AVClub: For a show that was built around two diametrically opposite yet equally important, personas, The Grinder is so great when it gets the entire ensemble involved in each storyline. The ensemble working in tandem has certainly been one of the unintended consequences of the serial format that the show has taken on in the latter half of its first season. As more characters become connected, they can work together in ways that they couldn’t do before. Creating meaningful stories for each and every character is perhaps the best indication that a show is maturing beyond its original premise, but the serialized storytelling has certainly accelerated the process, especially for characters that were otherwise adrift. Take William Devane’s Dean Sr. He had nothing to do for most of the season other than offer platitudes to Dean, but when he was given more than a few lines he was great (see: “Giving Thanks, Getting Justice”). Debbie has similarly grown beyond this role of haggard mom/sounding board for Stewart because she gets to be involved with what’s happening at Sanderson and Yang. She may not have a direct relationship to the case at hand and she still largely fills the aforementioned role, but she gets to be in the office and interact more with that aspect of the show, making the work-plot’s transition into the domestic-plot -- including the integration of Lizzie and Ethan -- seem that much more seamless. And that’s even better considering how great Connor Kalopsis and Hana Hayes have been, even in the smaller roles that they inhabit. Kalopsis is especially great, and I loved his interplay with Dean Sr. It’s a relationship that I hope grows in the (**fingers crossed**) second season.
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