With all the fantastic original programming Apple TV offers, the family fare is often overlooked, which is a real tragedy. One amazing series everyone who loves fairy tales, empowerment, and adventure should check out immediately is The Sisters Grimm.
Apple TV describes the animated series as “a journey of adventure and heart about sleuth-solving sisters descended from the Brothers Grimm who, while very different, make a pretty great team.”
With a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Sisters Grimm Season 1 was a delight, showcasing the voice acting talents of SNL‘s Laraine Newman, Modern Family‘s Ariel Winter, and Ted Lasso‘s Billy Harris.
“In season two, one year after their parents’ mysterious disappearance, sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm continue uncovering the secrets of Ferryport Landing, where fairy tales and fairy tale creatures are real, as they face new adventures and mysteries.”
Recently, we had the privilege of chatting with the author of the books the series is based on, Michael Buckley, and showrunner Amy Higgins.
Now that Season 2 is out, are you getting feedback from fans of the books about how the series has adapted them?
Michael Buckley: I get feedback where people are like, “I liked this. Are they going to do this?” That kind of thing. People who are fans [of the books] feel an ownership in it, which is lovely, and that’s exactly what I hoped was that they would feel like it was their story.
So, yeah, every once in a while, I’ll get a little note where people are like, “This person’s hair is different.” Or “Why didn’t he say this?” But I never wanted to do a 100% adaptation.
When I was a kid, I saw an interview with the musician Prince. He was talking about how his band would play every song on the album perfectly the way he wanted it, but when they would go out and perform it on stage, he would get angry if they didn’t do some flourishes and take it in their own direction. He was like, “People don’t want to see the same thing.” And I truly believe that. I’ve always said, “I didn’t write the Bible. You can change it.”
And I want to see where it goes too! Taking a few detours and some side streets in getting to the same place… I’m excited to see those things too ’cause that’s all new to me as well.
Season 2 leaps forward in terms of development for several characters. Was there one whose evolution you enjoyed most?
Amy Higgins: Everybody! I’m the worst at saying, “This is my favourite!” They’re all my favourite because I love them all. I had to live with them.
I’m a big fan of Puck’s arc this season. He is, y’know… a jackass, in the best of terms. He’s a fool. He has been 12 — I currently have a 12-year-old boy — forever. There’s a scene in there where he’s like, “I feel something. Is it sickness? What is it?” It’s failure. “I feel sorry. I feel like I’ve done something wrong.”
Him feeling that for the first time is so exciting to me, and that speaks to the whole redemption story. All these characters have two faces on them, as all humans do. We are multi-faceted beings. We can be two people at the same time. He can be a jerk, and he can also be wonderful. I feel that’s our job to make these characters unique.
Speaking to your last question, coming in to adapt this book that is beloved and make it into six episodes, that’s my own trauma that I hold. That’s so not easy. You have to combine things. We looked at it like we were expanding the universe a little bit so you could have a little bit more of them outside the books.
We want very much for this not to be a happily-ever-after story. Even though you’re led down that path, it doesn’t quite always end up that way because life is messy, people are messy, our characters are messy, so… anyway, short story, I like Puck, but all of them are equally loved, I guess. Ask Michael.
Michael’s Fave
MB: The character that I like — you can start to see the beginning of the arc in this — is Prince Charming (voiced by Abubakar Salim), who is really out of practice of being a hero. It’s really the love of Snow White, who he has never gotten over, even after hundreds of years. I’ve definitely been in relationships where I love the person so much I wanted to be the best version of myself that I could. What I love is seeing that happening in Prince Charming.
He’s very selfish and self-absorbed in the first book. In the second one, he’s stepping up and getting involved and attempting to do the right thing. His story through the rest of the book series — who knows? Maybe we’ll do another season. That would be great! — Prince Charming, he’s my favourite.
Season 2’s energy is spicier with the incorporation of adolescence and the school dynamics. How was it, writing for that voice? The anger and angst?
AH: There be monsters, y’know. Monsters come in different forms, like bullies. That’s the truth of real life. Again, I have a middle-schooler now, and I was once a middle-schooler who was TRAUMATIZED. I was bullied in the worst possible way. I mean, I think everyone was in some way, but, oh my god, there was a group of girls that were TERRIBLE.
But can you imagine it now with social media, and there’s everything that is all on display? Hurt kids hurt kids. Understanding where those bullies come from, and understanding where these monsters have been designed and why people act this way is very much what this season is about.
That means consequences that are generations old. There are actions that happened a long time ago from Sabrina’s great-great-great-grandparents that have happened now and have consequences. Her parents have been taken, possibly dead. That is something she has to grapple with.
Also, how she feels about these bullies: I hate them all categorically, or do I see the humanity in them and see that an individual is not the group? Those are things that we talked about all the time and wanted to make that into an accessible piece of entertainment — INFOtainment! — that parents could watch with their kids and have a conversation about.
Both seasons of The Sisters Grimm are now streaming on Apple TV.
