text: Off the job, Grace drinks heavily, engages in numerous one-night stands and casual encounters with men, and is having an affair with her married police partner, Ham. Aside from her faults, Grace is an extraordinarily loving and generous person to those around her. In particular, she loves her young nephew, Clay (Dylan Minnette), and devotes a great deal of time to him.
  Earl appears to Grace throughout the series, hoping she'll turn away from her more self-destructive tendencies and seek God's help. Saving Grace uses Grace's story to discuss the topic of faith and how difficult faith can be in such an imperfect world.
  Oklahoma City
  Series creator Nancy Miller grew up in Oklahoma City, and as a result Saving Grace includes many references to Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma. For instance, many of the characters' last names are the names of Oklahoma towns: Hanadarko is derived from Anadarko, Oklahoma; also Clay Norman, Ham Dewey, Butch Ada, Bobby Stillwater, and Captain Perry all have last names taken from Oklahoma towns and cities.
  The 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and its aftermath have been frequently incorporated into the plot and character development of the series. In the show, Grace's sister, who was also Clay's mother, died in the bombing.
  In addition, local Oklahoma City eating establishment Johnnies Charcoal Broiler is frequently incorporated.