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Parenthood - Season 4 thread (1 Viewer)

David Weicker

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I have to admit, they crammed a lot of bad into a single episode.
After the very well done cancer story (which kind of disappeared tonight), tonight had very little to show for it.
However, there were a few. As mentioned, the Amber/Zeke scene. And I thought that Joel's blowup rang true.
But the rest …
A zoning suit out of the blue for a company that's been in business for about a year (and would have had to done all the business license/permits/etc)?
The whole Sarah storyline (of course, she's been the least 'real' person the entire run of the show)?
And so much more. A big mess this week
David
 

ScottH

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Agree...a complete mess.

Julia...what a horrible, horrible person.

The only good thing about the episode was that they all but abandoned the cancer story line (at least for the time being)...but unfortunately they replaced it with drivel.
 

Greg_S_H

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Mike Frezon said:
As I was watching this episode I was actually thinking that I wasn't even going to post anything here about it because it was so "meh."  But I want it to be better so badly that I can't stop thinking about what has gone so wrong. 
That's how I felt about the previous episode. It really wasn't too bad--probably the best in a while--but not really worth posting about. Maybe we *should* post when the episodes are good instead of always complaining! :) Then again, I think it had a really annoying Crosby/Jasmine subplot.
 

mattCR

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Originally Posted by David Weicker /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/90#post_4006844
I have to admit, they crammed a lot of bad into a single episode.
After the very well done cancer story (which kind of disappeared tonight), tonight had very little to show for it.
However, there were a few. As mentioned, the Amber/Zeke scene. And I thought that Joel's blowup rang true.
But the rest …
A zoning suit out of the blue for a company that's been in business for about a year (and would have had to done all the business license/permits/etc)?
The whole Sarah storyline (of course, she's been the least 'real' person the entire run of the show)?
And so much more. A big mess this week
David

Oh lord, I had tried to block out the storyline about the next door neighbor and the zoning issues. Suddenly, from previous seasons, the lucheonette has just jumped up and moved so that condos are right next door, across an alleyway. This is a significant change from when it was a stand alone building that had been rundown and needed fixing up.

But worse than that, I can't think of a circumstance where this would ever even be possible... that entire storyline was just like a "we've run out of great ideas at the luncheonette, let's have a crazy neighbor that we can later fall in love with"
 

Mike Frezon

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mattCR said:
/t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/90#post_4006725
The writers have not only gotten "safe" with all the storylines...but--even worse--they have become predictable.
That's what I'm talking about...

Gosh...do you suppose that the anger between the nutjob neighbor and Crosby will somehow be spun into a "meeting cute" scenario? Maybe not...maybe it's all about creating some scenario putting the brother's business at risk while Adam is dealing with Kristina's cancer, etc., but...
 

mattCR

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Without Covert Affairs as an alternative, I ended up watching this live. This show to me is incredibly frustrating because there are some moments that are great, but so many more that are just outright terrible.

On Tonight's Episode, a recounting of George Bailey as all of the neighbors rally to the courthouse to defend their good friends at The Lunchonette... we go to that from a scene where the neighbor is not only incredibly unreasonable, but where Crosby spends his time antagonizing her. And, despite laughing it off that Crosby whipped it out and took a leak in the alley, if she's got film of him, then flat out it wouldn't be one of those things that just "goes away".

The adopted son struggling with his homework, etc.

The bumbling crew member who we know might figure out how to make it right, despite the cost.

Sudden enlightment "just bribe your kids, it works" (so, her first child never, ever had to be cajoled in a way that required her to barter.. at all? )

And of course, the shocking break up that occurs on the trip.. because NO ONE saw that coming.

ZOMG. Not a single storyline worked for me tonight at all. Every single one rang incredibly phony.
 

Mike Frezon

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Tonight's episode was one of the worst ever--right across the board.

Mark's monologue at the restaurant table seems to want to set up the notion that Sarah is a self-destructer. Whatever. I don't care. And apparently neither does Mark. Good for him. Bad for the show. We've only seen tonight's actions coming from back in the premiere episode of this season.

And the Luncheonette is saved by the cavalry? Clearly, this episode's metaphoric homerun. Horrible storyline. Horrible writing.

As I've been saying all season, Parenthood has become a vehicle with a great and talented cast foundering because of lousy writing.

