The Grinder Review: Divergence (Season 1 Episode 21)
If you stand at the top of a cliff and shout into the void long enough, will someone hear you?
Yes, I’m talking to you, Fox. Yes, I’m talking about The Grinder.
Yes, I’m not so subtly saying this show deserves a second season. And no, I don’t think you’re listening.
What a shame.
I don’t think I’ll surprise anyone if I say that I watch a lot of TV. I do, I watch a lot of TV. I stick mostly to dramas, though. Dramas are better at characterization, and I watch TV because of the characters.
Dramas care about the journey more about the plot. Comedies, on the other hand, usually care more about the laughs than the journey or the plot.
Not The Grinder.
In this episode, we see Stewart and Dean walk different paths and get to the exact same answer.
Everyone’s got a little Grinder in them, is what the show is trying to tell us. But what it’s really saying is – we can all change.
When this show started, Stewart and his brother Dean were at totally opposite ends of the spectrum.
In fact, they were so far apart it was hard to believe they could ever see eye to eye. And yet, here we are, twenty one episodes later, and Dean and Stewart are finally on the same page.
That doesn’t mean they’re essentially the same person, no. Stewart is never going to be Dean, and the same is true vice versa. But that doesn’t mean they can’t learn from each other. That they can’t take the good and make themselves better.
Balance, that’s the name of the game. Stewart needed a little Grinder. Dean needed a little Stewart. And they’re better for it.
And the whole family is better for it. This episode did a great job in using the whole ensemble cast, in ways that this show hasn’t really managed in this first season. When you have so many talented actors it’s sometimes hard to give them all a moment to shine.
“Divergence” delivers in that respect, with everyone getting something to do that, in one way or another, ties into the main plot.
And that’s another one of the reasons why I’m standing here, screaming at the top of my lungs for this show to get a second chance. It’s not just that I want more (though I do), it’s that we need more.
Smart comedies are a dime a dozen. Don’t take this one away from us, FOX.
Please.
Other things to note:
- Claire is a Bones fan! I like her even more now. Also, nice cross-promotion there, FOX.
- Hana Hayes has comedic chops, she really does. She plays Lizzie in a way that’s half absurd/half teenage girl, and I just love her.
- So, did Dean just leave Lizzie and Zadack to fend for themselves?
- For all of you who don’t know, the actor playing Joel Zadack is actually …wait for it …Rob Lowe’s son, Johnny Lowe.
- Debbie and Claire are both very good at playing the common-sense roles and still coming off as relatable, even in a show that often asks you to relate with the ridiculous.
- “Something tells me we’re going to find something. We’ve just gotta not look in all the right places.”
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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