The Grinder Review: A Hero Has Fallen (Season 1 Episode 2)

The Grinder Review: A Hero Has Fallen (Season 1 Episode 2)

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz Reviews, The Grinder

Okay, The Grinder. You got me.

I really liked the premiere, but I confess, after watching it, I thought you were a one-trick pony. I figured you’d found a formula that was sort of amusing, and you’d stick to it like glue. I took you for a show that wouldn’t be able to break away from what worked, even if breaking away from it could take you from good to great.

I confused you for a procedural of sorts. A comedy procedural, if you will. And it turns out that, two episodes in, you’re anything but.

Stewart did very well in the “Pilot” playing sort of the foil to Dean, the eye-rolling, disbelieving brother who is fed-up with the showmanship and the drama, and yet impressed with the results. That Stewart was funny, but not really sustainable in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, Stewart can get like that from time to time, but, for this show to succeed, Stewart had to be more. For this show to have even a possibility of being great, Stewart needed some depth.

And boy, he gets it. Stewart in this episode goes from re-hashing the same old arguments, to flat-out denial, and then quickly to trying to go with the flow, just like Dean does, only to realize that Dean doesn’t really work when he goes with the flow. Dean needs someone to push him, just as much as he needs Dean to get him to lighten up.

Surprisingly enough, the brothers do make quite the team.

The increased screen-time for both Stewart’s kids and his wife made for a more compelling family dynamic, too. Last week, I pointed out there was a wealth of potential waiting to be tapped there, and it seems I was right. I still need a little more from Debbie, whose sarcasm is spot on but who could be a little more, and from Dean Sr, who is just too affable to really get a read on. But I really like what we see from the kids, especially Ethan.

Best part of the episode, though, is Claire.

It was obvious that to keep the show growing, and to make sure the brother’s relationship wouldn’t remain static, Dean needed someone else to butt heads with other than Stewart. Someone who didn’t fold just because they grew up together. Someone he didn’t need to carpool with.

Claire was, and is, that person. She’s a not only a good and smart lawyer, she’s also beautiful, hard to ruffle and completely unimpressed by Dean. Those are all the exact qualities Dean needs, and we’re quite sure, the exact qualities Stewart was looking for when he hired her to join the firm.

Verdict? Two episodes in, there’s no need to jump ship, people.  Rob Lowe is still amusing, Fred Savage continues to surprise, the family dynamic is getting better, and yes, this show is still making me laugh. Let’s hope it continues.

Other things to note:

  • I can ship Claire/Dean. I saw them together for like, five minutes, and I already kind of do. Mostly because, well, Rob Lowe is Rob Lowe, but also because opposites attract and all that.
  • In the previews for this show they said that Debbie was Dean’s ex-girlfriend from high school. Is this something they went with and just haven’t brought up yet or do I need to forget about it?
  • WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR MOTHER?
  • Lizzie’s boyfriend seems like a douche, yes, but wouldn’t it be a better idea to make sure she’s supervised when she hangs out with him?

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The Grinder  airs Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on Fox.

 

Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Falls in madly in love with fictional characters. Hates the color yellow, misogyny, and people who are late. Can always be found with a book. Watches an absurd amount of TV every week, often, while eating coffee ice cream. She has no regrets. You can check out her blog here: Absurday. Lissete is a senior writer for Tell-Tale TV. Follow @lizziethat