MEGAN FURNISS
Between Netflix, Showmax and Friends with Series Benefits, I have become a binge watch addict. I love British series and have wolfed down all three seasons of Broadchurch (Olivia Colman is one of my favourite actresses), devoured all three seasons of Line Of Duty (the last one with the incredible Thandie Newton), been obsessed by two seasons of Unforgotten (with the amazing Nicola Walker) and have recently been sucked into the bleak and gritty Welsh series Hinterland.
But, here is my binge watch confession. I am sure everyone has one, and mine is both obscure and embarrassing. I watched all six seasons (most of which had 22 episodes) of Grimm.
What is it?
IMDB gives this summary – Portland detective, Nick Burkhardt (David Guintoli), has seen some gruesome crime scenes, but nothing prepares him for the strange visions he begins seeing: seemingly regular people momentarily transforming into hideous monsters. A visit from his only living relative reveals the truth. Nick has inherited the ability to see supernatural creatures, and as a ‘Grimm,’ he is tasked with keeping the balance between mankind and the mythological. A reformed ‘Big Bad Wolf’ becomes his greatest (and also reluctant) ally and confidant. It’s not long before his work as a policeman leads Nick to the criminals he once thought were only found in fairy tales.
Portland is the backdrop to this completely unlikely scenario, with such a huge collection of ‘Wesen’ (people who can morph or ‘woge’ into monsters) that there are new crimes and murders (and species of Wesen) every single episode. Portland. Population 583 000.
Added to the ‘one crime per episode’ recipe there is also a long term meta plot, with underworld power struggles, witches (called ‘Hexenbiests’), ancient mysteries, Germany and Austria, and of course an incredibly convoluted love story, or two.
The acting is pretty (I have to go there) grim. The individual episodes are a wonderful heady mix of hilarious, creepy and total bullshit, with completely improbable thrown in for good measure. People become witches, then lose their powers, then regain them as often as people (or Hexenbiests, or half-Hexenbiests, or ‘Blutbad’) lose their loyalty.
Fuchsbaus and Blutblads
There is a ‘Fuchsbau’ (foxy kinda monster babe) who is also a herbalist, a ‘Blutbad’ who fixes clocks, is a vegan, and has sworn off killing people, a bunch of humans who are introduced into this ‘unseen’ world, a girlfriend who is kept in the dark until she too gets charmed, and other monster-slaying Grimms who periodically chop monsters up. The creators of this series are in love with furniture smashing, buckets of blood and gore, gruesome and very loud sound effects, and monsters who slash, suck, squeeze and swallow people.
Cop drama, and secrets, a police captain who is seriously borderline (he even dies at one point and gets brought back to life), various family members to complicate the already complicated plot, and terribly short-lived extreme emotions make this a fantasy soap opera. And yet, it is completely, totally addictive.
The special effects are pretty good. The mix of magic and fairy tale and completely modern cell phone pre-occupied police force makes it highly, embarrassingly, watchable. I was sad when all SIX seasons were done.
What: Grimm
Find it: Netflix
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