01x14 - The Retooling of Dean Sanderson

[bunniefuu]

Grinder: You're home late.

Another date with that slut?

Since when do you care where I am?

Hmm? Or who I'm with?

She'll break your heart.

You can bet your ass on that.

Luke: You are unbelievable.

Yeah, Mom left, okay? Deal with it.

She's gone, and she is never coming back.

Don't you ever talk to me... (grunts)

Luke: She's my mom. You have to stop this.

Daddy, sit down.

What happened to the guy who wanted to settle down and spend more time with his family, even if that meant logging in a few less hours for the law?

I can't! People would go to jail!

People would get the death sentence!

Is that what you want?!

I just want my dad back.

What if I can't be the dad you need?

Luke: Then you can't.

You don't have to win everything.

You don't have to be The Grinder all the time.

I never thought that you would be teaching me.

Well, maybe what we don't realize is... we'd be teaching each other.

So, what do you say you put that bottle down and we go back inside?

Grinder: I'd like that.

Stewart: So he has a son now?

Since when?

Since season four premiere, "Grind-fathered."

They gave me a son to ground my character.

Wait.

"Ground-fathered."

Should that have been it?

Possibly. I mean, they're both so good.

Definitely.

Wait, I'm sorry. So out of nowhere, he just has a teenage son?

Well, he'd been at w*r.

Yes, Deb, he was off at w*r.

Oh, right.

You know, you need a lead character who is emotionally grounded, you know?

You need to know that he feels things.

Otherwise, you won't watch.

Really? Because I just watch for the courtroom stuff.

No, that's why you think you watch, but what makes the courtroom stuff land is that you have a lead character who is emotionally grounded and relatable.

Ethan: Did it work? Did more people start watching?

Not only did it work but it saved the series.

And we have the network to thank for that.

Bill Foosley of Foosley Motors is looking for new counsel.

He's a big fish.

In a small pond.

Sorry, I was, uh, trying to sound like Dean there and...

Right.

Well, this is a potential game-changer.

Could increase our billable hours by nearly 30%.

(whistles)

But we have to land him first.

Now, he's meeting with all the top firms, so...

So this is a street fight.

It's not a street fight, uh, at all.

It's simply a businessman being methodical in his search for legal representation.

And then it's a street fight.

It's never a fight.

We got to jam a 12-gauge right in their pistachio bags.

Whose?

Uh, no. Stewart's just having dinner with him tomorrow night, where there will be no need for a shotgun to anyone's genitals.

Foosley Motors. I've seen those ads.

They quiver with sound, music, color.

We're clearly dealing with a man who employs pageantry and spectacle as a sales tool.

Flash needs to be met... with flash.

With flash.

Yes, I was saying that, too. I agree. Yes.

Flash with flash. Okay, that's... I'm gonna...

That's a great thought, Dean. I'm gonna... Flash with flash.

I think I need to be at this dinner.

I'm thinking that's not what should happen.

I'm thinking that's a huge mistake.

I'm thinking that, too.

Me, too.

(clicks tongue) Mm.

And then Coleman shouts at me about how I disregarded his instructions.

And it's like, "Coleman, we've been through this a hundred times. You say the quarterly report should include projections for international growth, but Dandro does not want that."

Right.

And it's like, "Yeah, Coleman, "sure, you're my supervisor, but Dandro owns the firm."

Yeah. Yeah.

Classic Coleman.

I know, right?

I'm just so sick of being stuck in the middle of these guys.

Well, I think until one of 'em leaves, you just have to suck it up.

Suck it up? That wasn't exactly Yeah. the Rudy moment I was hoping for.

Sorry, babe. I...

I'm just... I'm a little distracted.

The Foosley account?

Yeah. He's gonna show up to dinner, Deb.

Who, Foosley?

Isn't that who the dinner's with?

Yeah, that's who the dinner's with. I'm not... worried that Foosley's gonna come to the dinner.

I'm talking about Dean, guys.

Oh. - Oh, right. That was...

Come on. I don't want Dean to come to the dinner.

Yeah. No, I agree.

Because he's impossible.

I don't know. I mean, have you talked to Jillian about it? You're paying this therapist a ton of money. Can she help with this or is it just on us?

