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+--- Thread: Did it have to be a cop show? (/Thread-Did-it-have-to-be-a-cop-show)
Did it have to be a cop show? - Duncan113 - 05-17-2013
Watching the last episode, I was musing once again about how Hollywood is obsessed with cop shows and insists on turning every novel idea into one. Grimm, for example, is a cool story that has nothing to do with cops. While they found a way to make it work, with Nick able to play the good guy/enforcer in both worlds as a police detective, this all too familiar storyline was clearly was an afterthought. Anyway the Grimm as a lone, shadowy figure (think of Nick's aunt or mother) fighting monsters in the dark and unbeknownst to anyone is a much more compelling idea, in my opinion. Buffy wasn't no cop. :-0 Another example of this obsession of Hollywood's is the new SyFy channel show Defiance. They went to all the trouble to create this rich backdrop for epic sci-fi storytelling (campy as it may be), and in the first episode what do they do? Turn it into a cop show. These are the gripes that keep old guys like me up at night. That and gas. :-0 Feel free to share your thoughts, especially if they come with a fruit basket.
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - HellJacket - 05-17-2013
(05-17-2013, 10:32 AM)Duncan113 Wrote: Anyway the Grimm as a lone, shadowy figure (think of Nick's aunt or mother) fighting monsters in the dark and unbeknownst to anyone is a much more compelling idea, in my opinion. Buffy wasn't no cop. :-0Here's my position on why making Grimm a police procedural >>> making Grimm a straight serial. Serials work well in very few writers' hands, but long term most television shows devolve into story trainwrecks. While I never watched much of Buffy, I watched every episode of Angel, and that show is a perfect example of this problem. Almost every season involved me giving up on the show because Joss Whedon would introduce some really annoying arcs (whether it be the Shiny Happy People arc in season 4, Angel getting a son, etc). OUAT is another show that the writers had no restraint whatsoever in their story ideas, and I gave up on the show less than 5 episodes into the second season.
With a police procedural, no matter how bad any individual episode is, there's always the chance that next week's episode will be good. With a straight serial show, one bad arc and the show becomes unbearable. Really, people complain about it taking too long for Juliette to get her memory back or too much time spent on Adalind and her baby. With a serial show though, you'd likely have entire consecutive episodes devoted to these plot lines instead of just the regular 5-10 minutes per episode.
Also, story ideas like Renard's Royal background are greatly helped by letting the writers not commit to any plot point early in the show. Once damage is done for any character, it's really difficult to undo it. That's why I'm also very happy the show is being very careful on what powers they actually give grimms.
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - GrimminFlorida1 - 05-17-2013
Most people are against the cop shows but I'm not. I think Nick being a cop works. What other type of job would be better for him? Would the ice cream man or insurance salesman running around chasing bad guys make sense? Maybe its too predictable but it makes the most sense. This is only season two. Maybe he'll get fired or quit his job during season 3 or 4.
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - Gretel Hanselsister - 05-19-2013
(05-17-2013, 04:16 PM)GrimminFlorida1 Wrote: Would the ice cream man or insurance salesman running around chasing bad guys make sense?
Brilliant!
I was just wondering: what did aunt Marie do, what does Nicks mother do to earn their livelihood? Rob beheaded Wesen? Or does someone pay them for bringing Wesen-heads?
Being a cop has it's advantages. He earns wages, he's quickly involved when something strange happens in Portland, working together with Hank, Wu and of course Renard looks natural. But "next episode - next case" has disadvantages, too. I don't remember where I read it, maybe on facebook, someone was complaining: always the same. Someone is killed in Portland, Nick sees a new Wesen, Nick discusses it with Monroe, they look it up in the trailer, the Wesen is killed. It made me laugh. Often it just fits!
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - HellJacket - 05-19-2013
(05-19-2013, 01:45 PM)Gretel Hanselsister Wrote: I was just wondering: what did aunt Marie do . . .In the pilot, I believe Nick or someone mentions that Aunt Marie was a librarian, and based on the license plate for the trailer, she likely lived in Montana. While Portland has lots of wessen, I can't imagine any city in Montana would have that many, or at least that many bad ones to keep a grimm busy.
