Inside Television with Alan Sepinwall

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Review: 'Parenthood' - 'Small Victories': Hair where the was no hair before

Max grows up, Victor calls the cops and Amy makes a big decision

By Alan SepinwallWednesday, Jan 9, 2013 12:59 PM

Dax Shepard and Peter Krause in "Parenthood."

Credit: NBC

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A quick review of last night's "Parenthood" coming up just as soon as I pee with extreme prejudice...

I'm at press tour, and wasn't expecting to even have time to watch "Small Victories" until next week, but I also am still not entirely on Pacific time, which means I woke up early enough to see it before today's panels, and wanted to at the very least provide a venue to discuss the episode.

Another strong installment of this strong season, and one that managed to make a light storyline like Max entering puberty (and how his Asperger's changes the usual discussions about it) just as compelling as something more serious like Amy getting an abortion.(*) The show just has such a strong handle on its characters, and on how apply universal family moments specifically to them, that it's always a pleasure.

(*) In my book, Jason Katims talks about how "Friday Night Lights" was able to have a regular character have an abortion — which hadn't happened on network TV in decades — in part because it was during the DirecTV years, when NBC was more hands-off with the series. Amy's not technically a regular on the show, but it's still notable that the show was allowed to go through with it, given how heated this topic remains. (And I'll remind you once again of the No Politics rule on this blog.)

I'm not wild about Sarah and Mark each regretting how things ended, which suggests a kind of lather-rinse-repeat future for that part of the series. But on the plus side, the social worker finally re-entered the Julia/Victor story. For dramatic purposes, Julia and Joel have been left on their own to deal with a messy emotional situation for which they would have significant support in real life, and it's led to good material for both Erika Christensen and (last night especially) Sam Jaeger. But at this ugly stage, there need to be more people involved, and I'm glad that that's starting to happen.

What did everybody else think?

Alan Sepinwall
Sr. Editor, What's Alan Watching

Alan Sepinwall has been reviewing television since the mid-'90s, first for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, The Star-Ledger, and now for HitFix. His new book, "The Revolution Was Televised," about the last 15 years of TV drama, is for sale at Amazon. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

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AM7

Based on the previews last week, thought I was going to throw up that they were tackling pregnancy. Fortunately, it was extremely well-done.
January 9, 2013 at 2:28PM EST Reply to Comment
- Angela It'll be a long time before I forget the look on both Drew and Amy's faces while sitting in the car after her abortion.
  
  They played the whole thing perfectly, in my opinion.
  January 14, 2013 at 12:34AM EST
etypical

we know for sure Drew is/was the dad and not Amy's older, cooler boyfriend? I thought that was a little ambiguous.
January 9, 2013 at 2:29PM EST Reply to Comment
- bybrandy Well, it was a couple of episodes before Christmas when Drew and Amy reunited. The car conversation implied that she had a little while left to make her decision, so I didn't feel like we were given any reason to assume it was the other guys.
  January 9, 2013 at 2:47PM EST
Ana

I cannot handle another Sarah love triangle, who will she choose, etc.? I mean honestly why do all of these men find so alluring about this person anyway? Her character has become the most unlikeable (yes right up there with Max & Victor). You don't want to root for her to find happiness anymore. I want to yell at Mark "Run far, far away, you are too good for her!".
January 9, 2013 at 2:29PM EST Reply to Comment
- oompa i think the julia and joel storyline continues to be the weakest -- i wish julia were gay and had a female partner -- much more compelling.
  January 9, 2013 at 2:50PM EST
- pamelajaye I'd agree but Iike seeing Jason. still, I was having bad Grey's Anatomy flashbacks.
  No one is mentioning the adult way Crosby and Jasmine's extended family is dealing with mother-in-lae issues? it's obviously hard work for Crosby but then someone comes along to defuse. Awesome displays of adult behavior and wisdom. Honestly should recommend to some of my Christian friends who eschew TV as a cesspool. If I can get them past the abortion.
  btw, Cristina had a main character prime time abortion last season I think. Yang, not Braver man, in case anyone thinks I misspelled.
  January 9, 2013 at 2:57PM EST
- Jeff My problem with the Crosby storyline is that, honestly, Crosby has an extremely good point, yet last night Jasmine's mom was made out to be this saint who made Crosby feel bad about things, even though he's absolutely not wrong.
  January 9, 2013 at 2:59PM EST
- jbob Thank you Jeff, you are right. Crosby has earned his sainthood already. Id be changing the locks and saying good bye to the inlaws.
  January 9, 2013 at 6:58PM EST
- kronicfatigue Agree with Jeff. I was getting annoyed that Jasmine was biting her tongue and looking at crosby each time with "i know you're in the right, but just remain silent". Jasmine should have gone out of her way to make things as painless for Crosby as possible. She could have played "bad cop" and driven home the point that if an adult wants to have cereal in his own house, he's allowed to.
  
