Grimsburg: Rachel Dratch Steals the Show as Jon Hamm’s Dark-Sided Son (Yes, You Read That Correctly)

While you were watching the Golden Globes (or not) on Sunday, Fox was quietly debuting Grimsburg, the newest addition to its Animation Domination lineup.

On its surface, Grimsburg is a crime procedural about Marvin Flute (voiced by Jon Hamm), a crotchety detective whose personal demons are outnumbered only by his collection of dollhouse furniture. But after watching Sunday’s premiere, we can all agree that it’s Marvin’s disturbed son Stan (Rachel Dratch) who really steals the show. Well, Stan and his imaginary friend Mr. Flesh (Alan Tudyk), a flaming skeleton who gleefully stokes the child’s darkest impulses.

In Stan’s defense, having parents like Marvin and Harmony (Erinn Hayes), the latter of whom was literally raised by wolves herself, would leave any kid’s psyche with significant, irreparable damage. And we can think of no better actress to bring this twisted kiddo to life than Dratch, who infuses Stan’s “aw, shucks” demeanor with a little something extra. A touch of darkness, if you will. Just enough to make you wonder, “Wait, should I be rooting for this child?”

Needless to say, we found ourselves less concerned about the outcome of the pilot’s murder mystery than we were about whether Marvin would make it to the annual father-son dance with Stan. (And just so you can keep your search history clean, we Googled whether father-son dances are real. They are not.)

From tiny tyrant Louise Belcher to extraterrestrial drag enthusiast Roger Smith, Fox’s Animation Domination lineup has a well-documented history of blessing the TV landscape with iconic scene stealers. With at least two more seasons of Grimsburg on the way, we have to wonder — might there also be room on that list for Stan Flute?

(If you missed Sunday’s premiere on Fox, you can catch Grimsburg next-day on Hulu and VOD.)

Did you enjoy your first visit to Grimsburg? Will you be popping by again next week? Weigh in via our polls below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Fox’s newest animated comedy.