No. She agrees with me.

I just... I can't get through to him.

So what if you have her talk to him?

Have Jillian talk to Dean.

Yeah. Cut out the middleman.

Can I do that?

Why not?

Why not? Right.

It'll sound better coming from her.

Much.

Much better.

This is perfect. This is gonna work.

Guys, thank you! Good... good teamwork. I like it!

Whoa. When did all this happen?

Well, I'd been doing most of my work in the conference room, and I figured a cubicle isn't really, you know...

Right.

So why not take over Yao's office and then move in all your furniture from The Grinder?

Yeah. Come in. Sit down. Can I get you something?

Fizzy water, diet soda?

Uh, no, I'm-I'm good. (chuckles)

So what's up?

Uh, I kind of wanted to... to talk big picture with you.

Oh, macro convo. Love it.

Great. Uh, okay, so you, uh, are here for the long haul. I'm accepting that, and I'm-I'm... I'm embracing it.

That's so sweet.

But I think for this situation to be sustainable, we might need to make just a few, um... adjustments.

Adjustments. Great. Let's dive in.

You want to go first or should I?

Oh, you have adjustments for me?

Yeah, but, you know, you go first.

Fire away.

Thank you. Um...

Let's see. How do I... how do I say this?

Um, sometimes, Dean, it feels like you have a tendency to bring the dramatics from your TV show into the real world.

Example.

Sure. Um, when you say stuff like, "The Grinder never settles."

He doesn't. Ever.

I know that about him, and I love it.

And that's great for a TV character.

Problem is, in real life, lawyers settle. A lot.

Not if I have any say in it.

Okay. Great example. Another one.

Great line for like a-a hard-nosed TV lawyer, but does not have a place here.

But what if it did?

See, I don't even think you know when you're doing it, and that is really what concerns me the most.

Stew, I have to say, this whole thing is coming out of left field for me.

Is it? Because, Dean, we-we... we watch The Grinder, we-we talk about it while we're watching it, after we're watching it, and it feels to me like we should operate more in reality.

I just think that maybe you would benefit from talking to someone.

You are suggesting that I go to therapy.

I-I know I find it very useful. I mean, I had some adjustments for you, but I'm hearing that you would like a complete overhaul.

Not an overhaul. Just... like, a... just tone a few things back.

Oh, a tone-back. Oh.

Yeah.

Oh. Tone back. I can tone you back all day.

Okay.

But on my terms.

No therapy.

Are you sure? 'Cause, Dean, I'm telling you, this woman I see, she gets it.

I'll think about it.

Stewart.

Dean.

Good day.

(sighs)

Good day to you.

And if we successfully challenge those zoning ordinances, you should be able to break ground on five new dealerships by the spring.

That's impressive. But can you promise we'll win the challenges?

Well...

Dean: We at Sanderson & Yao don't offer promises.

We offer action.

What?

Dean.

Uh, this is my brother.

He has a tendency to...

Fight for justice with all his might.

I hope that's not a problem for you.

Why would that be a problem for me?

It wouldn't. At all.

I couldn't help but overhearing that you are looking for representation.

How would you have overheard that? No one said it.

No one needed to.

Dean?

Shh, shh.

The foreplay's not over yet.

Ew.

Mr. Foosley, you'll have to pardon my brother, he...

Wait, wait.

Were you at the bar this whole time, just waiting to interject at the perfect moment?

What? No?

Really? 'Cause something felt kind of unnatural about it.

Excuse me?

Dean, can I steal you for a second?

Excuse me, just a... just a quick moment.

What are you doing here? We talked about this.

You said you were gonna tone it back.

I said that and then I thought about it and I decided this client is too important to lose to a lackluster sales pitch.

Dean, this is a big deal Mm-hmm. and I know you're trying to help, but whatever you're doing is not helping.

Okay? Look at him... he's-he's all agitated now.

He doesn't want to be here.

No, no, he's all activated now.

He's reacting emotionally, which is what you want when you're trying to hook an audience.

We've been through this.

Guys, I'm not feeling it.

Uh, Mr. Foosley, he was just on his way out.

Look, you know, I was leaning 60-40 toward Sanderson, but I was a little nervous about this... the whole actor turned lawyer thing, but I thought I'd meet, see it for myself.

