10 reasons you should be watching Grimm

As I mentioned yesterday, my new procedural show is Grimm. I admit it is not your standard procedural show, due to the supernatural element, but it still works for me. The police have been shown as dedicated professionals, and they basically get a case, investigate, and seek resolution. If one of the detectives happens to be able to see things his partner can’t, and therefore discusses them with a very knowledgeable civilian who is familiar with aspects of that world, it is handled well. (Nick is starting to get some shades of grey now when there are Grimm things that do not fit well within the world of police work, and Renard makes some really questionable calls, but they are both good at their jobs.)
 

Just in case you have not already joined me in recognizing the superiority of this show, allow me to give you some reasons why you should be watching Grimm.

1.       Portland: Okay, some of that is local girl loyalty, and seeing familiar places does add an element of interest, but there is much more to it. First of all, it is different. We already see plenty of New York (or Toronto) and Los Angeles, but you can get some additional richness by branching out, and the mossy, timbered, primeval nature of Portland fits well with a world where a surprising amount of the population is part woodland creature.

2.       The expanded population: I really love those beavers, but the medical examiner is good too, and really, there are not many guest stars that I would not mind seeing again. Actually, I hope we see the priest again—I feel like there’s a lot more to know.

3.       The layers: Add there being “more to know” to a lot of things actually. Grimm is an intelligent show that trusts the viewers to have some intelligence too. Things aren’t always spelled out for you. Sometimes they are obvious with a little thinking, and sometimes they leave intriguing questions.

4.       They’re getting better about the women: Concerns were expressed early on about the heavily male cast, and Bitsie Tulloch’s character, Juliette, being underused. I think that was reasonable. The show is centered on Nick, and the cases he encounters, so more time was naturally spent between his official partner, Hank, and his unofficial consultant, Monroe. Also, they were leaving things vague with Juliette to allow freedom for future plot twists, but I think it hampered the character and the actress. That being said, they are giving Juliette more interesting things to do, she is handling some difficult situations quite well, and Bree Turner’s new recurring character, Rosalee, is awesome.

5.       The optimistic worldview: Suddenly finding out that your family legacy is to see the true faces of supernatural characters, and all the responsibility that entails, can be pretty difficult, and Nick’s Aunt Marie referred to it as the family curse. However, Nick is taking it in stride, and finding rewards in it. He has made new friendships and is better able to solve many cases. It’s not that things are problem-free, or that worse complications are not coming, but there is still a lot of good in the world. Comparing it to the X-files, it was an intelligent, interesting show, but pretty much every episode was a bummer. Grimm is a better world.

6.       Not gratuitous: There have been some nasty visuals, and usually you are starting with a dead body, but they then move on without being too squicky. In addition, it does not wallow in the fetishized erotic misogyny so common to horror. Before I started watching we were seeing an ad campaign in Mexico that was all lingerie-clad dead women, so I had concerns, but they have not been necessary. I know these things don’t matter to everyone, but I find it refreshing. And, if that’s what you want, you are probably watching cable.

7.     Respect for the actors: I am about to single out three of the actors, and that makes me feel guilty for not singling out all of them, which basically means guilt over not saying something specific about Russell Hornsby (Hank) and Reggie Lee (Wu), so now I have. Seriously though, I enjoy both characters a lot, and one thing I remember reading was that the writers allowed the actors to influence their characters, and let their own personalities shine through. That sort of mutual appreciation and collaboration is producing really good results, and well-written characters portrayed by good actors is good stuff, leading to the next three.

8.     Sasha Roiz (Renard): It has been really interesting to watch where this character is going. Initially I saw a heroic side, where he would come through for things that were important, and now in retrospect it looks like maybe what is important has always basically been self-interest, but Roiz really sells it, and he is not afraid to go out on a limb (as is especially evident watching “Three Coins in a Fuchsbau).

9.     Silas Weir Mitchell (Monroe): This is my favorite character of Mitchell’s by far, and I loved Crazy-Eyed Donnie from My Name is Earl. It is especially fun in that for an actor who has so frequently done mentally unbalanced and skeevy, Monroe is such a contrast. He charmingly quirky, but he is also intelligent, disciplined, principled, and sane. His interactions with Nick are some of the most enjoyable parts of a really enjoyable show.

10.  David Giuntoli (Nick): What a find! It may have seemed like a gamble to some casting a relative unknown as the series lead, but he creates such a warm, relatable everyman. I loved his recent interaction with the Eisbiebers where Nick told Bud he was brave for coming back to Nick and giving gifts. Some watchers saw this as self-serving, because it gets Nick free pie without really requiring much courage, but Nick was trying to help Bud find his courage, and did not have much to work with, and it worked. This conveys intelligence and caring, but he also pulled it off due to considerable charisma, as you could kind of see Bud and his friends all developing little man-crushes on Nick. Without being an overly perfect character, Nick is always likable and relatable. He is perfect as the heart of the show.

The season finale is this Friday night, but you can start watching the reruns and be all caught up for fall. What are you waiting for?