‘The Grinder’ Is An Underappreciated Meta Masterpiece

FOX’s short-lived sitcom The Grinder isn’t for everyone, but if it’s for you it’s aggressively for you. Debuting in September of 2015, the critically acclaimed comedy starred Rob Lowe as Dean Sanderson, a beloved TV lawyer who returns to his hometown to practice law at his family’s firm (despite not having a law degree). Dean’s presence delights his father, but his over-the-top theatrics rankle his meticulous, even-keeled brother Stewart (Fred Savage). For the longest time, The Grinder was nothing more than a pleasant TV memory. It was no longer streaming on Netflix or Hulu, so it was safe to assume that The Grinder was gone for good.

But what if it wasn’t?

In January of 2022, all 22 episodes of The Grinder dropped on Tubi, proving once and for all that The Grinder never, ever settles.

If you’ve never been swept off your feet by The Grinder, today’s the day to embrace the ridiculousness of this delightfully preposterous show. With apologies to the great Chris Traeger, Dean Sanderson is the role Rob Lowe was born to play. Lowe’s commitment to the character and ineffable comedic dexterity generate innumerable laugh-out-loud moments, and the supporting cast is an embarrassment of theatrical riches. Fred Savage serves as the perfect anchor to help ground the zaniness, and Natalie Morales, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Steve Little, and William Devane elevate the already rich material to a whole new level. Plus, the kids (Connor Kalopsis and Hana Hayes) are absolute scene stealers.

The show’s list of guest stars is equally impressive as Jason Alexander, Kumail Nanjiani, Maya Rudolph, Christina Applegate, Chris Klein, Jenna Fischer, and the Lucas Brothers drop by throughout the season.

Wait, did I miss anyone?

Ah yes. The Olyphant in the room. Timothy Olyphant’s “Rake Grinder” arc is a ton of ridiculous Grinder vs. Grinder fun.

Despite critical acclaim, The Grinder isn’t eulogized as passionately as Arrested Development and it didn’t have the opportunity to earn a six seasons and a movie-esque battlecry ala Community. But the show deserves just as much reverence as those two iconic sitcoms. The Grinder is a brilliant sendup of television by people who enthusiastically love television. The second episode of the series begins with a tongue-in-cheek explanation about the importance of resetting a show’s premise. The tenth episode aired a little over a month after Episode 9, so the cold open not only reestablishes the show’s plot, but it also not so subtly instructs viewers to watch past episodes if they’re having trouble understanding the story.

Most TV shows wouldn’t dare bite the hand that feeds them, but The Grinder was one of the few series that dared to ask, but what if we did? The cunning sitcom masterfully lampooned its own absurd premise while simultaneously skewering FOX. The show seemingly responded to network notes by mocking their suggestions in future episodes, with various cold opens directly or indirectly commenting on the complicated premise of the show, the need to make Rob Lowe’s character more realistic, and in perhaps the most audacious episode of the series, the inherent folly of focus groups. One of the best examples of The Grinder’s tendency to go super meta is from Episode 20 (“For The People”), which features a cold open that not only pokes fun at the show’s declining ratings, but it also ridicules the idea of making the series more accessible to the average viewer.

“Mitch, it’s not working. We’re as desperate as we’ve ever been. We need to present a case that anyone can understand, even if they know nothing. Something so simple, you barely even have to be awake to understand it.”

I’m not particularly interested in the whole “binge watching vs. weekly release” debate, mostly because it’s too dependent on the specific elements of the series and the personal preference of the viewer. With that said, I think The Grinder was ahead of its time. The show’s more palatable as a binge-watch. If The Grinder premiered on Netflix in 2022 instead of on FOX in 2015, well, it’s probably still too subversive to be a runaway hit, but it’d crack the Netflix Top 10 for a few days, earn a few additional seasons, and be one of those shows you tell your parents about over holiday break.

Did The Grinder deserve better? Absolutely. But it’s also comforting to know that his insane, brilliant show was able to produce 22 episodes. I recently rewatched The Grinder, and I’m happy to report that the show is even better the second time around. It’s a fun, immensely enjoyable binge-watch that’s just the right amount of weird.

I’d conclude this article with “I rest my case,” but as we all know, The Grinder never rests.

The Grinder is now streaming on Tubi.