The Kominsky Method: 10 Moments That Prove Sandy Wasn’t A Bad Guy

When first beginning The Kominsky Method, Sandy Kominsky may appear cranky and set in his own way. He has a short temper with his students, he wasn’t always there for his daughter Mindy when she was growing up, he has a hard time facing death and doesn’t want to visit his friends that are sick — the list goes on.

It’s not until we see his relationship with his best friend and agent Norman that we see the real Sandy. Maybe he’s not so callous after all. Throughout the two seasons on Netflix, we’re not going to say Sandy evolved into a more caring human being, but one could say we saw his true colors.

10 CARING ABOUT WHO MINDY WAS DATING

At the beginning of season two, we learn that Mindy was in a serious relationship, a relationship she was hiding from her father Sandy. As it turns out, Mindy was dating a man named Martin who was much older than she was. In fact, he was around her dad’s age.

This admission annoys Sandy to his core, which upsets Mindy, but it’s obvious that deep down, Sandy just wants what’s best for his daughter. He may not have been the most present father when she was younger but he’s making up for lost time now.

9 AND THEN BEFRIENDING HER BOYFRIEND

Let’s be honest, did anyone think Sandy and Martin were going to hit it off? They may have been the same age with a lot in common, but he was still looking at a potentially predatory relationship. After meeting Martin, however, Sandy put his pride aside and realized Martin was a good man.

I don’t think it was her intention to have Martin and her dad become such close acquaintances, but that’s what happened. Sandy could have easily written Martin off and not have taken their relationship seriously, but he didn’t. And that showed a lot of courage and respect for his daughter.

8 TAKING CARE OF NORMAN

While Eileen is on her deathbed, she asks Sandy to look after Norman when she passes. As his best friend, Norman needed Sandy. He just didn’t have the courage (or the clue) to realize that. Once Eileen passes on, Sandy took her words to heart and took Norman under his wing.

He helped him with the funeral, stayed at his house, so he didn’t have to be alone, and checked up on him every day. This little bromance is enough to make anyone shed a tear. If Sandy was as bad of a guy as so many people make him out to be, would he really be spending his time worrying about his agent?

7 HAVING THE COURAGE TO VISIT EILEEN

In the first episode of the series, viewers learn that Norman’s wife is terminally ill. Norman invites Sandy to visit Eileen before it’s too late but it doesn’t look like Sandy is interested. It’s not until he talks to his daughter Mindy that viewers realize Sandy is afraid of death, and that’s why he wasn’t planning on visiting Eileen.

But to please his daughter and Norman, Sandy pushes his fear to the bottom of his gut and visits Eileen at her home. This meeting was emotional as it was seen as a last goodbye, but it was important. You could tell Eileen and Norman appreciated Sandy’s visit.

6 WANTING TO SPEND TIME WITH LISA

We don’t know too much about Sandy’s romantic past besides the fact that he was married (and divorced) three times, has a daughter named Mindy, and used to sleep with a few of his students. But times have changed for Sandy. After meeting Lisa in his acting class, she inspires Sandy and is a good person for him to have around.

In Sandy’s own way, he does what he can to keep her around while being blatantly honest about how he works. If he didn’t respect or have strong feelings for Lisa, he wouldn’t have cared so much about spending time with her or when she ignored him. He may not always be a monogamous fella, but that changes with Lisa.

5 INSPIRING HIS STUDENTS

Sandy doesn’t just open his own acting studio because he didn’t want to act anymore. He opens his own studio because he loves the art of acting and wanted to spread his knowledge and passion to others.

He gets upset when his students do poorly and becomes enraged when they don’t take the craft seriously. Sandy even notes that he’s not afraid of death because his name and stories will live on through his students. For a crotchety guy, it’s obvious he cares about others and his art.

4 KEEPING HIS LOVED ONES IN THE DARK ABOUT HIS CANCER

As a viewer, it’s easy to be mad at Sandy when he keeps his sickness in the dark from his loved ones. For starters, it’s incredibly dangerous. The doctor specifically asked Sandy to have help during his days of treatment because there could be strange side effects that would require additional help.

Well, the only person Sandy confided in was his friend Norman. This greatly upsets Mindy, Martin, and Lisa when they all find out. So, why didn’t Sandy tell anyone else about his lung cancer? He wanted to protect them: a clear sign of love.

3 ATTENDING THE PARKINSON’S FUNDRAISER

Thanks to Eileen’s final wish for Sandy, he would do anything to protect Norman. This included going to a Parkinson’s fundraiser even though he wasn’t looking forward to going.

Norman was newly widowed and clearly needed backup, which is the main reason why Sandy attended with Lisa (and to support a great cause). Thankfully for Sandy, he’s a fan of the theatrics, and his life is surrounded by it, especially at this fundraiser.

2 TAKING CARE OF LISA WHEN SHE HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK

Sandy and Lisa were hot and heavy for a while, but as per usual, Sandy messed it up. Dating a student of his became a little cloudy, and he decided she could only be one or the other. They took a step back from their relationship, but when Sandy saw Lisa in the grocery store with another man, he became heated.

Thankfully, they got back together as “buddies” without sex, which seemed to make both of them happy. But after too much wine one night, Lisa got very sick, and Sandy took it upon himself to clean her up and put her to bed. He was caring and respectful in her time of need instead of going home because he didn’t want to deal with it.

1 AND WANTING TO MARRY HER ON A WHIM SO SHE WOULDN’T LEAVE

Okay, was asking Lisa to marry him on a whim so she didn’t leave town spontaneous and irrational? Yes. But was it semi-romantic? Yes! The two never seemed to be in a serious relationship but were serious with each other.

We’ve never even seen them say they loved each other. But the thought of Lisa selling her house and moving elsewhere made Sandy throw a “hail Mary” pass and become desperate. Lisa, of course, called Sandy crazy and hung up the phone, but it’s obvious there are deep feelings that haven’t even touched the surface yet.

About The Author

Lynn Gibbs
(1652 Articles Published)

Lynn is a nomad who travels the globe on the hunt for her next adventure with her husband. A lover of being outside (and finding the best latte in town), Lynn is typically hiking, walking, or jogging when she’s not focusing on her love of writing. When it comes to shows streaming on Netflix or anything Bravo-related, Lynn’s your gal.

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