  I don't like that Jasmine's mom gets to say all the right words of "I know I'm in the way" but then doesn't match her actions to it. If you're an unwanted guest, you should try and spend as much time out of the way as possible. Why is she on the laptop in the kitchen instead of her own room? Why is she making fish and dictating the time of dinner? That's not fair to Crosby.
  
  Also, "I want a job that makes me feel satisfied" doesn't jive with "I turned down the job b/c of the lack of benefits"
  January 9, 2013 at 7:00PM EST
- pamelajaye logged is twice and it still tells me to log in. giving up now.
  I had thought that by the end of the ep, m-i-l had noticed the errors of her ways (job hunting wise at least) and decided she could settle for less (except maybe for the job she'd already turned down).
  I'll grant you dinner. She should go eat with Julia's son. That would be interesting to watch. Then again, it probably wouldn't be much different from Zeke eating with him...
  January 9, 2013 at 8:27PM EST
- jan Is anyone besides me not happy with the way the mother is acting in the Crosby/Jasmine arc? She does her son's laundry (at Crosby's expense), the brother eats all the cereal (at Crosby's expense), she treats Crosby like a little kid with the fish: what the hell???? No wonder he's pissed.
  
  And yes, Sydney provoked Victor in last week's episode, but both Joel and Julia don't treat him like he was their own son; they're walking on eggs--especially Julia. Sometimes the show is so frustrating I wonder why I continue to watch (i.e., the Sarah/Hank/Mark thing). At least Sarah didn't end up in bed with Mark..............this time.
  January 10, 2013 at 2:42AM EST
- ilovethesopranos crosby has been and continues to be very immature. sure it's not ideal to have his mother in law living with them, but after all his family has done for him could he not be more generous or patient? to me he is consistently an overgrown child. if he desperately wanted cereal for dinner, he could have had it. again, he's adult. it's within his power to stand up for what he wants.
  
  and honestly after all his family has done for him, he can't find it in his heart to be more giving? why be so petty with jasmine's brother?
  
  another thing that continues to bother me crosby's refusal to sell the recording studio. despite his blah blah dreams, he has a responsibility to his family, and i again feel like his decision there was selfish and immature.
  January 10, 2013 at 5:25AM EST
- kronicfatigue Has Jasmine's family ever done anything respectful towards Crosby? I don't seem to remember anything. First they blamed him for not being a father to the child that was hidden from him. Then the MIL tried to impose her will w/r/t the wedding. And then she crowbarred her religious beliefs.
  
  I don't think he could have just had cereal w/o catching grief from Jasmine. She had a chance to take his side, and instead rolled her eyes with a "I know it's bad, but just go with it and be quiet" look.
  
  I'm fine w/ Crosby sticking with the studio. He didn't just have a dream...he had a vision. He was confident that the studio could be profitable, and has the talents to see it through. And it looks like it's working.
  
  I actually think Crosby, in many ways, is one of the most mature characters...at least in areas where it counts. I'd go with Adam, Grandma, Joel, and then Crosby in ranking maturity. Crosby has interests and ideals that make him a free spirit...and an inexperience in being "an adult", but he seems the most committed to bettering himself.
  
  Jasmine was immature for cowering to her mother.
  January 10, 2013 at 11:22AM EST
- ilovethesopranos that's a good point i don't think jasmine's family has done much in the way of respecting crosby. even still i find his behavior off putting. imagine if adam were in the same situation. you can be sure he would handle it calmly and effectively. crosby, on the other hand, whines and whines. it's partly dax shepherd, but crosby has been my least favorite character from day one.
  
  sure jasmine's mom is an imposition and overbearing, but you don't think crosby could laugh it off and roll with the punches for the sake of his son and his wife? he has the room in his home, and she needs them what more do you need to know? as the braverman's have shown us time and time again family will swallow the inconvenience and help out during hard times. think of sarah back living with her parents. never once have they said anything negative let alone downright complaints about bathrooms, cereal, or her job choices.
  
  for someone who has made unusual choices himself ie living on a boat, pursuing a career in a dwindling creative field, crosby has very little patience for the quirks or mistakes of others. that's what bugs me after all the time his family has cut him slack for crosby being crosby he can't do the same for the mother of the woman he loves and the grandmother to his child. it doesn't sit well with me and frankly doesn't speak well for crosby's character.
  
