Parenthood did something unusual by choosing to air a (basically) standalone episode last week after being off the air since November. Granted, it was a pretty exceptional episode that had the entire cast interacting within the same limited confines, but essentially delaying the start to the last run of episodes in season three when you’re a heavily serialized show wasn’t the most expected play to run right now. It makes sense looking back, as airing a standalone first could hook in new viewers for the final bit of the season, but to solidify any new eyes, the episode after had to be on point.
Luckily, “Just Smile” wasn’t that much of a qualitative step down from “Road Trip” and smoothed out some of the rougher feelings I had about certain plot points during the fall run. Not everything ended up gleaning to perfection, of course, but this felt like everything that had happened up until this episode had finally started to coalesce into something that could begin to touch the greatness of season two.
Part of that move upwards on the Ladder of Good TV Shows came from the inclusion of Amber’s storyline about her new job. She’s kind of been on the fringes this season, mostly being used as an oracle of adult issues for Drew, so it felt nice to spend time with Amber again and in a plot that does her justice. As much as Amber has matured during the course of the series, she’s still not quite there yet and you got a taste of that in her hectic first days working on a local political campaign. Particularly when she had lunch with all the interns who had extensive educations, you could almost hear her thinking about how she didn’t belong here and that she’s in over her head with these type of people, but if there’s one thing I know about Amber Braverman, it’s that she constantly underestimates herself. Sure, she may not have degrees falling out of her mouth every time she speaks, but it’s that rawness, that intellect that hasn’t been shaped by countless professors that makes this job something she could feasibly rock. (Notice that it was her normalcy and honesty that caught Bobby’s eye.) Amber’s a smart girl that hasn’t even begun to tap into her potential and watching her grow into the woman she’s always been destined to be can only raise Parenthood‘s game from here on out.
While Amber’s new digs made for a fun watch, it felt good to catch back up with the four siblings in some of the plots we’ve been following since the premiere. I enjoy Parenthood the most when they have to interact (or are at least tied to) one another and while the fearsome foursome didn’t all get in a room and talk over one another, they had some interesting ways of bouncing off one another in “Just Smile”. Adam and Crosby explored their brotherly dynamic, thanks to a cover story about Crosby and the Luncheonette turned into something about Adam’s career change and financial woes. The two have never been on the best of terms in the series, thanks to older brother constantly looking down on little brother and little brother feeling like he had to prove himself time and time again, and this episode was no different, eventually dissolving into a revealing argument that helped patch things up. For now.
The thing about Parenthood is that it’s not afraid to show who these people are, warts and all, and issues like this become a lot more two-sided in the process. (No one’s ever fully right or ever fully wrong in the Parenthood-verse, which makes fights that much more intriguing to watch and decipher.) Just as we got another look at Crosby’s inferiority complex and Adam’s quest to get his kids to notice him, we also got to see Sarah’s desire to be closer with Mark, whether it be through a baby or having him become a regular at the guys’ monthly poker game. Though she may be sarcastic and smiley more often than not, there’s a loneliness to Sarah that has only been exacerbated in recent episodes; like Crosby, all she wants is to be accepted by her siblings, but like Adam, she feels distance from her children that will only grow until they mature a little. (See: Amber moving out and getting her own place and Drew coming out of his shell) Sarah’s never really had to stop and look at herself to ask what she wanted out of life, as she’s always been a working mom, so now that her professional life is okay, it’s time to see where she personally sees herself. And that’s with Mark (and a baby!), apparently, which appeals to the romantic in me but otherwise makes me nervous for her.
Of course, Sarah Braverman has always went against the norm (see: her writing career and move home), but how much of this desire is her being swept up in the moment and how much of it is genuine and well thought out?
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