Parenthood — Sarah finally gets a decent story

I was initially skeptical when I heard that John Corbett was going to be reprising his role as Seth Holt, Sarah’s addict ex-husband. It seemed like just another stunt to artificially juice up the drama for Sarah, like that wretched Billy Baldwin story arc.

But, as it turns out, it happened to be a very good idea.

Whether she’s right about Seth or not, Sarah, for a change, stood her ground, stood up to her father and insisted that she could differentiate between previous rounds of promises from Seth to get clean and the current situation. That’s what an adult does, she assesses the situation and then makes a firm decision.

It’s about damned time.

Sarah played it cool and firm even when she was heartbroken that her children were reluctant to open their hearts to their father who has dashed their hopes on so many occasions, disinterested even. She has been futilely attempting to erect a wall between her heart and Seth, acting as though she can make herself romantically immune from the lure of their shared history and her longing to make their broken family whole again. The scene of Sarah and Seth watching Vertigo in two different locations, both of them obviously affected by what this film once meant to them, was enjoyable and moving.

Meanwhile, I deeply appreciated watching Julia’s micromanaging personality precariously rise to the surface as we knew it eventually would. The look of horror on her face when she realized that Zoe — the woman who has promised her unborn child to Julia and Joel — was eating sushi was priceless. It was as though Julia had stumbled upon Zoe guzzling whiskey or sniffing glue in the supply closet.

Julia, as most modern, hyper-educated mothers tend to be, is on top of all the crazy recommendations made for pregnant women these days about what they should avoid like caffeine, booze, sushi … the list is long and restrictive. So when Julia saw Zoe eating sushi, she had to rein in the urge to slap it out of her hands. Instead, her “did you know” approach the following day was met with the type of anger and irritation one would expect from a woman who has just offered up her baby to one of her best coffee cart customers. “You Googled my eating habits?” Zoe asked, aghast at Julia’s chutzpah. ” … [A]nd you talked to your husband about what I’m eating?”

Fortunately, the Parenthood writers didn’t take the bait of making Julia a totally controlling, unlikeable sanctimommy. Instead, her behavior was depicted as thoroughly maternal when she apologized the following day and paired that apology with a homemade lunch for Zoe and an invitation to come over for dinner because she deserved to have someone cook a meal for her. That was sweet without being saccharine.

Also entertaining was the maternal freak out Kristina had when faced with a minivan full of loud, self-absorbed complainers who were not respecting her request to just chill and enjoy the precious time they have together. Clearly going stir-crazy and starved for conversation, plus anxious about Haddie going to college, Kristina eagerly made chocolate chip pancakes for a family breakfast. Instead she wound up eating in the kitchen, standing there alone with the baby in her arms.

Kristina was the one who spearheaded a family mini-golfing night when she was faced with bellyachers who all had their own agenda instead of Kristina’s one: Be together as a family. How great was it for Kristina to order everyone out of the minivan and then angrily peel away? Also great, when Max apologized to his mother by telling her, “Dad says he’s sorry that you’re losing it.”

Clacked by Meredith O'Brien
on Nov 02, 2011 @ 17:19 EST5EDT