Parenthood Season 5 (1 Viewer)

[schan1269]

The shows the GF and I watch are Scandal, Nikita, Shameless, Homeland, NCIS and Revenge.

 

[DaveF]

I watched Nikita the first three seasons and lost interest. (My wife still watches.) . Revenge I watch, but but has fallen apart even worse than Parenthood. It's lost much of the spark and and breadth of its characters; I'm ambivalent about this season. Scandal I've heard of but haven't seen. I need to look into it

 

[DaveF]

Well, obviously, we (my wife and I) are still watching Parenthood. Don't get me wrong. I would love nothing better than for Parenthood to click on all cylinders. Funny that you mention The Good Wife. My wife and I are big fans of The Amazing Race (the lead-in show to The Good Wife). Very often, I find myself getting sucked in to the story lines of that night's episode of The Good Wife even though I really don't know much about the different plot lines n the show. I have mentioned to my wife that this might be a good show for us. Currently, we aren't watching any other dramatic series. I'm fairly confident she won't go for Breaking Bad...no matter how much my kids say we'd like it. No violence for her. In the past we have enjoyed St. Elsewhere, LA Law, Boston Public, Gilmore Girls, Downton Abbey (off the top of my head). She's also a big fan of Little House on the Prairie.

The Good Wife is my favorite show. Season 5 shows it's possible to reinvigorate a show late in its run.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Is this season worth catching up on? There has been so much good TV this season, and this show had fallen to such a low priority with me, that after the first couple episodes I fell so far behind as to be unable to catch up.

 

[DaveF]

I think so. But I dare say everyone else would disagree. This week's wasn't the best of the season but was interesting and advanced several stories. It brings a return of difficult-Max. Sarah and Drew progress, with twists, on their romantic lives (I thought Drew's was a cheat, but my wife tells me I don't understand 18 yr old woman, and it was emotionally true). Zeke grapples with bachelor life without Millie. And Julia tries to retcon her flirtations with Ed.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Is this season worth catching up on?

If for no other reason than I would like to hear what you have to think about it all!

 

[Mike Frezon]

I was wondering if MattCR would check in after this past week's episode regarding the portrayal of Max.

He has been so functional the past couple seasons that I actually found it refreshing to have Max fly off the handle at Hank this week.

Dare I say I actually like the Hank/Max storyline...

 

[DaveF]

Same here

 

[lisette_marie]

Funny as you all don't like it but still can quote every character ..i guess Parenthood is more a serie for women No?

 

[mattCR]

I'm going to have a LONG post about last nights episode, but I've got to think on it. I'm also trying to write up some HTF reviews this weekend, but I'll get to it, because last night covered a lot of interesting ground.

 

[Citizen87645]

Funny as you all don't like it but still can quote every character ..i guessParenthood is more a serie for women No?

Some of us can quote every character because we were once fans of what the show was doing and of the characters it created, so the criticism isn't happening for its own sake or because of some kind of gender bias. It's because as fans of the show we're disappointed with the direction it's going – its departure from nuanced, well developed stories and character arcs.

I've always seen this forum as progressive because while it's dominated by men, the issue of whether we're watching a "woman's show" or a "man's show" has rarely, if ever, been an issue. For most of us it's about the quality of storytelling, regardless of the studio's marketing efforts, a meaningless label, or public perception about a program. I think if you dig up threads about The Gilmore Girls, that will illustrate my point, as would threads on past seasons of Parenthood.

 

[David Weicker]

I do think over the past few episodes they've turned Joel into a big jerk.

 

[lisette_marie]

Ok sorry i understand now what you mean , i wrote more for women not only for women ,I really think its great you watch the show , most guys around me don't Parenthood is not deadwood ( i really adored deadwood ) that we know, but just sometimes parenthood gives youA warm feeling or just a smile or some good music Family thats what its all about i guess ... I really also liked the scene where zeek and victor worked on the car toghether and Also the relation between hank and max, ( i also liked the bugman that came to the house In the previous seasons ... ) I like how they talk about asperger and about the empty nest syndrome ( zeek and camille )Or the not typical both parents working ... After war p.t.stress syndrome I dont think they shouldve made such a big deal about victor having to go a year back ,Indeed the character kristina is kinda lost , first cancer then mayor ... Good that she lost,Maybe in another serie they wouldve let her win ? I think amber has an amazing voice , iff it really is her voice when she sings ? She should sing more i think In the previous season joel was such a sweet understanding guy ... So that took a strange turn Or can a carreer change a person ? I mostly wonder now how zeek and camille will survive ... Everything she really loves to doHe is not included , is that alwright ? What stunned me the most is how you guys talk about jasmine , i thought every guy would Fall for her , seems not.... Yes sarah is lovely to watch I think after some seasons its normal it goes a bit crooked because many storylines have already been Taken and it forces them to come up with others and thats less spontanious and with lessCreative freedom i guess I ll try to give a review about the next episode ... Thank you for reading