  January 10, 2013 at 2:44PM EST
- jason I grew up in a house with my parents and my grandparents till i moved to college so I should know... Crosby is right. But sometimes being right is besides the point.
  January 11, 2013 at 2:10PM EST
- Emma His Mother-in-law doesn't have a lot of respect for Crosby? Well neither does her daughter. They've made Jasmine into such a you-know-what. Crosby can do no right with her.
  January 11, 2013 at 3:00PM EST
morningstar

I just keep hoping Julia sends that hateful kid back to wherever he came from. Hate this storyline.
January 9, 2013 at 2:48PM EST Reply to Comment
- Jeff I agree, it's become extremely uncomfortable to watch, though I suppose that's the point. I did love Joel finally taking a hard stance with Victor, though. I love Joel, he is one of my favorite characters, but he's always sort of a pushover, so him finally telling Victor to cut the crap was great.
  January 9, 2013 at 2:57PM EST
- pamelajaye wish I could see the original post. There are some aborted adoptions, I read an article long ago. I'm not at all fond of the brat, but it happens, and doing a storyline on it seems like a good idea. Maybe some viewers are going thru it. Meantime Syd needs to stop being a tattletale. Also mom needs to talk to her about this stuff privately. And also make sure she doesn't feel forgotten or... that the brat can just get away with things.
  January 9, 2013 at 3:06PM EST
- JBS Seriously, Victor is such a brat. Why would anyone be upset that they could never see their mother again and were dumped with strangers at a young age? It's like a 5 minute adjustment.
  January 9, 2013 at 5:11PM EST
- jbob Lol I said the same thing. Send him back. Poor Joel he is such a good guy. Wish they could introduce that kid to a flat side of a paddle
  January 9, 2013 at 6:32PM EST
CLE

Does anyone else think there is a possibility that Max might be gay?
January 9, 2013 at 2:52PM EST Reply to Comment
- Jeff That was my very first thought too, when Adam kept saying "girls" over and over and over. It was like they were going out of their way to emphasize the "girl" part, in order to set up Max discovering he's gay.
  January 9, 2013 at 2:56PM EST
- Maureen I had the same thought, just the way Max said it, I thought it was more than the Aspbergers-and how definite he was that he wouldn't feel that way about girls.
  January 9, 2013 at 3:42PM EST
- elf Reply to comment...
  January 9, 2013 at 3:46PM EST
- Too Late Kev Max mentioned he was different from his dad because of his Asperger's, it seemed more like he was thinking, "I'm starting to look at BOYS in a new and unusual way." Time will tell, I guess.
  January 9, 2013 at 4:02PM EST
- sam i hope max is gay -- there are no gay characters on the show. for the longest time i was pulling for amber to at least be bisexual but doesn't look like that is happening so fingers crossed for max.
  January 9, 2013 at 5:15PM EST
- jbob I thought they were setting it up for Max to be gay...he has already got the bitchyqueen attitude thanks to asbergers.
  January 9, 2013 at 6:24PM EST
- SlackerInc Whether he is or not, I was wishing Adam would be less heteronormative in his comments, as I am with my kids. Do the books and sites on puberty still take this kind of line, or do they acknowledge the possibility that it may in fact be people of the same sex an adolescent will see in a "new and exciting way"?
  January 17, 2013 at 12:43PM EST
elf

what does everyone think of drew? strikes me as a very flat character. i'm hoping amber will be back in the last two episodes. yes, haddie is at college, but like the adam and kristina'a baby, she is never mentioned. it feels odd especially considering what a close knit family they are. personally i think adam and kristina's new baby was a big mistake -- she is barely mentioned totally unrealistic and annoying.
January 9, 2013 at 3:51PM EST Reply to Comment
- kronicfatigue It's hilarious that marble-mouth-drew thought he was capable of being a father. "er, um, maybe, um, do you need your diaper changed, or something? NEVERMIND"
  January 9, 2013 at 7:03PM EST
- Emma Ugh, Drew is the worst! He has no affect. Does the kid ever smile? Marblemouth...lol! I find him very unappealing
  January 11, 2013 at 2:57PM EST
- SlackerInc Good point about the baby...they managed to make me forget about her but you reminded me! They used to show her a lot but now she has disappeared.
  
  I like Drew and while yes, he has a flat affect, there are certain guys like that and it is only right that they should occasionally be represented on TV.
  
