The big bad wolf strikes again in an all new TV series, “Grimm.” The first episode began with a college-aged girl wearing a red hoodie jogging aimlessly through a forest with “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics playing on her iPod. The scene seems peaceful and innocent, when suddenly a shadowy figure jumped out and knocks the girl off-screen. As she screams, the viewer remembers the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood.
“Grimm,” NBC’s new dark fantasy follows Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) as he discovers that he’s a descendant of the Grimm family, who are destined to keep mythological creatures under control so they don’t threaten humanity. He also learns that fairytales aren’t imaginary, but documentations of real and dangerous beings.
The show follows the classic detective plotline with a twist. As Burkhardt investigate the murder of the girl after finding her remains, he realizes that he can see past the human disguises of the mythical creatures, which aids in the investigations. Although predictable at times, the show stays intriguing enough with the supernatural twists and the interweaving plot lines. The suspense was enough to keep me watching, and the potential for the show to improve has made me a hesitant fan.
One of the only characters that bring life to the show is Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) a reformed werewolf-like creature who is unwillingly pulled into the action by Burkhardt because of his knowledge of magical creatures. Mitchell provides comic relief to the show, but he also seems to understand his character better than the other actors, adding depth to the show.
Overall, Grimm is one of those shows that can be pretty engaging at points. However, the first episode doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to plot analysis and thought-provoking events and characters. I would give this show three and a half stars out of five. I still see potential for this show to become something great, and will continue to watch and see if it improves. Grimm airs on Friday nights at 9 p.m. on NBC.