The Grinder Review: Blood is Thicker than Justice (Season 1 Episode 12)
I’ve got feels …they’re multiplying …
Wait, wrong show, song, whatever. But the feeling is right on point. The Grinder is right on point.
You know when you get into a fight with someone you care about, and you both say/do stupid stuff, and then the only way to fix it is for someone to give in, except you don’t want to be the person to give in? Well, like Dean, I’ve got a younger sibling. I understand being the one to always, always take the first step.
Because, yes, we relate to Stewart. That’s the beauty of Stewart as a character, that despite the fact that he sometimes lets his issues get in the way, he’s almost always right. Dean does make everything about him, and then he takes things to absurd places. But Dean is also a really good brother. He is. He’s anything but the stereotypical Hollywood persona he projects. He likes spending time with his family, he loves Lizzie and Ethan and he clearly thinks the world of Stewart.
This is why he reacts like he does. Because, in a way that Stewart can’t really comprehended or even fathom, he is his older brother’s hero. Just as Dean is Stewart’s. And the love the brother’s share jumps of the screen, colors every word they saw, every step they take.
Comedy doesn’t usually take too long to “solve” the problems, and in this case, The Grinder is no exception. The Sanderson brothers got into a fight last episode, Dean left the firm, and then, they fixed it. For some, it might feel like The Grinder is backtracking, for me, it’s simply that the story of family strife is not one they want to tell. This is about Dean and Stewart as a team, and the bumps they might encounter as they discover what that means. As amusing as it might be, this show was never supposed to be about the brothers being in opposite sides of the courtroom. It’s all fine and well in the Sanderson family, at least, as fine and well as it can be with Stewart being Stewart and Dean being Dean. But that’s okay. That’s what we like to see.
That’s what we’re here for.
Other things to note:
- No one, not the judge, not us, not even Dean and Stewart really cared about the clients this time. And good thing too.
- Natalie Morales is hysterical in the same way Rob Lowe is – with a straight face. I’m going to need more scenes between the two of them.
- Hana Hayes hasn’t gotten more screen time this year, but she’s got very good comedic timing, and I hope she gets an episode focused on her soon.
- I remember when the season started and I was saying I wanted more Debbie. I was right – she’s hilarious, the perfect partner to Stewart, and a much better at looking at both sides than her husband is.
- Thank God for Fred Savage and Rob Lowe and the incredible way they play off each other. This show has smart writing, yes, but the only reason it is, without a doubt, the break-away comedy of the season is because Lowe and Savage play brothers like they are brothers.
- “I look forward to not only learning, which one of you is Roz and which one of you is Landy…” had me in stitches.
What did you think of this week’s episode of The Grinder? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Grinder airs Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c 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