Recently, both NBC and ABC released new series based on the concept of fairy tale characters being real, Grimm and Once Upon a Time. However, while they may be similar in theme, each show approaches the subject material quite differently. Grimm takes a darker approach, while Once Upon a Time is a tad more whimsical.
Once Upon A Time
Premise
Once Upon a Time focuses on a cast of storybook characters trapped in the horrible “real world,” where not everyone is granted a happily-ever-after. The show starts where the story of Snow White left off, following her wedding to Prince Charming. It is then that the Witch Queen curses all the fairy tale characters to be trapped in the normal world with no recollection of who they are.
According to Rumpelstiltskin , the curse can only be broken with the help of Snow White’s daughter, Emma. However, to save her from the Queen, Emma was sent into the real world alone right before the curse was placed, and ended up growing up in foster-care and living a normal life. Now, having just turned 28, she begins to stumble upon some of the fairy tale characters she is meant to save.
Characters
The main characters introduced to Once Upon a Time include two people from the “real world,” Emma Swan and her 10-year-old son Henry. The duo share the screen with a whole slew of traditional fairy-tale protagonists.
While Emma is Henry’s biological mother, she gave him up for adoption. In the beginning Henry runs away from home to go and meet her.
Emma is forced to drive him back to his house in Storybrook , where the rest of the characters are introduced. Henry claims they are all characters from fairy-tales. Emma doesn’t actually believe him, but she will slowly learn that characters like Jiminy Cricket, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin , and Prince Charming are as real as Henry claims.
Grimm
Premise
Grimm is a murder-mystery show, except with fairy-tale monsters added into the mix. When Nick Burkhardt’s aunt begins slowly dying from cancer, he starts to see bizarre and terrifying things with increased regularity. People transform into monsters before his eyes, and no one else seems to notice.
His aunt soon tells him that he, because he is descended from the Brothers Grimm, is inheriting her gift of sight. All the Brothers Grimm folktales are true and the monsters are real – they’re just in hiding.
Nick, who works as a detective, soon finds a practical application for his new ability, hunting down the bloodthirsty monsters that are murdering innocent people. He uses his skill to identify and capture them, and the plot of the show follows his new discoveries about the Grimms with every case.
Characters
The main character in Grimm is Nick Burkhardt , a detective descended from the Brothers Grimm who can therefore see the magical creatures from their stories. He is joined by several human allies, including his aunt Marie, his girlfriend, Juliet and his best friend and partner, Hank Griffin.
The rest of the characters tend to be antagonistic monsters, such as the homicidal “Big Bad Wolf” introduced in the pilot. However, not all these monsters are bad – one similar “Big Bad Wolf” named Monroe has reformed and refuses to kill, instead choosing to aid Nick.
Conclusion
Though both of these shows have such similar set-ups, they were each able to provide unique take. Each show had its own atmospheres, and managed to take certain concepts in entirely different directions.
The shows were received by students quite differently as well. After watching the first episode of Once Upon a Time, many found themselves less than thrilled with the show.
Daniel Weikel , a freshman in first year college, felt Once Upon a Time didn’t do enough to differentiate itself.
“They just threw together a bunch of Disney characters,” Weikel said. “It’s slow, and a little boring.”
Tori Santonil , a freshman in computer science, also found the characters to be uninspiring.
“I wish Prince Charming had a name,” Santonil said, “but that is his name, and that’s why it sucks.”
Santonil also said the acting was “sub-sub-par.”
On the other hand, students were generally more enthusiastic about Grimm. Some were hesitant, but reviews remained positive overall. The biggest complaint was that the director took too many shots that were tinted red.
However, some, such as Alex Beasley, a freshman in general engineering, found the show enjoyable enough to give another chance.
“I would watch the next one,” Beasley said.
Rhett Bodford , a freshman in computer science, was impressed with how well the show turned out.
“This one has a lot of potential,” Bodford said. “They could go a lot of places with it.”
From the student perspective, it seems as if one show has simply done the modern fairytale better. Though both programs are retelling and reinventing the traditional stories of childhood, Grimm is bringing a stronger amount of change to the table, making things darker, shocking and more sinister.
