Parenthood: Let's Be Mad Together (5x05)

I'll go through plot by plot and give some pros and cons.

Starting with probably the weakest, we have Crosby and Adam attempting to make their new record label successful, but struggling with the unruly antics of Ashes of Rome's lead singer. Basically, things are not going so well until Crosby listens to some great classic records and decides to lay down the law: he announces that they're going to strip away all the fancy layers and just let these guys jam.

Cons: the premise itself is silly. Why on earth is Adam pushing so hard for this whole record label thing? It doesn't make any sense. I also think the singer is too unrealistically annoying. It would have been better if he'd been a reasonably normal guy who just doesn't get along with Crosby for some reason.

Pros: Crosby's go get 'em speech may have been a bit cliche, but it was still a powerful moment with a lot of great acting choices. I also just love seeing him take the lead and work with this business in ways that Adam can't. It shows that they are ultimately a pretty good partnership.

Then we've got Kristina and Max's plot, which was really emotionally potent. I think of anything in this episode, this plot thread really kept things simple and heartfelt, and it managed to hit all the right notes. Max is taking pictures for the school year book, but he gets in trouble after photographing a girl who is crying in the hallway. Kristina goes in to talk to the teacher, who decides that for the sake of the other students, Max will be moving to layout. Kristina tries to fight for Max, especially after learning that Hank thinks Max is truly talented. In the end, there's nothing they can do, and Kristina sadly tells Max the bad news.

Cons: Um... nothing, really. If I had to say anything it would be that Hank was a little unrealistically bad at picking up on the situation at first. He really had no business encouraging Max to take pictures of vulnerable crying girls. That's a bit messed up.

Pros: Everything else. Max and Hank's growing relationship is one of the best thing about the season so far. I also loved the stuff with the teacher and the principal. It is so heartbreaking to learn that Max's job as president didn't go so well for the other students, and that there were a lot of problems. These sorts of things are hard for Max, but he has found something he loves to do in photography, which I think was a cool character choice. Then there's the scene with Kristina and Max, where I think she gets big props for parenting when she just tells Max that this whole thing makes her really angry, but that sometimes life is unfair. The knowledge that parents can't fix everything can be a hard one for kids to swallow, and it's a particularly difficult lesson to teach. This plot also reminded me of how stupid the campaign stuff is... I think Kristina shines much brighter in small plots like this. In fact, I think the show in general shines brighter when it focuses on the small, everyday problems of life.

Then there's the Sarah and Ryan plot. Sarah, in her job as a super, has to deal with her weird tenant's plumming problem. Joel sends Ryan over to help with the toilet, but Sarah accidentally lets slip some details about Amber and Sarah's fight. Ryan is confused, and goes to Amber for clarification. He finds out that Sarah is still worried about the marriage and that she continually brings up the same questions. Determined, Ryan goes to Sarah and gives a heartfelt speech that explains why he's not close with his family, and discusses his deep love for Amber and his desire to start their lives together.

Cons: I guess I'm sort of on Sarah's side, and I don't know if I'm supposed to be. Are they going to go the stereotypical route and have the relationship blow up before the wedding? Or are we supposed to fully support Ryan and Amber as a couple? I think their lack of communication is really troubling. I also think that Ryan's speech was a bit heavy handed, if very well acted.

Pros: Sarah's hilarious tenant who flushes condoms and inappropriately asks Sarah if she's having sex with Ryan. This guy is just hilarious. I don't know if he'll have a bigger purpose later on, but even if he's just there for comic relief, he always makes me laugh. The acting was also really good here. Even if Ryan's speech was a touch too cheesy, it was still sweet to see it.

Then we've got the funniest yet still somehow extremely genuine plot with Joel. Julia has been pushing Joel to set up boundaries with Peet, the woman with whom he is now working. As the architect, she is continually making changes to the design that set Joel and his crew back. Julia worries that Joel is being taken advantage of, and although Joel is a bit put off by Julia's pushing, he agrees to talk to Peet. At dinner, Peet and Joel start talking, but Peet ends up basically forcing her own agenda on Joel. They both agree to put in the time for the long haul, whatever that means, and thus establish a good working relationship. In essence, Joel is a total pushover.

In one of the funniest moments on Parenthood ever, Crosby runs into a very drunk Joel at the grocery store, staring very intently at the cakes in the bakery. Crosby quickly discovers that he's drunk, and offers to drive him home. The two of them have a conversation about responsibilities and how it is they got to this point in their lives. The next morning, Julia is upset to learn about Joel getting drunk. When she tries to ask about Peet, Joel is pissed off that she keeps on butting in.

Cons: Well... I'll get to the main con in a second when I talk about Julia, Zeek, and Camille, because the two plots are very closely related. But in this plot itself I think the only problem was that Joel caved a little too easily when talking with Peet. I think it's pretty obvious that she's being too demanding, and I would have liked to see Joel fight back a bit harder.

Pros: I think Joel and Crosby's conversation mirrors Julia's recent friendship with Ed quite nicely. Both of these people are seeking emotional support outside of their marriage, and it points to some serious internal problems. I like seeing Joel and Crosby talk, because they aren't a relationship that usually gets a lot of screen time on this show. I also think that Peet is a pretty interesting character, and I'd like to see how Joel handles working with her in the future.

And here's the last plot, which is mostly just a continuation of last week's episode. Victor continues to help Zeek with the car, reading from the manual as he does so. Julia talks about how grateful she is for the car, and Camille lets slip that she doesn't like the car at all. After some pressing from Julia, Camille admits that she might want to sell the house, and that Zeek won't listen to her. She says that somewhere along the way in her marriage, she lost her voice in the relationship, and she doesn't know how to get it back. This reminds Julia of her own current situation with Joel, and she tells her father that he needs to listen to Camille. Zeek at first tells her to mind her own business, but then notices how upset she is, and offers her comfort.

Cons: Okay, so, the fact that Julia is comparing her situation with Joel to what's going on  between her parents is really annoying to me. They are two very different things. Camille is being brushed aside entirely by her husband. Her needs are not met. When she politely tries to open a discussion, Zeek shuts her down. In terms of their relationship, I'm on Camille's side here. In the case of Julia and Joel, something different is happening. Julia is feeling unfulfilled as a stay at home mom, and she's trying to poke her nose into Joel's business. She's not losing her voice in the relationship - if anything, she's trying to force her voice on Joel, and he's standing up for himself. So, this comparison really didn't work for me.

Pros: I still love the Victor and Zeek stuff, and I like seeing Julia interacting with both of her parents. Especially, I loved seeing Zeek hug Julia at the end. It shows that even though Zeek is being unreasonable with Camille, he's a good and compassionate man at heart. His stubbornness just gets in the way sometimes. I think this plot could be the most interesting thing moving forward, as long as Julia learns that her situation is very different from her parents'.

A good episode! I was particularly impressed by Kristina and Max's plot, and I liked seeing Joel in a more central role. There were some bumpy spots here and there, but overall the emotional stuff and these actors' incredible commitment still pulled it all together.

8/10