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Parenthood - Season 4 thread (1 Viewer)

John_Lee

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Regarding the pedigreed Retriever puppies scene, autism or not, Max's repeatedly demanding 'write the check' had me boiling with anger.
That's just something a pre-teen doesn't demand of parents.
 

Mike Frezon

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Originally Posted by John_Lee /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/30#post_3978225
Regarding the pedigreed Retriever puppies scene, autism or not, Max's repeatedly demanding 'write the check' had me boiling with anger.
That's just something a pre-teen doesn't demand of parents.

It is if they're autistic.

That's been one of the strengths of the Max storyline. They don't dial down his Asperger's Syndrome when it's convenient. Well, maybe they do and we don't notice it...but they certainly strive to keep his situation front & center as it is in real life.
 

Citizen87645

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There are a lot of things Max does that a person, regardless of age, shouldn't do. Asperger's doesn't excuse the behavior, but it explains it. By the same token, it's perfectly fine that the behavior makes you angry. Haddie's interaction was a perfect example of this two-sided coin. She completely understood why he couldn't have that sentimental moment with her before going to college, but it doesn't mean she doesn't or shouldn't feel upset about it.

Like Mike mentioned, that's kind of the beauty of the show at times. It doesn't oversimplify the situation by providing some easy resolution to the highly complicated nature of the situation.


Originally Posted by John_Lee /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/30#post_3978225
Regarding the pedigreed Retriever puppies scene, autism or not, Max's repeatedly demanding 'write the check' had me boiling with anger.
That's just something a pre-teen doesn't demand of parents.
 

John_Lee

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I should have been more clear. I understand that Max might do that, but that is something that parents should make a concerted effort to curtail in no uncertain terms.
It's up there with striking other people or taking off all your clothes in public.
 

Mike Frezon

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The rules are different for parents of autistic children. People with Aspergers don't process societal rules the same way as people without Aspergers.

Certain behaviors can only be contained and not stopped altogether. Obsessing over a desire is one of them.
 

Citizen87645

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I think you'll find varying opinions about whether that behavior rises to the same level as the examples you gave.


Originally Posted by John_Lee /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/30#post_3978722
I should have been more clear. I understand that Max might do that, but that is something that parents should make a concerted effort to curtail in no uncertain terms.
It's up there with striking other people or taking off all your clothes in public.
 

Rob Willey

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ScottH said:
Cancer?  Really?  And talk about fast test results!  You know what they always say...the first sign a writing team is running out of things to write about is when they introduce a pregnancy/new child, or add in some kind of major drama like a death or disease.
And the second sign a writing team is running out of things to write about is when they do it without dialog. :laugh:
 

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I really liked how the show handled the n-word storyline with Monday's episode. The obvious thing would have been to have someone call Jabar the n-word and have this really big dramatic moment that NBC could have promoted the hell out of. Instead, this whole thing unfurled from a pretty innocuous event. And despite how childish Crosby remains in some ways, it really captured how far he's come in others. The Season 1 Crosby would have run kicking and screaming from that conversation with Jabar. He couldn't handle anything hard or anything unpleasant. He knew that conversation was going to be tough, he knew he didn't have much in the way of words to contribute to it, but he still recognized that his presence was important. We really got Crosby in full-on father mode tonight, and that's when he's at his best.
I liked the other storylines too, but I don't have much to say about them. The Zeek/returning veteran storyline has promise, and I especially liked how the young vet said he'd have preferred the protests and vitriol to the feeling of invisibility he has. Most shows, when they do a soldier storyline, keep to the self-congratulatory support-our-troops tropes. This storyline wasn't about honoring the vet or putting him on a pedestal, but really seeing things from his point of view.
I also liked how Joel handled Victor. It was exactly the right thing to say, and exactly the right way to say it. Joel's relationship to Victor rings truer to me because he doesn't overdo it like Julia. He respects Victor's boundaries and that there's still going to be some distance between them. At the same time, he doesn't let Victor off the hook, doesn't excuse his bad behavior. A simple gesture like playing catch can be so beautiful under the right circumstances.
I also liked that Kristina's letting Max run for student council president even though she knows he's going to get crushed. There's probably a little bit of denial about what's ahead with her, but that's the absolute right decision. Sometimes it's riskier to keep your child in a safe cocoon than it is to let him take a few blows and move past it.
 

