Grosse Pointe Backyard Society arrived within the 2025 TV schedule to deliver some homicide thriller to NBC’s Sunday nights, and the newest episode dropped an enormous clue concerning the id of the deceased – a.ok.a. “Quiche.” That, or the drama dropped a significant purple herring to thicken the plot that rather more as episodes proceed airing weekly and streaming with a Peacock subscription. One character who we all know was not killed and buried in a flowerbed by Birdie (Melissa Fumero), Catherine (Aja Naomi King), Brett (Ben Rappaport), and Alice (AnnaSophia Robb) is Joel, performed by Legally Blonde alum Matthew Davis.
Davis spoke with CinemaBlend about working closely with the Brooklyn 9-NIne and Night time Courtroom vet, with a callback to when he filmed Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon. Birdie and Joel have been flirting within the current of Grosse Pointe Backyard Society, whereas flash-forwards present that they’ve gotten scorching and heavy by the point the foursome commits their homicide. The state of affairs is simply sophisticated by the truth that Joel is stepfather to Birdie’s organic son, who she gave up for adoption years prior… and he additionally occurs to be a cop.
Since most of Matthew Davis’ scenes in his first 4 episodes as a part of the Grosse Pointe Backyard Society forged had been reverse Melissa Fumero, I needed to ask the Legacies alum: did he have a chemistry learn with the Night time Courtroom visitor star earlier than touchdown the position? He responded:
No, and to be completely trustworthy, I used to be not acquainted with Melissa. I wasn’t acquainted with her work. I imagine I used to be one of many first individuals forged, so I keep in mind simply form of sitting again ready to see who they had been going to populate the leads with. Once they forged her, I used to be intrigued, as a result of I used to be not acquainted with her work, and on some degree I used to be form of grateful, as a result of I did not actually wish to know the actor or actress. I simply wished to satisfy Birdie. So I’ve gotten to know Melissa in the course of the season, and it has been nice. I imply, she’s simply been so magnificent on this half. It has been such a pleasure to work along with her.
Davis might not have been a fan of Fumero from her Brooklyn 9-9, Blockbuster, or One Life to Reside days, however he is clearly turn out to be a fan since attending to work along with her on Grosse Pointe Backyard Society. In actual fact, he went on to replicate on filming Joel and Birdie’s first huge interactions of the present:
I keep in mind the primary day she and I actually shot scenes collectively in Episode 2, and we had been rehearsing, after which Birdie was simply so current and so there and so dynamic. I instantly had this wild flashback. I by no means had this earlier than. The one different time I assumed I used to be within the presence of a very iconic, dynamic character like that, performed by any person so gifted, was reverse Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.
Discuss excessive reward for Melissa Fumero as a scene accomplice! And actually, for as a lot as Birdie and Elle Woods undoubtedly aren’t interchangeable, the 2 characters have some related vitality. I am assured that the plot of Legally Blonde 3 would not have concerned any felony shenanigans fairly like these in Grosse Pointe Backyard Society Season 1, however I can simply see the place Matt Davis is coming from.
The previous Vampire Diaries actor went on to quote the Legally Blonde scene he’d filmed with Reese Witherspoon that he was flashing again to whereas working with Melissa Fumero, and it is arguably probably the most memorable from 2001 comedy: Warner and Elle’s breakup. He shared:
I keep in mind the primary time I shot a scene with Reese was the breakup scene. And I rolled up. I assumed I used to be ready, and I sat down reverse Reese. [laughs] Her work was so beautiful, proper out the gate, simply there, absolutely current. There was Elle Woods. I didn’t see Reese Witherspoon in any respect, and I used to be so blown away and so captivated by simply the presence of that character. I am going to always remember it.
Followers of the forged of Legally Blonde probably aren’t shocked to be taught that Matt Davis was “blown away” by Reese Witherspoon’s early work as Elle Woods. He went on to share how her “presence” impacted him on set for that movie, and why Melissa Fumero introduced again that very same feeling on set greater than 20 years later:
I simply forgot every part. I forgot every part I knew about my character. I forgot every part I knew concerning the world, and every part I knew about life, and the one thought I had in that second was like, ‘Shit, simply sustain! For those who might simply sustain along with her, you may be tremendous.’ And I have not had that form of encounter with an actor’s work till I labored with Melissa not too long ago. We began working collectively, and I knew instantly. I used to be like, ‘I’ve felt this earlier than!’ You are actually within the presence of a genuinely iconic character.
There are nonetheless extra questions than solutions concerning the lifeless physique on Grosse Pointe Backyard Society, however provided that Joel is alive and properly within the aftermath to assist Birdie cowl up the homicide, we a minimum of know that he isn’t the sufferer. If the promo is any indication, Joel and Birdie’s relationship is about to warmth up within the current. Have a look!
Watch On
New episodes of Grosse Pointe Backyard Society will proceed airing on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following fellow freshman sequence Fits LA. You too can revisit earlier episodes for any clues you might need missed streaming on Peacock. As for Legally Blonde, the long-lasting movie is on the market with an Amazon Prime Video subscription now.