And?

Yeah, it's a problem. Yeah.

Like I thought.

Got it.

Okay, look, you obviously believe you're a lawyer because... you play one on TV, and that's a little far to me.

I like your style.

You're a good man, you're a good attorney, but you got a brick chained to your ankle and it's holding you back.

Jillian, thank you so much for doing this.

Uh, I asked Dean to just give us five minutes so we could make sure we're on the same page.

On the same page?

You know, just to talk to him about the same things that we've been talking about in our sessions.

Just to, you know, bring him back down to Earth a little bit.

Okay, no, no, no, this isn't gonna be you telling me what to say to your brother.

No, it shouldn't work that way. That would... No.

Of course. You say what you are gonna say.

But I think that you're gonna say exactly what needs to be said.

Because you're gonna see for yourself what I've been saying.

Are you done?

I am.

Okay.

I think it's time to bring in Dean now.

Okay. Got it.

But we know what we're saying?

Good-bye, Stewart.

Bye. Oh, if you get hung up and want to reach out, I'm on my cell.

You have my number?

I have your phone number.

I'm gonna just call you anyway.

You don't need to do that.

No, then you're gonna have it in your recents.

Not necessary.

And then it's easier.

And then you don't have to think, "Oh, scroll, scroll, scroll."

Got it.

It's gonna be right at the top.

Time to go.

Yeah.

Hi, Dean.

Hey, Dean. This is Jillian.

She's gonna be helping you.

Jillian.

Hi. You can go ahead and have a seat on the couch, okay?

I'm gonna leave you guys to it.

(mouthing)

Oh, Stewart, before you leave, um...

May I say something?

Yes.

Thank you for bringing me here.

Um... I've hurt you.

Don't want to hurt you.

And I certainly don't want to lose another Foosley.

Thank you, Dean, I don't...

I don't, either.

Yeah. If you say this is where I need to be, this is where I need to be.

I am in therapy... to win therapy.

And I need to make sure you're on board with that.

You need to make sure I'm on board with you winning therapy?

That's right.

Yeah, I'm on board.

Great.

Great.

Dean, if anybody can win therapy, my money's on you.

Well, then we're both gonna break even.

'Cause my money... is on you.

Dean: Wow.

You are right.

She is a miracle... worker.

Dean, that's fantastic.

That's great to hear.

Well, thank you, Stew. I mean, it was... it was eye-opening.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get into therapy.

How long have you been going?

Uh... God, I'm not sure.

Like, maybe October-ish?

Oh, so basically just about the time I came back to town.

Ah, before, after... it's hard for me to say exactly, without looking at a calendar.

It was right after, remember?

That's it.

Well, I'm just so glad that you're feeling inspired.

My bro knew what I needed, and he was right.

I need work.

I don't know, son.

I wouldn't do much.

Aw, thanks, Dad. And, Stew, I hear you've been making some pretty great strides yourself.

Congrats on that.

Oh, yeah, uh, yes, thank you. She-she told you that?

She did. Well, I just want everybody to know that I may be coming at things a little bit differently now.

So it's a whole perspective shift, then?

Correct. Like, Deb, your whole work thing. I've listened... but I haven't really listened.

Because it didn't hook me.

But not everything has to be all big drama.

That is what I've been saying this whole time.

Ah, Stew, this isn't about you.

It's about Deb now. So, Deb, talk to me.

Well, not if it's boring.

No. Because it's boring.

Okay. Um... well, I'm caught between my two bosses at work.

Caught how?

Well, they don't talk to each other and then I...

You know, I'm learning that, for me, it's-it's very important to take control of your own life and happiness.

Right.

Grab the steering wheel of your own life and be the driver.

That's deep.

Yeah, I like that.

Yeah, maybe I should take the wheel a little more.

And-and Stew, seems like you could use a little bit of time behind the wheel as well. Jillian thought so.

You guys talk a lot about me.

We sure do.

Oh, it's... that's good.

He's giving us a second chance.

Foosley?

Yeah.

That's great. But with all due respect to us, why?

Worked my magic. Called him up, convinced him that...

Dean has no idea what he's saying?

