My dear, kind and loving fans of Parenthood. I'm worried about us all. Are you okay after the "We Made It Through the Night" episode? Have you stopped weeping yet? Here, just sit still on this luncheonette stool for a moment, dry your eyes with this Braverman plaid shirt, and let's address the tender, beautiful, about-to-collapse souffle in the room.
There's only one show left.
Image: NBCSo many decisions were made or announced, including the heavy one: Zeek is done with the strain and risk of further medical intervention, and he wants to enjoy the life he has left, setting free the magic that blooms when you don't control everything, like letting his old baseball stay in the old barn as hidden treasure. All of the kids were shown coming to peace with their next steps and new directions as well. In all, we hit on most of life's transitions so it's no wonder we're crying for the Bravermans. We love them, and every storyline poignantly reminds us of a hard conversation we've had, of a dear one who has struggled, or of our own journeys, changes and losses.
The brothers seem to have come to an understanding about The Luncheonette, fraught as that process was with caretaking, obligation, dreams, sibling sacrifice, guilt, regret, and the ever-crushing pressure of debt.
Image: NBCHank really wants to marry Sarah, as we learned last episode, and Sarah came to realize she really wants to marry him back...and soon. Sarah saying "“I just want to make sure that my dad is there," and Zeek saying he couldn't wait to walk her down the aisle, were entirely moving.
I thought Joel's homecoming was deeply affecting too. Past the blush of renewed romance and second chances, can Joel and Julia cut through tender fears, resentments and what happened during their time apart? It looks like the ice beneath them isn't as thin as it once was and they are going to be able to skate together into the future. Those finely nuanced insights into relationships, like how to fight again after a reunion, and how the coming-home conversation can exactly mirror the dad-is-getting-a-sad-apartment conversation, are what have set Parenthood above other shows.
Image: NBCThey played with our emotions hard with Amber's pregnancy storyline this season, but it was all worth it. Her conversations with her mom have been intense, beginning with Sarah's unhappiness with becoming a grandmother during the season premiere. Hearing Amber tell Sarah "you're my hero," seeing them sing together, and ultimately seeing Amber lose her own ambivalence when holding her baby, put everything on a good track for welcoming the tiniest member of the Braveman clan.
And she named the baby Zeek. Oh, the sobbing might never end. We all might just as well continue sobbing until we make it through the finale. It no longer even bothers me that Kristina and Jasmine are on my last nerve or that I haven't properly bonded with any of the grandkids. For me the finale is all about the original family members. I don't know if I can even look into Camille's red-rimmed eyes next week. It's not going to be easy.
Image: NBCOne episode left.
I know we can get through this, but oh, Parenthood. We wish you could stay forever young.
