Image: Gordon Timpen – SMPSP/Amazon/W&B
Amazon Prime Video’s German fantasy series The Gryphon (originally Der Greif) met with the audience. In the series that we return to the 90s, we follow the adventure of 16-year-old Mark, as he embarks on a world full of dangers as a result of his family legacy.
The story begins in 1984 in Krefelden. As a young boy, Mark (Jeremias Meyer) wakes up from his slumber with the sounds of the house. Soon after, his fussy father Karl (Golo Euler) enters his room, takes him and his older brother Thomas (Theo Trebs) and heads to run away from home. No matter how hard their mother Petra (Sabine Timoteo) tries, she can’t stop them.
After 10 years, the mid-90s have arrived, Mark is now 16 years old and lives with his mother. His older brother, Thomas, has cut off communication with their mother and runs a record store. We learn that their father died that night, years ago, that it was decided that he had psychological problems, and that Thomas, who had these problems, was also treated for a long time. And we learn that Mark is also receiving therapy because of this situation, which they consider to be a genetic nightmare.
As Mark turns 16, Thomas tells him about his father’s diary and family legacy. Although Mark doesn’t want to believe it at first, he soon accepts the truth. The Zimmerman family is tasked with destroying a cruel monster called The Gryphon, who has lived for generations in a parallel world called the Dark Tower. Apart from the Gryphon ruling in the Dark Tower, there are many dangerous creatures from creatures traveling between the two worlds to the seer Man-Ith who sees the future. Mark must face the evil of this strange world he has just met. In his struggle, his older brother Thomas, his friend Memo (Zoran Pingel) and a newcomer to his school, Becky (Lea Drinda), who have a love affair, do not leave Mark alone.
The Gryphon (Der Greif) is adapted for Prime Video by Sebastian Marka and Erol Yeşilkaya, from the 1989 novel of the same name by German writer Wolfgang Hohlbein. The series is produced by W&B (Wiedemann & Berg), the producer of Netflix’s first German-made series Dark. After watching the trailer of The Gryphon, I was expecting a more Grimm or The Spiderwick Chronicles-like production, but a production with Stranger Things inspiration welcomes you. The first season, consisting of six episodes, opens the door to a whole new world for us. I think six episodes are too short for such a production. A brand new world called The Dark Tower is being introduced, but I think it is not adequately explained. Moreover, evil creatures live in this world, as well as humans. Although budget is probably a big factor in this regard, I think we will have a chance to explore this new world more in the coming seasons.
Creators: Sebestian Marka, Erol Yesilkaya
Screenplay: Sebastian Marka, Erol Yesilkaya, Wolfgang Hohlbein (based on the novel by)
Stars: Jeremias Meyer, Zoran Pingel, Lea Drinda [..]
7/10
