvented the whole Grimm Fairytale world is that the fairytales are really accounts of real events that have now been dismissed as merely stories to scare kids. Nick Burkhardt is a police detective in Portland who discovers that he can see creatures known as Wesen who look human but can turn into frightening monsters that only he and other Grimms can see (unless Wesen want everyone to see them).
 |
| She's a wild cat |
1. I think the first thing I liked was the show didn't take place in New York or San Fransisco but in Portland, Oregon. Portland I think is perfect given it's forest terrain but also a concrete city. New York has a park with a nice wood but it lies in the middle of the city, making it feel claustrophobic. Portland has a nice feel to it somehow.
 |
| The power to heal & kill |
2. The show covers an array of folklore, not just German lore. There was the Russian Koschie and then there were the Spanish El Cucuy (the bogeyman) and La Llorona. Most of the Wesen we've met in Portland have German names: Fucshbau & Lowen. I wonder what other creatures we will find as we go on.
 |
| Detective Nick Burkhardt |
3. Making Nick a cop was something I think any writer would have done. Grimms are known to be enforcers but they don't work for anybody or any civil law unless they are hired by the Royals. Yet what make Nick a likable Grimm among the Wesen community is that he obeys the law. Nick doesn't kill unless it's in self defense or if someone threatens people he cares about. He only goes after the guilty and protects the innocent no matter what their species.
 |
| "Sweet dreams are made of these..." |
4. We've all read the stories of the pauper marrying the beautiful princess or the nameless king or queen but we didn't think much them in their black and white roles. Grimm turned these nameless, faceless nobility a very dark autocratic persona. I somehow really love that. The real nobility can be very smug and may feel above the law. Also it maintains a bit of the Grimm romanticism of royalty: blood for the sake of power. The Royals of Grimm have enslaved the Wesen world, but of course the Wesen fight back. The resistance happening in Europe always keeps me at attention. I wish we saw more of the old world where all this intrigue is taking place.
 |
| Fighting back to back |
5. Grimm maintains its darkness by keeping in touch with it's crime aspect. It talks about child murder, rape, abductions, drugs, and your all around murder cases. Blood splatter has never been more prevalent than on Grimm. The little excerpts beginning at each episode set the tone for the hour long story we are about to watch. I actually use that device sometimes when I'm writing as it gives me an idea of what feel I want to get from the story.
 |
| Let's go all Grimm on these Mothers |
Nick could have been a journalist, giving him as much access to the Wesen world but being a cop fits way better as he gets physically more involved in the violence. The only problem I have is that Nick and Juliet should break up again for a while. Love is only interesting when there are speed bumps. I am glad they go rid of the narration. No need for words when we are seeing the whole intro, which sends a clear message. This show has completely reimagined the whole fairytale world. Now when I read a Grimm Fairytale I imagine it very differently with Wesen and bloody royals and Grimms. I hope NBC continues with this show; it has a lot to offer.
No comments:
Post a Comment