Parenthood Season 6 Episode 4 Review: A Potpourri of Freaks
Carissa Pavlica
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As each hour of Parenthood goes by, I am both expecting something dramatic to happen and yet expecting nothing at all.
Parenthood doesn't deliver surprises very often, so expecting Crosby to die because he's too stubborn to wear a helmet is just a false expectation on my part that the series will change as it plays out the end of its stories. It's not going to change.
On Parenthood Season 6 Episode 4 there were several stories at once, as is often the case. There was nothing dramatic but the hour delivered a lot of heart and understanding. We are all Bravermans. Their stories are our stories.
Sarah choosing Hank over the many other suitors might have finally paid off. He doesn't seem to be actively attending therapy any longer, but he managed to talk to his ex about Sarah and her importance in his life. That was a major step for him.
Suddenly, however, Sarah has a new, pain in the ass teenage daughter in her life. She's already gone through that and she has a grandchild on the way. It's hard not to wonder if she's as ready for Hank and Ruby as Hank is for Sarah. Ruby is more than a handful.
I'm not a parent, but I have been a kid and a quasi step parent. I am here to tell you I do not understand the forced apologies that are part of the bullied healing process. I was bullied (honestly, I hate the term) but it was never devastating to me in a lasting way. I don't know anyone who wasn't bullied in one way or another, given the meaning of the word today.
Does humiliating the kid who made the other kid feel bad somehow help the process? I'm talking with regard to Sydney and Melody (I think that was her name). It won't be long before Melody and the other girls know Sydney is a bitch, so why fuss about it now? A false apology seems to do more damage overall than just letting it go.
I think she is out of control, though, because we're out of control. I mean, what are we doing? I don't know, are we stalling? The uncertainty of us is too much for her.
Julia
Joel doesn't want to let Julia go, that's pretty obvious. He practically jumped out of his skin when he thought she was going to tell Sydney they weren't getting back together. It seems, however, that Julia has really moved on. She gets misty eyed over who they once were, not what she's lost. It took her a while to regain that confidence and it seems unlikely she would fully trust Joel again.
While we're on the topic of kids, let's just brush over to Max. Poor Kristina. It was so obvious that Max had a crush on Dylan (who looked exactly like a teen, female version of Jared Leto). With as shook up as he was over the canteen incident, he was excited about his conversations with someone who called him Asperger's. Kristina can't stand the idea her boy is turning into a little man!
Hopefully Dylan won't crush his little heart. Not that he'd give up even if she tried. Max is tenacious when he sets his mind to something.
Kristina had bigger worries. You could see the gears inside her head working as Adam talked with his mom about Zeek. After all, she's been there far more than anyone else in the family. She had the perfect pick me up that got Zeek off of his couch and walking.
Although to be fair, it's perfectly normal for a 72 year old man to want to watch the entirety of any John Wayne marathon, so they should have better timed his surgery. There should be some sort of app that schedules surgeries around the worst programming to force patients to want to shake it off.
With the Chambers Academy taking up so much of Adam's time and The Luncheonette's loss of Oliver Rome to another recording label, it seems like that's a business that won't be around for long. Although I was very happy to have the comic relief provided by the always engaging Crosby/Oliver interactions, it will be sad to see him go.
Where would that leave Crosby and Jasmine? Speaking of Jasmine, I know people have been worried about her lack of story, but somehow I see something big coming her way as she deals with Crosby's next big gig.
Is it wrong to wish that we have a Parenthood ending similar to that of Six Feet Under? Not necessarily where we see how their lives end, but perhaps a flip ahead into the future, showing us where everyone is in 15 years. It's getting a bit sad to think of the end now!
As always, you can watch Parenthood online for more Braverman action. What did you think of "Potpourri for Freaks"? Chat about your hopes and dreams in the comments!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