Now we wait for Amber and Joel to have to deal with some major guilt caused by upcoming actions by Ryan. Snore.
 

Mike Frezon

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I was composing my post above at the same time as MattCR...but got hung up by a distraction.

But it goes to show how obvious the IaWL analogy is. They oughta be ashamed...or have their license to write revoked.
 

Citizen87645

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My episodes are piling up, but you guys aren't giving me much motivation to watch them.
 

Mike Frezon

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Originally Posted by Cameron Yee /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/90#post_4009712
My episodes are piling up, but you guys aren't giving me much motivation to watch them.


With all that I have on my shelf to watch...and all that there is on broadcast television to watch...my wife and I are finding ourselves sucked back in to The Gilmore Girls.

We are halfway through season one and enjoying it just as much this second time through. Sharp and crisply written and featuring great, interesting characters with consistent, well-developed back stories. Just what Parenthood was in its early seasons.
 

Citizen87645

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Yeah, GG only goes off the rails in the last two seasons, which, if this is the last season for Parenthood, will also be true for it.
 

schan1269

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Yeah, last nights episode was tragic(said in the voice of Stanley Tucci in Burlesque)...
Breaking windows and break ups. Really?
And Pamela Adlon as the whiny neighbor.
And I was just as shocked at the "bribe" myself. I mean come on. Maybe she should have asked her husband what works...
 

ScottH

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Funny...after watching this episode I actually came away thinking, "Well, at least it wasn't terrible."

I laughed a couple of times (although I don't remember why). Julia showing up when Kristina was toking up was entertaining.
 

Greg_S_H

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I strangely agree. I didn't think it was terrible at the time, but there were terrible things happening, like the whole Mark/Sarah storyline. I actually had to move recently because of a horrible neighbor, who was similar (but far worse) to this woman, so I guess I liked seeing a completely unlikely victory over one of them. The Victor storyline also wasn't as bad as usual, though I can see the point that "you haven't had to deal with anything like this ever? Really?" For me, it was another along the lines of, "Not as completely awful in every respect like the previous one, but not worth 'gathering my thoughts' over."
 

Patrick Sun

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But how cool was it for them to have the lead singer of the Frames, Glen Hansard, on the episode? Go see "Once" if you haven't seen it before.
 

mattCR

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Near death with a viral infection, you go into septic shock. Finally, that morning, you wake up for the first time after a touch and go illness.
That night, the ICU apparently admits every single person you have ever known and smuggles them and their kids into your room.
Because, you know, your immune system is obviously up to that task.


More comments later, but I have no idea what happened to this show that they swing for cloying home run moments and it comes across as so.. forced that it just screams "wait for the made-for-TV moment! wait for it!"
 

Patrick Sun

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Yeah, it was just a set-up to get Adam to play and watch (through tear-filled eyes) the video to provide such cloying moments.
So, anyone buying Sarah and the photog's phomance? :)
 

mattCR

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Originally Posted by Patrick Sun /t/323682/parenthood-season-4-thread/90#post_4012746
Yeah, it was just a set-up to get Adam to play and watch (through tear-filled eyes) the video to provide such cloying moments.
So, anyone buying Sarah and the photog's phomance?

Also completely not-buyable. She just breaks up from a fiance, and she absolutely seals the deal jumping into bed with her boss; you'd think she'd be a bit more mopey about losing her future husband, but whatever.

I can't even get into the looney toon nature of the war vet come home relationship, it's good that she "cut him" but that was a storyline that put itself into such a corner there was no good way out of it. It was the first time they didn't swing for the fences, but whew.
 

Mike Frezon

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I'll come back for more when I have time, too.

But Amber cutting off Ryan outside the house was one of the first moments in a really long time that didn't seem predictable and by-the-numbers.

Monica Potter and Peter Krause shone again through the material with which they were given to work. More nice family moments as Zeek comforts Adam and Crosby helps with the kids.

My wife laughed out loud at Haddie's triumphant entry into the hospital room. They didn't say for certain in what part of the country she was snowed-in...but it was definitely just a few hours between the time of the call that she was getting on a plane and the entire clan descended onto Christina's hospital room. Maybe Harry Bailey flew her directly.

And, again, no matter how big a screw-up they want to paint the character of Sarah Braverman to be...that entire story arc is rubbish--from one end to the other. It would be enough of a reason for a viewer to boycott the show. Horrible.
 

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