That's... basically it.

Mm.

Oh, there you are.

Hey, what's Bill Foosley's number?

Why?

I want to call him and apologize for the other day.

Yeah, I'm just gonna let you two sort this out.

Really?

Oh, yeah.

And... the number is?

Dean, you're not calling him.

Stewart, Do not make me search for this number elsewhere.

I will find it. I will call it.

Dean, you are not calling, Foosley.

You've done enough damage already.

Well, let me repair that damage.

No, I repaired it. It's done.

It took some doing, but I got us a second meeting.

Which you are not going to.

Which I'm going to.

Stewart, don't deny me this.

This is very important for my growth.

And I've made tremendous progress since Foosley last saw me.

You mean Tuesday?

Come on, man. Don't clip my wings.

Let me fly. Let me do this.

Dean, it's not happening.

Well...

I'm telling Jillian about this.

Okay, tell Jillian.

I will.

Okay.

(sighs)

Oh... Oh!

Oh, I-I'm telling Jillian about that.

(exclaims) How do you do that?

Jillian says you should let me go to the meeting with Foosley.

She said that?

Yeah. She says you're being too tough on me.

Really.

Yes. She said you're depriving me of a very important therapeutic opportunity.

Stewart: You said I'm too tough on him?!

You always tell me I'm too passive.

Stewart, you know I'm not allowed to discuss what's said in my sessions with other patients.

But he discussed it. He brought it up to me.

That's allowed.

Okay, well, he told me that you said I should give him a second chance with Foosley.

Mm, I can't confirm or deny that.

Okay, so, I'm not allowed to know if you think I should give Dean a second chance with Foosley?

No, you're allowed. I think you should give Dean a second chance with Foosley.

But you just said you can't confirm or deny that you said that.

To Dean.

I can't discuss what Dean and I have discussed, but you and I can have our own discussion.

Well, obviously, you and I can have our own discussion.

If we couldn't do that, we wouldn't be doing this.

Right. So, we're on the same page.

I don't think so.

No?

No! You're saying that we can have a discussion about facts that were presented to you by Dean? Is that right?

Well, so long as I... don't portray them as having been presented by Dean, yes.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah?

Deb... just checking in with you on this Q1PNL report.

It's not quite making sense to me based on what I asked?

Right. No, yeah, I know that, because right after you and I spoke, Dandro called and asked me to change it all back and to shred the old version... all 400 copies of it.

Right, but Dandro's not fully dialed in on this project.

Let's have you change it all back again, then get it copied, collated, and distro'd, and I'll get Dandro up to speed.

We're trading calls.

I...

Oh!

Dandro: Debbie, how are we looking on the growth projections?

This seems to be taking you a long time.

Are you serious? Did you not just see Coleman go back into his office right now?

I didn't. He and I are trading calls, but to be honest, Deb, your tone is a bit troubling.

Oh, my tone? My-my tone is the problem here?

What's happening here?

Hey, Roy, sorry we keep missing each other.

Deb, is everything okay? I can hear you shouting down the hall.

I am... (groaning)

Can you two please just talk to each other?

Honestly, it's hard to do over the shouting.

I'm totally with you on that, Roy.

Deb, I'm not sure you're aware of how loud you are with the shouting.

You're gonna have to find a better way to communicate.

Stewart: And purely on spec, we've prepared these motions ready to file on behalf of Foosley Motors.

Oh, wow, that must have been a lot of work.

We put our whole team on it.

The motions petition for injunctions against the interim control ordinances.

This is really strong.

May I say something?

Maybe you shouldn't.

You want to down a sh*t and then say it from the bar?

No, no, those days are behind me.

No, I just want to apologize.

I was playing someone that I wasn't, and I got caught up.

Dean, I don't think Mr. Foosley wants to hear.

No, no, no, no, I like this.

Sounds like you've done some introspection.

I have, um, because of my brother.

He introduced me to a therapist, and I am seeing the world through a completely different lens.

(phone buzzing)

Excuse me. Um, that's my wife.

I'm just gonna take this, uh, really quickly.

I'll be right back.

You quit your job? Just like that?!

