Grimm was a show that defied the odds during its six-season run.
While Constantine and other supernatural sagas came and went like a whisper in the wind,
Grimm persevered, due in no small part to the series attracting a loyal fan base who
fell for its magical enchantments and dark — some might say grim — charms.
NBC's folklore-inspired procedural follows Nick Burkhardt, a Portland detective and
the descendent of a long line of monster hunters called Grimms — a reference to
the fairy-tale scribes, the Brothers Grimm, whose work inspired the show.
As the titular Grimm, Burkhardt has the power to see through the human masks worn by Wesen,
an ancient race of anthropomorphic beasts with a wide array of magical abilities. When Wesen
become irritated, stressed, or aggressive, they undergo an accidental transformation that reveals
their true form - which is where Burkhardt and his team of monster hunters come in.
"I thought he was going to kill me."
"Why?"
"He's a Grimm. It's what they do.”
"A what?"
"A Grimm."
Although the series never dazzled in the ratings, it drew enough of a committed following to carry
on for the better part of the decade. But alas, like all good things in this world,
the cult series had to come to an end eventually. So what prompted NBC to drop the cancelation ax?
Surprisingly, it came about in part because the show's creators felt
like they didn't really have anything left to say.
While NBC ultimately made the decision to cut Grimm from the schedule,
showrunners James Kouf and David Greenwalt told TV Line that they felt like they were
running out of material that would keep the show fresh.
For that reason, they weren't even really upset by the cancelation. In fact,
the creators recalled feeling panic when they thought season 6 would be renewed for 22 episodes,
breathing a sigh of relief when the network only called for 13. That limited order turned out to
be a blessing, as the final season boasted a rich, mythology-laden storyline that might
not have felt nearly so satisfying if it had been stretched out to a full 22-episode season.
Fortunately for the fans and everyone involved in the show's creation,
Grimm got to say goodbye on a high note, with a satisfying conclusion that wrapped
up the existing plotlines and put a nice cherry on top of its story. Series star David Giuntoli
told TV Line that they were happy to get that chance, as many shows get cancelled without
having the opportunity to truly finish their stories in a way that is creatively satisfying.
It might have helped that Grimm was part of a larger zeitgeist. One part urban fantasy,
one part police procedural, the show owed as much of a creative to debt to Buffy the
Vampire Slayer as it does to Law & Order. As a result, it felt like an oddball in NBC's lineup.
But Grimm had good company elsewhere, debuting in a season that was crowded
with fairy tale-inspired content. While NBC was revving up the marketing engine behind Grimm,
ABC was pushing its own buzzy new fairy tale riff, Once Upon a Time.
Both shows defied their middling reviews to live a full life on their respective networks. Heck,
after Grimm was canceled, Once Upon a Time carried on for another year!
And unusually, Grimm actually saw a ratings bump in its final season. While season five hit
a series low, averaging 5.97 million viewers, season six rose to 6.07 million. And that was
apparently enough to convince NBC there might be more stories to wring out of the concept yet,
as a Grimm spinoff series with a female lead was announced in 2018.
So far, no further details have been announced, although some of Grimm's cast members confirmed
in a YouTube Q&A for WIzard World that there have been some ongoing discussions behind the scenes
about their characters returning. And with Grimm and Once Upon a Time now both gone, it seems like
there's a fairy tale procedural-sized hole in the network TV ecosystem just waiting to be filled.
Here's hoping they jump down that rabbit hole soon.
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