Grosse Pointe Garden Society arrived in the 2025 TV schedule to bring some murder mystery to NBC’s Sunday nights, and the latest episode dropped a big clue about the identity of the deceased – a.k.a. “Quiche.” That, or the drama dropped a major red herring to thicken the plot that much more as episodes continue airing weekly and streaming with a Peacock subscription. One character who we 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, played by Legally Blonde alum Matthew Davis.
Davis spoke with CinemaBlend about working heavily with the Brooklyn Nine-NIne and Night Court vet, with a callback to when he filmed Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon. Birdie and Joel have been flirting in the present of Grosse Pointe Garden Society, while flash-forwards show that they’ve gotten hot and heavy by the time the foursome commits their murder. The situation is only complicated by the fact that Joel is stepfather to Birdie’s biological son, who she gave up for adoption years prior… and he also happens to be a cop.
Since most of Matthew Davis’ scenes in his first four episodes as part of the Grosse Pointe Garden Society cast were opposite Melissa Fumero, I had to ask the Legacies alum: did he have a chemistry read with the Night Court guest star before landing the role? He responded:
No, and to be perfectly honest, I was not familiar with Melissa. I wasn’t familiar with her work. I believe I was one of the first people cast, so I remember just kind of sitting back waiting to see who they were going to populate the leads with. When they cast her, I was intrigued, because I was not familiar with her work, and on some level I was kind of grateful, because I didn’t really want to know the actor or actress. I just wanted to meet Birdie. So I’ve gotten to know Melissa during the season, and it’s been great. I mean, she’s just been so magnificent in this part. It’s been such a joy to work with her.
Davis may not have been a fan of Fumero from her Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Blockbuster, or One Life to Live days, but he’s clearly become a fan since getting to work with her on Grosse Pointe Garden Society. In fact, he went on to reflect on filming Joel and Birdie’s first big interactions of the show:
I remember the first day she and I really shot scenes together in Episode 2, and we were rehearsing, and then Birdie was just so present and so there and so dynamic. I immediately had this wild flashback. I never had this before. The only other time I thought I was in the presence of a truly iconic, dynamic character like that, played by somebody so talented, was opposite Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.
Talk about high praise for Melissa Fumero as a scene partner! And honestly, for as much as Birdie and Elle Woods definitely aren’t interchangeable, the two characters have some similar energy. I’m confident that the plot of Legally Blonde 3 wouldn’t have involved any criminal shenanigans quite like those in Grosse Pointe Garden Society Season 1, but I can easily see where Matt Davis is coming from.
The former Vampire Diaries actor went on to cite the Legally Blonde scene he’d filmed with Reese Witherspoon that he was flashing back to while working with Melissa Fumero, and it’s arguably one of the most memorable from 2001 comedy: Warner and Elle’s breakup. He shared:
I remember the first time I shot a scene with Reese was the breakup scene. And I rolled up. I thought I was prepared, and I sat down opposite Reese. [laughs] Her work was so stunning, right out the gate, just there, fully present. There was Elle Woods. I did not see Reese Witherspoon at all, and I was so blown away and so captivated by just the presence of that character. I’ll never forget it.
Fans of the cast of Legally Blonde likely aren’t surprised to learn 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 film, and why Melissa Fumero brought back that same feeling on set more than two decades later:
I just forgot everything. I forgot everything I knew about my character. I forgot everything I knew about the world, and everything I knew about life, and the only thought I had in that moment was like, ‘Shit, just keep up! If you could just keep up with her, you’ll be fine.’ And I haven’t had that kind of encounter with an actor’s work until I worked with Melissa recently. We started working together, and I knew immediately. I was like, ‘I’ve felt this before!’ You’re really in the presence of a genuinely iconic character.
There are still more questions than answers about the dead body on Grosse Pointe Garden Society, but given that Joel is alive and well in the aftermath to help Birdie cover up the murder, we at least know that he’s not the victim. If the promo is any indication, Joel and Birdie’s relationship is about to heat up in the present. Take a look!
New episodes of Grosse Pointe Garden Society will continue airing on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following fellow freshman series Suits LA. You can also revisit earlier episodes for any clues you might have missed streaming on Peacock. As for Legally Blonde, the iconic film is available with an Amazon Prime Video subscription now.