PILOT REVIEW: Grimm

GRIMM

Starring: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Sasha Roiz, Reggie Lee
Created by Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, and Jim Kouf
Written by David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf, and Stephen Carpenter, Directed by Marc Buckland

Grimm is a dark new fantasy crime drama on NBC. The pilot played like a twist on a procedural drama but the overall premise is much more complicated. Nick Burnhardt (David Giuntoli) is a homicide detective who discovers he is a descendant of the Grimms who are hunters that fight the supernatural. He can see through the supernatural villains in their everyday appearance. In the pilot, he discovers his identity and that he is the last one left of his kind as he and his partner (Russell Hornsby) investigate a murder case that parallels Little Red Riding Hood in many ways.

THE GOOD: Grimm does a great job of creating a moody world and ambiance which is fitting for the dark tone of the drama. It's always good when a series picks an appropriate setting for the mood of the show and the misty Portland, Oregon is perfect for this one. Grimm had a slow start which I'll get to later but it picked up as the show went on. The scene in the "Wolf"'s cottage was intriguing and suspenseful and the very final scene at the hospital did a good job of leaving a hook for viewers to come back. There were definitely some things to like about the pilot and if the show strengthens those, it could be a really good show.

THE BAD: That's a big if though because the pilot really dragged until about the last 15 minutes. I was so bored during the middle part of the show. They set up the crime and the story and then it felt like they twiddled their thumbs throughout the middle of the episode. It also is going to have to stay authentic and dark to not end up looking like a campy concept in a serious crime drama. The cast is good but I kept wondering what exactly this show is trying to be - a fantasy drama? A crime procedural? The mix worked for the pilot but can it keep working like that?

BOTTOM LINE: If Grimm can do anything on Friday night in the ratings, it's worth checking out again. It's not as instantly engrossing as ABC's fellow fantasy drama Once Upon a Time yet it had some interesting moments. The pilot really ended on a high note. If it can pick up there for episode 2, this could be a good show. If it acts like most of the pilot and drags its feet, it will be a real bore on a sleepy Friday night.