I gotta admit. I’m addicted to both Once Upon A Time and Grimm.

I think they are both doing outstanding jobs at incorporating old stories into a new storyline.

Here’s my thoughts on both.

ONCE UPON A TIME

I am thoroughly enjoying this show. There are times I think that the show itself borders on cheesy, but sometimes cheesy works…and it definitely works here.

As a writer, I can see that the writers of this show seem to be having the times of their lives putting this thing together…along with the production staff, the actors, and everyone else involved. The sheer joy in the performances is easy to see.

I am definitely rooting for the Mayor to get her comeuppance. I hate that character, but at the same time, she is the bad guy. Viewers are kinda supposed to hate her. I can see that the actress playing that part is doing so expertly and no question that she’s having a great time doing it.

This show is the epitome of writers and actors and everyone involved knowing that they are working on something special, enjoying every minute of it, and it shows.

GRIMM

This show is so much darker, in tone, in content, and in setting, than OUAT. That’s not a complaint.

I’m liking the introduction of fairy tales into modern police work. And I have to say that my favorite character is a tie…between the completely human Hank and the not-human Monroe. But the character surprising me is….Juliet. She’s definitely coming into her own as a supportive girlfriend who’s not afraid to kick a little ass from time to time, to stand up to Nick’s lies to cover the fact he’s a grimm. I’m good with that…makes me like her even more!

I have to say that there have been times that I’ve wondered where the mythology is coming from. I’ve done a metric ton of research in writing my upcoming novel (using fairy tales), and can’t place them. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist…and every writer is entitled to put their own spin on them. That said, I keep getting distracted from the plot because I’m trying to figure out where it came from. Maybe that’s my own personal foible. Very possible.

COMPARISONS

I’ve had several people ask me recently which is more like the book I wrote. I have to say neither…because the book is different in plot, in storyline, and in characters. That said…it’s closer in tone to Once Upon A Time than Grimm, but I think fans of either show might enjoy The Grimm Legacy.