Why do I ask? Obviously it’s a show about a monster killer. . .who’s a cop. . .who doesn’t want to kill monsters. . . OK maybe now you see my issue. I started this show intrigued by the premise. Harry Potter meets the Winchesters. Man finds out he’s special and from a long line of monster killers and now he’s keeping Portland safe. Sounds cool right? I even did a write up on how the show had hope. The first season was somewhat weak, but I find that a lot of shows have this issue and can get past that. I keep waiting for this show to get past it’s mediocrity and it just can’t seem to make that happen.
I really think the reason for this is because it can’t decide what it is. Even with it’s odd premise it seems to be being written as a procedural cop show. Yeah, NBC knows how to do procedural cop shows, but as Dean said, “I hate procedural cop shows! There’s like three hundred of them on television, they’re all the freakin’ same.” (Supernatural episode 8 Season 5, “Changing Channels”)
I don’t harbor the same hatred for cop shows, I even enjoy some Law and Order every now and then. (I’ll even admit to having seen every episode of NCIS– ’cause evidently I’m a closet 80 year old republican). But this show cannot be a regular cop show with slow character development. This is a show with monsters in it! Monsters that Nick is pretty much contractually obligated to kill. I also get that he is conflicted about this job, that he’s made friends with some of these monsters and doesn’t want to kill them right off. I just don’t care. He’s not funny, he’s not badass, he’s not sexy. He could be all these things, or even 2 out of 3 with very little effort. I am at a loss as to why there isn’t any effort put forward to make the main characters likeable.
I want to like these guys.
My favorite character is still Monroe, but they are holding back with him too. He has a cute love interest, but that love story is the has very little emotional investment. It’s like watching middle schoolers date. I’m not saying that I’m looking for Game of Thrones love scenes or even Sons of Anarchy, but I cared more about Sam and Jessica’s relationship in the first episode of Supernatural than I care about Nick and Juliette or Monroe and Rosalee. (Jax and Tara, Shawn and Juliet, Tony and Ziva, hell even Cersei and Jamie have me more emotionally involved then the relationships on Grimm)
“Have fun storming the castle!” (Note: I was also more invested in Miracle Max and his wife’s relationship)
My frustration reached it’s peak during this last episode with the evil Santa had all those kids strung up in the tree. Nick, Hank and Monroe debated whether or not this guy who had been eating kids for who knows how long should be killed. Seriously? Sam and Dean would have shot him in the face and not thought twice about it. Buffy, Angel, and all the other monster killers out there too would have agreed eating kids is bad. Evidently Nick is cool with it though and just turned him over to let someone else deal with him. Way to not take responsibility for something that is totally your job.
FYI: This is something you kill.
Here’s my message to NBC, Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf and Thomas Ian Griffith: This is not a cop show, this is not a family show, this is a monster show. Let it be what it is. This show needs character development, it needs witty dialog, it needs romance, and it needs overarching plot lines. The bones are there. The main character is attractive, the supporting cast are talented, and the main premise is interesting. It just needs some meat. Let Nick get it done– give him some demension, and I’m pretty sure Juliette needs to get killed off, horrifically (sorry Bitsie Tulloch– I like you a lot, but Nick needs some tragedy and he also needs some romance– romance we see from the beginning). I want to like this show so much and I keep watching it hoping that it will finally live up to my expectations.
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mynerd obsessions 
I disagree. The evolving moral dilemma is what keeps nick real. Hes not like the Winchesters who were brought up to actively fight evil for the sake of good. For now, Nick Is not so much an anti hero as he is a regular guy trying to deal with his dual identity, evolving abilities and people who are coming after him. Besides the key part of the show is not just nick, it’s the dynamics between the main cast. The fairy tale aspects of the show is just good fun.
I would think that his reluctance to kill the unconscious santa is just a call back to renards words regarding his subconscious racism. Its clearly affecting him. He wants to treat people and wesen equally so badly; be different from his ancestors….But he can’t help but feel the thrill of the fight.
Thanks for the response! I think my biggest issue is that I want this show to have more “bite.” I feel like it’s trying to walk the line between a regular drama and a real monster show and it’s falling short because of it. I just love the idea of the show and want it to be the show I know it can be.