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You're watching The Grinder. For justice?

For justice!

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Screen Queens, Empire, and Grandfather. This is Edie, your granddaughter.

Only on Fox.

This fall on Fox, there's a new sheriff in town. Vigorously get this man off.

And he goes by the name of Mitch Grinder. I don't settle, ever! One man,

against all odds. Find him!

Fighting for justice. Guards! No matter how hard the grind.

Winning on my name alone. Dean Sanderson is the grinder.

There's no one he can't get off.

Okay, so that's the grinder. Fox's sexy legal drama. Looking for knee-jerk

reactions. First thoughts, first thoughts. And these people are all

from... Yeah, downtown, right off the street. And they know nothing about...

Anything, right.

And we like them coming in completely blind to everything.

Uh-huh, sure.

Tagline super tight. Interesting.

Warren likes the tagline. Who agrees with Warren?

I don't. I think it's dumb.

Okay, Joyce thinks it's dumb.

Why is that? What's dumb about it? I just think there's got to be someone he

can't get off.

I mean, he can just get anybody off.

Please. I'd like to see him get my brother-in-law off.

Okay. Who else thinks that Joyce has a point? And maybe there's somebody out

there that he probably can't get off.

Okay, Joyce, given no one agrees with you, do you care to rethink your

position at all?

I guess I was wrong.

And these people are never wrong. Not according to our research.

Well, go on, try it out for yourself.

Ask them what they thought of the actor who played the grinder.

What did we think about Dean Sanderson who played the grinder?

Courtney, I thought he was hot.

Courtney thought he was hot.

Who else thought the grinder was hot?

You see?

Oh, this is real.

This works.

Mr. Sanderson, you're being accused of malpractice. Is that not correct?

Yeah, we know that. Okay, move to have that straight from the record. Got it.

Dean, there is no record, so if you could just, you know, keep going. Yeah,

we're just prepping him for the stand. Which I don't need. You do need it, Dad.

Okay, everybody, this is not how we're going to do this. Not today.

The negativity, the hole-poking. I mean, you wanted me back, right, Stu?

Right? You destroyed a whole office?

I did, yes.

And I got the guy to admit that there was somebody else behind this. Even

though Stuart was saying that the whole time.

So, this is how we're going to do this.

All right? I'm going to start from the top.

Mr. Sanderson, you're being accused of malpractice.

I'm done. Hey, you're not done until Dean says you're done. Don't I get a say

in this? Dad, calm down.

I am calm. This is a waste of time. I've been doing this for 50 years. I think I

know my way around a courtroom.

Yes, Your Honor. No, Your Honor.

Objection, Your Honor.

Dismissed, Your Honor. It's a problem.

He is off the rails, guys. Oh, come on. He's letting off a little steam. And you

know what?

He's earned that right.

He yelled at me for eating his yogurt this morning. Well, was it labeled?

Well, yeah, but... What are we talking about?

Talking about a jury, Dean. And how they're going to respond to Dad. They're

going to love him. The guy's a big goose.

He is? Maybe you guys just need an outside perspective.

I don't know, honey. I think we have a pretty solid inside perspective. You

know what?

It never hurts.

To listen to the people.

Oh, what did you do to him? Sorry.

The people know.

Whenever we had a creative disagreement on the grinder, we would go to them and

let them guide us.

What? Wait, who?

A random focus groupie. A collection of completely average strangers who help us

decide what works and what doesn't. For what? Anything.

Which is why they're so valuable.

It's also why Mitch Grinder is the highest testing TV character in history.

Okay, I'm just not sure that we need a focus group to find out if Dad has a

temper. Well, no, I'm not either. But what if we could use the focus group to

get us from not sure...

To definitely sure. On whether or not we need them? On all of it.

You know what? I'm going to set this up.

It could be helpful.

Oh, yeah. I'm sure the people Dean finds at the mall will be invaluable.

You're probably just too close to it. Or maybe I'm the appropriate distance to

it, honey, and I'm just right. In that case, I'm sure the focus group will

sniff that out and have your back. I don't know. Will they? I mean, who are

these people?

And why do I need them coming to my office telling me how to do my job?

Hello? Are we sure your dad's the one with the anger problem?

I'm getting a lot of heat coming from you right now.

Maybe that focus group could help you out a little bit. All right, thank you,

honey. That's a great note.

They're out there.

I can feel it.

We've just got to find the right people. At the mall?

At the mall, Todd.

Middle of the week, middle of the day.

Uh-huh. Why?

We're looking for drifters.

People with nowhere to be, just breezing through their lives, nothing on their

minds. Yeah.

No distractions like work, thoughts, blank slates.

And, of course, a willingness to do whatever we want for 20 bucks on a

Wednesday. Then what?

