Monsters walk among us. Only one man can see them and, conveniently, he’s a policeman. With a caravan full of clues and information, a house-trained monster side kick and a secret he cannot tell his partner (at work or home), he fights monster-crime.
What’s not to love?
Well, a thing or two.
Lack of communication
I’m easily frustrated by plot lines that hinge on lack of communication. Much of the tension in the arc of Grimm comes from the fact that Nick can’t tell his girlfriend, Juliette, or partner, Hank, about his new abilities. There are a couple of times when that causes serious issues. Maybe I’m a romantic fool, but although I get why he wouldn’t want to tell his partner, I never really thought he had a good reason not to tell Juliette.
Weak world building
Nick can see monsters, but only when they “lose control”. Then their monster faces pop out of their human faces. A nice effect and all, but, you know, it feels hookey.
The set up is classical: our hero knows nothing, lands in a new world and finds a guide to show him (and us) the ropes. It’s worked in lots of other programs so it could have worked here. Nick’s get into the Grimm world really quickly but the supporting characters are left outside and the separation between the two worlds feels as forced as the special effects. I don’t buy it.
I watched the first season but I’m not going to watch the second.
Now I need another series to follow. Something with great characters and interesting goings on. Suggestions?