01x08 - Giving Thanks, Getting Justice

[bunniefuu]

This Thanksgiving, I have one thing that I am most thankful for.

All of you, this firm.

And my colleague, Avery Banks.

You inspire me... every single day.

And I am thankful for you, Mitch.

For the way you handle yourself in that courtroom, but most of all, for the way you grind.

Everyone, can we have the room?

I need to debrief Ms. Banks.

And let's just say we need to... probe... for some testimony.

Let's just say that the probing... could take quite some time.

And let's just say that... quite some time... could be all night.

Happy Thanksgiving, Ms. Banks.

Happy Thanksgiving...

Mr.... Grinder.

Man: Cut!

(bell rings)

Woman: That's a cut.

Dean, what are you doing? You're supposed to walk toward Avery, take off your shirt, then kiss, sweep the table and start boning her.

That's what it says in my script.

I was thinking maybe we'd just do this scene with my shirt on.

Why?

Yeah, that feels weird.

Does it? Really? It's a Thanksgiving episode.

Shouldn't this really be more about how well we all work together and that we're like a real family?

Well, that's in there. It's the first part.

You don't think it cheapens it?

Dean, you're a sex symbol.

You're the friggin' Grinder.

(laughing): Come on.

Let's, uh... (patting)

Let's not overthink this.

Let's, uh, take it off.

Let's, let's give the people what they want, huh?

Man (in distance): Watch the table, please.

Yes.

There he is!

All right, let's reset!

Ericka, could you spritz down the turkey?

It's starting to lose its shine.

Ericka, could you give me a spritz?

Because I have also lost my shine.

What?

Lizzie: Mom, can I go to Amanda's tomorrow?

Sure, sweetie.

I'm gonna need to piggyback on that ride.

Brie needs me at her place by 5:00 at the latest.

Oh, does she? Does she need you?

Stewart: I can take you on the way to the lake. Hey, you guys want to come?

Yeah, I'm in.

I'm sorry, what's happening?

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving. Did no one here notice that?

We don't really do Thanksgiving anymore.

Yeah.

You don't do Thanksgiving?

Stewart: No.

What does that even mean?

Well, you know, ever since Mom and Dad got divorced, instead of fighting over who goes where, we do kind of a... a family-free day.

Everyone gets to do what they want. It's easier.

It's what now?

Just easier.

I'm-I'm not familiar with the term.

Here we go.

Oh, sure you are, Dean. You know how, like, instead of going to law school and taking the bar, you just became a lawyer?

You know, we always want to take the easy way out, don't we?

Was it easy for our forefathers to board the Mayflower, navigate the English Channel, and get rid of whoever the hell was already over here to start America?

No!

No.

None of those things are true.

Damn right it wasn't. This holiday is about respecting and honoring those brave souls who didn't just stop and say, "You know what? I'm not getting on the boat today, guys.

Staying behind... because it's easier."

Dean Sr.: Maybe he's right, Stew.

Maybe we should try Thanksgiving again.

Like we used to do it.

Yes, with the Yaos, the delightful Asian family.

Who?

Joseph T. Yao.

My old partner.

Yeah, sweetie, you're too young to remember, but we used to have every Thanksgiving with them.

Why did they stop coming?

Because your brother shut down Thanksgiving.

No, Dad, I didn't shut down Thanksgiving.

Well, I say we start it up again. Come on, who's with me?

I'm in.

Lizzie: Yes!

Yes! Motion carried.

So, Thanksgiving's just happening now.

That-That's all it took? Dean wants to celebrate the crossing of the English Channel?

All right, take it easy.

I can't take it easy, honey. The pilgrims didn't take it easy.

Weren't you listening?

I was, thank you.

I mean, he doesn't want to take the easy way.

His whole life has been the easy way.

Honey, I think it's time you tell Dean the truth.

Deb, don't. Please.

It's gonna make you feel better.

