I have followed Parenthood since the early beginning. After Brothers & Sisters' ending, I couldn’t live without a weekly dose of a great family drama. Not only With Parenthood I have found something which lived up to my expectations, this show was such a great achievement for this decade’s television.
Let’s talk about its ending. What wasn’t perfect in May God Bless And Keep You Always? It is an incredible swan song. I really loved everything of this amazing and heartbreaking closure. Sarah got married. The family gathers and celebrates this event. I loved each moment of May God Bless and Keep You Always, especially Zeek’s ones. How could someone can not cry when he asks Sarah “Have I been a good Father?” “The very best!” or when he and Camille talked to Amber about her possible moving in with them? Craig T. Nelson nailed it with the whole cast among with him.
As T.S. Eliot wrote “Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future And time future contained in time past”. We have to live with the sad or joyful outcomes of life itself. Going on is living the direct consequence of our own past. So for each character we are shown how their lives will evolve.
Tears of Joy: Amber got a new boyfriend (Friday Night Lights’ Scott Porter cameo, loved it) and Ryan has started to take care of his son.
High level of cuteness and tears: Julia and Joel finally decide to adopt Victor’s newborn sister and in a flashforward we see that they will have another unexpected kid. Julia finally got PREGNANT. I didn’t expect any of this to happen, and it was really perfectly narrated. Erica and Sam had the perfect chemistry. Max graduates with Adam as headmaster of Chambers Academy. Crosby took over Luncheonette and Jasmine gets pregnant of their third baby.
Teardropping moment: Zeek died few months after the wedding. His funeral is a celebration of what we truly loved about this show. I was expecting that eventually we will have to say goodbye to the patriarch of this amazing clan, but it doesn’t mean that it didn’t break my heart seeing his death. Zeek’s ashes are spread on a baseball field, and the whole family starts to play a baseball match with the notes of Forever Young. The circle of life continues.
Parenthood will likely be remembered as another great achievement for Jason Katims, and this series finale is just the perfect circular ending. Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Dax Shephard, Lauren Graham, Mae Whitman, Peter Krause, Erika Christensen and Sam Jaeger are all so stunningly talented and truly gave their heart portraying these strong and fragile characters.
Parenthood’s core is an heartwarming writing, a perfect soundtrack (Damien Rice's Trusty and True?) , a variety of talented actors and a seriously emotional impact. This six years run will be remembered as Friday Night Lights’ one: exceptional. Jason Katims is just one of the best writers out there, I can’t wait to watch and be involved in another of his emotional roller coaster. When a weekly show is able to make you cry out of joy and pain, week after week… there is something special in it! I will miss this big family, I will miss the Braverman!
And you? What do you think of May God Bless and Keep You Always?
Will you miss Parenthood?