  I related with Drew's feelings about the abortion. When my college girlfriend got an abortion, I was not thrilled about it but supported her; and similar to their situation she started giving me the cold shoulder afterward.
  January 17, 2013 at 12:46PM EST
yumyum

crosby is so annoying in my opinion almost an unlikeable character immature and whining whining whining.
January 9, 2013 at 3:54PM EST Reply to Comment
- Teklanika Come on, he's got a reason here. Who the hell wants their mother in law living with them? Throw on top that she is being intrusive and I totally understand why he would be upset. She's the one intruding, she needs to be accomodating. This isn't like she's in from out of town for a few days.
  January 10, 2013 at 3:59PM EST
- SlackerInc I agree, Tek: I am fully on Team Crosby here.
  January 17, 2013 at 12:47PM EST
Lepidoptera

It really seems like the battle is on to decide out who is the all-out worst parent in clan Braverman. Is it the parents whose thirteen year-old special needs teenager has apparently never bathed more than twice in a single week EVER? Is it the mom who got talked out of having a responsible, adult conversation with her stuttering, newly sexually-active son because her stuttering, milquetoast boyfriend with zero parenting experience didn't want to be seen as a sort of ... umm... you know... like.... in a way... not the nicest or something? Or is it Joel, whose entire response to the adopted terror who tried to have his wife incarcerated was to tuck the little creep in and then offer, "that was a big deal, it hurt us, you should probably think about what you did after you finish practicing your pitching motion?" Solid stuff, Joel, I can see where you feel like you are really making strides. Perhaps if he sets fire to the place, you can ask him if he thinks a timeout might be in order. Or not.

Amy breaking up with Drew really felt more real and raw this time than last time when she left him for a better looking, better spoken, more interesting college guy. It seems really a shame to lose Amy just one episode after I forgot completely that she was on the show.

Yes, Crosby was an unbelievable ass to his mother-in-law, which really doesn't fit the character at all, but, oh well. But whether or not the lady spent years working for some non-profit has nothing to do with spending 90 minutes in the only bathroom in the morning, feeding the rest of her extended family dude's food, forcing his wife and child to eat dinner without him, or nearly shoving a fillet o' fish down his throat.

I have $5 on Drew saying next week: "Yeah, abortion is hard, Amy, but have you seen my aunt. She is bald from the cancer. Want to get in the backseat now?"
January 9, 2013 at 4:30PM EST Reply to Comment
- ted i don't agree with everyone identifying victor as a terror. i'd say he is a good kid who has a tough life and is testing the limits. sydney, on the other hand, is the whiniest child, ugh. are you kidding me what did they expect when they adopted a TWELVE YEAR OLD? it's julia who is way off base she needs to step up as a mother and stand by the commitment she made.
  January 9, 2013 at 5:14PM EST
- Loz Haha, as much as I like this show, I can't help but find all the opinions expressed in this post hilariously correct.
  January 9, 2013 at 5:16PM EST
- jason lol this funny and good. You forgot that mother in law does her man-child's laundry too
  January 11, 2013 at 2:24PM EST
- SlackerInc Bathing more than twice a week is really not necessary before the onset of puberty.
  January 17, 2013 at 12:50PM EST
Brian

Its really strange to me that there was a controversy about whether to allow an abortion on network TV. Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, I think everyone can agree that abortions occur. We allow things on TV that almost everyone finds reprehensible (murder for example). Why would there be an issue of showing something that only some people fine reprehensible?
January 9, 2013 at 5:25PM EST Reply to Comment
- Teklanika You would think, but that would imply people are all intelligent and act in a reasonable and responsible way at all times.
  January 10, 2013 at 4:01PM EST
- Emma I'm surprised Alan mentioned it...it wasn't even a thought that "wow, they're talking about abortion on tv!" really, is that groundbreaking?
  January 11, 2013 at 3:09PM EST
- SlackerInc He said it had been decades, which is interesting as it implies that it has become more taboo even as other stuff is allowed that would not have years ago (I generally avoid Two and a Half Men like the plague, but when I have accidentally caught a few seconds of it here and there, there is all kinds of dialogue that would have never made it past the censors in the '80s).
  January 17, 2013 at 12:51PM EST
- KarenX Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but...
  
  It's not that it's an abortion on TV, it's that it's an abortion like a regular thing regular people do, and there are no negative consequences for the character later. Sure, we see murder on TV, but I've never seen a murder-murder portrayed as a regular thing that regular people do. There are always extenuating circumstances (like self-defense) that pull it out of the realm of murder in those cases.
  January 18, 2013 at 10:55PM EST
Duncan

Like a lot of comments here, I'm trying to figure out exactly who I like on this show anymore. The grandparents seem to be good, but don't get enough screen time. I actually do like Sidney because she reacts like a kid at that age would act. Pointing out what she deems as favorable treatment, bad words etc. I love Amber's character. And I do think Dax Sheppard and Sam Jaeger do a great job on the show with really limited material.

