Parenthood - Season 3 thread - Page 8

I don't think Julia overreacted. Zoe's reaction upon seeing Julia watching her basically said it all. Caught in the act, as it were. That's not to say J/J can't still get the baby, but at the very least it's going to be heart wrenching for everyone no matter which way it goes now that Zoe and her child have bonded.

You know what would have been awesome?

Julia: "Zoe! What are you doing, girl?"

Zoe: "I'm speed-dating!"



(look here if you don't get it) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh8hS8uSoJs

OK.  More time to think, so here are my thoughts this morning:

We don't think about it as sexual harassment, and some will roll there eyes when I point it out, but what happened there is textbook sexual harassment.   Amber was willing, consenting.  So was the candidate.   Legally, that doesn't matter, he was her superior.. her boss.. and under the law that's an issue.   But like I said before, the people it's a real issue for are the other interns.  It creates what is called a "hostile sexual environment".     While we could say "hey, this is borderline"  yep, that's true.  Maybe they wouldn't win in a criminal court with the argument the fact that a girl was promoted through sex wasn't harassment by creating the image that they could sleep their way to the top.   But it would sure make a hellacious scandal for a political campaign, if it came out "oh, he's sleeping with a 19 year old intern" would not be a good way to win over votes.

 

In regards to Julia, I have disliked the storyline for a while, and while it's convenient to say "look at how much good she did for her.." I don't know if I really view it that way.  When she revealed that she hadn't even told her mother and sister, you realize that while Julia provided her shelter from a storm, she also allowed her to hide out from family and others, the people who whether she gave up the baby or kept it will be her longterm support.   Joel had said "once she has the kid, we will have to detwist our lives" (or something like that), and he was right, Zoe would have to find her way in the world.  And giving up a child would be something where family level support would be important.   The fact that she hid out away from them wasn't necessarily a favor that Julia did her.  I had thought this the moment the show had her move in, basically: you've made her entirely dependent on you.. this cannot end well."

 

The Sarah/Amber storyline was baffling "oh well!  They consent!  Let her make her own mistakes!"   I about had a jaw drop.. how is did Sarah go from an potential playwright to someone this foolish?   Even putting her daughter's need to make her own mistakes aside, I was also surprised that Kristina's response wasn't "uh, because it would be a serious scandal, would destroy this campaign, and she'll be snickered at by EVERY female employee here if this were ever known?!?"  And Sarah is so tone deaf she sat in the office basically yelling about it *boggle*

 

The problem with the Jasmine storyline is that it was totally unearned.   Ok, so we've spent time with Crosby + Cello player, with Crosby enjoying his new home as the head of the Luncheonette, and while a lot of people roll there eyes at how annoying Jasmine can be, her relationship with the doctor was sensible; he was a good person with means that was by all accounts good with her kid, that she had chemistry with, and that relationship was moving forward.   I had thought the best thing for all involved was that they were moving on with their lives, and the choices they were making weren't actually bad ones.  

 

So, now the Cello player and the pediatrician are tossed in one night at a camping event "let's get married!" which is preposterous .. it's like pressing the giant reset button on the whole season of movement on them.  It's not just pressing the reset button, it's also one of those spur of the moment crazy things that is just..

 

I guess my whole thought for the episode was:   UGH

It just feels like a series finale coming up, so that's where I'm placing blame for all these abrupt-ish endings to the various subplots on this show.

I don't know. It's listed as a "likely renewal" at TVBTN and NBC doesn't have a lot to work with (especially with Smash seemingly doing a nosedive). I mean, at this point, it wouldn't upset me if it was canceled, but I don't know if it's close to inevitable.

If it comes back, I see it being a 13-episode order, and the final season at best. But I think it's 50/50 that it comes back.

Jasmine (explaining how her upcoming nuptials with Crosby came about):  We went on this camping trip and I realized how much I loved this man here and no matter what happened, I want to spend the rest of my life with him.

 

When the Parenthood writers wrote that line, didn't they see how inane the entire storyline had become?!?