Dean deserves to know why you hate Thanksgiving.

You can't keep this bottled up.

Oh, I can keep this bottled up. You'd be amazed the things I can keep bottled up.

Okay, honey, look.

I can't be the only other person who knows.

Now, either you're gonna tell your brother, or I'm gonna tell him.

Fine, you tell him.

I'll call your bluff.

Okay, no. I think you should tell him.

You folded very fast right there.

I'm not folding.

I'm just saying, you need to be the one who tells him.

I'm not gonna tell him, Deb.

Honey, it's gonna make you feel better.

Talking to Dean rarely makes me feel better.

Dean: It's so good to see your face.

Stewart: Hey! Thanksgiving is such an emotional time for me.

It's September.

Yes, but we sh**t the Thanksgiving episode now, so, to me, it feels like Thanksgiving. You get it.

Yeah, completely.

Hi! Hi, Dean!

Hey! There she is!

Hey, did your brother tell you his big news?

No, hon, it's not big news.

It is big news. Don't let him tell you that.

He's not gonna...

I'm so proud of him.

I drafted a petition and gave it to the city council, and they signed the ordinance, so there's now gonna be a protected left-hand turn at the corner of 14th and Cedar.

Isn't that incredible?!

I'm sorry. What? A protected left?

Stew, you are actually saving people's lives.

I mean, think about how many people d*ed at that intersection.

Well, none so far...

And now, thanks to you, none will.

It's so damn inspiring.

Oh, kids, come say hi. Come say hi. Look who's here!

Ethan: Hi, Uncle Dean.

Oh, there they are!

Uncle Dean, last week's episode was heartbreaking.

Thank you. Getting some good buzz on that one.

Hey, Ethan, tell me, how's that prepubescent stuff going for you?

Powering through it.

Yeah, you are.

Man, I'm missing so much.

Dean, they're ready for the scene where you take your shirt off, then cross-examine the vice president.

Stewart: Dean, you're naked with the vice president?

Sounds like an exciting scene.

Yeah, yeah.

It's not real, is it?

Are you asking me?

Dean, we're ready ready.

Debbie: Sorry, honey.

Yeah, okay, great, um...

(Stewart continues indistinctly)

Here, you're good, good to go.

Stewart: So this is fully happening?

Oh, it is happening.

We got three stations.

I'm bouncing back and forth between all of 'em.

You want to get in on this?

Uh, I'm good.

Think I'm just gonna go watch the game.

Honey?

Maybe Dean wants to go with you.

You guys could watch football and talk...?

No, no. No, don't want to... don't want to break up the flow.

Announcer: East to west, 15 miles an hour, partly cloudy.

(clears throat)

Beautiful day for football here on Thanksgiving.

(sighs)

So, it'll be second down and six to go.

Talk to me.

Nothing to talk about.

I just... just don't like this holiday, that's all.

This is about Mom, isn't it?

(scoffs) What? No.

I had no idea that you were taking the divorce this hard.

I mean, you have clearly suffered a major trauma.

Dean, you are a fake lawyer, not a fake psychologist.

Mm, and now you're lashing out at me.

It's much worse than I thought.

Oh, my God.

But I have something that's gonna cheer you up and make this feel like an old-school Sanderson Thanksgiving.

Wow, this I can't wait for.

Joseph T. Yao will be here any minute.

What? You invited Yao?

Yeah.

Well, I invited his whole family, but he's the only one who could make it.

Oh, my God, Dean, why'd you do this? You don't listen. You just don't listen. You just insist on doing whatever you want.

There's a reason I didn't want to do any of this!

Well, then, tell me.

What's the point, Dean? You're not gonna listen.

I will not let you walk away from this.

You will let me walk away from this.

You will tell me what's going on.

You can't handle what's going on.

Don't tell me what I can't handle.

Then handle this.

Five years ago, I caught Mom and Yao together on Thanksgiving.

Together.

