Tears forever more. I'm not kidding. My God. I re-watched the montage-y part at the end like four times, because I'm a masochist apparently. Wow. Now that is how to end a show. Let's just take a little look-see at what happens in this episode, shall we?
Sarah gets ready to marry Hank, rushing to get the wedding planning done in a week. Hank goes and asks Zeek for his blessing, and Zeek gives it. Zeek later talks to Sarah and the two of them discuss Hank, and how he's going to be good for Sarah. Zeek also says that Sarah is his favorite. Hank asks Drew to be his best man, and Drew agrees.
Meanwhile, Amber is getting more and more stressed about her new role as a mother, given her living situation and her financial strife. Crosby certainly doesn't make things better when he tells Amber that the Luncheonette is closing down. Adam and Crosby are on the outs, as Crosby is really upset at Adam, and Adam is trying to remind Crosby that they are brothers, even if they aren't business partners anymore. When Crosby sees how happy Adam is working with the kids at Chamber's Academy, some of the tension between them thaws. At the wedding, Zeek encourages Crosby to keep the Luncheonette going by himself, and when Crosby tells Adam about it, Adam thinks it's a great idea and wishes him luck. Crosby asks Amber if she wants to be "the new Crosby," now that Crosby is going to be "the new Adam."
Julia and Joel get a surprise call from Victor's social worker. It looks like Victor's birth-mother has just given birth to a little girl, and the mother wanted to give Julia and Joel a chance to adopt her. Julia and Joel initially decide that they can't, because they don't want to throw another curve-ball to the kids, but at the wedding they reconsider and decide to adopt her.
At the wedding, Max is the official photographer. He takes the job very seriously, but he does consent to being in a few pictures with his family, including Haddie who has returned for her Aunt Sarah's wedding. Eventually, Max actually dances with a girl, while Kristina looks on happily.
Zeek and Camille tell Amber that they want her to live with them and raise baby Zeek in their house. Amber is overwhelmed, but she accepts.
After the wedding, we see Kristina confront Adam about his own future. Adam is about ready to accept a job working with a water company, but Kristina thinks that Adam should do something he loves to do - he should be the Headmaster of Chamber's Academy. Kristina will take a job at a non-profit and help to make a bunch of other schools like Chamber's for kids all over the country. This way, Kristina can make the money for a while, and Adam can do what he truly loves.
We see everybody settle in to these new changes in their lives, as Julia, Joel, Victor, and Sydney meet their newest family member, Amber settles in to her home with her grandparents, etc. A while later, as Camille looks at the wedding photos that Max took, she notices that Zeek isn't answering her. She goes into the living room, and finds that he has died of a heart attack.
The family spreads his ashes over a baseball field and plays a game together. As we see them play, we also see flash-forwards to how their lives turned out. Camille travels around and gets to see the beautiful cafe where Zeek wanted to take her. Crosby and Amber have success at the Luncheonette, and we see Jabbar, Aida, and Jasmine in the recording studio with them. Jasmine is pregant once again.
Hank and Sarah have a big family dinner, with Ruby, Drew, Amber, her husband, and a new baby girl. Ryan comes in the door with baby Zeek. It looks like Ryan is a part of his son's life! Max graduates from Chamber's Academy as Adam takes on the role of Headmaster and hands him his diploma. Julia and Joel now have yet another kid (four total!) and they give the kids a puppy for Christmas.
Everybody is happy and life goes on.
Wow. What a perfect way to end this show. Seriously. I don't know if I have a single complaint. If I had to force myself to find one, it would be that a few of the characters' story lines were basically just dropped at a certain point, and we're just left to imply that things are fine. Specifically, Drew and Natalie had nothing to do this season (not that I ever particularly liked Natalie, but still). The whole mess with Sandy and Ruby was apparently resolved with one ice cream trip, and we didn't get to learn anything more about Haddie and her girlfriend. I understand that it's nearly impossible to tie up every loose end, but they came so close to perfection that I thought I'd point out a few things that kind of got left hanging.
Wow. What a perfect way to end this show. Seriously. I don't know if I have a single complaint. If I had to force myself to find one, it would be that a few of the characters' story lines were basically just dropped at a certain point, and we're just left to imply that things are fine. Specifically, Drew and Natalie had nothing to do this season (not that I ever particularly liked Natalie, but still). The whole mess with Sandy and Ruby was apparently resolved with one ice cream trip, and we didn't get to learn anything more about Haddie and her girlfriend. I understand that it's nearly impossible to tie up every loose end, but they came so close to perfection that I thought I'd point out a few things that kind of got left hanging.
Other than that, this was just a stunning, beautiful, perfect way to end this show. After six seasons with the Bravermans, I wasn't sure if anything could really wrap up the show in a way that would feel complete. I remember last season's ending and how it could have functioned as a finale. I'm so glad we did get this last season, because this way of wrapping things up was infinitely superior. Let's talk about my favorite parts.
