The Grinder
An actor, who played a lawyer on a hit legal drama TV show for eight years, returns to his hometown when the show ends to work at his family's law firm with his brother, even though he has no education or experience, and has no law license.
- Metascore71
- 2015-2016
- 1 season
- Fox Network
- Comedy
- TV-PG
An actor, who played a lawyer on a hit legal drama TV show for eight years, returns to his hometown when the show ends to work at his family's law firm with his brother, even though he has no education or experience, and has no law license.
Season 1 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 2015 - 2016
Episode 1
Pilot
Tue, Sep 29, 2015 25 mins
When his long-running hit series comes to an end, Dean moves back to his small hometown to take over his family's law firm.
Episode 2
A Hero Has Fallen
Tue, Oct 6, 2015 22 mins
After an exciting victory, Sanderson and Yao is flooded with cases -- and Dean wants to choose what they tackle next; Stewart's attempts to stop being a buzzkill have unexpected effects on his family.
Episode 3
The Curious Disappearance of Mr. Donovan
Tue, Oct 13, 2015 22 mins
Stewart dismisses Dean's claims that Claire is sharing secrets with a rival firm; Debbie and Stewart try to get to the bottom of who tampered with their DVR.
Episode 4
Little Mitchard No More
Tue, Oct 20, 2015 22 mins
Stewart and Deb think a new couple, Lyle and Vanessa, like them because Dean is a celebrity; Claire is the only person Dean has met who is not affected by his fame.
Episode 5
A Bittersweet Grind (Une Mouture Amer)
Tue, Nov 3, 2015 21 mins
Although lovers line up for star actor Dean, he feels unable to trust either loves him, not just his fame. Eager for a chance to see him move out at last, Stewart is ready -even eager- to take on his work load -the law firm finally runs smoothly all week- while Dean dates first 'and true' high school lover Gail Budnick, who claims never to have owned a TV. Dean sticks with her, even develops step-paternal feelings for her adult in-living deadbeat son Toby, but is in for a truth shock. Meanwhile Stewart and Deb or made to reconsider allowing pre-teen model son Ethan a non-vetted 'play' date with a girl, always refused to older brat sister Lizzie, ending up to make her Joel Zadak double-date at home with Ethan's Brie.
Episode 6
Dedicating This One to the Crew
Tue, Nov 10, 2015 21 mins
When Ethan chooses to audition for the school play instead of following in his father's footsteps by joining the tech crew, it highlights the differences between those who seem destined for the spotlight and those who live their lives in the shadows. Meanwhile, Stewart confronts Dean Sr. about how he gave his two sons very different life advice.
Episode 7
Buckingham Malice
Tue, Nov 17, 2015 21 mins
Instead of following in his father's footsteps and joining the backstage technical crew, Ethan auditions for a role in the school play. Meanwhile, Stewart questions his father about why he gave Dean and him two different takes on how to live their lives.
Episode 8
Giving Thanks, Getting Justice
Tue, Nov 24, 2015 22 mins
Dean is excited to spend a real Thanksgiving celebration with the family, but his meddling uncovers a major, surprising family secret.
Episode 9
Grinder Rests in Peace
Tue, Dec 1, 2015 22 mins
"The Grinder: New Orleans," a spinoff of the original hit series, asks Dean to film a scene giving closure to his beloved character, Mitch Grinder. Not surprisingly, Dean struggles with being replaced by his TV brother, Rake. Meanwhile Stewart, who has also been feeling replaced by his brother in Ethan's eyes, jumps at the opportunity to get Dean back into acting and out of his hair.
Episode 10
The Olyphant in the Room
Tue, Jan 5, 2016 22 mins
THE GRINDER follows a famous TV lawyer who is going from show business...to the family business. After his hit series, "The Grinder," is canceled, he moves back home and joins his brother at their family's real-life law firm.
Episode 11
Exodus (Pt. 1)
Tue, Jan 19, 2016 22 mins
Dean takes it very hard when Stewart and Deb tell him it's time for him to find his own place. A rival law firm sees Dean feeling rejected by his brother and they attempt to poach him from Sanderson ...
