Celebrating 100 Episodes of Grimm with Bree Turner
Bree Turner as Rosalee
NBC’s supernatural series Grimm reaches its 100th episode on UK TV tonight when ‘Into the Schwarzwald’ airs at 9pm on W!. The 12th episode of Season 5 will see Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) and his Wesen friend Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) continue their German expedition. Meanwhile, back in Portland, Adalind (Claire Coffee) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) will have to deal with the return of a ‘character’ everyone was hoping they wouldn’t see again.
That development will be particularly tough for Rosalee coming, as it does, after the violent visit from her former acquaintance, Tony, in Episode 99. Rosalee’s prominent role in the plot of Grimm’s 100th episode is evidence of how far the character has come since the show premiered in 2011. Back in season one, Turner’s part as the proprietor of the apothecary shop was only intermittently recurring. Since then, her character has become increasingly integral to the series’ many twists and turns. With that in mind, Geektown sat down with her to talk about Rosalee’s evolution, being part of a series that has secured 100 episodes and what’s behind Grimm’s enduring appeal.
What does it mean to you to have reached 100 episodes on Grimm?
It is a reminder, when we come to work every day and we are just accomplishing our job, to take a moment and really take in the weight of how lucky we are to find a show that has 100 episodes when shows get cancelled after three in this landscape. It’s such a blessing. We are really proud of what we’re doing here and it’s so much a full-unit collaboration – the city, the crew, the writers and producers, the fans – there’s so much love and respect that I’m also not surprised because we all really love what we’re doing here
Everyone says that filming in Portland, Oregon, is an important part of the show’s success. Why is that?
It’s just a really special city. It’s urban but living with this natural beauty all around you is truly breathtaking. When we’re out in the woods we’re not adding moss to anything. Everything is that green and that lush and that foggy and mysterious.
Grimm has similarities to shows such as Supernatural and The X-Files. What do you think makes these series so appealing?
Fear is universal: it doesn’t speak to just one culture. And fairy tales cross cultures, as well. We don’t just stick to the literal Grimm’s Fairy Tales. We’ve opened up to other cultures’ lore and folk tales and so I think we really have broadened the scope of global storytelling.
What have been some of the highlights of Grimm’s 100 episodes for you?
It’s been really fun that it started out with just Monroe, Rosalee and Nick; those were the only people that I was working with for a long time. Then all of a sudden I was working with Hank and then Juliette and then Woo and then Bud and then the Captain. I love them all as people so the fact that now we get to work together in a lot of scenes is just really fun. You get paid to play.
What do you most enjoy about playing the character of Rosalee?
I think my favourite part about the character is that she’s tough and she’s soft and compassionate and she’s not afraid to be the smartest person in the room. Her journey from Season One to now, her confidence as an apothecary in taking a stand in this brave new world, has brought out her best self. Also, finding Monroe and their total support of each other, they’ve just made each other better. She isn’t some Pollyanna. She has a dark past, she’s a tough girl and she’s a realist.