- Zeek and Hank's conversation! I loved it so much. Zeek tells Sarah that Hank was the only person to ask for his blessing. Seth didn't do it, Mark Cyr didn't do it... not even Joel did it when he married Julia. But Hank did it out of respect and love for Sarah and Zeek. This was a lovely scene. It was further capitalized on later, when Sarah and Zeek had their moment. Zeek asks Sarah if he's been a good father, and Sarah replies "the very best." Gah. The pain.
- Then there's Max, who takes some brilliant photographs but also has his moment of glory when he asks a girl to dance. That was so, so precious. It wasn't important to see where that went, or even what Max ends up doing with the rest of his life. What we do see is that he got a job - wedding photographer - and he got a moment of social interaction. It was extra adorable when he asked the girl he was dancing with: "is this okay?" Photography as a way to experience the world is a really clever and meaningful aspect to Max's character, and Hank's as well. A wedding, something full of gushy love and hugs and all sorts of people crowding around, would normally be something that Max would avoid. But he becomes a part of the magic by capturing it on camera, and he slowly enters into the world of the wedding as well.
- Drew as Hank's best man. God, kill me now. That was so precious. Sarah got to have both her son and her daughter standing up there with her when she got married, and it was just too perfect for words. Drew's speech was especially touching. He talked about new Zeek, his grandpa Zeek, Hank, and Sarah. This speech was really summing up everything about this finale - the start of a new life, the ending of an old one, and the building of an exciting future family.
- Julia and Joel have two more kids! Aww! I was so happy to see them adopt Victor's little sister, but then there was the added surprise of a fourth kid, AND A PUPPY TOO! That puppy was extra adorable. Their little Christmas tableau was perhaps the cheesiest thing I've ever seen, but I don't even care, to be honest. It was so nice to see them find that happiness after all they had been through.
- Crosby and Adam. I knew we were going to have to spend some time working on their relationship in this last episode, but I wasn't expecting it to make me misty-eyed. Both of them get what they want. Crosby gets to continue his dream, along with Amber, and Adam finally finds the thing that he's supposed to do. Is it really any surprise that he was always meant to work with children? I wasn't expecting that resolution for Adam's character, but I really adored it all the same.
- Amber moves in with her grandparents. It was in that moment that I knew for sure that Zeek was going to die. I mean, it was pretty obvious before that, but I think ultimately this was such an important step in the story. As Zeek leaves this world, Amber and baby Zeek enter into Camille's home and give her such comfort for her future years without her husband at her side. Also, Amber eventually finds love, gets married, and has another kid. When Ryan walked through the door, I started crying even harder. That was just such a perfect moment. Especially remembering how close Ryan was to Zeek the elder, it's just so touching to see him with his son, Zeek's namesake.
Okay let's talk about the montage of wedding pictures. Oh my GOD SO CUTE I CAN'T STAND IT. They got every combination imaginable. There was one of just the four kids, there were pictures of each family separately, there was one with all of Zeek and Camille's grand-kids... you had Sarah and Zeek, Sarah and Hank of course, Sarah with Amber and Drew, Amber and Haddie together... I think my favorite picture, though, was the one of Sarah, Hank, Ruby, Amber and Drew. This new family coming together with the kids and all that... sniff sniff... this just made me SO EMOTIONAL.
The montage at the end during the baseball game is absolutely, 100%, the perfect way to end this show. You can ask my mother if you want - I predicted that ending. I said that Zeek would die, and then they would spread his ashes on a baseball field and play a game together, and that we would see flash-forwards of their lives. It was exactly what I expected, but the delivery was so much more beautiful than I could have anticipated. I think my favorite baseball moments include: when Sarah was running between Hank on third and Adam on second, and they both don't let her escape. When Amber picks up the ball in the outfield and looks triumphant for a second, but forgets to throw it. When little Nora runs over home plate because Joel "tripped" and couldn't reach her in time with the ball. When Max smiled, big and happy, as he crossed third. (At one point, Max hugs Nora, which is also adorable). This whole game was just the cutest, most perfect way for the show to go out. Playing over it, of course, was a version of "May God Bless and Keep You Always," which we see Crosby and Amber recording in the Luncheonette.
I don't even know what to say about this finale. It made me so, so, sad that the show is over. I might have to watch this show over again at some point soon. I'm going to miss it terribly!
10/10
As is tradition when a show ends, I've got to give it my over-all rating. Parenthood had occasional slumps and some annoying plot lines, but its consistent devotion to portraying real people and real problems made me continue to watch even through the bumpier moments. The extraordinary acting, creative scriptural technique, and diverse characters all make me confident in giving this show a high score. As an added bonus, I've never cried so much when watching TV as when I watch that one scene where Haddie and Amber hug in a gas station... yeah, I'm weird.
