PARENTHOOD: I’m Cooler Than You Think

Small victories are often the sweetest. In a culture that is becoming both more interconnected via computers and smart phones and more impersonal because of texting and busier lifestyles, there are few substitutes for the comfort of simple human kindness. TV writers and producers have hit us over the head for years with stories of kids who suffer from a lack of parental love or involvement. Yet, we rarely talk about Moms and Dads as human beings, who also yearn for the satisfaction of their children’s good deeds, kind words, and respect.

Tonight’s PARENTHOOD sent an important message to parents who tuned in. It is ok to want your children to love you. There is nothing wrong with wanting to build connections with your kids. Isn’t that what raising a family is all about?

In this season’s first two episodes, Adam Braverman was buried under a cloud of workplace distractions. This week, Peter Krause reminded us why no other actor could play Adam with as much authenticity. Adam’s conversations with Kristina and Gabby about Max’s lack of social skills were brutally revealing, demonstrating how emasculating it could be for a father to think of himself as a stranger to his own son. However, Krause’s best moment was unaccompanied by dialogue. Early in the episode, Adam caught a glimpse of Max on the staircase, head buried in a video game and removed from the family dynamic, then watched Joel and Sydney completely in sync, planning a father/daughter building project.

It has become a tradition for PARENTHOOD to move me to tears, and the fearful look in Krause’s eye just slayed me. Powerful, powerful stuff…

Kristina and Haddie’s political dispute, centered around a student government election, was far from resolved by episode’s end. Those scenes were difficult to watch, because neither woman was wrong. Haddie is growing more independent, as she should as a high school junior. Kristina wants nothing but the best for her oldest child, but hovers too close for comfort. I teach for a living, and see vast differences in parental involvement on my students’ behalf. If Haddie had to choose between the errors of her mother’s ways, and an absentee parent who was disengaged from her life, I believe she would choose Kristina. Without that choice at her disposal, however, it is easy for a 17 year old to resist the clutches of a meddling Mom. I guess we will have to wait until next week for the election returns, so let Wolf Blitzer know his services will be needed in Berkeley!

Dax Shepard has proven his detractors wrong since PARENTHOOD’s first episode, turning Crosby into the show’s most engaging sibling. As a childlike adult himself, Crosby has made great strides as a father, a partner to Jasmine, and as a man. Standing up to Jasmine’s mother, despite her perception of him as a glorified sperm donor, was a big step, and Shepard played those sequences with determination and affection. You can almost hear Crosby convincing himself that “he’s not going anywhere,” while informing the world of his commitment. The payoff of this story, worshiping at the altar of televised baseball, was this week’s most satisfying moment.

I want to get the discussion started, so I’ll quickly share my critique of Lauren Graham & Mae Whitman’s performances as Sarah and Amber. Their conflict this week over Amber’s rich friend made both characters less likable, and I am increasingly frustrated with these two actresses. They are enormously talented, but their onscreen counterparts are essentially enablers, giving cover to the other when they make rash, irresponsible decisions. I am not a fan.

There is much more to discuss, including Joel and Julia’s deliberations over adding a second child to the Braverman-Graham household. Let’s chat, shall we?

What did you take away from this episode? Was Sarah justified in being angry with Amber? Will Sarah be dating each of Adam’s coworkers? How did you feel about the return of Max’s condition as a central plot point? Which small victory made you the happiest? There are always a million topics to discuss, so let me know where you stand on Team Braverman this week!

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