 

We (the viewing audience) deserve better than that.

 

I kinda enjoyed Adam & Crosby's tussle before the opening theme, though...even though Crosby is being his typical immature self.

What a train wreck. This season just fell apart somewhere in here. Wow. Too many neat bows that just didn't work.

The wedding was laughably bad considering all that was setup about jasmines family beforehand.

It looked late at night.  I assumed she was asleep.

 

She was at the reception. I figure once Joel got the call they headed home and left Sydney with family.

So much of this episode didn't work for me.

Jasmine's explanation (as mentioned above). Her smirking during the ceremony, Her family as a non-story (although her brother's toast was pretty good).

The whole time-compression thing - all these momentous events within a three-day period.

Up until this episode, I thought the Bob Little/Amber story was realistic (despite how some felt it was distasteful). Monica's part in this - her hotel break-in - was bad. This episode try to bring it back to realism, but rang false for me. As for all them still working together (without awkwardness) - not gonna happen. I would have found it more realistic if Amber quit and started dating him.

Although the Drew/Amy scene was great, and they didn't have anyone walk in on them (yes, I too, was expecting that). I was just too distracted by the fact that they decided their first time would be so close to 55 potential witnesses.

What was with Hattie's outfit? It was a wedding - shouldn't she have had a prettier outfit? And if the sweater was supposed to indicate it was cold, how come she was the only one affected.

Did not like the 'grand gesture' of the torn up napkin. Why is it on TV, people never sit down and actually talk about different options.

The hand-off of the boy at the end was strange - no paperwork? no medical history? No advance warning that it would be a older boy, instead of a baby? (with all the home preparation / supply buying that might be necessary).

While I saw the Sarah/Mark scene eventually happening (the first one), why was it done right before the wedding? And then her acceptance of his proposal at the wedding - don't her reasons for ending things still apply?




Things I did like:

Loved Max's line about 'getting a consequence'

Liked the brother's fight (although, it would have been more realistic if they had gone outside first, and then possibly be 'discovered' fighting on the lawn).

Liked the drunk best-man.


David



After I originally posted this, I've had some additional thoughts. Given the way the last few episodes have gone, we are lucky they didn't include this scene (sorry, not really a script-writer, but you'll get my drift)

{Drew and Amy return to the reception and are met by Sarah}
Sarah: "Are you guys ok? You look a little sweaty?"
Drew: 'We're ok Mom."
Sarah: "Wait a minute - did you you two just have sex? Hey everybody, come here. Drew and Amy just had sex!'
{the whole Braverman clan surround the three}
Zeke: "Way to go, my boy!"
Monica: "Did you use protection?
{all the Bravermans look at Amy} "one of us, one of us, one of us"
Edited by David Weicker - 2/29/12 at 1:16pm

I found it a little distasteful lingering on these two teenagers undressing and then starting to couple, but I'll allow that I'm becoming more prudish as I age. We got the idea without going in there with them.

Katims probably wants Mark and Sarah together, and is banking on not being renewed. If it is renewed, and they come back with, "Oh, he needs to have kids and I can't give that to him" . . . lame. They could have just ended it where they did. But, if it wasn't for the loss of Ritter, I don't mind the two of them ending up together.

I thought it was kind of rude how Haddie said, "I'm *not* worried about Cornell." Like it never even entered her mind the hell it's going to put on the family, especially without the buyout deal. But I'll allow that I just don't like Haddie.

Would they really do a late-night adoption like some clandestine Cold War information drop?

"The hamster is out of his wheel."

"He's running down the hall in his hamster sphere."

"Those are the correct code words. Before you even look at this kid, I want your verbal agreement."

"You got it."

"Surprise! He's 9-years-old!"

I've never been in the adoption world, but none of this seemed plausible.

For a moment, I figured Billy was Billy Riggins, but I can't think of any reason he'd have spent time in California. Plus, I don't think Riggins was this much of a jerk.