 

[mattCR]

Ok. Here is my longwinded response.

The handling of the IEP system with relation to Max is pretty dead on. For many parents, it is a confusing, baffling system that you are require to attend up to twice a year in order to evaluate your child's educational goals. IEP (Individual Education Plan) is an agreement by the school to shape the policy toward your child. The way they get into it works well and establishes a lot of the issues that I have questioned with regards to Max.

Now, the problem with this is that suddenly Max has all of the issues I've lamented disappear; the lack of understanding of mood, potential violent outbursts, etc. that I commented on weeks ago have returned. This makes his character really uneven, it's as though they can't stick to a narrative of what they want this character to be. But, putting that aside we get to the issues of the IEP

Now, in the IEP meeting she attends with another mother, you get to see the baffling portions where both of them get steamrolled by a school. This happens ALL the time. That doesn't mean the school is wrong, it is just that - and no political means implied - school funding in many states keeps getting cut, and the demand on resources keeps increasing, which puts school administrators in a hole as far as figuring out services which is why the get forced into creative 'non-solutions'.

Her being present at another parent's meeting in most places is a difficult issue; she can become an IEP advocate - attorneys can be seated in those meetings, but she's not an attorney. She can become a hardcore advocate.. I come from a family full of those, and there are ways. I had thought they were really onto something when they were looking at ways she could be an advocate, and then... 'what if I open my own school'.

If that storyline proceeds, I will laugh and role my eyes. Our son goes to a public partial school which handles autism issues. Is it perfectly tailored to him? No. But, I can't recall any school being perfectly tailored to any student. More then that, the cost of operating a school tailored for children of autism is BRUTAL. Let's put it this way, they could sell the Lunchonette, their house, their parents house, and if they come up with about $4M they could last 1 semester... maybe.

Autistic children have medical prescriptions, times they must take them, they require para professional staff etc. which means? Your cost of care is way higher. Her leaping into 'we should start a school' took a potentially solid storyline and made it laughable. I'm hoping it's just a hairbrained idea she gives up on quickly.

In regards to Joel & Julia.. I guess I have a more liberal bent on this. If I found out my wife had just kissed a guy, it had gone no further, and she rejected him and hadn't expected it, I don't think it would bother me at all. I might be a bit mad at the guy, but what the hell with blaming her. Now, Julia has been an unbelievably narcissistic unrealistic portrayal of a person for a while, but now in order to match her, Joel has to teeter into this outrageously demanding role that just seems.. stupid. They just adopt a kid and now, bam, a year later they are going to divorce? W-T-F.

The other storylines just aren't fleshed out enough for me to comment.

 

[mattCR]

Just some headslapping stupidty going on in this week's episode, as well as some serious revision of past events. And now, we form a school!

Argh. This show has just become a complete soap opera with crazy twists that seem to make the characters considerably more unlikable and it doesn't advance any sort of coherent plot.

 

[Patrick Sun]

This has to be the last season, right???

 

[Mike Frezon]

Based on the cast, this show could go for as long as it wanted.

Based on the writing, it should've been over a couple years ago.

 

[Steve Armbrust]

The season finale played like a series finale. A fine, fine episode that, although it didn't wrap everything up (and Hattie's being gay seemed out of left field considering the earlier seasons), did make me feel like I could reluctantly walk away. I hope it's back for another season, because I really like the characters.

 

[Patrick Sun]

This has to be the last season, right???

 

[Citizen87645]

[background=#f2f2f2]Hattie's being gay seemed out of left field considering the earlier seasons[/font]

I'm almost tempted to watch just for that train wreck.