Outside of that I have come to loathe many of these characters starting with Sarah ending with Adam and Julia somewhere in the middle. This whole "Sarah is always dating" thing is a little much for me. Does she have any clue or care what's going on with her kids? She knows she makes mistakes, but does nothing to fix them? Or that this revolving door of men makes her look even worse to Drew and Amber? I'm kind of over Adam too starting with turning down Dwayne Wayne when his family really needed the money. I really did have high hopes for Drew since season 1 and he's kind of become flat as someone said early.

All 4 families here seem kind of stuck and dare I say, boring. Even with the cancer arc. I really would like them to explore more of the racial aspect with Crosby,Jasmine, and Jabbar, but i don't think they'll go there which would be disappointing. There are lots of issues multiracial families go through even in today's society.
January 9, 2013 at 5:40PM EST Reply to Comment
- claire i know what you mean about trying to figure out which characters you like-- i have never liked crosby, joel, or julia. my favorites are amber, adam, kristina, and sarah. i would like to see sarah and hank get together because come on sure mark is a nice guy but a life partner? i don't see it. he's not assertive enough and overall meh where i see a real connection between hank and sarah.
  
  as much as i like the ensemble cast, i think it presents problems because there are so many characters, and it's impossible to give everyone screen time and feel like his plots are well developed. i think joel and julia have always been the weakest link, and as we have been focusing on the adoption lately along with too much screen time for sidney, we're missing out.
  
  let's see more of amber and get haddie home and doing something interesting for a school break. in the early seasons the conflict between haddie and amber was great -- i miss that.
  January 9, 2013 at 6:00PM EST
- Teklanika Come on. That's the great thing about this show. They're human. They make the same mistakes most people do at one time or another. Sometimes they win and make good choices, and sometimes they don't. That's what makes it interesting.
  January 10, 2013 at 4:03PM EST
- SlackerInc I agree with Teklanika again. The only character I dislike most of the time is Kristina, but even she is likable at times (especially when she is high, LOL). Well, Victor and Max are a little bit rough to take a lot of times, but they do have mitigating circumstances.
  
  Agree though about wanting to see more of the grandparents. Their "ejaculation" talk was hilarious!
  January 17, 2013 at 12:55PM EST
BigTed

Was I the only one who kept thinking of the Ben Folds song "Brick" throughout the pregnancy story?

I think Crosby's relationship with Jasmine's relatives is affected by the fact that they hid the existence of his son from him for years. Then when he found out and demanded rights as a father, they treated him as an interloper. Things have obviously gotten better between them since then, but there's a certain irony in the idea that his mother-in-law thinks he now owes her extra consideration because they're family.
January 9, 2013 at 6:01PM EST Reply to Comment
- Erin I had the exact same thought!
  January 10, 2013 at 12:12AM EST
- Elizabeth I thought of that song, too!
  January 10, 2013 at 1:48AM EST
- Ben Folds Yup!
  January 11, 2013 at 11:09AM EST
jbob

I want to load up the car with Jasmine, her mom, max, victor,and definitely Ray ramano, and drive them to a far away land for a very long vacation...it shouldn't take them long to disappear. I can't stand that much self centeredness on one drama.
January 9, 2013 at 6:42PM EST Reply to Comment
ScarletKnight

1) I think your review is half-assed.

2) I think that Julia and Joel should adopt Amy and Drew's baby. That way they can give back Victor and adopt a baby that is a blood relative (of Julia).

3) I think that the show didn't actually state that Amy went through with the procedure. Since Drew isn't the patient, Planned Parenthood was under no legal obligation to tell him what Amy did.
January 9, 2013 at 6:55PM EST Reply to Comment
- Lepidoptera God, I feel like a chump. You are EXACTLY right. They only led you to believe that Amy had an abortion, and Drew is too much of a doofus to even put 2 and 2 together - even if she walked out of the operating room 90 seconds after she walked in, he wouldn't question it.
  
  No, it's Parenthood. OF COURSE she didn't have an abortion, and of course Julia and Joel are going to adopt it. And, they aren't going to have to "give up" Victor. Instead Victor's mom will make a triumphant return with her life back on track and a solemn promise to only buy him items off of the All-New Burger King Organic Menu! Yayyy Braverman!
  January 9, 2013 at 7:44PM EST
- kronicfatigue That would all be too messy. Joel would never forgive Julia for "giving up" on their son, Drew would be both a cousin and father to the the kid?
  
