‘Grand Crew’ Recap: ‘Wine & Neighbors’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

GRAND CREW -- "Wine & Neighbors" Episode 203 -- Pictured: (l-r) Carl Tart as Sherm, Aaron Jennings as Anthony -- (Photo by: Elizabeth Morris/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Grand Crew’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Heartbreak is… an unfortunate part of everyday life. Because despite our best hopes that the next relationship we enter into will be our last, that simply isn’t always the case, for various and seemingly endless reasons, and that leads to the heartbreak in question and well… that leads to a period in time that is equally as unique as to why that relationship ended in the first place. For this is where we process the heartbreak, and everyone does so in a supremely different manner. Some bounce back quick, some struggle and as evidenced of the next episode of Grand Crew on NBC, sometimes we take part in unique and silly acts to heal the pain in our hearts.
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For ‘Wine & Neighbors’ is a story that saw several members of the crew struggling with heartbreak and the paths they took to heal were indeed… quite unique in nature. Noah for instance, was just a mess. For he simply could not reconcile the fact that Simone was gone from his life. So, he dealt with the problem… by doing everything to not deal with the problem. To just… let the pain pass and subside before truly digging in. Which meant… he just walked around Los Angeles often and really didn’t sleep and did everything and everything to just keep his mind off of the pain. Even going so far as to end up in a casino in Nevada, which was wild, but that a fine way of pointing out that some people don’t want to deal with that pain right away, and as long as you’re not being destructive, that’s okay. 

But there was mention of more people dealing with that hurt, and Anthony was the man that was also nursing a broken heart. Because he really expected his relationship to go further, but alas it did not, and he dealt with the heartbreak by just… becoming somewhat listless and by hanging on to the possibility that perhaps he could rekindle. Which Sherm felt was a poor idea since he knew there would be no salvation, and when the door indeed closed, he swooped in, and did his best to get Anthony to hook up with the cute neighbor next door. Since he just sensed there was a vibe there and while that was a success, some tears in a very compromising situation made the whole thing awkward. But what mattered more here, is that this hilarious journey, spoke to how sometimes we need an assist and a push to deal with heartbreak and sometimes… we just have to go out there and take another swing at love. Just… make sure to not cry while… going to the other side of the bakery… to increase your chances of success.

However, while those two storylines would have carried this entire episode, it also made sure to show us how some people… just handle a breakup and heartbreak in stride. Because Nicky and Michael had to move in together for a little while, thanks to repairs in Michael’s building and well… that gave them the chance to see what their spark could grow into, and they were excited to find compromise and connections they didn’t know existed and they were equally surprised that their specific tastes for a Philly Cheesesteak broke the whole thing up. But they handled the whole matter in stride, mainly because… it is safe to say that they didn’t have high expectations for this to really blossom. They just went minute by minute and that allowed for them to quickly move on with the knowledge that they gave it a good go.

If anything, this wondrous and hilarious episode, really did an amazing job of doing something we don’t see in comedies all that often. In that, it bothered to follow-up on the previous storylines introduced during last week, regarding how love doesn’t always work out the way we want, and it was just amazing to have a hint of serialization here and use it to really explore something quite real and quite relatable. A move that cements the show’s standing as being a true reflection of the ups and downs we experience in life, and it was also a story… that really brought the laughs. Specifically with Anthony’s storyline and let’s be honest… Michael’s shenanigans here were amazing as well, and well… in the end, all this incredible episode does is leave us eager for more of this brilliant series. And it will be fascinating to see see what other life lessons and growth await the crew, as season two continues along. Until next time.

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