(doorbell rings)

(door opens)

Dean Sr.: Holy cow, it's Joe Yao!

Hey, boys. A blast from the past.

Stewart! Junior!

(chuckles) Long time.

Hello.

Yao.

Stewart: Hey, honey!

Uh, come see who's here!

Yao.

Wow.

Exactly.

I'm gonna go.

Oh, you don't want to say?

Well, I'm-I'm feeling a little not well.

Oh, now that your big surprise is here, you're not feeling so well? Really?

He's not feeling well, Stew. Let the poor guy go lay down.

Thank you, Dad.

Y-You guys just... catch up.

Dean, I'm not doing this today.

"Mitch rips off his shirt and sweeps off a room service cart"?

I mean, come on, man.

What are we doing? This isn't our show.

Yeah.

Talk to me.

What's going on? (sighs)

I don't know, I'm just feeling stuck.

You don't even know what stuck is.

When you've run aground on one of the lesser tributaries of the Nile, then you can talk to me about stuck.

Now, come on.

Man up!

I talked to my brother.

He's doing real things... that affect real people.

You remember when we used to that?

And we told stories that mattered?

Dean, the ratings are higher than ever.

The TV landscape has changed.

People are watching on phones and watches.

No one's paying attention to the story.

Well, we shouldn't give up on them.

They deserve better.

It shouldn't just be about what shirt I'm ripping off and who I'm boning.

You are really hung up on this shirt-ripping thing.

You want to come into more scenes already shirtless?

You want to skip the, the ripping part? Is that what you're saying?

No, that's-that's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying I want to do more episodes with meaning.

Like we used to.

Abortion. g*n control.

College campus r*pe.

Those are the scenes I want to do again.

And I want to keep my shirt on through them.

I'll tell you what.

We'll sh**t it both ways.

Shirt on, shirt off... then we have an option.

But you're only gonna use the takes where my shirt is off.

I will not.

We will make the decision together.

We will watch the footage, and we will decide what works best for the scene... and the story.

Do I have your word?

Dean.

This is Cliff Bemis you're talking to, and Cliff Bemis is nothing... without his word.

Dean, are you okay?

Stewart: You got your feet on the pillows.

I need to know what happened.

No, Dean, you really don't.

(groans)

Tell me... what it was... you saw.

Honey, you might want to step out.

I'm about to go into some graphic detail I've never even told you.

Well, then I'm definitely gonna stay.

(sighs)

(door closes)

It was Thanksgiving, 2009.

Mom got a headache from the Chardonnay so she went to lie down.

I went upstairs to check on her, and... that's when I saw your bedroom door cracked open.

My God, they were having sex in my childhood bed?

It was worse... they were next to your childhood bed.

Why is that worse?

Why is that worse?

Because they were standing.

Well...

Mom was.

What was Yao doing?

He was upside down.

I don't understand.

Think about it.

Visualize it.

Ugh.

Ew. No. No, thank you.

It was disturbing.

And Mom was strong enough to...?

Yeah, she was.

Oh, yeah. No, she got really into CrossFit that year.

Her upper arms were, like, ka-pow!

Dean: I feel sick.

Did they see you?

No. They were...

(exhales) too consumed.

And Dad is sitting downstairs right now having beers with that man in our house!

It's my house.

Well, it's also my house, too.

It's all our houses except for you.

He has to know.

No.

Dean, nothing good can come from Dad knowing about this. We're not telling him.

That's right. We are not telling him.

No.

You are.

No, I'm not!

Honey, I actually think that's a really good idea, because it's not good for you to keep this inside.

Nope.

It's bad for your health.

It's not good for his health.

Mm-mm.

He's-he's all constricted.

Yeah.

And he can barely breathe.

I breathe very, very well.

You are going to tell him.

And then you're gonna confront that coward Yao.

That Yao-ward. Is that something?

No. That's nothing. Dean, please stop.