  I didn't even know Burger King had pancakes, so i guess that product placement worked.
  January 10, 2013 at 11:26AM EST
Ellie

Who is the actor who played Amy's dad - for 2 minutes??? I can't figure out what I know him from. He's not listed on IMDB and it's driving me insane.
January 9, 2013 at 6:57PM EST Reply to Comment
- Tara it's the guy who played Mike on New Boys -at least that's where I know him from.
  January 9, 2013 at 7:51PM EST
- Tara sorry, I meant "My Boys" not New Boys, obviously.
  January 9, 2013 at 7:51PM EST
- tbs The actor's name is Jamie Kaler:
  
  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0435695/
  January 9, 2013 at 10:01PM EST
Tara

1) It speaks volumes about what kind of mother Sarah is that her kid's teacher (for whatever ulterior motive) had to come to her to inform her that her kid has been strangely upset for days. I mean, is she EVER around for him, or else can it happen that she won't notice this? And then when she finally goes and talks to him, he tells her an obvious lie to keep her off his back, and she just buys it without questioning it?

2) What made me angry about the abortion storyline was that it was never explicitly mentioned whether she went through with it, and there are only two reasons for that which I can think of, both of which make me even more angry - a) they might be setting up some big reveal at a later point where it turns out she didn't go through with it, to create lots of more drama (which is kind of old, too many TV shows have gone there in the past), or b) they didn't explicitly mention it out of respect for all the pro-lifers out there, which I think is kind of ridiculous. Just as ridiculous as that they had the lady at Planned Parenthood babble on about the options if Amy wants to keep it, but as soon as she got to the options if she doesn't want to keep it, they faded her voice out.

3) Absolutely agree with those who picked up on the possibility that Max was gay. That's what I gathered from his reactions in his conversation with Adam, especially when he said it's different for him, and when he said he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Can't wait to find out if it's true.

4) I don't get all the Victor hate. Obviously he has a troubled past, and obviously he is acting out, that's pretty normal for kids who have gone through that kind of stuff. I like that they are being realistic about this, and I do hope they don't abort the adoption, because I think that this has been one of the most interesting storylines of the season so far.
January 9, 2013 at 8:00PM EST Reply to Comment
- tbs Julia and Joel can't abort the adoption out of respect for all the pro-lifers out there.
  January 9, 2013 at 10:11PM EST
pamelajaye

wow. the hitfix app only shows 5 comments and no replies to them. (meanwhile the mobile site does log me in, but continues to present my options as Login and reply, or Comment as a guest.
January 9, 2013 at 9:05PM EST Reply to Comment
Old King Clancy

I think I'd watch a version of this show where Sarah floated off into Self-Absorbed Co-Dependency Land and Mark somehow got custody of Drew. That's the most interesting "parent"-child relationship on the show. Dreading next week. If ever someone didn't deserve to be fought over ...

Ben Folds totally should have made a cameo working at PP.

Agree with commenters on the telegraphing Max as gay.

My job doesn't have benefits.

January 9, 2013 at 9:56PM EST Reply to Comment
Tom

While watching a scene with Sarah, does anyone else imagine how that scene would be with Maure Tierney playing Sarah?
January 10, 2013 at 1:18PM EST Reply to Comment
- Duncan Interesting.
  
  I would think the material would be the same, but she would play it more like she did Lisa from Newsradio. But maybe I would like Sarah's character more if played by Tierney since I'm kid of over Lauren Graham playing close to the same character again.
  January 10, 2013 at 3:17PM EST
- Emma I so wish Maura was able to do it. I do think about the fact that she would play the character much better than Lauren Graham. I was a big Gilmore Girls fan, but I just do not like her on this show. She's irritating. And can she say any of her lines straight? She tries to hard to sound ad-lib-y.
  January 11, 2013 at 3:03PM EST
Kelly

Crosby's mother-in-law story seems so contrived that I lost a lot of respect for the show. When jasmine told Crosby to stop treating her mother like a monster I held out some hope. But then she began ACTING like a self-centered monster and the storyline descended into cliche. This has been happening with increasing frequency and I am beginning to dislike most of the characters that I really used to root for. I'm sad. This used to be one of my favorite shows.
January 10, 2013 at 3:38PM EST Reply to Comment
Teklanika

Not taking a stance on abortion, but kudos to NBC for having the guts to have her go through with it.

I'm really enjoying the whole adoption storline more now than when they were in the process of adopting.

As someone who has adopted 2 kids I find the "real" parent discussions very interesting.

