The Grinder Show Summary, Upcoming Episodes and TV Guide

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.

Dean and Stewart's mother, Lenore, makes a surprise visit, which causes Dean to panic, because Bonnie 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After Dean catches Timothy Olyphant making out with Claire, he thinks he can 'win her back' by taking the lead on a case—and using very questionable tactics—representing a friend of hers. Meanwhile, Stewart is excited that a reporter is writing a story on him, but becomes upset when Dean steals the spotlight.

After spending several holidays away from the family, Dean is thrilled to be reunited with them for his first real Thanksgiving celebration in a long time. But his overexcitement and meddling brings a major, unexpected family secret to light. Meanwhile, a series of flashbacks reveal the chain of events that led to Dean's departure from his hit TV drama, 'The Grinder,' and its subsequent cancellation.

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.

When a new couple, Lyle (Nat Faxon) and Vanessa Gerhart (Alexie Gilmore), comes into their life, Stewart and Deb deal with 'The Dean Effect' - people liking you only because you have a famous brother. Meanwhile, Dean finds himself in a similar situation with Claire, the first person he's ever met who isn't affected by his celebrity.

After the exciting and victorious Krantz case, Sanderson & Yao gets flooded with cases. Dean, in his usual fashion, wants them to pick the next big case. Stewart disagrees, but he realizes that telling Dean he can't do something only will make him want to do it more. Soo Stewart decides to encourage Dean and the plan backfires. Meanwhile, Dean inspires Debbie to go for a promotion at work using a 'big dog' approach, which puts her job in jeopardy.