All right? We're not gonna tell anybody, we're not gonna confront anybody, we're just gonna continue hiding the truth from Dad for the rest of our lives.

That is not in the Thanksgiving spirit.

Dean! What do you know about the Thanksgiving spirit?

I know everything about the Thanksgiving spirit.

I played Sacagawea! For Lifetime!

All right, you guys can have whatever Thanksgiving you want.

You're just gonna do it without me.

(both sigh heavily)

Oh.

Oh, thanks, Dean.

Some greens for you, sweetie.

Thanks, Mama. Where's Dad?

He is, um... not feeling well.

Dean, you weren't feeling well, either.

Is there something going around?

Yes. Something is definitely going around.

Mm.

But we should, um... go ahead and get started.

Oh, uh, wait, at Amanda's house, we all hold hands and say what we're thankful for.

Oh, that's a good idea. Let's try that.

Dean Sr.: Why don't you go first, Joe? You're the guest.

Yao: Oh, okay, uh, let's see. Well, I'm thankful to be here today.

I always really enjoyed Thanksgiving at your house.

Really enjoyed it.

Lots of good times here.

Dean Sr.: Well, I'm thankful for all of this. Having Thanksgiving with the family again, my son is back, my old partner's back, my old...

Stop.

Something's not right.

Thanksgiving is about family, and something is missing.

Where are you going?

To find my brother.

Because I know how lost he is right now.

(waves crashing) _

(on video): Happy Thanksgiving, Ms. Banks.

You got to be kidding me!

Dean?

Hey, Timothy.

You okay, bro?

What are you doing out here?

Just trying to figure it all out.

Yeah, well... this is the place to do it, huh?

He used the shirtless take without consulting me.

They always do.

You didn't fall for the "let's sh**t it both ways" thing, did you?

I'm afraid I did.

Little trick for next time... if you're doing a take you don't want them to use, just leave the tiniest bit of your penis showing.

They can't use it. They can't use it.

Bemis knows the trick.

I've tried it.

It sounds like Bemis... is turning you into something you're not.

The man is objectifying you.

You are an actor.

You're not a piece of meat.

You can't just take your shirt off.

Unless it's...

Justified?

Dean, listen to me.

You cannot let another man own your dignity.

Because if another man owns it, at best, you're leasing it.

And that lease rate... it's astronomical, brother.

So what do I do?

You take it back.

You walk away.

You gotta follow your bliss, bro.

Bliss-bro. Is that something?

For what?

I don't even know anymore.

Dean, the answers are not out there.

They're in here... brother.

And you can find them... with your shirt on.

Dude, you are so dialed in.

(knocking)

Dean, I just want to be left alone.

What?!

I just want to be left alone.

I...

(rattling)

(sighs)

That is not an option.

Thanksgiving is hanging on by a thread in there, and you're the only one who can save it.

I just want it to be over.

But it's not going to be over until you face this.

Dad needs to know and Yao needs to go.

Dean, I feel like this could work out. You know?

We just do nothing, let it blow over, in a couple hours, everything's back to normal.

But it's not normal.

I remember a little boy who loved Thanksgiving.

It was his favorite holiday.

And Yao has stolen that from you.

He has stolen your family.

And worst of all, he's stolen your dignity.

Well... you had me till the end there.

I feel like I have my dignity.

Nope, he owns it.

Dean, I just can't talk to Dad about this.

I know, and-and I'm scared, too.

But I'll be right there with you.

Or we could just stay in this, hit the gas, get on that highway and keep on driving.

Till there's no more road left.

Avery: I think I know Mitch _ better than anyone in this firm, and he will never stop grinding.

Dean: Maybe that's where you're wrong.

Cut!

Woman: That's a cut!

(bell rings)

Dean, what the hell?

We're in the middle of this.

Or are we at the end of this?

You used the shirtless take.

All right, everybody, take five.