Also, Joel and Julia are doing a bad thing by making special considerations for Vitor. Sydney sees it and she is 100% correct to be upset and confused about the rules and when they are applied.

They need to talk to Victor and be very open, honest, and understanding - but also let him know what is expected of him to be a part of their family and what the consequences will be if he does not comply. You can still show compassion while enforcing the rules.

Yes, there are regular social worker visits in the first year or so and in this case there would be more assistance available to Joel/Julia. They certainly need it.

It will be VERY interesting to see if Julia wants to give him back b/c Joel obviously doesn't. Awesome stuff!
January 10, 2013 at 3:56PM EST Reply to Comment
Stacie from St. Louis

I'm amazed at the snarkiness and anger in some of these comments. It's a TV show, people! If it makes you irritated, frustrated, and angry, stop watching. I enjoy the show and Alan's posts; I used to view the comments and discussion as an opportunity to process the program and what I had seen. The anger in these posts almost makes me uncomfortable.
January 10, 2013 at 5:32PM EST Reply to Comment
- SlackerInc Yeah, I too find myself torn between wanting to discuss and process what I've seen, and the disheartening nature of the fury that consistently gets directed at this show more than most. Glad I'm not the only one!
  January 17, 2013 at 1:02PM EST
A Joseph

Did anyone else think that the woman walking in the waiting room looked a lot like Zoe?
January 10, 2013 at 5:39PM EST Reply to Comment
- LJA I thought it *was* Zoe!
  January 10, 2013 at 8:56PM EST

Review: 'Parenthood' - 'Small Victories': Hair where the was no hair before

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Comments

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AM7 Based on the previews last week, thought I was going to throw up that they were tackling pregnancy. Fortunately, it was extremely well-done.

Angela It'll be a long time before I forget the look on both Drew and Amy's faces while sitting in the car after her abortion. They played the whole thing perfectly, in my opinion.

etypical we know for sure Drew is/was the dad and not Amy's older, cooler boyfriend? I thought that was a little ambiguous.

bybrandy Well, it was a couple of episodes before Christmas when Drew and Amy reunited. The car conversation implied that she had a little while left to make her decision, so I didn't feel like we were given any reason to assume it was the other guys.

oompa i think the julia and joel storyline continues to be the weakest -- i wish julia were gay and had a female partner -- much more compelling.

Jeff My problem with the Crosby storyline is that, honestly, Crosby has an extremely good point, yet last night Jasmine's mom was made out to be this saint who made Crosby feel bad about things, even though he's absolutely not wrong.

jbob Thank you Jeff, you are right. Crosby has earned his sainthood already. Id be changing the locks and saying good bye to the inlaws.

jason I grew up in a house with my parents and my grandparents till i moved to college so I should know... Crosby is right. But sometimes being right is besides the point.

Emma His Mother-in-law doesn't have a lot of respect for Crosby? Well neither does her daughter. They've made Jasmine into such a you-know-what. Crosby can do no right with her.

morningstar I just keep hoping Julia sends that hateful kid back to wherever he came from. Hate this storyline.

JBS Seriously, Victor is such a brat. Why would anyone be upset that they could never see their mother again and were dumped with strangers at a young age? It's like a 5 minute adjustment.

jbob Lol I said the same thing. Send him back. Poor Joel he is such a good guy. Wish they could introduce that kid to a flat side of a paddle

CLE Does anyone else think there is a possibility that Max might be gay?

Jeff That was my very first thought too, when Adam kept saying "girls" over and over and over. It was like they were going out of their way to emphasize the "girl" part, in order to set up Max discovering he's gay.

Maureen I had the same thought, just the way Max said it, I thought it was more than the Aspbergers-and how definite he was that he wouldn't feel that way about girls.

elf Reply to comment...

Too Late Kev Max mentioned he was different from his dad because of his Asperger's, it seemed more like he was thinking, "I'm starting to look at BOYS in a new and unusual way." Time will tell, I guess.

sam i hope max is gay -- there are no gay characters on the show. for the longest time i was pulling for amber to at least be bisexual but doesn't look like that is happening so fingers crossed for max.

jbob I thought they were setting it up for Max to be gay...he has already got the bitchyqueen attitude thanks to asbergers.

kronicfatigue It's hilarious that marble-mouth-drew thought he was capable of being a father. "er, um, maybe, um, do you need your diaper changed, or something? NEVERMIND"

Emma Ugh, Drew is the worst! He has no affect. Does the kid ever smile? Marblemouth...lol! I find him very unappealing

yumyum crosby is so annoying in my opinion almost an unlikeable character immature and whining whining whining.

