Here's Hoping the Fate of "Grimm" is Looking Pleasant

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel were two of the greatest shows ever (please don't fight this truth, it will only end badly for you). From the acting to the directing to the writing to the film editing, both shows were unique within the landscape of television and both appealed to wide audiences. Shows like that just don't come around very often, mostly because Joss Whedon is very busy and can't come up with more right now (or when he does FOX cancels them). Though it pains me to admit it, Joss did not create and maintain all of his TV shows alone. One of his partners in crime was the brilliant Daivd Greenwalt (co-creator of Angel and writer on Buffy).

Some might call their love wrong, but I'm okay 

with the results.

But Joss and David could not live happily-ever-after, especially when Joss was given the opportunity to direct what will easily be one of the biggest movies of 2012 (Avengers, baby!). David, after what was likely an arduous grieving period, is back in the saddle on a smaller screen with a possible hit on his hands. I'm talking about the new NBC show Grimm, a modern twist using old fairy tales and a good old-fashioned cop show. For Whedon fans the vibe of this show will definitely feel familiar; it's visually dark (though that has become a common thing in TV these days), mixes equal parts comedy and drama, and throws in the occult where most people would not expect it. The cast is fairly small and seems strong, though I'm basing my assumption off of 1.15 episodes because Hulu is not buffering fast enough. David Giuntoli plays Nick Burckhardt, the average investigator that gets supernatural monster-hunting/fighting abilities thrust upon him when one of his relatives is on her death bed (sound familiar? Watch the Buffy pilot). Giuntoli is likeable though he feels like an odd cross between Brandon Routh and Zachary Quinto to me. He's partnered with Russell Hornsby as Hank Griffin (who helps provide much of the comedic energy), dating Bitsie Tulloch (how adorable is that name?) as Juliette Silverton, and befriends/is assisted by Eddie Monroe (played by Silas Weir Mitchell). That is the core cast, which is refreshingly small in my opinion.

So far the show is delivering what it promises from the promos: an occult cop show that tries not to take itself too seriously while putting new twists on old fables. I do have a few complaints, but most people wouldn't be bugged by these things. First of all I'm annoyed by the overuse of camera angles; not to sound like an old-fogie, but I remember when hour-long shows used less than 3 angles per scene. Now it seems like every 5 seconds we're cutting to a different view to try to maintain audience focus. This could be a coping mechanism for lack of compelling plot, it could be a technique that has just become widely accepted, or it could make the director feel special. I don't know, and I don't care. All I know is all of the audio commentaries I've listened to say that moving the camera adds motion to a scene that has none, which means it adds excitement to a scene that might otherwise send people to sleep. I'd rather they make it more interesting and use fewer cameras. Secondly, I really hated their werewolves. I don't know if they have a small effects budget for this season but they reminded me of some SyFy original movie graphics, which is just unacceptable for a major network or anything.

My third and final problem (so far) with this show is their basic premise, more specifically the possible longevity of the show based upon Grimm fairy tales. By starting off with "Little Red Riding Hood" they addressed possibly the most common first (which is a great way to ease audiences unfamiliar with this type of show into it), but they may have set themselves up for failure by being so literal. If audiences expect fairly literal interpretations of the stories then the writers will run out of stories when they run out of Grim tales. I'm fearful that their strategy could prove to be the downfall of the show if audiences abandon the program when they change the formula to allow for more personal interpretation. I apologize that this section is poorly written but I hope you can get the gist of my argument.

This show is definitely worth giving a chance, especially for those of you who have been missing a program like this since Demons was cancelled on BBC America. It fills a gap in TV programming that Once Upon a Time fails to do (even with fellow Buffy alum Jane Espenson leading the charge). It's available on Hulu so you can catch up and get ready for the next episode airing Fridays at 9 PM ET on NBC.

 This promotion image is kind of freakishly literal.

Like the show itself.

In related news, apparently there is a Grimm Real Estate and Insurance company in Iowa that missed a serious marketing opportunity with their website.