I thought Cliff Bemis was nothing without his word.

Yeah, I-I texted you.

"All shirtless, right? No brainer."

I received no such text.

And part of me doesn't think you even sent it.

But even if you did, why would I have no shirt in the law library?

You had the whole love story with the paralegal.

Where else would that have gone?

I did what was best for the scene, Dean.

Scene-Dean. Is that something?

Could be.

If you'd stop tying my hands with this whole no-shirtless crap.

Is that what grinding means to you?

Yes, it's what it means to everybody.

That's the fun of the title.

The double meaning.

Well, I guess I never saw it that way.

To me, it only had one meaning... the relentless search for justice and being willing to do whatever it takes, no matter how hard the grind.

All right, it's that crap, too.

It's both.

Well, it doesn't matter.

Because I am done.

The show is over.

The show is over when I say it's over.

You think you're The Grinder?

I'm The Grinder.

I created him.

Well, you may have created him, but I brought him to life.

I gave him a soul.

I am taking back my dignity, Cliff.

I am done leasing it.

And I'm willing to pay whatever the price to own it once again.

Debbie: Does anyone need seconds?

You guys save room for dessert?

Oh.

There you are.

Feeling better?

Dad, Yao...

...we need to talk.

And that's what I saw.

Mom and Yao.

Oh, wow.

I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you, Dad.

And you're sure that's what you saw?

Yeah, I'm 100% sure.

Wow.

Yao.

I am embarrassed.

Well, you should be.

Lock a door, Yao.

Stewart: What, what? I know. It was stupid.

Not locking a door is what was stupid?

All you had to do was push it in and turn it.

It's pretty simple.

I know how to lock it. My head was somewhere else.

We know where your head was.

Why is this even part of the conversation?

The lock seems to be the least of it.

Exactly. Dad, it seems like you're okay with this.

Well, the lock thing bugs me a little.

So, this was just a one-time thing, though, right?

No. Lots of times.

Oh... I gotta, I gotta sit down.

I'm coming.

(chair scrapes on floor)

Okay, see, they clearly...

This must be tough for you guys.

Can you fill us in, please?

We lived a rock and roll lifestyle.

Things were different back then.

It was five years ago, Dad.

Rock and roll never dies, Stew.

I am deeply regretting even pulling this thread.

Yeah, aren't ya?

Well, now that it's out in the open, I think I should tell you everything. Right, Yao?

Sure. Let's get into it.

Oh! No!

Oh, no, no!

I can't take much more!

I think I learned a valuable lesson tonight.

Some things are better off buried deep inside and shrouded in silence.

I don't know.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm-I'm disturbed to the core, but... I think maybe it's better it's out in the open.

I think it's amazing it's out in the open.

What are you guys talking about?

Don't worry about it.

Never ask that again.

Dean Sr.: Yao said good night and thank you for a lovely evening.

Oh, that's real sweet of him, Dad.

I'm sorry I ruined Thanksgiving, everyone.

I don't know, I think you kind of saved Thanksgiving, Dean.

This was a trauma I had to get past, and...

I got my dignity back.

And mine's on the ropes.

Dean Sr.: Well, we got Thanksgiving back.

We're all together again, just like we used to do, Stew.

To-do-Stew. Is that something?

Please let that be something.

Yeah, that's, uh, that's something, Dean.

That's... that's definitely something.

(music plays on TV)

Guys, look.

Narrator: Last season, we said good-bye to an icon.

Grinder: Grinder rests one last time.

Narrator: This fall say hello... to his brother.

Mitch Grinder may be gone, but the grind goes on.

Justice has a new first name.

Timothy Olyphant is Rake Grinder.

That son of a bitch.

The Grinder: New Orleans.

The Big Easy... just got hard.

Excuse me.

Well, I don't think he needed that.

No, he did not.

Olyphant could be good, though, huh?

Stop it.

Really, Dad?

Are you serious?

What?