Genre: Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Air Date/Time: October 28th at 9/8c

Network: NBC

Director: Marc Buckland

Writers: David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf

Summary: Grimm is a new drama series inspired by the classic Grimm Fairy Tales. Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms,” charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world. As he tries to hide the dangers of his new found calling from his fiancée Juliette Silverton, (Bitsie Tulloch) and his partner Hank Griffith (Russell Hornsby), he becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world.

With help from his confidant, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), a reformed Grimm creature himself, Nick must navigate through the forces of a larger-than-life mythology, facing off with Hexenbiests, Blutbads and all manner of ancient evils, including royal lines dating back to the original profilers themselves, The Grimm Brothers. Reggie Lee (Persons Unknown) and Sasha Roiz (Caprica) also star.

We are currently blessed, or cursed, with two new network shows that involve fairy tale characters  in our modern day world. Plenty of people will prefer one over the other. After viewing both pilots, I do have a preference, and it’s for Grimm. Both series say, in one way or another, that the fairy tales are real. In Grimm, they are real because every creature described in fairy tales are real and continue to incorporate themselves into normal life. They can do this because only certain people have the genetic/familial capability to see the true faces of the fairy tale creatures. Our hero is one of them.

He learns about this in the pilot, so they’re using the device of teaching us while teaching him. One of the things we learn is that not all creatures are bad. This, along with the fact that, in spite of the series title, not all creatures will be from common western fairy tales, allows a nearly unlimited source of creatures and story-lines.

The series, shot in Oregon, has a naturally dark atmosphere that feels right for fairy tale creatures. The music and interiors do their part to enhance that atmosphere as well. It is, after all, a police procedural, so the themes will always be dark, just as, before Disney got hold of them and even after, fairy tales are dark. The original Grimm stories are frankly horrifying. In spite of all the darkness, however, floats a sliver of snarkiness that keeps the show from taking itself too seriously. The heart and soul of that snarkiness is a character we meet in this first episode. He not only provides most of the comic relief, but also gives us a window into the creature side of things.

There are some nice visual laughs as well. By now you’ve probably seen the opening minutes of the series, either here or in advertising; it includes one of my favorite sight-gags, and a perfect way to kick it off. A young woman runs into the forest. Because she’s out for a run. And she’s wearing a red hoodie. Come on, Red Running Hoodie, that’s cool. And that’s the kind of thing you’ll see here.

Although it’s a set-up episode, it has enough entertaining elements to keep it from being too loaded with boring exposition. We know that we, like our hero, have a lot to learn, but we are also following a case that is brought to conclusion in one episode. Ongoing mysteries and long-standing battles combined with the satisfaction of a weekly conclusion are strong bases upon which to build a series.

Star David Giuntoli was a little wooden, but given that this is the first episode, that Silas Weir Mitchell has a show-stealingly-written part, and that he has an as-yet-hardly-seen but very comfortable supporting cast including Russell Hornsby and Reggie Lee, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he’ll loosen a bit as the series progresses.

That other fairy-tale-based show is appropriate for most ages; I would give this one a minimum PG rating. Again, it is a police procedural. Not quite as light as Castle, not as serious as Law & Order. I love many procedurals and am certain that’s one of the reasons I so enjoyed this pilot. Toss together a procedural with some snark and some dark, add in some fearsome creatures, and I am happily settled in for an hour.  Well done, Grimm, I’m looking forward to more.

I give Grimm: Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot,” Four out of Five Stars.