Parenthood: Let's Go Home (6x11)

I think this episode could have been the finale. It's weird, but except for the fact that Amber is still pregnant and we have to see how that plays out, I would think this was the end! Everything sort of... wrapped up. I guess I'm glad to see that we still have two more episodes to wind things down, but at the same time, I'm a tiny bit confused! Let's just get started, shall we?

First of all, it looks like Zeek is home from the hospital. He doesn't want to talk about the next step with Camille, but he does seem determined to find an old signed baseball so he can give it to his great-grandson (or daughter). After going with Drew (who apologizes for ruining Zeek's surprise to Camille) to find it in a storage unit, Zeek remembers where he hid the ball. When Adam and Crosby were kids, they wanted to play with it, so Zeek hid it in the rafters of the shed at the old place. Zeek and Camille go over to the house and see a new family living there, with kids running around and a pregnant mother. Zeek decides not to go get the baseball, because he wants to leave it there for some other kid to find and treasure.

Sarah, meanwhile, doesn't know what to do about Hank's proposal. Hank assures her that he meant it, but Sarah needs time to come up with an answer. She talks with Julia about it, who tells her to make a pro/con list. She also talks to her mother, as the two pour over old photographs together. (The photographs were found in a shoe box in the closet when Zeek was looking for his baseball. Max goes to Hank and the two of them develop the old film together, finding countless years of Braverman memories). Camille asks Sarah if she loves Hank and if he makes her happy, and she realizes that this is all that matters.

Amber gets a crib from her father, and she and Sarah are trying to put it together. Hank comes over to help, realizing that it's probably a disaster, and Amber is grateful. Sarah comes over and finds Hank, who has completed the crib while Amber sleeps. Sarah accepts Hank's proposal.

Julia and Joel try to talk about their relationship, but they just end up in bed together again. Sydney almost sees Joel in Julia's room, but he escapes notice by hiding under the bed. Later, Julia insists that they go through the working-it-out part of their relationship before they tell the kids anything. She doesn't want to confuse them in case they can't make it work. Joel continually insists that he will never leave Julia again. At the ice rink, Julia calls Joel to check in while Sydney and Victor skate. Joel then shows up at the ice rink. He and Julia share a kiss, while the kids look on happily.

Crosby is ready to go full speed ahead on the Luncheonette, but Adam has to be honest: he wants to give up and end the business. Crosby agrees, but he's devastated. Jasmine tries to comfort him. She then goes over and talks to Adam, who is surprised to hear how upset Crosby really is. He starts to reconsider. Kristina reminds him that he should do the responsible thing and end the business, but Adam decides to go forward with it. He tells Crosby that he's all in, and Crosby excitedly hugs Adam, ready to continue with his dreams.

So... yeah. I guess my main complaint is what I said at the beginning. Everything is wrapped up! Hank and Sarah are getting married, Julia and Joel are on the mend, Camille looked at sentimental pictures of her family, the Luncheonette is saved... what else is there? I mean, I know we still have to deal with Amber's baby, and Zeek's condition. But did anybody else feel like they introduced conflict last episode (the proposal, the Luncheonette being robbed) just to have it resolved this week? What was the point of those little detours?

But honestly, I loved all of the individual plot lines. Some of this got a little over-the-top cheesy, but actually I think this show calls for that, here in its final moments.

Zeek and Camille and the baseball: I gotta say, the highlight here was when they drove over to the old house and saw a new family playing there. It was really cheesy but really sweet. I think ultimately the end of this show is focused on the theme of the circle of life. Zeek is old and maybe even dying, but life goes on. I also loved the moment with Drew and Zeek, and how Zeek said that he would probably end up being pissed off at somebody when he died, but that he'd never hold on to that. That was both funny and touching at the same time.

Sarah and Hank, Amber and the crib: I think this plot thread was my favorite of the night. Last week, I was getting so annoyed with Sarah's weird behavior towards Hank, but this week more than made up for it. Her list of good qualities about Hank was really sweet. (Also, I was chuckling and having Gilmore Girls flashbacks with all the talks of pro/con lists.) I loved that Sarah went to both Julia and her mom for advice about Hank, and they both approached the problem really differently. However, both of them helped Sarah to realize that she wanted to say yes. The thing with the crib was wonderful as well - last week, we got to see some bonding with Hank and Drew, and this week we saw it a little bit with Hank and Amber. I didn't mind all the stuff with Hank and his daughter Ruby, but I'm really happy to see the show take some time to explore Hank's relationships with Sarah's kids. It's important if we're going to make them believable as a couple.

Julia and Joel! On an ice rink! I don't care that it's straight out of the movie Serendipity. It was still adorable! Also, I loved the sort of sitcom-y feel of the scene when Sydney almost caught Joel in the bedroom. It was maybe a little over the top, but at the risk of becoming a broken record: I don't care about the cheesiness. It was still hilarious and adorable. I'm happy to see that Joel respects Julia's logical approach to all of this, but in the end they both know they want to make it work. It's so perfect.

Crosby, Adam, and the Luncheonette: This might be the only plot that I felt a little iffy about at first, because I just feel like we're watching a lot of flip-flopping. Adam doesn't want the Luncheonette, and then he does. Didn't we kind of already see this before, when they got the offer and Adam wanted to sell it, but then changed his mind to support Crosby? This feels like the same thing all over again! However, despite my initial hangups, I still find Crosby and Adam's relationship one of the strongest things about the whole show. I just love the two of them and their brotherly bond. I hope that Adam is doing this for himself, and not just for Crosby. I also hope that Kristina doesn't cause too much trouble about it all. A nice bit of acting from Dax Shepard in this episode. When Crosby found out that Adam wanted to give up, he was so distraught! He came home and looked like he was about to burst into tears. I really felt for the guy.

I can't believe we only have two episodes left! This show, while not my favorite on television, has the dubious honor of having made me cry more times than any other show I've ever watched. I swear, it just knows what buttons to push!

8/10