Warning: Mild SPOILERS forGrimsburgseason 2, episode 11, “Evidence Locker.”
Although not the most successful of Fox’s animated comedies,Grimsburgseason 2 suggests a new yearly storytelling idea that could elevate the series in future seasons in a very meaningful way. The network’s animation roster has already been improving to a degree, withThe Simpsonsseason 36including several emotional episodes that many fans consider among the best modern installments of the series to air in recent years. EvenFamily Guyseason 23has been toying with the show’s canon slightly, despite generally giving character backstories even less attention thanThe Simpsons.
But these are both series with fanbases who have invested years or even decades of interest into each respective show. With only two seasons under its belt,Grimsburgfaces the same struggles as fellow Fox animationsKrapopolisandUniversal Basic Guysin terms of winning over more skeptical fans. So, while even a major blow such asFamily Guy’s season 3 cancellationcouldn’t wipe the series from the slate forever,Grimsburgstill needs to do a lot more in terms of building more goodwill. Fortunately, they’ve struck on an idea that could make great strides in that direction.
Grimsburg Season 2, Episode 11 Pitches Doing One Origin Story Anthology Per Season
“Evidence Locker” Could Become A Regular Episode Format
Entitled “Evidence Locker,”Grimsburgseason 2, episode 11 starts with the Grimsburg PD cleaning up the evidence room after a cat burglar turns the station into a crime scene when she’s devoured by a dog-loving fungus monster. After openly admitting that the locker cleanup is a construct to set up the episode’s anthology of origin stories,John Kang pitches the idea that the series could revisit the same anthology idea every season moving forward. Since they get rather little tidied up in the first place, they already seem to have quite a bit of possible material left.
This isn’t a unique idea on its own. Plenty of series have done anthology episodes, and it’s not even particularly unique to have them multiple seasons in a row. Two of the most well-known animated anthology traditions areThe Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” andRick and Morty’s “Interdimensional Cable”episodes, although the latter was rather short-lived. ButGrimsburg’s “Evidence Locker” stands apart from these popular anthologies with its particular focus on character origin storiessuch as Flute’s crime mind, his post-divorce meltdown, and Summers’ cyborg procedure. This focus is whereGrimsburgcould develop a new strength.
Grimsburg’s Anthology Episode Makes The Series’ Canon More Interesting
The Backstories Add More Depth To The Show’s Characters
One of the reasonsThe Simpsons’ international fanbasegrew large and intensely loyal over the years, aside from the clever and tightly executed jokes in the early seasons, is simply that fans quickly grew to love the individual characters. By contrast,most ofGrimsburg’s cast can often feel interchangeable with their focus on oddball antics and remorseless selfishness. Summers stands apart as the soft-hearted cyborg, and Pentos stands out largely for the Alan Tudyk factor, but there are few others to whom viewers seem particularly inclined to really latch on.
Various fans’ mileage will naturally vary in this regard, but it’s certainly a more pronounced issue forGrimsburgthan for fellow Fox seriesBob’s BurgersorThe Great North, in which it’s easy to distinguish the characters on the basis of personality alone.The focus on origin stories in “Evidence Locker” better distinguishes the characters as individualsby exploring their histories in a way that also provides a better glimpse into their emotional depth and manner of thinking. Although animated comedies rarely prioritize maintaining consistent canon,Grimsburginstead sets up a lot of leftover ground to cover.
Grimsburg Still Has Countless Backstories To Explore In Future Anthologies
“Evidence Locker” Already Hints At Future Story Possibilities
Besides the fact that “Evidence Locker” leaves the backstories of several characters such as Kang and Wynona entirely untouched, it also directly sets up specific storylines to explore further in later anthologies. For instance, while Flute’s reconciliation with his ex has been a major theme before (such as in theGrimsburgseason 1 finale),the divorce narrative in “Evidence Locker” leaves out Harmony’s perspective entirely. The episode also has a running side story about Tim Patty’s origins but never definitively answers why Tom Petty would have faked his death in the first place.
It’s clear that the series already takes its canon at least somewhat seriously, after the first season’s finale twist led to major changes in the station’s management. But, by explaining issues such aswhy Summers is so oddly saccharine for a potentially deadly robot or how Flute developed his detective mentality, “Evidence Locker” elevatesGrimsburgbeyond a simple animated comedy to a show that could demonstrate its love for characters’ emotional arcs as profoundly as series such asRick and MortyorBoJack Horseman. That could play a major role in determining the series’ longevity.
Grimsburg
Cast
Grimsburg follows Marvin Flute, a detective renowned for solving bizarre cases, as he returns to his enigmatic hometown. Amidst secrets and intrigues, Flute seeks redemption with his ex-wife and attempts to connect with the son he barely knows, all while navigating the town’s mysteries.
