Parenthood Review: "A Potpourri of Freaks" (6×04)

When I was writing about Parenthood last season, I came rather quickly to the realization that it’s a very difficult show to write about weekly. Owing to its realistic, slice-of-life approach to family drama, there are often episodes where very little happens, at least externally. Many of the stories contain such subtle moments, and are spread across so many episodes, that it’s not always so simple to find new or interesting things to say about each character, every episode. The writers must face this conundrum as well, as they rotate cast members in and out of episodes, and, occasionally, do a story that is so forced and goofy, you can just picture Jason Katims staring at an empty square on the season grid and scratching his head.

“A Potpourri of Freaks” is symptomatic of all these Parenthood quirks. Kristina returns after taking a week off, but Amber is now missing (rather conspicuously, given her big episode last week). The problem of Sydney’s bullying continues into this episode, and Joel and Julia continue to vacillate between “definitely over” and “tentatively over,” to the consternation of said bully. Oh, and Crosby joins Oliver Rome at some odd spiritual retreat, of which the less said, the better. It’s a scattershot episode, in other words. The stories range from fantastic, to occasionally great, to mildly interesting, to horrifyingly grating.

This week’s episode focuses heavily on Zeek as he recovers at home from his surgery. “Recovers” is perhaps too generous a term; really, he sulks on the couch watching John Wayne movies, while Camille looks on helplessly. Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia have always had a lived-in quality to their chemistry, and that continues to be evident here. It’s extremely difficult to watch Zeek like this, but Nelson gamely walks the line between keeping him sympathetic, while still allowing him to be a bit of a dick to Camille. It’s always totally understandable why he acts the way he does, and both the script and the acting avoid making him seem petulant or mean. He’s just frustrated, and sometimes we take frustration out on our family members in ways we might not mean to.

We also spend a considerable amount of time with Hank and his family. Betsy Brandt is back as Sandy, and both she and Ray Romano are their usually excellent selves. Romano will never cease to amaze me with his ability as a dramatic actor, and this episode he portrays such an internalized conflict with care and precision that is unrivaled by any other actor on the show. His meeting with Sandy at the diner is shot beautifully, and makes a small victory—after all, all Hank really does is let Sandy know exactly what Sarah means to him—feel momentous.

Hank’s story continues to parallel Max’s, which always yields interesting results. This week, it turns out Max is smitten with new student Dylan, a girl with ADHD and a bit of an attitude on her. She calls him “Asperger’s” and vexes Kristina to no end; their smug-off in Kristina’s office is a great bit of comedy. But when Adam goes to ensure that Dylan is not bullying Max or making him feel uncomfortable, he instead is floored when Max asks for advice on girls. Again, it’s a small victory—perhaps Adam’s first typical teenage interaction with his son—but it plays as tremendous.

Interestingly enough, Hank’s story also parallels Julia’s, as the show provides two perspectives of divorce, and how they affect both the former couple and their children. Sydney is acting out against the uncertainty of her parents’ situation, and it’s only causing a further wedge between Joel and Julia. I could do without the slow pan up to Sydney watching her parents through her bedroom window, though, which is like something from some awful, mawkish after school special. I’m still not convinced (and probably never will be) that the show has ever given us enough of Joel’s perspective on anything, let alone this divorce, and for him to suddenly be the one pining for Julia is always going to seem just a little off. When Julia notes that he was the one who moved out, he was the one who called things off, it’s entirely too easy to side with her, when the script clearly wants us to be conflicted between the two of them. That said, Erika Christensen continues to shine, and Julia’s scene with Zeek this week is another in a line of scenes examining the various kids’ relationships to their father. It’s heartwarming to see him validate her parenting, and her ability as a mother, and, perhaps implicitly, her decision to move on from Joel.

At the end of the episode, though, it’s Kristina of all people who finally gets Zeek off the couch and outside. That rings true to me in a lot of ways. Kristina can often feel like the outsider in the Braverman clan (which could be said about Jasmine, too, but Jasmine is barely a character on this show anymore), and so it’s fitting that it’s she who can reach Zeek at this time, when he also is feeling unlike himself, feeling on the outside of his own life. It’s a difficult time for many of the Bravermans, and only about to get harder, but it’s moments like these, moments when the simple fact of being Bravermans bonds them together, that form the glue of the show. It’s hard to fault any episode for that—Oliver Rome notwithstanding.

Stray Observations:

– About Oliver Rome: I don’t want to drag down a review of an episode I mostly like with discussion of this asinine plot, so I’m relegating it to the stray observations down here. How stupid is Crosby’s story this week? It commits multiple cardinal Parenthood sins, by 1) playing up over-the-top, sitcom-esque “jokes”; 2) drawing Crosby away from the rest of the family to engage in said sitcom bullshit; and 3) heavily featuring a supporting character in a storyline that is extremely unbelievable once you give it even the remotest examination. It’s dumb, plain and simple, and it really makes this episode a chore to get through.

– With appearances by both Chambers Academy and the Luncheonette, this really is the week of improbable Braverman business ventures.

– After taking the week off, both Kristina and Chambers Academy are back. Dylan vexes Kristina.

– And a Luncheonette story too! It’s a week of improbable Braverman business ventures.

– I know Sydney is being really cruel, but man, Melody’s mom could be less of a bitch to Julia, right?

– “The last grandkid gift was a Pontiac, so I hope you have something good up your sleeve for this one.” Jasmine might barely exist on this show anymore, but she at least gets a good moment in every so often.