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It's a great time to revisit the NBC series 'Grimm,' now streaming on Peacock
There's a bounty of romance and supernatural creature mythology to dive into with Grimm.
There's a lot of good sci-fi TV out there, but one of the most under-appreciated gems in the last decade is most definitely Grimm. The show premiered in 2011 and ran for a robust six seasons on NBC, where it managed to find that sweet spot between procedural "monster of the week" stories and the ongoing mythology of Grimms (guardians), Wesen (supernatural creatures), and the epic mythology that keeps the two in a constant battle for supremacy while hiding in plain sight.
The whole series is now streaming on Peacock, so what better time to go back in and revisit Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) and his circle of friends and foes in Portland, Oregon? SYFY WIRE has the perfect primer to shake away the mythology cobwebs or get you ready to jump into the world with both feet forward.
Detective Nicholas "Nick" Burkhardt, aka The Grimm
The series revolves around the split life of Nick Burkhardt, a Portland police detective by day and the last known descendant of the Grimm line (named after The Brothers Grimm) to everyone that has an ear to the supernatural world. The lore goes that Grimms are specially gifted humans who have the ability to see the true form of Wesen (meaning "creature" in German) that exist under the noses of humanity. Over generations, it's the Grimms that have protected and saved clueless humans from Wesen attacks or their shifty plots to harm humanity. Calling Grimms supernatural cops isn't wrong, which makes Burkhardt double trouble as both a real cop for PPD and a Grimm.
In the Grimm pilot, Burkhardt's life is turned upside down when his visiting Aunt Marie (Kate Burton) tells him that she's got terminal breast cancer and that he's the next in line to take over their family's Grimm duties. Via Marie's tutelage and her huge book of lore that documents the kinds of Wesen and their abilities, Nick learns how to be a Grimm for a new generation. And then his mom (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) — long thought dead in a car accident — returns to school him some more.
Wesen
Wesen is the catch-all term for any creature that can be seen by a Grimm. There are species known as Blutbaden, Fuchsbaus, and hybrids called Hexenbiest (which are half human/half Wesen). Within the six-year run of Grimm, 132 Wesen were "encountered, mentioned or seen" by Nick and his posse — that's 10 more Wesen than the total number of episodes of the show. While purist Grimms see all Wesen as trouble, Nick comes to know that there are good and bad Wesen and he doesn't continue the blood-thirsty approach that some of his ancestors had towards their foes. Case in point: his good friend Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) the Blutbad.
"The Monster of the Week"
As a cop, Nick's partner is Detective Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby). As he's initially unaware of Nick's side gig as a Grimm, the first seasons are largely are about them investigating local murders and crimes that are often Wesen-adjacent. But, as the series unfolds and their friendship and trust grows, Hank becomes Nicks partner in solving human crimes and Wesen cases.
The Ships
Fear not if you think Grimm is just a show about monsters and mayhem. In fact, there's a whole lotta romancing going around with some of the cutest, and most cursed love stories you can imagine. Far and away the most delightful ship of the series is between Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee Calvert (Bree Turner), a Fuchsbau who runs the local spice shop that also caters to Wesen. These two are adorable and worth the price of admission alone. For those who love more complex relationships, Nick has two big ones during the series. One with his long-time love Juliette Silverton (Bitsie Tulloch), and the other with his nemesis, Adalind Schade (Claire Coffee), who is a Hexenbiest Wesen. Both are a roller coaster, ya'll.
The Royals
Even a supernatural series needs a bigger threat which comes with The Royals, a collection of seven Royal families going back to the Crusades. Primarily rooted in Europe, many of their ilk have fanned out around the globe to do their family's bidding. They have castles full of money, global influence and make trouble for both humans and Wesen. The series focuses on the machinations of the House of Kronenberg, which includes Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) of the Portland PD and his half-brother, Prince Eric Renard (James Frain), who bring their sibling mess to Nick's doorstep across the span of the series.
All six seasons of Grimm are available to stream on Peacock now.