It was this incredible moment of clarity, hon. I mean, Dandro was being all-all Dandro, and-and Coleman was pulling his-his usual Coleman bullcrap, and-and I just said, "Enough!"

Wow. So, it just sounds like one of those spur-of-the-moment, don't-even-talk-to me-about-it kind of things.

Oh, honey, you know that I was miserable there, and it's like Dean said. You know, you can only control your own happiness.

So I just... I grabbed that steering wheel, and I... I got to say, honey, it feels good. I mean, it feels good to drive a little bit.

It's like Dean said. So we're taking advice from Dean now.

Life advice from Dean... is that what we're doing?

Well...

I'm gonna go, Deb.

You have to take control, Bill.

Ah.

Grab the steering wheel.

I got to grab the wheel.

There's no overcorrecting.

'Cause otherwise, where are we?

Uh, riding shotgun?

Oh, at best. There's a high probability that we're in the... back seat.

Back seat, right.

Right. That's a great analogy.

Everything okay?

Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. (clears his throat)

Really? Because you seem a little agitated.

You picking any of this up, Bill?

100%.

I'm good. Just, uh... just activated, so...

Oh.

Great, because we were just going through...

She's leaving you, isn't she?

I know that look.

My wife is not leaving me.

Good, because we should probably get to...

No, no, no, I'm...

This feels more important. Were there any signs at all?

Maybe texts from another man?

She quit.

Okay, she... she quit her job without even talking to me because of you and the ridiculous grab-the-wheel stuff.

Yeah, that's good stuff.

I found it helpful.

We should probably talk about this...

You couldn't just go to therapy like a normal person, could you?

We're in a meeting with a client.

We are having a meeting that you shouldn't even be at.

Oh, I see. This is about something much deeper.

Foosley: I just saw that, too.

This isn't a...

It's a global.

This is not a just-tonight thing. Maybe we should get the check.

No, don't get the check!

Ah!

You just grabbed my wrist pretty aggressively.

Mm-hmm.

So... you grabbed him?

No, I was just stopping him from getting the check, and then, it turned into a whole...

Why-why are you writing? Why is that...?

Have you had violent tendencies in the past?

What?! No!

You shoved me the other day.

In the kitchenette, remember?

I remember.

And more writing. I don't under... Okay, sure, just...

So you att*cked him?

It wasn't an att...

The only reason this happened, Dean, is because you told Deb to quit her job.

Well, he didn't tell me that.

I quit on my own because I got behind the wheel.

Oh, right, yes, everyone's getting behind the wheel.

I forgot. Why don't we all grab a wheel? Right, Jillian?

So you don't think that your brother and your wife should take control of their lives?

Is that it? Did we just cr*ck this?

No, Dean, we did not just cr*ck this. This...

See, this is why I wanted to get us all in the same room, so we could clear up some of the confusion.

I'm not confused. I feel great.

Yeah, I feel great, too.

He's just upset because I didn't discuss it with him first.

Yeah, that's part of it, yes.

But is it possible that she didn't discuss it with you first because of how you might react?

I think that is it. Mm-hmm.

What?!

Oh, this is so healthy.

That means the world to me.

I'm just saying, we shouldn't be telling everyone in my life to grab a wheel.

Well, in fairness, she didn't tell me to grab the wheel.

All right, but you told Dean, and then Dean passed it along, so...

I can't tell you if I said that to Dean.

Dean, did she say that to you?

She did.

Okay, great.

So now can you say that you said it?

I cannot.

He just said it right now in front of you.

Even now you can't... you can't say that you said it?

He said you said it, and you heard him.

I heard that, and I still cannot.

Excellent.

Still writing. I don't understand how much you...

Dean: Great session.

Yeah.

Having Deb involved in it... so smart.

You know, the Foosley debacle aside, I'm feeling very positive about Jillian, and have you to thank for it.

Happy to help, Dean.

You are, aren't you?

Helping is what makes you happy.

Yeah, I guess it is.

You know, you were right.

I have a lot of work to do.

It wasn't just a tone-back.

It's an overhaul, and I know that now.

Well, that's great, Dean.

So, no more Grinder.

And more importantly, Stewart... no more drama.

You're not gonna believe this. I just got served.

This punk is suing me for malpractice.

He's coming after the whole damn firm.