Then again, it could be the reverse scenario. Areas with a low human population density may have a higher than average wessen population. It's also possible Aunt Marie was in grimm retirement. I don't believe the show has made it clear where Nick was raised, but somehow he ends up in Portland, Oregon.
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - GrimminFlorida1 - 05-20-2013
(05-19-2013, 02:11 PM)HellJacket Wrote:(05-19-2013, 01:45 PM)Gretel Hanselsister Wrote: I was just wondering: what did aunt Marie do . . .In the pilot, I believe Nick or someone mentions that Aunt Marie was a librarian, and based on the license plate for the trailer, she likely lived in Montana. While Portland has lots of wessen, I can't imagine any city in Montana would have that many, or at least that many bad ones to keep a grimm busy.
Then again, it could be the reverse scenario. Areas with a low human population density may have a higher than average wessen population. It's also possible Aunt Marie was in grimm retirement. I don't believe the show has made it clear where Nick was raised, but somehow he ends up in Portland, Oregon.
I believe Aunt Marie lived in a wesen less place because of her age. She seemed to be a well known grimm so hiding out during retirement makes sense. Her head was on a list of kills. With how Portland is, Nick should think about moving someplace safer.
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - Lou - 05-20-2013
From the Grimm Wiki
"He was born in Rhinebeck, New York, and lived there until his parents were thought to have died in an automobile collision in 1994 when Nick was twelve years old. "
and also from the wiki
"According to Monroe, in her youth, Marie Kessler had a bloody reputation in the supernatural creature world: his great-grandma's head was cut off and placed on a stick by Marie, to name just one of the frightening stories about her."
but
"Despite her bloodthirsty reputation, she was also viewed as something of a hypocrite by her fellow Grimms for becoming engaged to Farley Kolt, a Steinadler. ("Three Coins in a Fuchsbau") After this rejection by her fellow Grimm's, Marie cutoff contact with the Grimms and apparently worked alone ("Pilot")."
my best guess is that her early Grimm-capades occured before the car crash. then she took some time off to raise Nick. but after Nick was grown up she went back to her Grimm ways.
the only reason we think she lived in Montana is the license plate on her SUV. and who knows where that came from. maybe she stole it on her way to portland.
The only reason we think she was a librarian is the trailer. but we know the trailer is from before nick was born. His mom remembers it. but nick had never seen it. So the trailer may be from Nick's grandparents. Or a great Uncle or something. There is an old card catalog in the trailer so maybe someone was a librarian. But card catalogs haven't been used in libraries since the.... umm... 90s.
When she died she was in her early 50s. and still pretty lethal. So i don't think we can assume she was "retired".
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - pale boy - 05-21-2013
Television only allows for three types of shows these days:
Cop drama, lawyer drama, doctor drama.
Okay, I'm being (semi-) sardonic, but there's a certain pattern to a lot of recent shows that definitely fits into certain ... formulas.
I agree that Grimm uses the cop drama as a bit of a crutch at times. It's much, much better when the "real world" is playing as background rather than foreground, something I think the writers have been doing as the show goes on. I hope this trend continues. No offense to those three drama type shows I mentioned above, but Grimm is more interesting when it delves into the weirdness.
(I must politely disagree with you on Defiance, Duncan -- although Nolan works as the town Lawkeeper, it seems more like it is just his job and not the show's actual formula. If anything, I think that it draws on the nearly-dead Western genre with an emphasis on the politics of a frontier town.)
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - Gretel Hanselsister - 05-21-2013
(05-20-2013, 07:30 PM)Lou Wrote: The only reason we think she was a librarian is the trailer. but we know the trailer is from before nick was born. His mom remembers it. but nick had never seen it. So the trailer may be from Nick's grandparents. Or a great Uncle or something. There is an old card catalog in the trailer so maybe someone was a librarian.
When HellJacket wrote about aunt Marie was a librarian I rembembered the scene. It was when Juliette first saw the trailers weird interieur and asked Nick about Maries profession and he told her she was librarian. Was it the pilot? I think so. OK, there's the possibillity that he lied to her to keep the trailer's secret, but I thing HellJacket is right.
RE: Did it have to be a cop show? - Lou - 05-21-2013
Maybe she was a librarian while she raised Nick.