No one in the Braverman clan has ever been one to mince words, especially when it comes to the comings and goings of their loved ones, but ‘Do Not Sleep with Your Autistic Nephew’s Therapist’really showed the effect that words can have on someone else, especially when the action behind them is rough enough to deal with.
Instead of a mercilessly dragged out game of cat and mouse with his (former?) fiancée Jasmine, Crosby came out and confessed to his one night stand with Gaby, thanks in no part to a little liquor. It was nice to see them get it out into the open, as well as not go the typical route of drawn out confrontations and catfighting, but your heart just had to break for the Cros-man. Not for losing Jasmine, as her violent (and surprisingly vulgar) reaction to finding out suggests some issues of her own, but for connecting with Jabbar and potentially losing him due to a more than likely vindictive partner.
Adam’s hyper judgmental comments about Crosby’s situation definitely rubbed me the wrong way; I know the Bravermans don’t know of these things called ‘boundaries’that we speak of, but Adam may need to worry less about who’s in Crosby’s bed and more about his crossover dribble (Alex took him to school on the court after yet another morning spent with the Bravermans) and his son who just found out he had Asperger’s. In the midst of a barrage of insults, Adam screamed at Crosby that his son has Asperger’s just as Max was coming down the stairs, which is a wise move for the show because there’s so much beautiful material to be mined from having him know about the disease. Adam’s anger issues are interesting material to look at, especially when set against Zeek’s own Archie Bunker-lite grumpiness (an ability to undermine his children with seemingly no effort at all, as evidenced this week with Julia, Sydney, and vegetarianism), but he’s going to have to pull it together now that his son needs him.
My favorite storyline of the week, though, has to be Seth’s foray into Invisible Dad status, once again disappointing his children. It could have been a seriously cliché plot if not for the performances given and the final goodbye between Seth and Sarah. It was such a short scene, but watching both John Corbett and Lauren Graham well up with emotion and hearing Seth almost ‘release’Sarah into the great creative wild was incredibly touching and all too real. Between that scene and Sarah letting Seth know that she actually likes blaming him for things just to let herself off the hook, the twosome did some serious emotional damage in ‘Do No Sleep…’. I sincerely hope they find a way to bring Corbett back; I hate seeing Drew sad (he’s like a little puppy that just got kicked), I like seeing tough-on-the-outside Amber vulnerable, and Corbett and Graham play off each other too well not to revisit things.
Parenthood has been on a serious hot streak on the back half of its sophomore season, this episode proving no exception. There wasn’t really a ‘light’storyline this week, but this episode didn’t really need it, as it showed that Parenthood can do the emotional heavy lifting when necessary. The Bravermans may say a whole lot, but man, does what they say really pack a punch.
Grade: A
Episode MVP: Sarah
Favorite Bits: Seeing Kristina be the laidback one of her and Adam, Max likes Cash Cab, ‘where’s Drew?’, ‘is that menstrual cramps?’, ‘our daughter…(dramatic pause)…is a vegetarian’, Sarah Boyardee, unedited swearing on broadcast TV, Zeek calling Camille ‘Millie’, Seth’s exit (‘I’m just a guitar player. You’re the artist. Don’t let yourself get in the way.’)
Least Favorite Bits: Adam’s anger issues, Zeek continues to be an ass without really be called on it, Crazy Jasmine, Seth leaving
Next Week: The NBC promo only showed Adam and Kristina trying to explain what Asperger’s was, but Sarah will find a passion and Crosby keeps digging himself in deeper.
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