Parenthood: Lean In (6x09)

Okay... I don't know. There were a few things that I'm a little bit nervous about. But, for the most part I thought it was a really good episode. Let's just take this one step at a time.

First, you've got Julia and Joel. They still haven't signed their divorce papers, and Joel is insistent that he wants to talk to Julia some more. Julia tells Chris that she's having lunch with Joel, just to help give him some closure. At lunch, Joel makes a speech about how much he loves Julia, and how he wants a second chance. When Julia tells Chris that she and Joel still haven't signed the papers, Chris starts to question what's going on. Julia insists that Chris shouldn't pressure her, but Chris breaks things off between them, convinced that Julia is still in love with Joel. Julia talks to her mother about her relationship, and while Camille says that marriage is about forgiveness, Julia says she doesn't think she can forgive Joel. Even though they have both made mistakes, Joel is the one who gave up on their marriage, and Julia doesn't know if she can forgive that. Later, Julia goes over to Joel's place and brings the divorce papers. She signs them, and says it's time for Joel to do the same. Instead, the two of them end up making out.

I liked this. A lot. I have been waiting and waiting for Julia and Joel to find their way back to each other! I like that this isn't so cut and dry. I still don't know if they're going to get back together, or if this is some sort of way of saying goodbye. A final moment of weakness. That ambiguity makes the moment all the more touching and bittersweet. I will say this, though... Chris turned into a jerk right at the end. He totally was pressuring Julia! I mean, I get why he would be upset with her, but he's new to this whole situation. Julia and Joel have been married for years. He can't expect the end of that relationship to suit his timetable. I think ultimately this was a strong plot thread, even if Chris ended up more of a jerk than I would have liked.

Then there's Max. He has been harassing Dylan at school, continually trying to say that he likes her and that logically she should like him back. At a parent's night for the school, Dylan's parents show up and witness Max trying to grab at Dylan. Dylan storms off and then tells her parents what's been going on. Dylan's parents are furious with Kristina and Adam for not disciplining Max, and they want to pull Dylan out of the school. Kristina and Adam have a talk with Max, and they tell him that sometimes people can't change how much they like one another, and you have to respect their wishes. Max, Adam and Kristina all go together over to Dylan's house, and Max apologizes to Dylan. Kristina and Adam entreat Dylan's parents not to make her switch schools, and they agree to let her stay. Dylan and Max shake hands, and things seem to be back to the status quo.

This was my favorite plot of the night. So great! Again, we continue to see how even though Max's parents feel bad for him, they never blame Dylan, or try to convince her to give Max a chance. They understand that it doesn't work like that, and it would be awful to pretend it did. There was a good balance here with Dylan's parents, too. They weren't totally unreasonable, but they did get rightfully angry that their daughter didn't seem to be safe in this school. The most touching scene was probably when Dylan told Kristina that her parents wanted to switch schools. She was so upset, because she knows that this school is the right place for her. Also, I liked it when Adam and Kristina talked to Max about relationships. He admitted when something was confusing to him, so they could keep talking about it. Hopefully Dylan and Max can go back to being friends.

Meanwhile, it turns out that Ruby is the understudy for her school's musical, Grease, and when the girl playing Sandy gets sick, Ruby gets to go on! Ruby's parents both go to see her, of course, and so does Sarah. It's a little awkward, but Sandy and Sarah seem to get along for the most part. Unexpectedly, Mark Cyr is there as the substitute drama teacher. The next night, Sarah tells Hank that maybe she shouldn't come to the play, so that it can be a family thing. Hank, however, tells Sarah that he likes her to be a part of Ruby's life, and it's important to him that she come. So, Sarah does. Bad news for Ruby, though: the girl playing Sandy is feeling better, and she decides to go on. Ruby is really upset. While Hank and Sandy go to talk to her, Sarah and Mark get a chance to catch up. Mark is going to be a father! Sarah says she's happy for him, but it seems like maybe he's a bit conflicted. In any case, Sarah and Hank leave together, after Sarah and Mark are finished talking. Hank asks Sarah if she's truly happy with him, or if she thinks her life would have been better if she had stayed with Mark. At this point, Sandy and Ruby come rushing in. Ruby is really upset, so both of her parents have to try to talk to her. Later, Sarah picks up the thread of the conversation, saying that she's truly happy with Hank and there's no place she'd rather be.

Awesome! I was so worried that they were going to make Hank and Sandy a thing, and leave Sarah by the wayside. This episode seemed to be an affirmation that Sarah and Hank are going to stay together. I mean, I don't know for sure... but the point is, this was lovely. I liked it when Hank said that Sarah was one of the best things that ever happened to him. It's such a romantic thing to say, but of course he says it casually, like it's no big deal. Very nice. He also said that he liked having her in Ruby's life, which was a nice way for him to reassure Sarah, after all the strangeness with that in the past. I had a few qualms about this plot thread though... for one, was the reappearance of Mark Cyr even necessary? I mean, what did that add? He was there, he had an awkward conversation with Sarah, and he left. Is he coming back at any point, or is that the end of him? I was sort of confused. The other thing: what were Ruby and Sandy fighting about there at the end? It's a small thing, but I got a bit annoyed at the lack of explanation. If we had seen just a bit more of a reason for their fight, I would have been satisfied. Still, I mostly liked this plot thread. Hank and Sarah are great together.

Lastly, there's Zeek, Camille and Drew. Zeek has plans to take Camille away on a surprise trip to France, to a beautiful little inn that he stayed in years ago after he was done with his Vietnam tour. He has enlisted Drew to help him track down the inn, but he can't quite remember the name of it. Drew is uncomfortable, because he doesn't think Zeek has checked in with his doctors about whether or not he's allowed to fly, etc. When Camille pushes Drew for information, he spills the beans that Zeek wants to fly. Later, Drew tells Zeek that Camille already knows, and Zeek gets angry, saying that Drew let him down. Zeek tells Camille what the plan was going to be, and Camille says that maybe they can still go, once Zeek gets an okay from his doctor. It looks like the trip won't happen, though - in bed, Zeek can't breathe, and a frantic Camille calls for an ambulance.

Okay, so this plot thread was the weak link for me. Again, it all comes down to the relationship between Zeek and Drew. This just doesn't sit right with me. Zeek was, once again, totally in the wrong in my opinion. He can't ask his grandson to lie to his grandmother! That's ridiculous! Especially when the lie is about Zeek's health. The entire structure of the plot seemed really flimsy - if Zeek had just acted like a semi-responsible adult and talked to his doctor about the trip, then he could have told Drew that he had clearance from medical professionals. Then, Drew wouldn't be uncomfortable about helping Zeek, and he would no longer have to "let Zeek down" or whatever. The whole thing was just irritating. However, I did love the sweet moment with Zeek and Camille, when he told her his plans for their honeymoon. And I did like the cliffhanger - what's going to happen next? Will Zeek be okay?!

So there you are. There are only four episodes left of this show. I'm going to be sad to see it go!

7.5/10