This Parenthood episode focused on a thought provoking central question: How do you know when or if you’ve made the right decision when dealing with your children? And what happens when two parents disagree?
During the past two episodes, Adam and Kristina had been on the same page in forbidding their 16-year-old daughter from dating a 19-year-old recovering alcoholic who has his own apartment. But because they refused to discuss it or compromise at all with Haddie, she fled to her grandparents’ home and shows no signs of returning. Now Adam and Kristina have started to wonder whether they’ve made the right decision.
Although Kristina continued to be insufferably icy — a risky but bold move for the writers as this character frequently dabbles into unlikeable territory — there was a crack in her stone-cold exterior. The scene of Kristina curled up on Haddie’s bed and explaining how she feared that Haddie could suffer the same fate as her mother (running away with her father at age 16 and having a miserable life) finally exposed viewers to what’s emotionally driving Kristina, other than her unflappably stubborn belief that her way is the only right way to go. Her fears that she’ll lose Haddie if they allow her to date Alex were ironic in that they’ve kind of already lost her, albeit temporarily, in that she’s no longer living with them.
The awkwardness between Kristina and Camille was well done and palpable, as Kristina felt like she’d been backed into a corner and others seemed to either disagree with her or treat the situation lightly, like Sarah, who didn’t help matters any when she observed that she’d run away several times when she was a teen.
It was heartening to see another difficult character who also verges on unlikeable at times — Zeek — get his comeuppance. Aside from his sexist, only-males-can-go-camping-with-me declaration, Zeek continued to exude an arrogant, know-it-all vibe as Adam attempted to give him some pointers on how to handle Max, who has Asperger’s. After dealing with Max’s meltdown by having to call the high (!) Adam for help, Zeek got a glimpse into the everyday lives Kristina and Adam lead while raising Max and he was actually chastened by the camping experience. That was satisfying.
As for the rest of the episode — the bridal shower, the T&S child bossman writing on the walls and windows and coming up with the one shoe “answer” to the company’s problems, Sarah quitting her internship — it left me kind of flat.
Clacked by Meredith O'Brien 
on Feb 02, 2011 @ 12:30 EST5EDT
