The police procedural is a TV genre that fans can't get enough of. Crime series like S.W.A.T., Bones, and Elementary have run for more than five seasons at a time when most shows get canceled by the third season. Fans love seeing cops get the bad guy. It also helps that these Police Procedural dramas mix fantasy, romance, and drama to create riveting stories that touch on all aspects of life.

Fantasy and supernatural detective dramas are ones that fans love to watch and rewatch. From shows like Angel and Supernatural to the short-lived Grimm, supernatural police procedurals offer another layer of intrigue and mystery that viewers can't get from regular cop shows. Grimm also dives into the horror genre by mixing fairy tale elements into a procedural format to create fascinating episodes throughout its six-season run.

The Cop Drama in Grimm is One of the Main Highlights of the Show

There are several police dramas on TV, but not all have been as well received by horror fans as Grimm. This NBC series aired from 2011 to 2017, cultivating a decent following. It follows the story of "the Grimm"—a guardian with the duty of keeping peace between the humans and magical creatures known as the Wesen. Although it didn't have the highest viewership numbers while on air, Grimm perfectly balances fantasy, police cases, and relationship drama, as fans watch how Nick's newfound responsibilities change his life.

Nick Burkhardt is a homicide detective in Portland who starts seeing monsters and things he can’t explain. His sense of morality is precisely what a police procedural show needs to succeed. While he falls short sometimes, he always tries to protect people from the dangerous Wesen around them. He is also fair and would protect good Wesen from evil Wesen creatures who want to hurt them. Nick’s caring nature puts him in many dilemmas throughout the show, and viewers see him maneuver out of complex situations as his power grows towards the end of the series.

All police shows need a healthy dose of romance, and Grimm has plenty of love triangles and affairs to keep fans tuned in. His primary romantic relationship starts while on the job as he is investigating a hit-and-run case. At this time, he meets and falls in love with the veterinarian, Dr. Juliette, and they move in together as their relationship gets serious. Juliette is a huge part of his life, and she ends up entangled in his supernatural world in a way she didn’t expect in later seasons. However, their relationship is affected when Juliette turns into a Hexenbiest, one of the creatures Nick is meant to kill, but they both try to work through this significant change and restore their bond. The pain, tragedy, and loss their relationship goes through puts fans through the wringer, but the writing makes it so realistic that their situation, although supernatural, feels very much connected to the real world.

Another draw of this police drama is Nick's relationships with his co-workers, especially his partner, senior, and friend, Sergeant Hank Griffin. While their relationship starts as work colleagues, their bond deepens as they work on cases and discover more about the magical world they live in. Nick confides in him about his problems and the burden on his shoulders, even though Hank initially struggles to understand this complicated supernatural world he’s been drawn into. The trust and loyalty between the two are reminiscent of popular buddy cop films of the 90s. They’re funny together, honest, and their on-screen chemistry shows how much their characters care for each other.

Nick’s relationship with his superior, Captain Sean Renard, is respectful in the beginning, before their personal lives complicate everything. When Juliette starts dating Renard, their work relationship suffers as they find themselves in a love triangle they can’t escape. As Renard’s true identity as a human-zauberbiest hybrid is revealed, Nick discovers that while he is an ally, he could also be a powerful adversary in his fight against the Wesen. Although he doesn’t have the powers of a full Zauberbiest, like telekinesis and magic, Renard is an intense master manipulator who uses his resources and powerful friends to do unspeakable things like assassinations and stage crimes to thwart his enemies. The friction in their relationship grows as Renard’s true intentions as part human and Wesen become clearer. Nick, however, manages to work with Renard and see past his shortcomings so that he can do what’s best for everyone.

Another aspect of cop dramas that Grimm gets right is the complex cases and intriguing storylines in each episode that ensure viewers want to watch from beginning to end. Sergeant Wu, Monroe, Nick, and Hank worked on what seemed like regular cases, like homicides, robberies and hit-and-runs that, more often than not, featured Wesens. Their impressive detective work makes for some good TV for fans looking to be drawn into the depiction of complex law enforcement work with a fantasy twist. While the show does take some liberties due to its premise, the crime scenes are realistic, with suspenseful storylines and attention to detail that viewers are drawn to.

Adding a Horror Twist to the Fairy Tale Stories Delivers the Perfect Package for Viewers

The Wesen creatures are an integral part of the storylines in Grimm. These are primarily evil fairy tale creatures from the books by the Brothers Grimm, drawn from famous legends and folktales around the world. There are over 100 dangerous Wesen species in the series. Examples are the hexenbiests, who transform into horrific monsters, and the Blutbaden, who are werewolves. The mix of good and bad Wesen makes the stories in Grimm even more interesting because fans never know whether these creatures will want to harm or help Nick.

A Grimm like Nick can see the Wesen even when they are disguised as humans. He also has supernatural strength, agility, and the knowledge to fight and kill them. Although Grimm isn't a horror series, its dark themes and scary creatures can frighten any horror fan. The appearance of some Wesen will send chills down any viewer's spine, and the suspense in most episodes achieves the frightening tone of horror shows perfectly. Some, like hexenbiests, look like corpses, while others, like the Aswang, are vampires with long protruding tongues that feed on unborn children, straight out of the worst nightmares imaginable. However, not all Wesen are powerful despite their grotesque appearance, like the Hasenfussige Schnecke, who look like melting blobs.

Even the adorable-looking Wesen have an eerie aura that unsettles viewers throughout most episodes. Their twisted origins only add to the heart-racing storylines that surround these monsters. The Wesen's minds are as twisted as their bodies, and with horrible personalities, they aren't close to the romanticized characters that inspire them. A homicide is scary enough, but when adding the horrific element of the Wesen, who can commit terrible atrocities to the mix, the show is frightening to watch. Episodes that feature Wesen like the Musasat alsh-Shabab, who can suck the youth out of their victims, take supernatural gore to the next level.

Although the production costs were reduced as the seasons went by, the Wesen's appearances were always daunting. One type of Wesen, the Spinnetod, uses toxic acids to liquefy their victim's organs, leaving them mummified after the ritual. How they administer the acid, by vomiting it directly into their victims' mouths, is disgusting and not something viewers want to watch while eating. A Wesen that deserves a mention on the Grimm horror scale is the Geier, who harvests their prey's organs while they are still alive. They seem to take pleasure in inflicting as much pain as possible, which is extremely hard to watch as they slice their victims open.

Grimm’s Detective and Supernatural Stories Makes this Show Perfect for Horror Fans

Grimm’s unique blend of multiple genres is one of the reasons fans can’t get enough of the show despite its final season airing in 2017. With mythical creatures who transcend their folk origins to turn into creepy monsters, this series has no shortage of fear-inducing scenes. Nick, however, strikes the much-needed balance of good and evil that the show needs. This procedural drama that has the supernatural horror of the Wesen creates intriguing storylines that will scare even die-hard horror fans.