Parenthood – Recap & Review – Hard Times Come Again No More

photo: nbc

Parenthood
Hard Times Come Again No More

Original Air Date: Apr 19, 2011

Karen Belgrad – Associate Editor
karenbelgrad@
thetwocentscorp.com

Did everyone have their Kleenex handy for tonight’s season two finale? It was certainly a five-hankie affair tonight as near everyone cried or was near tears tonight.

As we say goodbye to this season of television’s best family drama, we’re still left wondering if there will be a season three. All I can say, is there better be! There are still many stories to be told, many tears to be shed, and many happy occasions to be had.

We ended last week with Amber’s horrific car crash and we open this week to Sarah getting a call from either the hospital or police (it’s not clear). Lauren Graham says nothing more than “hello” on the phone, but the expression on her face says more than a thousand words could. Someone please give this woman an Emmy.

We join the whole family in the waiting room of the hospital, beautifully scored by Michelle Featherstone’s “I’m There Too”, no immediate words are said but tears and hugs flow aplenty to convey the worry they all share. Well, almost all. Max heads into meltdown territory not understanding why Adam in reneging on his promise of pancakes. He flies off the handle, screaming that he can’t help Amber, he doesn’t care about her, and doesn’t want to be there. Zeek starts to yell at Max, but Kristina intervenes and takes him out of the waiting room.

The doctor comes out to reveal that Amber is very lucky, she has a broken rib, cracked wrist, spleen injury, and some glass cuts/facial bruising. Sarah and Drew sit by her bedside and when she awakens confused and in pain, they try to comfort her through their own tears. In the waiting room, Sarah takes the opportunity to tell Haddie that she’s taken her to the gynecologist and putting her on the pill. Wow. Weird timing much?

Jasmine joined the family for the vigil, but never said a word to Crosby. As she leaves, he chases her down to tell her about the dream house he’s rehabbing for her. Jasmine says he can’t buy his way out of what he did, but Crosby says he just wants her to have her dream. He thinks it’s a start, but she’s unsure.

Back at his home, Adam tries to explain to a pancake-eating Max about empathy. He wants Max to apologize to Sarah for his comments, but Max doesn’t see how he did anything wrong. Adam is clearly frustrated. He ends up taking his frustration out on Corey, his boss, who fired the art director and promoted one of his friends without ever talking to him. Later at home, his stress is only complied when Kristina informs him that Max has lost his $700 retainer. Adam vows to be the one to find it and save the money. He’s also less thrilled that Haddie is now on the pill and declares that Alex still better be using condoms. When he tries to get Max to recall the location of the retainer, it doesn’t go well. Max asks a frustrated Adam if he’s mad at him for having Aspergers. Adam assures him he’s not.

At the hospital, and in the most-sitcom of plots, Julia runs into Sydney’s old teacher who is in labor. Being two weeks early, she’s alone at the hospital and begs Julia to help her through labor. Since this plot is so silly, I’ll sum it all up right here. Julia, after watching the woman go through natural childbirth, decides she’s okay with her family as it is, just the three of them. They even have a cute little tea party with awesome hats. But when she goes back to visit the new family in the hospital, she holds the baby boy and realizes she still wants a baby. She tells Joel she wants to adopt. I don’t begrudge them another child, but the whole helping someone in labor was already done on Friends many moons ago.

Home from the hospital, Amber is in her room when Sarah brings her tea and cookies. Sarah tries to talk to her about the severity of what could have happened; mentioning that Gary is being charged with DUI, but Amber is dismissive about the whole thing. A nearby Drew has had enough and goes off on his sister, scared she could have died. Amber claims to get it, but clearly doesn’t feel the gravity of her situation.

At her play read through, Sarah takes out her pent-up frustration on the actors, criticizing their delivery to the point that one of the actors walks off. Zeek, who is performing the part of Barry who is based on Zeek, asks Sarah what’s going on with her. She confides that she is terrified about Amber, feeling she learned nothing from the accident.

When Jasmine hasn’t come to see the house yet, Crosby goes to her. He takes full responsibility for his screw up, promises to always be there for Jabbar, and lets her go. Well, he tells her she’s free to move on with her life and won’t pursue her anymore. Is it any shock that by the end of the hour she comes to see him and the house? The two sit and talk and we’re left with the impression that they’re working it out. Truthfully, I’d like to see Crosby and Jasmine as co-parents, not together, and see that story line. I guess I still haven’t forgotten that she kept Jabbar from him all those years and has yet to be truly, truly sorry about it.

Zeek takes Amber to see the wreckage from the car accident. And here is where Craig T. Nelson knocks it out of the park and takes viewers into the heart of Zeek. He tells Amber that, while in Vietnam, he dreamt of his family, children, and grandkids. He tells her he knows things are hard, but she should suck it up, and she doesn’t have his permission to mess up his dreams. Amber finally seems to get it and breaks into tears. Zeek barely holds it together as he holds his sobbing granddaughter in his arms.

Adam apologizes to Corey, but it’s too late. Corey doesn’t think he’s happy at work (duh!) and lets him go. Hopefully Adam gets a good severance package!

At opening night of her play, Sarah has jitters, but it calmed when Max apologizes to her for his remarks at the hospital. Then all the actors apologize to her for their behavior at rehearsal (Gilliam told them her daughter died.). The play is a rousing success and every actor they have playing a pseudo-Braverman is eerily similar, especially the vocal inflection of fake-Adam and fake-Crosby. The whole play storyline is a bit of a dud for me though. I don’t begrudge Sarah happiness, but I think a songwriter would have made more sense. This all felt a little too hunky-dory happy to me. The saving grace of the play scenes are when Amber breaks down in the lobby, once again sobbingly aware of her own mortality, but also amazingly proud of Sarah’s accomplishments.

Later, at home, Adam confesses to Kristina that he lost his job. They’re remarkably calm, confident in each other and their savings. Adam goes to look for the retainer in the trash, but finds a (excessively shown in previews) positive pregnancy test. He storms in the house, enraged that Alex (who, prior to the play, he made promise to wear condoms) has knocked up his daughter. Kristina quickly comes clean that she’s the one who is pregnant. Adam wigs out, smiles, laughs, and admits to being happy and freaked out. And so is Kristina.

So that’s it for season two! I was a little surprised the hospital scenes were resolved so quickly, as I thought that would be the setting for most of the hour. But what this show does best is have family interactions and tonight they were well above par. They never forget the little details, like Drew leaving the absent Seth a voicemail or Zeek acknowledging his fake-Camille while smiling at his wife. So many more stories remain, so here’s hoping NBC gives us a season three.

Well, those are my TwoCents! Share your TwoCents, comments, and feedback below!