This is the first time I've come to the table with the same kind of complaints others have made throughout the season. The final episode was a huge mess. Having Mark come back and propose to Sarah and having Crosby and Jasmine choose to have their wedding immediately were just one step too far on plots that could have just ended on a relatively acceptable note. I can say almost the same thing for Joel and Julia taking in the child - it should have been enough to just set up the fact that she was back in the game and had a shot at an adoption, rather than just dropping a kid in their laps. I laughed at Crosby and Adam's fight, but it seemed too over the top. I didn't like Crosby's friend who stood in as best man - a ridiculous cartoon who literally made me groan with his dumb facial tics during the ceremony. Adam's change of heart wasn't earned in the least and reeked of the worst sentimental garbage. And even though it was nice to give Drew and Amy their scenes, it seemed tacked on to an already overstuffed episode. Much of this was not worthy of the spectacular work the actors turned in to give it as much gravitas as could be found. Less used to be more on this show. It's not like they were going to suddenly draw in a larger audience at the end of the season; I guess the writers just decided to do whatever they wanted in case they never had the chance to do it again. I kind of applaud that thinking on a show-by-show basis, but if you're going in to a season finale, you've waited too long.

I agree with most that's been said already. At best the episode felt rushed. Maybe Zeke should have had a medical scare and been rushed to the hospital the same night as the wedding. If you're going to cram crap in, you might as well do it right.

My "shell of it's former self" comment doesn't look so out there now, does it? 

It never did, Scott.  Unfortunately, I've been saying as much since Season 2. 

I'm caught up, watched the last six episodes the past 10 days.

Parenthood is one of two show that completely arrest me. I can't watch a whole episode of Nikita or Two Broke Girls without my iPhone in hand. But parenthood ... I love it.

I've read the critiques here. Partly , especially after BSG and Lost, I've come to accept tv shows aren't books or movies. They aren't crafted to perfection and then released fully realized. They are written and produced on the fly. Storylines, characters, motivations appear and vanish. (i miss alex and hot receptionist) I won't defend Patenthood, but I accept it as a cost, a universal constant of TV physics, for such an amazing and large ensemble.

Other critiques...

Jasmine and joe were "sensible"? What about J and C is sensible? I don't like the choices of these people, but I believe and enjoy the story of these characters. Crosby carries a torch for the love that rejected him? That he fills the void with other women? That's not a ruduculous notion.

Haddie and Cornell...I went to an expensive private college. Had no idea of my parents finance. No idea about the realities of moving & having two mortgages for a year. She made lots of sense to me

(My wife having paid her own way on scholarship, with patents that didn't help their kids with college, thinks its nonsense to pay for a Cornell. )

I agree on Bob Little. Idiot. He's going to ruin his career for tweeting photos of his junk in a year.

Was annoyed at Kristina for coming down on Amber. She should have quit bobs campaign for him foolishly risking sexual harassment of her niece.

I didnt understand any of the "next logical step is a baby"!!??!? With Sarah and Mark. I thought marriage was the next step?!?! Resolved, finally.

It's had it's ups and downs but I love this show. The music, characters, stories, production quality. What else is there like this? With this sincerity, heart?

I lost Hellcats. I don't want to lose parenthood

(but I did enjoy finally catching up on five pages of discussion

And we missed ya, Dave! 

Moving really screws up the TV watching routine :) But I knew it was important, so I dedicated my self to the watching of Parenthood and got 'er done this week :)

 

It is entertaining reading two months of comments knowing what the "future" holds, regarding the hopes, predictions, and "they better not"'s :)

I finally caught up on the final three episodes and I feel the show just ran off the rails the second half of the season.

I never understood the Jasmine / Crosby relationship from the start. I posted in previous threads that the relationship just did not make sense. Here is a woman who you had a passing relationship with that couldn’t have been all that serious if she was able to have a baby and raise him for years without you knowing and after learning about the child you suddenly have feeling for and want to wed.

Seriously does anyone really believe that would happen in real life?

They neat tie up of the other story lines.

Really I’m on the fence as to whether or not I want this to even come back next season.

Three quarters of a normal season? Huh.