9/10
- Zeek and Hank's conversation! I loved it so much. Zeek tells Sarah that Hank was the only person to ask for his blessing. Seth didn't do it, Mark Cyr didn't do it... not even Joel did it when he married Julia. But Hank did it out of respect and love for Sarah and Zeek. This was a lovely scene. It was further capitalized on later, when Sarah and Zeek had their moment. Zeek asks Sarah if he's been a good father, and Sarah replies "the very best." Gah. The pain.
- Then there's Max, who takes some brilliant photographs but also has his moment of glory when he asks a girl to dance. That was so, so precious. It wasn't important to see where that went, or even what Max ends up doing with the rest of his life. What we do see is that he got a job - wedding photographer - and he got a moment of social interaction. It was extra adorable when he asked the girl he was dancing with: "is this okay?" Photography as a way to experience the world is a really clever and meaningful aspect to Max's character, and Hank's as well. A wedding, something full of gushy love and hugs and all sorts of people crowding around, would normally be something that Max would avoid. But he becomes a part of the magic by capturing it on camera, and he slowly enters into the world of the wedding as well.
- Drew as Hank's best man. God, kill me now. That was so precious. Sarah got to have both her son and her daughter standing up there with her when she got married, and it was just too perfect for words. Drew's speech was especially touching. He talked about new Zeek, his grandpa Zeek, Hank, and Sarah. This speech was really summing up everything about this finale - the start of a new life, the ending of an old one, and the building of an exciting future family.
- Julia and Joel have two more kids! Aww! I was so happy to see them adopt Victor's little sister, but then there was the added surprise of a fourth kid, AND A PUPPY TOO! That puppy was extra adorable. Their little Christmas tableau was perhaps the cheesiest thing I've ever seen, but I don't even care, to be honest. It was so nice to see them find that happiness after all they had been through.
- Crosby and Adam. I knew we were going to have to spend some time working on their relationship in this last episode, but I wasn't expecting it to make me misty-eyed. Both of them get what they want. Crosby gets to continue his dream, along with Amber, and Adam finally finds the thing that he's supposed to do. Is it really any surprise that he was always meant to work with children? I wasn't expecting that resolution for Adam's character, but I really adored it all the same.
- Amber moves in with her grandparents. It was in that moment that I knew for sure that Zeek was going to die. I mean, it was pretty obvious before that, but I think ultimately this was such an important step in the story. As Zeek leaves this world, Amber and baby Zeek enter into Camille's home and give her such comfort for her future years without her husband at her side. Also, Amber eventually finds love, gets married, and has another kid. When Ryan walked through the door, I started crying even harder. That was just such a perfect moment. Especially remembering how close Ryan was to Zeek the elder, it's just so touching to see him with his son, Zeek's namesake.
Okay let's talk about the montage of wedding pictures. Oh my GOD SO CUTE I CAN'T STAND IT. They got every combination imaginable. There was one of just the four kids, there were pictures of each family separately, there was one with all of Zeek and Camille's grand-kids... you had Sarah and Zeek, Sarah and Hank of course, Sarah with Amber and Drew, Amber and Haddie together... I think my favorite picture, though, was the one of Sarah, Hank, Ruby, Amber and Drew. This new family coming together with the kids and all that... sniff sniff... this just made me SO EMOTIONAL.
The montage at the end during the baseball game is absolutely, 100%, the perfect way to end this show. You can ask my mother if you want - I predicted that ending. I said that Zeek would die, and then they would spread his ashes on a baseball field and play a game together, and that we would see flash-forwards of their lives. It was exactly what I expected, but the delivery was so much more beautiful than I could have anticipated. I think my favorite baseball moments include: when Sarah was running between Hank on third and Adam on second, and they both don't let her escape. When Amber picks up the ball in the outfield and looks triumphant for a second, but forgets to throw it. When little Nora runs over home plate because Joel "tripped" and couldn't reach her in time with the ball. When Max smiled, big and happy, as he crossed third. (At one point, Max hugs Nora, which is also adorable). This whole game was just the cutest, most perfect way for the show to go out. Playing over it, of course, was a version of "May God Bless and Keep You Always," which we see Crosby and Amber recording in the Luncheonette.
I don't even know what to say about this finale. It made me so, so, sad that the show is over. I might have to watch this show over again at some point soon. I'm going to miss it terribly!
10/10
As is tradition when a show ends, I've got to give it my over-all rating. Parenthood had occasional slumps and some annoying plot lines, but its consistent devotion to portraying real people and real problems made me continue to watch even through the bumpier moments. The extraordinary acting, creative scriptural technique, and diverse characters all make me confident in giving this show a high score. As an added bonus, I've never cried so much when watching TV as when I watch that one scene where Haddie and Amber hug in a gas station... yeah, I'm weird.
9/10
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