The Grinder Review: A Bittersweet Grind (Season 1 Episode 5)

At some point I’m going to stop being surprised at how good The Grinder  is. In a few episodes, I’ll get used to it, and I’ll start to nitpick. Maybe I’ll even be able to focus on the things the show could be doing better (More screen time for Natalie Morales and Hanna Hayes, for example). That day, however, is not today. No, today it’s still Oh, God this show is so funny time.

Because this show is funny, and heartwarming and, I’ll admit it… a bit surprising. Writing good law comedies is hard, writing good, clean family fun with likeable characters is even harder. Combining the two into a charming package is next to impossible. And yet this is exactly what The Grinder  does.

Take this episode, for example. Mary Elizabeth Ellis has been good as Deb, Stewart’s wife, but in this episode, she is more than good. She’s extraordinary, not only as Stewart’s partner in scheming, but also as a mother struggling with how to handle two teenagers. Her chemistry with Fred Savage is a real thing, the thing that is supposed to carry an episode, and yet it never had to.

Until it does.

It’s not even about the chemistry, though, it’s about the comedic timing, and of course, the great script. This show works not only because Rob Lowe knows when to pause or because Fred Savage knows how and when to react, but because the issues Deb and Stewart, and even Dean, to a point, feel real and relatable. Because being 15 and 13, as Lizzie and Ethan are, respectively, is hard, but being parents to two teenagers is harder. Especially when sometimes it feels like Stewart and Deb gained another kid in Dean.

But even with all of those things working, the one thing that separates The Grinder  from all other comedies on TV is this: at its core, this is a show about family. Not just the family Stewart made for himself with Deb, but the family he was born into. This is a show about two brothers who chose very different paths in life, became two completely opposite persons, and yet can still find ways to meet in the middle. (Or on top of the kitchen countertops).

That’s what family does, after all.

Other things to note:

• The awkwardness of bringing a date to your room AT your brother’s house cannot be overstated. I don’t even want to think about how that woman got out of the house.
• Where exactly IS Dean’s room? I hope it’s not next to the kids.
• I’m totally with Lizzie, “He’s Ethan” is NOT a reason why he can date and she can’t.
• The flirting between Stewart and Deb? Very cute, in a I’m watching my parents be all lovey dovey kinda way.
• The funniest thing about Rob Lowe is the whole thing where he doesn’t think he’s being funny.
• “I gave Gale my virginity” and “I still have it” is probably the most embarrassing conversation ever.
• Continuity has been a problem the past few episodes. I mean, I thought Dean was INTO Claire. What’s up with that? Though now he could probably decide that she IS the only woman who doesn’t care about his acting and continue to pursue her.
• Why is Dean talking about his love life during a staff meeting? And why is no one telling him to shut up?
• I laughed for like five minutes at Toby. FIVE. WHOLE. MINUTES.
• Christina Applegate is always hilarious.

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What did you think of this week’s episode of The Grinder? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

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