Hemlock Grove

Brian McGreevy's novel Hemlock Grove got the Netflix treatment in 2013, landing as one of the streamer's earliest original scripted series. Over three seasons and 33 episodes, the show carved out a space for itself in the growing landscape of streaming horror-drama. It's a strange, ambitious beast, part murder mystery, part family saga, part creature feature, all soaked in a gloomy Pennsylvania atmosphere.

The cast is a real highlight. Bill Skarsgård, years before he terrified audiences as Pennywise, plays Roman Godfrey, the brooding heir to a powerful family. Landon Liboiron is Peter Rumancek, a Romani teen with a werewolf secret. Famke Janssen chews scenery as Olivia Godfrey, the cold and calculating matriarch. Madeleine Martin brings depth to Shelley, a character whose physical deformity masks a gentle soul. The show ran from April 19, 2013 to October 23, 2015, earning a devoted following even as critics remained divided on its messy, overstuffed narrative.[edit]

Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania, looks like any other small town, but scratch the surface and you will find a place crawling with secrets. The story begins when a teenage girl is found brutally murdered near the abandoned Godfrey steel mill. The crime sends shockwaves through the community and sets off a chain of events that pulls two very different young men together.

Peter Rumancek arrives in town with his mother, moving into a rundown trailer on the outskirts. He is immediately viewed with suspicion by the locals, partly because of his Romani heritage and partly because rumors follow him wherever he goes. Peter carries a family curse: he turns into a wolf during the full moon. He tries to keep his head down, but the murder investigation keeps circling back to him.

Roman Godfrey lives in a mansion on the hill, heir to a fortune built on steel and shady dealings. He is intelligent, restless, and drawn to the macabre. Despite their different worlds, Roman and Peter form an unlikely bond. Roman is fascinated by Peter's otherness, while Peter sees something familiar in Roman, a darkness that hints at his own monstrous lineage.

The Godfrey family is a nest of vipers. Olivia, Roman's mother, is a beautiful and ruthless woman who will do anything to protect her children and her power. Shelley, Roman's sister, is a gentle giant with a disfigured face and a mysterious connection to the supernatural. The family's history is tangled with secret experiments, ancient bloodlines, and a creature known as the Upir, a vampire-like being that feeds on life force.

As the first season unfolds, more murders occur, each more gruesome than the last. The police, led by a skeptical detective, struggle to find a rational explanation. Peter and Roman dig into the town's hidden history, uncovering a web of lies that stretches back generations. They face not only external threats but also the monsters within themselves. The show's central question is not just who is killing people, but what does it mean to be a monster when the line between human and beast is so thin?

Across the second and third seasons, the scope widens. New enemies emerge, including a fanatical religious group and a powerful ancient entity known as the White Bride. Peter and Roman's friendship is tested as they each grapple with their destinies. Roman's Upir nature becomes more pronounced, threatening to consume him. Peter struggles to control his wolf and protect his loved ones. The town of Hemlock Grove itself becomes a character, its decaying industrial landscape mirroring the moral decay of its inhabitants. The series builds toward a confrontation that will decide the fate of everyone in Hemlock Grove, forcing each character to choose between their humanity and their monstrous heritage.[edit]