Crime dramedyGrosse Pointe Garden Societydebuted February 23 on NBC, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 10 p.m. ET. However, the show recently received atime slot changeand will air Fridays at 8 p.m. beginning April 4. The official synopsis reads: “Four members of a suburban garden club find their lives intertwined by scandal, mischief and a shared secret – a murder no one wants to talk about; as dark truths surface, they struggle to remain as perfect as the flowers blooming in their garden.”
With five episodes currently available to stream on Peacock,Grosse Pointe Garden Societywas created by Jenna Bans and Bill Krebs. It stars Aja Naomi King, Melissa Fumero, Ben Rappaport, and AnnaSophia Robb as the four garden society members who are bound together by their shared crime. While not volunteers themselves,Matthew Davis (The Vampire Diaries)and Jocko Sims' (New Amsterdam) characters also play crucial roles that fuel the ongoing plotline.
Did Grosse Pointe Garden Society Just Solve Its Biggest Mystery? Here’s Why I Don’t Believe Its Latest Hint
As much as Grosse Pointe Garden Society wants us to believe that the show’s biggest murder mystery has been solved, it seems highly unlikely.
ScreenRantinterviews Matthew Davis and Jocko Sims about what drew them toGrosse Pointe Garden Societyand what to expectas the season continues.
Simms And Davis Were Captured By Grosse Pointe Garden Society’s Writing
“The writing is superior. It’s so good, it’s so fresh, it’s fun, it’s clean. It’s got this dark humor to it that I love.”
ScreenRant: What makesGrosse Pointe Garden Societystand out from other shows in the genre?
Jocko Simms: Part of what’s very fascinating for me is that this is a real place in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and we have one of our very talented, amazing showrunners, Bill Krebs, who’s from there. And then you have Jenna Bans, who came from writing on Desperate Housewives. And to bring the two of them together to make this show is genius. It’s incredible.
Matthew Davis: What immediately grabs you is the writing. The writing is superior. It’s so good, it’s so fresh, it’s fun, it’s clean. It’s got this dark humor to it that I love. I have a very, very dark sense of humor, so I immediately keyed into the humor of the show. And then you have these beautiful characters in this sort of eccentric environment, and everything seems to be fine on the surface, but underneath it is the real story.
I got the sides for the audition about a year ago, read it, and immediately knew it was special. I just immediately knew it was special, and I had an immediate connection to Joel right away. There was something about where I was in my life now and where he was that just felt very parallel, and I felt like I could see him, and he saw me, and we were like, “We got this.” And I sent in the audition, and about two weeks in, I got the offer. I honestly wasn’t surprised. I felt so in alignment with this character.
Viewers Will Learn More About Joel’s Relationships With Birdie And Ford
“Being a good father to Ford is paramount to him. It’s what’s keeping him in his marriage.”
We don’t know too much about Joel’s relationship with Birdie, but I’m assuming it’s serious if he’s going to help her hide a body.
Matthew Davis: Yeah, that’s what I’m saying! She runs to him because she trusts him that much. She’s like the one person she can trust the most, as a cop, to help her cover up this murder she’s a part of. And to me, that encapsulates the beauty of their dynamic, whether you understand it or not, just know that she runs to him for help, and he helps her in the most serious circumstances.
He’s there for her, and it’s just beautiful. It’s a beautiful thing. When I read that, I was like, “Oh, what a wonderful relationship.” I don’t know that I’ve seen that before or told this way before, necessarily, and I just thought that was so cool. And to be able to play that guy has been a real honor. I’ll play Joel all day long.
We also didn’t know a lot about Tucker when the show started. Were you given any prior information about his storyline?
Jocko Simms: After the pilot and before we started shooting the rest of the season, we talked about a loose character arc for the moments that Tucker is around there. I learned a bit, but I also purposely didn’t want to dive too much.
Even in New Amsterdam and other shows, I don’t ask too many questions because I like to take the ride. I like to wait until I get the script and see what’s going on. And with this one, I don’t know how it ends. I’ll find out soon whether I’m in an episode or not. I like to get the scripts, and so I can’t wait to see how this season ends.
Another relationship I find interesting is Joel and Ford, because we learn Joel is his stepfather. Are we going to find out more about that dynamic?
Matthew Davis: Yeah, you’ll definitely see more of Joel and Ford and the father-son relationship, stepfather-son relationship. Again, part of what resonates for me, I’m a father of two girls, and so that caretaker, protector, father energy is very alive in me right now. And so it’s easy to spark that in him and see that spark in him.
Being a good father to Ford is paramount to him. It’s what’s keeping him in his marriage. He’s in this dead marriage. His wife and he are just not connecting. There’s no intrigue, there’s no romance, there’s nothing there except, essentially, co-parents. And then Birdie shows up, and it just blows the doors off of everything. His life really kind of begins then.
The Grosse Pointe Garden Society Cast Is Close To Wrapping Season 1
“We’re waiting on Episode 13, our final episode, and after reading 12, it’s so beautiful.”
Since Tucker has seemingly forgiven Catherine for adultery, what could his reaction be to finding out about a murder?
Jocko Simms: You may or may not find that out. We don’t know who’s in that garden. We don’t know what’s going on.
Jocko Simms: We don’t know.
Now that Joel is involved, is he going to be integrated into the rest of the group? As a police officer, I feel being an accomplice could cause some complications.
Matthew Davis: This is a lot of season 2 stuff, and I don’t know where we’re going to go. We’re waiting on Episode 13, our final episode, and after reading 12, it’s so beautiful. And what happens with Joel and Birdie, there’s even more revealed from these moments when we catch up in real time. But then once that stage is set, he’s all in. He’s an accomplice to this now. He’s all in. And I think that really sets the stage for season 2.
About NBC’s Grosse Pointe Garden Society
Written And Created By Jenna Bans & Bill Krebs
“Grosse Pointe Garden Society” follows four members of a suburban garden club who find their lives intertwined by scandal, mischief and a shared secret – a murder no one wants to talk about. As dark truths begin to rot their lives under the surface, they struggle to remain as perfect as the flowers blooming in their garden above.
Check out our other Grosse Pointe Garden Society interviews:
Grosse Pointe Garden Societycurrently airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and will switch to Fridays at 8 p.m. ET beginning April 4.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society
Grosse Pointe Garden Society follows four suburban garden club members—Birdie, Alice, Brett, and Catherine—as they navigate entangled lives marked by murder and mischief while striving to bring vibrancy to their conventional existence.
