Round Two: Parenthood

Parenthood: Season 1, Episode 2 “Man Versus Possum” (B+)

A second go at this show proves to be rewarding, which is a good sign. I like the title of the episode and its theme of trying to find an elusive animal reminds me very much of the first episode of “Weeds,” which was titled, “You Can’t Miss the Bear.” This episode featured a healthy serving of crazy people, from the Buddhist soccer mom to the over-the-top Asperger’s parents. Framing the Braverman family in a light that isn’t quite as insane is a positive thing, and they’re proving to all be very interesting. Crosby’s decision to keep his girlfriend in the dark about the existence of his son is evidently coming to blow up in his face soon, and I fear that it will bring about the swift departure of the magnificent Marguerite Moreau, who makes the most out of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scenes. Julia’s accidentally-broadcasted off-handed remark that the Buddhist mom trying to steal her husband doesn’t even work was insanely awkward, but she did a great job of handling it (as did the writers for having it play out this way) by pledging $1920 to honor all women instead of dwelling on her rivalry. Sarah’s interview was pleasant, but it’s a shame that it didn’t work out and that she was mad at Adam for recommending her without even telling her. All of the supposed adults smoking pot at the school was hilarious, especially when Adam refused because he said it was still illegal. This is one family I’d definitely like to stick around with and get to know better.