Welcome to Grosse Pointe, where the properties are pricey, the secrets are buried, and the body count is growing faster than the grass. What seems like a cozy suburban mystery series quickly spirals into chaos in NBC‘s Grosse Pointe Garden Society. Set in the affluent Detroit suburb, we’re introduced to four dissatisfied garden club members—Alice (AnnaSophia Robb), a teacher and aspiring writer; Catherine (Aja Naomi King), a meticulous real estate agent, juggling her carefully curated image; Brett (Ben Rappaport), a father of two who can’t get it right; and the once fabulous Birdie (Melissa Fumero) is attempting to stage a comeback. Their lives collide in a murder that begins with adultery, a secret baby, a dog, and a stepdad, proving that garden parties are fertile ground for revenge.
Created by Jenna Bans (Desperate Housewives) and Bill Krebs (Good Girls), the pilot unfolds across dual timelines, gradually unraveling how this unlikely quartet ended up burying a body—and how they’re now desperately trying to keep their deadly secret from being exposed. We start with the lead-up in the past and jump back and forth to the present, six months from now, for the aftermath. Catherine wrestles with a dangerous sidepiece. Meanwhile, Alice’s pushy in-laws do everything but snap their fingers for grandchildren. Birdie’s secrets are on the rise and so is Brett’s jealousy. And somehow all their flaws lead to murder. Listen, I’m not sure how good this quartet is at getting away with it, but they’ve got a knack for payback—as long as it doesn’t ricochet (but, of course, it will). These four cannot win, they’re too good at digging bigger and messier holes for themselves.
The Good? The cast’s chemistry is undeniable, with Melissa Fumero and Aja Naomi King delivering performances that make the most absurd moments entertaining.
The Bad? The setup and style feel too rooted in the genre beats that started with Desperate Housewives and continue through Big Little Lies and similar shows. An unexpected genre mashup, perhaps with cozy elements, might’ve given Grosse Pointe Garden Society a singular hook.
The Messy? The only thing more dangerous than the secrets are the people keeping them. If the show starts to take risks—going deeper, wilder, or twistier—it could become a messy pleasure.
In the end, between this and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), you have to wonder what’s in the water in this town. With its roots in Desperate Housewives, Dead Like Me, and Good Girls mixed with a wink at John Wick, Grosse Pointe Garden Society feels like the Stephen King city of Castle Rock, without the supernatural but just as much murder. While I’m not quite hooked, the pilot’s blend of scandal, secrets, and suburban dysfunction makes you want to dig a little deeper to find out where it goes.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society premieres on Sunday, Feb 23 at 10PM. ET on NBC.
Let’s see just how dirty these gardeners get.