Well, then we blindly trust those people and allow them to steer us in the

handling of my father's case.

Ah, yeah, that makes sense.

Yeah, yeah.

They're out there.

Just gotta find them. How?

Todd, I think it's the constant questions more than anything else that's

so frustrating for me. Right, and I'm sorry about that. You had to have felt

that, right? I did. As soon as I opened your mouth?

Yes. And you did it anyway. I had to ask because I was curious.

Well, I love that about you, but it's just very demoralizing.

Sure. I get that.

We got a good group.

Diverse group, which I like. It's great, Dean.

And totally necessary.

Yeah, and they're just folks.

You know, salt of the earth. I like the process.

Seems like the simplest, most logical way to do it. You know, I could really

use a focus group of my own to give me some daily feedback.

So I'm obviously doing something wrong.

So wait, you want a group of people to tell you how lame you are? Uncle Dean,

can we arrange that? No, we cannot arrange that, and we don't need to,

honey. Listen, you can't worry about what other people think. Wow.

Okay, I understand that there are different parenting styles, but that

sounds insane.

You don't care what other people think? How are you supposed to know how to

behave? You just be yourself.

Even in Lizzie's case? Feels like that's going to come up short now. Ethan.

Guys, it's okay. He's right. I need help.

We all do.

There's no shame in it. Behind every big decision in my life has been a focus

group weighing in. Even the move to Boise? Oh, tested huge.

Interesting. You know what? I'll have Todd print out some comment cards. You

can distribute them at school.

Awesome. Great. Thanks, Uncle Dean. No problem.

Oh, hey.

Can Stuart and I have the room?

This room?

Right now? Yeah, we need the room. Do you mind?

Okay. Bye, I guess.

What are you doing?

Checking on you.

For tomorrow.

Oh, you mean the focus group thing? Yes. And, Stu, it's okay to be nervous.

Because you may hear some things about your father.

Things that are going to make you feel very uncomfortable. Things that no son

should ever have to hear.

Really? Like what? I don't know.

It's a very unpredictable process.

But it is also an infallible one. So I need to know that you're going to hear

the feedback and that you're going to then make the necessary adjustments.

What do you say?

I mean, I think we should... Ah, yeah. Trust the process.

So just sit back and take it all in.

Underneath your seats, you'll find your comment cards.

So write down any thoughts that you might have.

Yes. What are we watching? It's best if you don't know.

That way you're going in completely blind and you have no preconceived

notions. And remember, there is no thought that is not worth having and

sharing. Okay. Stu, you're up.

Okay.

Could you please state your name for the record? I'd be happy to.

Dean Thomas Sanderson, Sr.

I reside in... That's good. Thank you.

How many years have you been practicing law?

Well, gee, it's been nearly 50 years, hasn't it? It has, yes. How many of you

are having a hard time hearing Stuart?

Could you speak up a little bit? I think the panel's having a hard time hearing

you. I just feel like I'm shouting, okay?

All right, sir, what, um... What is your relationship with alcohol?

What are you trying to get at? Well, isn't it true that...

During this time, you would have a couple of drinks during the workday?

Objection! No, Todd, you can't. That's not... There's no objections.

Well, just, Dad, these are the questions we're going to ask you. So if you could

just answer, please. Well, everybody drank. That was the time.

It was 1998.

Well, isn't it possible?

How many of you are having a hard time seeing Dean Sr.? Stuart, I think if you

just move a little bit.

Is that better?

Great.

So, Dad, isn't it... possible that at some point during this case you had one

too many and you got a little sloppy and that's why you lost a decision that Mr.

Mandler is still paying for today. I got that kid a great deal.

This is bullcrap. I'm out of here.

Hey, what are you writing?

If you got something to say to me, say it to my face.

Yeah, I didn't think so.

It seemed like the old dude got real angry for no reason. Who else thought

that the old dude got real angry for no reason?

How about that? Any other first impressions?

It seemed like the guy asking the questions was a little weak.

Oh, no, you must have misunderstood.

This is not about me. Stuart, the people are speaking.

Who else thought that Stuart was weak?

No, I don't really think he was weak.

Well, thank you. I just didn't really buy that he was a lawyer. No offense.

Quite all right. Yeah, he never said objection once. That bugged me. He had

no charisma.

The woman, though.

She was great.

Yeah, I love a dry delivery.

Yeah, I want to see more of her.

What? Yes!

That.

Hey.

Hey. How'd it go?

Uh, good. The testing group thought Dad came off angry, so Dean agrees with me

now. So it was helpful. Yeah, so helpful.

Any time you can get six strangers from a mall to validate what you've been

saying all along. Oh, yeah, that must feel good.

It's a great day.

Uh, hey, Deb, I seem lawyerly to you, right?

What? Well, you know, like, I'm a lawyer and I seem like one.