Episode 12
Blood Is Thicker Than Justice
Tue, Jan 26, 2016 21 mins
After their fallout in the previous episode, Dean and Stewart find themselves on opposing sides during a divorce case. Meanwhile, back at home, Ethan and Lizzie are seeing the impact of life without Uncle Dean, and Stewart and Debbie quickly take notice.
Episode 13
Grinder v Grinder
Tue, Feb 2, 2016 21 mins
Timothy Olyphant is back in Boise and the rivalry between Dean and him continues when Stewart invites Olyphant to spend more time around Sanderson & Yao. After getting into an argument about who is closer to being a real lawyer, the two "Grinders" decide to go head-to-head in a mock trial.
Episode 14
The Retooling of Dean Sanderson
Tue, Feb 9, 2016 21 mins
When Dean scares off a big prospective client by being too dramatic, Stewart tells him maybe it's finally time to let go of his "Grinder" persona and come down to earth. He tries to convince Dean he should go to therapy. Dean reluctantly agrees, but in typical Dean fashion, he overcorrects and begins "therapizing" the whole family, including Debbie, who is now tempted to quit her grueling job.
Episode 15
The Ties That Grind
Tue, Feb 16, 2016 21 mins
Dean's therapist, Jillian encourages him to, once and for all, shed his Grinder persona and find out who the real Dean is. Through his therapy exercises, he ends up making others around him evaluate their own issues, much to Stewart's frustration.
Episode 16
Delusions of Grinder
Tue, Feb 23, 2016 21 mins
Stewart becomes certain there's a larger conspiracy against the firm. It's the first time Sanderson & Yao has ever been involved in a truly dramatic situation, but Dean has shed his "Grinder" persona and refuses to listen to Stewart's "paranoia." Instead, Dean decides to focus on being the office intern, so Stew has to take matters into his own hands.
Episode 17
From the Ashes
Tue, Mar 1, 2016 21 mins
As the conspiracy surrounding Sanderson & Yao reaches a boiling point, the only man who can get to the bottom of it has abandoned the "grind" and enrolled in law school. Stewart, desperate for Dean's help, will go to any lengths to turn his brother back into "The Grinder".
Episode 18
Genesis
Tue, Mar 15, 2016 22 mins
Post-therapy, Dean finds that he has lost the ability to grind. To get it back, he decides to crack the case of the office being ransacked. Meanwhile, in flashback, we see a younger, struggling Dean Sanderson as he must decide whether to embrace a simple life, or pursue his destiny and become the Grinder he was always meant to be.
Episode 19
A System on Trial
Tue, Apr 12, 2016 22 mins
Stewart is worried that Dean Sr.'s anger problems will hurt his case, but Dean Sr. insists there's no problem at all. Dean says there's only one surefire way to find out what the people really think: they take it to the masses for some good old-fashioned focus group testing. Before long, the entire family gets caught up in the feedback of how they are perceived by others
Episode 20
For the People
Tue, Apr 19, 2016 21 mins
Dean and Stewart's mother, Lenore, makes a surprise visit, which causes Dean to panic, because she has never approved of his lifestyle. Meanwhile, Stewart is desperately trying to get reservations to the hottest restaurant in town for his anniversary dinner with Deb. With his ex-wife in town, Dean Sr. thinks he should get back into the dating scene and gets help from Ethan and Lizzie.
Episode 21
Divergence
Tue, May 3, 2016 22 mins
After finding out Dean Sr. is guilty, Stew thinks they should settle the case. Dean, of course, believes they should try to win, and wants to use one of his old "Grinder" tricks, by throwing himself into an unrelated sub plot that will lead him to what he needs to solve the case. Meanwhile, Stew is concerned that he is now "infected" by "The Grinder".
Episode 22
Full Circle
Tue, May 10, 2016 23 mins
Dean Sr.'s malpractice trial is finally at hand and it will come to a surprising conclusion when Stewart gets sidelined, leaving it to the rest of the Sanderson & Yao team to save the firm and find out who has been the secret mastermind behind Cory Manler and Dean Sr.'s case. Stewart is concerned that Dean's instincts and Grinder-isms won't be enough to win the day, and Dean is offended by his own brother's lack of faith.
