Monsters of Television

“It’s a Braverman.”

"Hey. Do I know you?"

Our fellow Monster Karen checked out last season’s finale of Parenthood as it aired at the behest of Matt and me insisting the show is good, sometimes great, and worth everyone at least checking out. We warned of crushing emotional scenes and certain actors knocking it out of the park to the chagrin of a viewer’s tear ducts (Mae Whitman, my elbow is pointing at you). Yeah, we like the show a lot. So when she reported back to us, just before we recorded a podcast, we were both pretty excited to certainly have a new convert.

It was not to be.

She may be able to stomach Gossip Girl camp and other CW fare but jumping into Parenthood at the finale was a little too saccharine, a little too schmaltzy for her. Needless to say, Matt and I were a little disappointed. But, at the same time, understanding.

One has to approach Parenthood with the knowledge that the series is a continual setup for emotional and familial catharsis. If the Bravermans aren’t hugging it out, they’re fighting against hugging it out even though they know they will eventually embrace — embracing. The basic elements of this show (diverse cast, unscripted scenes, copious demonstrations of togetherness to the point that you’re sure none of these characters have any other friends and, if they do, they’re villains) all contribute expertly to these cathartic moments in the season. We’re led up a mountain by a Braverman sherpa and, if you’re just choppered in to meet us without seeing the journey, Base Camp 2 may seem really overdramatic.

The collapse of my mountain metaphor aside, the Parenthood season opener picks up smartly where the finale left off. Maybe with a couple of hiccups that are the seeds of major season arcs. But they’ll pull it together — right?

Things that have been done right: Adam being all macho-man about not being able to provide for his family, Sarah’s 40th birthday party and everything involving Jason Ritter, Julia wanting the coffee girl’s baby, Max (always Max, forever Max).

It might be surprising to you that I appreciate the Julia thing since her wanting to adopt just when a first-draft Juno starts pushing lattes around the office seems all-too convenient. Here’s why I like it: (1) that Julia has the total lack of humanity to believe she can “buy” a baby as she later says (responded to by Sarah rightfully teasing, “She sells coffee so probably she’d sell her baby”) completely fits with Julia being the Robotic One when casting the Braverman Beatles, (2) I’ve heard baby-craziness makes you like Max Cohen from Pi: she’s seeing babies in everything (and maybe Hasidic Jews will want to take her baby), (3) this show needs a saracastic character that’s not prone to crying (Amber and Haddie no longer fit that bill) and Pregnant Coffee Girl is ready to step in.

The two things I’m still not sure about? Amber’s apartment and Alex’s party-happening.

This show is usually really good at balancing the children’s interest with the parents’. It never feels like the writers are certainly writing from one perspective or the other and that’s what creates decent conflict because you understand why both sides feel they’re right. But the hovel Amber wants to move into is different. Amber’s boyfriend’s apartment in the pilot episode is essentially the ideal that people her age and with her tastes are chasing. But even they wouldn’t settle for a hot plate and place without light without some serious monetary considerations. You don’t fall in love with a jail cell without some perks; you settle for that. So you hope that Amber is willing to live there because she just needs to “get out of” her grandparents’ house, which is something that she later says. She might have oversold me on her love of the space and it felt more like the writers talking down about kids these days and the cinderblock crap-shacks they’re willing to live in.

The other thing I’m not entirely sure about yet is what is going on with Alex right now. His character has, for the most part, been flawed but consummate. Clearly, the repeated mention of his alcoholism and past (smartly by Max instead of ham-handedly putting it into the jaws of a parent) is prelude to relapse that you hope against. His disinterest in all things high school throughout the episode also feels right on him since, once you leave high school, all the silliness of it becomes readily apparent. But Alex coming to blows with a drunk child doesn’t add up to me.

So tranquil otherwise, it just doesn’t fit that Alex would allow himself to remain in a situation where he would be tested. The show does a decent job of keeping the tension and selling the scene. And I’m all for character nuance but Alex losing his cool to something so minor is antithetical to the collected character he’s been thus far. It seems like he would just walk away from that.

Now, that he knocked the kid to his shoes in one punch: totally believeable.

Maybe I needed him to be under more stress or to have an ulterior reason to hit the guy. It’s just that him lashing out like that after muttering under his breath about how stupid all this high school stuff is, his familiarity with how foolish drunk people are, and his general tranquility and rationality up to this point, the violence is out of place.

But, at the end, this is all setup. The whole episode is about opening doors and inviting people to look inside, no matter how janky the doors look. We’re here to explore and, occasionally, suspend some disbelief in order to get to the catharsis we all want from this show. It’s why we’re watching family dramas in the first place, right?

How long until the Braverman clan records an album in Crosby and Adam’s studio?

Quick Hits:

• Adam and his paperclip sculpture: yes. Also: Peter Krause can totally juggle.
• I’m glad we keep Jason Ritter employed. Don’t worry, buddy. Someone will think of something for you soon.
• Haddie’s hair: not that bad but not that great, especially compared to Amber’s hair being all sassafras. Discuss.
• Is it me or does everyone on this show look exhausted right now? Even Jabbar looks like he needs a cup of coffee.
• Drew maintains his status of being the most underutilized character in the show. Joel keeps his one-liners.
• I think we got cheated out of a Sibling Conversation scene. The ping-pong thing barely counts. We better get a good one for next week. Maybe one that ends with Adam dancing to “Don’t Sweat the Technique” by Eric B and Rakim.