Grimm: Procedural Cop Show or Monster Show?

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.

Related articles

• ‘Grimm’ is a challenge for Silas Weir Mitchell (abqjournal.com)
• Star finds meaty role on ‘Grimm’ (toledoblade.com)
• Grimm S3E7 “Cold Blooded” Recap (lezgetreal.com)

Dracula Premier Review: More Vampires?

 

Did you watch Dracula last night? Well I didn’t. Let me explain. I set my DVR, I watched (most of) Grimm and then fell asleep with the TV on. I have a few people that can attest to this.  (Yes I am a party animal). So I watched it this morning. My thoughts? I wish I could have stayed awake and watched in real time.

I was somewhat leery about another vampire show/storyline.  True Blood is mostly getting it done in the vampire soft porn area, and The Vampire Diaries has a stronghold in the teenage love angst area so I was curious to what a show on NBC could offer.  After all NBC can’t step out of the basic cable lines like HBO or even a show on FX can do.  The last thing we need is another show that is afraid to step out of the safety zone so therefore just fades away (I feel like this will be the downfall of Grimm).  However maybe the late night slot will save Dracula.

Last nights premier started off with a bang.  The opening scene was amazing.  A coffin with a statue of a man in torture laying on the top and pictures of even more torture on the side is shown and then two explorers are seen apparently raiding the tomb.  Quickly one of the guys slits the other guys throat and allows the blood to pour into the mummified remains of Dracula’s mouth which makes it clear that one of the dudes knew what was up.  (Dude later turns out to be Van Helsing which is interesting to say the least.)

 

The mummy Dracula was really cool looking too.  I’m glad they went all the way with this and didn’t leave it to our imagination.  I’m also glad that they did this and it looked good.  It could have easily been comical instead of creepy/gross.

 

I really hope they keep this up.  Vampires should be scary.  Yes, they are sexy and intriguing, but also scary.   It’s nice for a change to have a vampire that isn’t sipping human blood out of a tumbler or drinking warmed synthetic blood, but someone who is hunting nightly.  Not to say this Dracula is purely evil– that would get old just as quick as a purely good character.  He is seeking vengeance and is trying to bring down bad guys that are even worse than himself.

My interest is piqued, but I am also concerned this is on NBC.  This doesn’t seem NBC’s regular cheesy comedy fair or it’s cop drama staple.  As long as they continue down the road they are on though I think they will have a winner.

Things I love:

• Johnathan Rhys Myers– him in general, but also that he is leading this show.  He proved in The Tudors that he can pull of an insanely handsome and ruthless character.
• That this vampire kills.  He’s not being eaten up by a conscience , but also seems to have a plan.
• The base story– it’s set up with enough questions to make it interesting, but isn’t overly complicated
• Van Helsing– I’m just glad they included this storyline
• The clothing.  As a costumer I look at all these beautiful dresses and would love to recreate something

Things I doubt:

• The whole– Hey look, that chick looks just like my dead wife– bit.  I’ve had enough of that with The Vampire Diaries with the whole Doppelganger crap.  I just don’t buy it.

• Some of the dresses.  Most importantly the ones for the woman that works with the big bad.  She’s dressed and painted up like a high end hooker (and acts like one).  I just don’t find it period appropriate.
• The out in public kisses on the lips.  Yeah also not period appropriate.  I’m not saying that the sex should get cut out, I’m just saying that in public that crap wouldn’t have flown.
• Katie McGrath’s blonde hair.  She was an amazing Morgana and is just as beautiful as JRM, but the blonde looks weird.

 

Overall though I’m really excited and may have a cup of coffee in the future to be able to stay up and watch it Friday nights.  Or really hopefully it will be moved from the terrible Friday night slot.

Related articles

• ‘Dracula’ Series Premiere Review (screenrant.com)
• ‘Dracula’ series premiere react: He wants blood, revenge, and power…from the magnetosphere (popwatch.ew.com)
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers Don’t Suck As ‘Dracula’: NBC Series Praised By Critics (contactmusic.com)

Why Grimm is worth the watch

Grimm is Worth a Second Look

“Grimm” is one of those shows that I started watching and just kept on even though I wasn’t sure where it was going.  Was it going to be a straight up drama with a touch of the supernatural or a show that relied heavily on the supernatural to drive the plot?  I have to admit that towards the end of season one I still wasn’t 100% sold on this series, but I stuck with it.  A show has to take a serious dive for me to give up on it after I’ve invested a lot of time on it (“Once Upon a Time” managed to achieve this goal  halfway through season two).  Many shows start out with a great premise (“Heroes,” “Once Upon a Time”) but when season two rolls around they can’t develop it farther so instead make it into something ridiculous.

I feel that “Grimm” has done just the opposite.  I feel that it started with an  “OK” premise and built on it.  It very easily could have become silly (and there are a few times that it has flirted with the comical), but it built its world and allowed there to be a “bad” that isn’t always bad and will never truly go away (the worst mistake a show can make is to get rid of the bad guy and not have a believable evil replacement).  It doesn’t have the reality that shows like “The Walking Dead” have, but it does often pull off the cop drama with a twist.  A really odd twist.