SlackerInc I agree, Tek: I am fully on Team Crosby here.

Loz Haha, as much as I like this show, I can't help but find all the opinions expressed in this post hilariously correct.

jason lol this funny and good. You forgot that mother in law does her man-child's laundry too

SlackerInc Bathing more than twice a week is really not necessary before the onset of puberty.

Teklanika You would think, but that would imply people are all intelligent and act in a reasonable and responsible way at all times.

Emma I'm surprised Alan mentioned it...it wasn't even a thought that "wow, they're talking about abortion on tv!" really, is that groundbreaking?

Teklanika Come on. That's the great thing about this show. They're human. They make the same mistakes most people do at one time or another. Sometimes they win and make good choices, and sometimes they don't. That's what makes it interesting.

Erin I had the exact same thought!

Elizabeth I thought of that song, too!

Ben Folds Yup!

jbob I want to load up the car with Jasmine, her mom, max, victor,and definitely Ray ramano, and drive them to a far away land for a very long vacation...it shouldn't take them long to disappear. I can't stand that much self centeredness on one drama.

kronicfatigue That would all be too messy. Joel would never forgive Julia for "giving up" on their son, Drew would be both a cousin and father to the the kid? I didn't even know Burger King had pancakes, so i guess that product placement worked.

Ellie Who is the actor who played Amy's dad - for 2 minutes??? I can't figure out what I know him from. He's not listed on IMDB and it's driving me insane.

Tara it's the guy who played Mike on New Boys -at least that's where I know him from.

Tara sorry, I meant "My Boys" not New Boys, obviously.

tbs The actor's name is Jamie Kaler: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0435695/

tbs Julia and Joel can't abort the adoption out of respect for all the pro-lifers out there.

pamelajaye wow. the hitfix app only shows 5 comments and no replies to them. (meanwhile the mobile site does log me in, but continues to present my options as Login and reply, or Comment as a guest.

Tom While watching a scene with Sarah, does anyone else imagine how that scene would be with Maure Tierney playing Sarah?

Duncan Interesting. I would think the material would be the same, but she would play it more like she did Lisa from Newsradio. But maybe I would like Sarah's character more if played by Tierney since I'm kid of over Lauren Graham playing close to the same character again.

SlackerInc Yeah, I too find myself torn between wanting to discuss and process what I've seen, and the disheartening nature of the fury that consistently gets directed at this show more than most. Glad I'm not the only one!

A Joseph Did anyone else think that the woman walking in the waiting room looked a lot like Zoe?

LJA I thought it *was* Zoe!

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Parenthood is updated

AM7

Based on the previews last week, thought I was going to throw up that they were tackling pregnancy. Fortunately, it was extremely well-done.

Angela It'll be a long time before I forget the look on both Drew and Amy's faces while sitting in the car after her abortion.

They played the whole thing perfectly, in my opinion.

etypical

we know for sure Drew is/was the dad and not Amy's older, cooler boyfriend? I thought that was a little ambiguous.

morningstar

I just keep hoping Julia sends that hateful kid back to wherever he came from. Hate this storyline.

CLE

Does anyone else think there is a possibility that Max might be gay?

yumyum

crosby is so annoying in my opinion almost an unlikeable character immature and whining whining whining.

jbob

I want to load up the car with Jasmine, her mom, max, victor,and definitely Ray ramano, and drive them to a far away land for a very long vacation...it shouldn't take them long to disappear. I can't stand that much self centeredness on one drama.

kronicfatigue That would all be too messy. Joel would never forgive Julia for "giving up" on their son, Drew would be both a cousin and father to the the kid?

I didn't even know Burger King had pancakes, so i guess that product placement worked.

Ellie

Who is the actor who played Amy's dad - for 2 minutes??? I can't figure out what I know him from. He's not listed on IMDB and it's driving me insane.

tbs The actor's name is Jamie Kaler:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0435695/

pamelajaye

wow. the hitfix app only shows 5 comments and no replies to them. (meanwhile the mobile site does log me in, but continues to present my options as Login and reply, or Comment as a guest.

Tom

While watching a scene with Sarah, does anyone else imagine how that scene would be with Maure Tierney playing Sarah?

Duncan Interesting.

I would think the material would be the same, but she would play it more like she did Lisa from Newsradio. But maybe I would like Sarah's character more if played by Tierney since I'm kid of over Lauren Graham playing close to the same character again.

A Joseph

Did anyone else think that the woman walking in the waiting room looked a lot like Zoe?

LJA I thought it was Zoe!

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