Citizen87645

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I also liked how the "n" word issue was handled. I know some people who would have had Crosby's POV prior to the talk with Jabar, but I think that scene and Crosby's eventual realization that he can't truly speak to that specific kind of discrimination was nicely done and presented with as much subtlety as a one-hour prime time drama can afford. Once again I continue to be impressed by Dax Shepard.

Joel and Victor's story maybe felt a little tied up by the end, but the show does a good job of showing the small victories without ignoring the complications of the bigger picture.

Sarah's storyline is a little frustrating, seeing where it's headed, as much as I also feel like her being with someone more age appropriate is good for her. I'm not sure at this point how I feel about the eventual dissolution of her relationship with Mark, but the show is gradually selling me on being Team Hank.
 

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I just last night watched the last two episodes. I kept putting it off because this whole cancer story line really put me off. They're doing a decent job with it, and it's not overpowering the rest of the show, but it's just too damn depressing. I don't watch a show like this to be depressed. I'll probably keep watching, but it will be a chore.
 

schan1269

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Regarding the whole Max thing...
It helped that Temple Grandin(the "movie"...and lesser the person, sorta???) was made. For those that saw that, it helps explain Max, without Parenthood completely having to re-hash everything.
Minor victories in an AS/Autism household are always worth the temporary set-back...
I'm just waiting to see the episode, and subsequent, when he loses. That will be the test of the show handling the topic...on topic.
 

Mikah Cerucco

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Originally Posted by Cameron Yee /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/30#post_3983799
I also liked how the "n" word issue was handled. I know some people who would have had Crosby's POV prior to the talk with Jabar, but I think that scene and Crosby's eventual realization that he can't truly speak to that specific kind of discrimination was nicely done and presented with as much subtlety as a one-hour prime time drama can afford. Once again I continue to be impressed by Dax Shepard.

While recognizing, "It's just a TV show," the looks Jabar kept throwing at Crosby were heartbreaking as Jasmine explained it's a word white people use to denigrate black people. The word itself... *shrug*. But having a white father and hearing what Jabar heard would have to be tough on a kid.
 

mattCR

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Originally Posted by schan1269 /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/30#post_3984740
Regarding the whole Max thing...
It helped that Temple Grandin(the "movie"...and lesser the person, sorta???) was made. For those that saw that, it helps explain Max, without Parenthood completely having to re-hash everything.
Minor victories in an AS/Autism household are always worth the temporary set-back...
I'm just waiting to see the episode, and subsequent, when he loses. That will be the test of the show handling the topic...on topic.

I don't know if you've followed the last few years threads or other comments made here, but I tend to agree,I think that on MOST things, the handling of Max's situation is very well done. That having been said, I'm not sure I can buy into the "run for class president" storyline. For almost all autistic children with Max's prior stated issues (from Season 1/Season 2) conducting such an extroverted event as running for class president seems to run completely contrary to the things that they had shown Max as in the first two seasons.

This isn't saying that it's not impossible, or that autistic children can't do such a thing, it's just that they had shaped Max with a certain set of problems in Season 1/2, and this seems to run contrary to that.
I find the fact that she instantly understands that some of the signatures are done to make fun of Max, because those students find it funny to be both a great storyline and very timely. This goes back to her concern about mainstreaming Max from last year. (also, where is Max's special ed Paraprofessional, who has now totally disappeared in this season? I realize that Minka isn't available, but you'd think they'd fine something..)

I thought the Jabar storyline was actually one of the first decent plays in that relationship on the show. I'm waiting for that to build the contrast that is inevitably coming to how Joel/Julia handle any similar situation with their newly adopted child.
 

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