What I’m Watching: Parenthood

Parenthood: Season 5, Episode 11 “Promises” (B+)

It’s strange to have this show as the first one back after the late-December hiatus, but it’s extremely welcome. The New Year brings a break from anything traumatic involving Amber, or anything about the lighthearted friction of the marriages of either Adam and Kristina or Crosby and Jasmine. Instead, the main couple is Joel and Julia, who are doing fine getting along but hit a rough patch because Ed can’t keep it together and made it obvious that something had happened between Julia and him. Julia opting not to tell Joel about their kiss is likely going to prove more damaging than anything, and I hope that telling Crosby and, indirectly, Adam about that won’t make things worse. It’s going to be extremely painful if that ends in separation or divorce, and I’m not eager to see it implode when things finally come to a head. Max freaking out when Hank told him they couldn’t do what they were supposed to produced an unexpected introspective response in Hank, and it was fun to see him making notes all over the book and realizing that maybe he and Max aren’t all that different. Sarah had an unusually positive romantic experience, and who knew that Carl was such a catch? Why he keeps his successes secret is the bigger question. Zeek making a friend was a difficult but rewarding task, and I’m glad to see that he revised his e-mail to Camille to be supportive rather than needy and encouraged her to stay in Italy.