The NBC Cop Drama That Doubles as a Horror Fantasy Series

The Big Picture

• Grimm
  combines fantasy, horror, and detective drama in an enthralling package.
• The Wesen in
  Grimm
  are inspired by Grimms’ fairy tales and other folklore creatures.
• The show follows Nick, a Grimm who aims to protect the balance between humans and Wesen.

The fantasy genre has been beloved for generations, as escapes into magical worlds create some of the most captivating and enthralling stories. Audiences have also been enraptured by the heart-racing thrills of horror, finding twisted enjoyment in challenging their fears and entering the unknown. Few can challenge the popularity of crime procedurals, with shows like NCIS and Law and Order standing as some of the most enduring series on television. While these three genres seem entirely separate from one another, fans aren’t as likely to be so unilateral in what they watch. Most viewers often have to decide whether they’ll be tuning in to a Lord of the Rings marathon, a Stephen King feature, or a long-running detective series. However, fans of all these mediums should be excited to discover that there is a show that combines all the best features of these genres into one exciting package. One of the more underrated television series from the mid-2010s, Grimm combines fantasy and horror elements with a classic police procedural format to make for one of the most memorable and unique network television shows ever made.

The Grimm Protect the Balance Between the Mortals and Wesen

Set in gorgeously woodsy Portland, Oregon, Grimm follows Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), a homicide detective whose life becomes far more complicated than his job would already imply. Nick discovers that he is a Grimm, an ancestral line of monster hunters tasked with protecting humans from Wesen, magical creatures that can take the form of humans. Throughout the series, Nick must manage his career as a homicide detective alongside his newfound responsibilities as a Grimm, a task further complicated by the many gray areas that Wesen inhabits, as they are not always guaranteed to be the bad guys in the story. Though many Wesen (which means “creatures” or “beings” in German) live alongside humans without most people ever knowing, there are those that have more nefarious desires and vicious instincts.

As the title of the show suggests, the series takes heavy inspiration from the Brothers Grimm, a pair of German authors who chronicled and published countless folklore and stories that have since been entrenched in public knowledge. Fairy tales such as Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood all owe the publication of their stories to the two writers. In homage to these iconic stories, each episode in the series begins with a quote from a fairy tale that corresponds with the type of Wesen featured in the episode, giving a hint to the viewer about what magical creature awaits Nick in the shadows.

The Wesen Are Inspired by Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Other Folk Creatures

The fantasy element of the show is centered around the Wesen. However, when using their powers or experiencing intense emotions, Wesen naturally “woge” back into their supernatural form. This provides two complications for most humans, as only Grimm are capable of seeing Wesen and the creature’s bodies naturally revert into human form when they pass, maintaining the secrecy of their existence.

The majority of Wesen in the series are based on European folklore, most of which are inspired by the creatures in Grimms’ Fairy Tales, such as the Blutbaden, based on the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. In the canon of the show, however, it’s the Wesen that inspired the Brothers Grimm, who are amusingly not monster hunters themselves, but nonetheless compiled stories that they had learned about these creatures to such effectiveness that they still became the namesake of Nick’s ancestral line. Though most of the Wesen are inspired by European stories, they are not exclusive to that part of the world. Several other Wesen are inspired by mythical creatures from around the globe, such as the Aswang, a blood-sucking creature from the Philippines, or the Anubis, a jackal-creature based on Egyptian mythology.

While the folklore origins of these creatures represent the fantasy element of the show, they are also the reason that the show is as terrifying as any other horror on TV. The Wesen are creepy, full stop. The designs of the Wesen are dark and twisted imaginings of their origins, with appearances that range from furry to scaly to leathery, all serving to make a myriad of creepy and terrifying creatures. Even the “cutest” Wesens have a degree of uncanny otherworldliness that makes them unnerving to look at. However, despite most of their nightmare-inducing appearances, the series goes to great lengths to emphasize that not all Wesen are coldhearted, murderous creatures. The Wesen adhere to rules set by a council and can otherwise coexist alongside humans. The Grimms’ responsibilities aren’t actually to exterminate all Wesen, but rather to protect the balance with humanity and keep people safe from the violent exceptions.

‘Grimm’ Combines Fantasy and Horror with Detective Drama

By combining elements from both fantasy and horror, Grimm went on to be an incredibly successful, albeit underrated, television series from the mid-2010s. Grimm ran for 6 seasons and had over 100 episodes, developing a catalog of Wesen that is as extensive as it is terrifying. The world of Grimm doesn’t just stick to a “monster of the week” format, however, with new factions and a plethora of new characters expanding the scale of the series to a far greater degree than its earliest episodes.

While much of the success of the show can be credited to its appeal to fans of multiple genres, the heart of the series is Nick and his relationship with the Wesen. Though Grimms are feared by the Wesen, Nick is unique among the lineage of monster hunters because he develops genuine, positive relationships with many of the creatures. Nick’s goal isn’t to exterminate all the Wesen, but rather ensure that they can coexist with humans. He’s far more like the Avatar from Avatar: The Last Airbender than a traditional monster slayer. One of Nick’s earliest allies is a Wesen, who remains one of his most steadfast friends and even asks him to be the best man at his wedding. The nuance and variety of these creatures extend beyond their mythical inspirations, and the willingness of the main character to speak with them adds another layer of things to like about this series.

Whether you’re a fan of horror, fantasy, or a classic detective show, viewers are sure to find something to love about Grimm.

Grimm is available to stream on The CW in the U.S.

Watch on The CW