Grimm

Full disclosure here. Grimm is one of my all-time favourite tv shows, so this may not be the most unbiased review you'll read. But I'll do my best!

If you've never watched it, then you are missing a treat. With all six seasons available on Amazon Prime Video, this is a fantasy drama you can definitely binge on.

But be warned, once you start watching, you won't want to stop until the very last second of the very last episode (123 in total).

What Is Grimm About?

So what is Grimm all about? It's Portland in 2012 (ish), and Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli, A Million Little Things) learns from his dying aunt that he is a Grimm. A Grimm is a guardian sworn to keep the balance between humanity and mythological creatures, known as Wesen (pronounced Vesen).

It would seem that the Grimm brothers fairy tales were less about cute bedtime stories for kids and more about documenting the evolution of supernatural creatures through the centuries.

And it is this catalogue of tales that Nick must use to battle against an assortment of dangerous and often murderous creatures who hide behind the everyday faces of the people around him.

Life gets pretty tough for Nick as he tries to contain his secret and carry on with his family life as normal.

But with more and more Wesen-related crimes taking place in his home town, explaining them away gets very tricky indeed. Particularly as Wesen can also see that he is a Grimm, a man traditionally associated with killing them.

Obviously being a detective helps a lot. But Nick realises quite quickly that he cannot do it alone. So as the show develops, his secret must be shared with those closest to him.

That includes his partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby). But in a twist, it also includes Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), who Nick discovers is actually a wesen but one who wants to help him.

So can Nick Burkhardt and his friends successfully fight supernatural forces or is the Wesen world more powerful than he ever imagined?

Grimm Official Trailer

Is Grimm Worth Watching?

As fantasy drama tv series go, Grimm is definitely one that gets a huge thumbs up. It builds and builds with each season so that the plotlines and stories constantly evolve.

The Nick we first meet is almost nothing like the Nick we leave behind at the end of the sixth season finale. Understandable really, considering everything he goes through.

The cast of characters develops so well that the twists and turns through the Grimm seasons merge seamlessly, culminating in one whole story with a beginning, a middle and an end, all wrapped up beautifully with a bow on.

Grimm moves at an incredibly fast pace, is funny in parts, horrifying in others and is a fantastic balance of drama, crime and fantasy overall.

Why Was Grimm Cancelled?

Created by Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, Grimm aired from October 2011 to March 2017, for 123 episodes, over six seasons.

The first five seasons each had 22 episodes, but by the time it was renewed for a sixth and final season, that number was cut to just 13 episodes.

Based on tales from the Brothers Grimm, while the show aired on NBC, which ultimately decided to end it after six seasons, the creators felt like they were running out of enough material to keep it fresh.

In fact, they were even relieved the final season had just 13 episodes. At the time they said:

“There was a chance that we would have gotten 22, and we were going, ‘Oh my God, that’s a long trek. We did that for five years.

“You know, 123 times through the fairy-tale world, and you start getting a little slim.”

So with the creators running out of storylines and the ratings consistent but relatively low, it was time to wrap up Grimm.

And for fans who love the show, they got the decent ending they deserved.

Grimm Cast Members

David Giuntoli as Detective Nick Burkhardt, the main character and a Grimm, descended from a line of hunters who fight supernatural forces.

Russell Hornsby as Detective Hank Griffin, Nick's Homicide partner who assists Nick in hunting rogue Wesen.

Claire Coffee as Adalind Schade, a witch-like Wesen called a Hexenbiest, who works for Sean Renard.

Silas Weir Mitchell as Monroe, a wolflike Wesen called a Blutbad, who is Nick's friend and source of information into the supernatural community.

Bitsie Tulloch as Nick's girlfriend Juliette Silverton.

Sasha Roiz as Captain Sean Renard, Nick's adept and efficient superior. Renard is half Zauberbiest, a warlocklike-Wesen and is of royal lineage.

Reggie Lee as police Sergeant Drew Wu, who works with Nick and Hank, and tends to do grunt work for them, running down facts and information.

Bree Turner as Rosalee Calvert, a foxlike Fuchsbau who takes over her brother's Wesen spice shop after he is murdered. She assists Nick and Monroe.