Guys, we have a problem.

The game just changed. What game? Yeah, what are you talking about? We have an

outlier. A stray comment on a card that almost got by us.

Okay, uh, what is it? It seemed like the white-haired guy was hiding something.

Right?

It's a stunner. Is it? Well, I don't think that's the question we should be

asking, Deb. I think the question we should be asking is, what is it? Maybe

nothing? Yeah, because only one person said it. No, you can't just pick and

choose the notes that you're going to listen to.

You either listen to all of them or you listen to none of them. Oh, well, then

none of them, because no one else thought Dad was hiding anything.

And they didn't think he wasn't hiding anything either. So they're supposed to

write down everything they didn't think?

So, I got some feedback from some girls at school, and apparently half of them

don't even know who I am. Do you see what happens, Dean? Honey, if it's any

consolation to you, you know exactly who you are.

Well, my friends kept it pretty positive, mostly asking for more of some

stuff, but nothing I can't deliver on. Guys, we can either stick our head in

the sand or we can deal with the facts.

Lizzie, you're forgettable. We know that now.

So the question becomes, what are we going to do about it? Nothing. No. It's

perfect. I will do whatever it takes.

Damn right you will. And so will we. Stu, get out your shovel.

Because we have got some digging to do. Digging to do. Right. Got it.

So it's unanimous. Dad has a severe anger problem. So what do we do about

it? So we're just going to ignore it. Ignore what?

Stuart knows what.

One guy thought Dad was hiding something.

Oh, that sounds like something. That's because it is something, Todd. No, it

isn't anything.

We just need to get Dad ready for the stand. Okay, what about the next stand?

And the stand after that?

Yeah, what about those two stands?

What? Dean, how about this? Since everyone thought he came off angry, and

only one person thought he was maybe hiding something, we deal with the anger

first. What if I told you that the anger was caused by guilt?

Over what he was hiding. Yeah, that's where my head went as well. I think it's

where everybody's head went. No, not my head. Figure that out.

The old man sings on the stand.

Alright. Thank you, Todd.

What's with the glasses?

Oh. I, uh, you know, my left eye gets a little fuzzy.

Until I go see the doctor, I'm just going to wear these because it seems to

really help.

The focus group said that there were a few areas I could improve in. I

thought we didn't care what other people think. No, we don't care. I don't care.

I'm just taking what's useful. You know, not all of it, like Dean, just, you

know, parts.

Okay, well, in that case... Guys!

Why are you breathing so hard? What's wrong?

No time to explain.

Say something nice about Liz's hair.

Wow! Look at you!

That is a really... What a strong... That's a bold choice. ...choice you've

made. Really nice, honey. Yeah. Thanks for noticing.

Nobody at school did. Doubt that.

No, I'm invisible, and I guess there's just nothing I can ever do to change

that. Okay, first of all, that's not true. And second of all, you shouldn't

be listening to those people.

Yeah.

Glasses. That's different. Is it?

You know what? You guys are all getting all this feedback. How about you give me

some feedback?

Well, it's a slippery slope. No, come on. You guys could be my focus group.

It'll be so fun.

We should do, like, another family activity. What? Why?

Yeah, that's not good. Okay, all right. Well, then you guys get out of here. I

need to talk to your dad.

What was that all about?

You know, honey, sometimes you, you know, you're not so good at taking

criticism.

Oh.

Yeah.

Wow.

Are you mad?

How many times do I have to tell you? I am not angry. I'm just telling it like

it is. It's not what's coming across, apparently. Dad, there was another card

that we didn't tell you about. Oh, yeah? What'd it say?

What are you hiding, Pop?

What?

I'm not hiding anything.

Is that something one of those mall people said?

Yes, it's something one of the mall people said.

And we know they're never wrong. We do?

I'll wait here all day.

Until you tell me the truth.

Yeah?

Yeah.

So, um, I couldn't help but notice that you, you tested pretty high with that

focus group in there.

Oh, I did? I don't pay attention to that stuff.

Because of that right there, how do you do that? Do what?

Just, like, not care about stuff, you know? I mean, I internalize everything

so much, and it makes me insane.

You're just so chill all the time. Do you have any tips?

I don't know. I just kind of do whatever.

There it is again.

Wow.

I'm going to walk away now, okay?

Yeah, yeah.

You guys are wasting your time. You're my sons. I would tell you anything.

I used to believe that, but now I'm not so sure. Damn it, Dino. You would

believe a couple of strangers over your own father. I thought I brought you boys

up better than that.

That's great, D. Now he's even angrier.

It's even worse.

He's telling the truth.

How is that worse?

I always thought the people could never be wrong.

I trusted them.

I believed in them.

And they were wrong.

You have to get dressed. Dad's date starts in an hour.

Ah, what does it matter?

