Perhaps the greatest example of taking the leap is Adam suddenly embracing the music industry lifestyle. I was impressed that the show had him and Crosby basically switch roles during “Luncheonette” (Invasion of the Braverman Snatchers? No?), as the elder Braverman was loose and eager to learn the ropes about cords and microphones and the younger Braverman was carrying the weight of the world (or of Adam’s expanding family) on his shoulders. One of my favorite things about Parenthood is that they never let a character rest on the expected. The show could easily coast for season upon season of Adam’s histrionics, Sarah’s scatterbrained-ness, and Julia’s Type-A personality, but this season, we’ve seen Adam try to relax, Sarah put a little more focus into her life, and Julia go against the grain a little bit; while none of this is really expanding the scope of their character that much, they’re intricate enough moves that are still understandable under the greater scheme of things and help keep things fresh. Although the ending with Cee Lo coming back in to record again was pretty much expected (there’s no way the Luncheonette won’t be a success), it was a pleasant sort of triumph for two men that you really just root for to pull one out. Finally. You can argue that Adam and Crosby have been the two characters that have put up with the most during the past, say, 15 episodes of the show and you felt like they almost needed Cee Lo to come back in order to have the motivation to keep going.
However, if it’s one thing that Team Braverman lacks, it’s strength, as evidenced by “Tales From the Luncheonette”. Each character showed some serious resolve in Tuesday night’s episode, standing up for themselves against pressure from others (Joel, Sarah), embracing the life that they chose for themselves (Adam), or transitioning to the next phase of their life (Drew) with head held high and feet firmly on the ground. You may not associate risk-taking with family shows, considering that family shows are more comfort television (and comfort television is all about steadiness), but Parenthood has shown to be not just another family show.
Thank goodness for that.
Thoughts, Quotes, & Observations:
- Reminder: No new episode next week, as NBC will be airing Prime Suspect reruns. Good luck, Maria Bello and Maria Bello’s hat.
- “Is this a new playwright?”
- “You’re gonna kiss Amy on the mouth!”
- “There’s other people, but they’re irrelevant.”
- The non-reaction reaction from Drew and Amber was interesting. I thought they would at least hint as to how they were going to take the news of Seth’s rehab stint, but no dice.
- Early prediction: sometime late this season or very early next season, Seth comes out of rehab a new man, happy and full of life. He comes back to Sarah and she’ll have to decide if she’s truly put her feelings for him in the past once and for all.
- Episode MVP: Max’s sweet pink cow or Cee Lo’s friend with the gigantic cigar. Both need to be recurring ASAP.
- I like how Amber’s basically the Braverman oracle this season. She’s solving problems like a champion, right? Bonus points for the cute hair.
- If there’s one thing this show does quite well, it’s close ups, especially during moments of distress. Tonight had moments of feeling very much like Friday Night Lights.
- A brief biography of songwriter Jerry Ragovoy.
- Zeek’s the last person who should be dispensing money advice, no? Isn’t he the same one who had some financial problems in season one that threatened his marriage with Camille?
- Cee Lo is so ridiculously talented, I can’t even handle it. I put the version of “Piece of My Heart” (from Erma Franklin) that he was trying to match below, in case you’re curious how faithful it turned out. Additionally, I threw in samples of each iteration of Cee Lo’s career: his solo work, his collaborations with producer Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley), and his stint in hip hop group Goodie Mob, all of which come highly recommended.
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