Turns out six people in a mall don't have all the answers.

Yeah, but you had to know that, right?

On some level? I broke up with Selah Warg because a focus group rated our on

-screen chemistry as fine.

Okay?

What's with the suit?

What? Nothing. Just a... Just a suit. Just a suit?

Yeah.

You're taking the note, aren't you? What? No.

No. Don't. Stuart, you were right.

The people can be wrong, and I know that now.

And maybe, just maybe, they shouldn't be the ultimate authority on things that

they know nothing about.

Or maybe there's a middle ground, Dean, where we listen to them and we just take

what we need.

You really are a dreamer, aren't you?

Don't ever lose that.

Oh, I won't. Thank you.

So you're really not going?

The system failed.

It failed all of us.

Mr. Sanderson, you are a...

Licensed attorney, are you not? That's correct.

Well, then, sir, tell me, from one lawyer to another lawyer,

are you guilty?

No, I'm not. Because the law clearly states that we are all innocent

until proven guilty.

Man, Stu's really going for it.

What? Oh, you were just always on, huh?

Is it your opinion, Mr. Sanderson, that you defended your client?

To the best of your ability. You're damn right I did.

Objection!

Great answer.

Yeah, no, I'm glad you're responding to it, Chad.

No, I just woke up one morning and thought, why not?

Who's she talking to? Chad Osorov. He likes her hair.

He's been calling her non-stop.

Lizzie, hang up the phone.

What? Hang up the phone. No, why?

Sorry, my uncle's being weird. I don't know what's going on. Uncle Dean, what

are you doing? Okay, bye, Chad. I'll call you back.

No, she won't. No, she will not.

I don't want you talking to that young man anymore.

Why? Your cards worked.

I made an adjustment based on the notes, and now that boy likes me. It's a fluke.

The system isn't foolproof.

Notes don't always make things better.

Uncle Dean, all my cards came back positive. Are they wrong? They may be,

Ethan. They may be.

Dad, what have I done?

Where are you going? To put a stop to this.

Because I don't think anybody else can.

Is anyone else trying to?

Then why weren't you able to get him off?

Was it because of all the drinking?

Or do you not even remember because you were too drunk to know the difference?

Drunk? No.

Are you sure? I did my best, all right? It's complicated. What do you want to

hear? It's complicated, Dad. What happened?

Maybe I screwed up.

I didn't bring the deal to Corey.

I just took it.

Oh, crap.

Wow. Even when you care, it still feels like you don't. It's amazing.

Stop. Stop. This isn't right. No, Dean. No, no, no. Stuart, look around you.

Look at who we're listening to.

Randos from the mall.

You brought them here.

Yes, yes, I brought them here. Because I've been living my life based on

comment cards from groups just like this one.

It's been a mistake.

We should be able to make mistakes.

We shouldn't have to be flawless all the time so focus groups like every single

thing about us. Yes, but Dean, you were right. The focus group was right. Dad

just admitted that he was hiding something.

What? Yeah, and I feel a lot better now.

I knew they couldn't be wrong.

You were right, Dino. The testing process is flawless.

And order is restored.

I'm so relieved.

Yeah, we all are. OK, but how do we deal with the fact that Dad is guilty?

Stuart, can we take one moment to luxuriate in the glory of it? The glory

of what?

Cards.

Marjorie from Garden City, Idaho wrote, Saw a huge difference in the curly

-haired dude from day one to day two. Whatever he did, he should do more of

it, because for the first time I bought him as a lawyer.

We didn't weep. She's right. You made a heck of an improvement, son. We're so

proud of you. We all are. Yeah, so proud.

Okay, yes, great. Thank you all very much. But you know what? I don't really

care. Even if they didn't buy me as a lawyer, so what? I am one, and that's

what... Really matters.

Yeah, but they did buy you as one, and that matters more.

Good point.

So, the rules are as follows.

Mom may not interrupt the focus group.

Mom may not take action against us if Mom does not like something she hears.

Got it. Gimme. You sure, honey? Because you can still back out.

What? No. Come on, bring it.

Okay. Well, um, sometimes...

In the mornings, before you've had your coffee, you... Okay, you know what? No.

No, no, no. I am... I'm good, thanks.

Okay.

I'm not even... I'm just... So what do I do with this list? I got a bunch of

stuff on it.

Get rid of that.

You just watched The Grinder. Now, here are a few more shows to check out from

Fox.

Welcome to the toughest challenge of your life.

Four decorated heroes.

Who trained 16 civilians.

Just like they were military.

Let's go! Get down here now!

John Cena hosts a team competition.

You're only as strong as your weakest link. We would have been better off

without you there. You give up. I'ma stop this now.

You will be pushed. You go home.

No, no, no!

American Grit, April 14th on Fox.