It’s the day of Zeek’s heart surgery on Parenthood, and the rest of the Bravermans anxiously await his fate.
Well Wishes
The first generation of Braverman siblings all go to Zeek and Camille’s house to see their Dad before his surgery. While there, Zeek spills the beans about Amber’s pregnancy (she’s there too), but when they talk on the porch after, she says it actually worked out for her since she was super stressed about telling them all anyway. Well, that’s one way to avoid multiple “I’m pregnant!” reveal scenes, Parenthood writers.
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Road Trip
Speaking of that pregnancy, Amber goes to visit Drew in his new dorm room, and apologizes for not telling him the news sooner, since he had to find out via several text messages from their family members. I’d be a little ticked off, but Drew handles it pretty well.
What he does not handle well is Amber’s other reveal: she’s going to go tell Ryan the news, in person. Drew is having none of that, unless he goes too, so the two embark on a road trip to chat with the baby daddy. Drew is clearly not a fan of Ryan, and her brother is not about to let her go off and tell him he’s going to be a father on her own.
The Big Day
After a brief argument with a hospital staff member over getting to keep his wedding ring on during the surgery, Zeek settles in for the surgery. Before he’s wheeled away, his kids come to wish him well once more. This is after a few scenes depicting their various reactions to the upcoming surgery: Joel and Julia having a brief heart-to-heart outside the hospital, Crosby getting an email of worst-case scenarios from Adam and telling Jasmine, and he refuses to be negative about it.
All the family present in Zeek’s room just before he’s taken to surgery say goodbye as they leave for the waiting room, and they tell him they love him in various ways. That, coupled with the emotional departure he and Camille have just outside the O.R., when he gives her his wedding ring and admits that he’s scared before tossing her a quick “Love you,” are all very Parenthood.
We are left before the commercial break with a clearly emotional Camille, standing alone in the hallway outside the operating room and breaking down for just a moment. On that note — am I the only one that has a bad feeling about Camille this season? I’m a little worried that in all this focus on Zeek, her own health may just turn out to be an afterthought until it’s too late.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
In the waiting room, Crosby watches a game he and Zeek were talking about before the surgery, Julia and Sarah talk about Julia’s new man, and Adam talks to Camille and is predictably Adam about the whole thing; he comforts her, but is clearly gloomy about the outcome himself.
There’s a cute moment where Julia’s new guy has a “waiting room survival” kit delivered to her, complete with Twizzlers and other items from a “finals survival kit” Zeek brought to her when she was in college and she and her new beau first knew each other. Parenthood is really making it tough for me to see why Julia shouldn’t just stick with this guy, I gotta say.
To make matters worse, Adam tells Crosby that their favorite rockstar client, Oliver, is refusing to do a show he’s contracted for and that they’re likely to be sued if he doesn’t go on. After they yell at each other a bit, Crosby agrees to call the guy and handle it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well, and Oliver hangs up on him.
Frustrated, Crosby hops on his motorcycle to drive off some of his emotions, or something. It’s clearly a Very Bad Idea, capitalization intended, and sure enough, he gets into a very small accident while driving. Just enough to bang him up a bit and cause him to limp back into the waiting room, but I was worried for a second there.
Ryan’s Reaction
When Amber and Drew get to Ryan’s, the place is a wreck and Drew is clearly uncomfortable with being there. Ryan is totally shocked to see them, since Amber didn’t tell him they were coming, and he quickly tries to clean up what he says is his mom’s mess. Drew decides to wait by the car while Amber gives Ryan the news, although the two of them half-heartedly tell him to stay.
Amber tells Ryan she’s pregnant, and he is absolutely ecstatic about it, which she did not expect. Despite her telling him she doesn’t need anything from him, he promises to be there for her and to be a great father to the baby. This is all exchanged in the house and during a walk the two take together, and I can’t help but wonder how long Drew just chilled by the car.
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Amber’s Decision
Finally, Amber goes to Drew and tells him Ryan took it well, and that she wants to stay there with him for a bit to work stuff out. Drew understandably flips out, exclaiming that Ryan is a mess and Amber can’t change him. He even compares Ryan to their father, who is a bit of a sore spot for them both. He tells her he’ll leave her for an hour and drive around, but that he refuses to completely leave without her. What a good brother.
Taking what Drew said to heart, Amber goes back to Ryan and tells him she can’t stay; he has too much work to do on himself, and she can’t take care of him while she’s trying to take care of herself and the baby too. I think that’s a pretty fair position to take, but Ryan is confused and distressed by her words.
Ruby the Rebel
I should probably mention that there was also a subplot in this episode involving Ruby and Sarah going out shopping when Hank was too wrapped up in his work to take his daughter himself, and Ruby stealing a lip gloss while out on this shopping trip. When Sarah tells Hank, he doesn’t believe her at first, saying that that’s not something Ruby would do.
However, when Ruby’s mom comes to pick her up and Hank mentions what Sarah thought she saw, she confirms that it’s something Ruby has pulled before. She’s also super mad that Sarah took her out instead of Hank hanging out with her, stating that Ruby needs a father, and one who won’t pawn her off on his girlfriend. She gives Hank the ultimatum that she doesn’t want Sarah around Ruby, which I think is a little unfair but hey, it’s her kid.
Out of the Woods?
Joel calls Julia for news on Zeek, and when he offers to talk to her or do whatever she needs for her to help her cope, she finally puts her foot down and says it would just be too hard. She also admits that she’s been seeing someone, which he apparently didn’t know, and he quickly hangs up, following that disclosure.
But not long after that, Zeek’s doctor comes out with news for the family. According to Adam, good news is always given in the waiting room, and sure enough, he’s got only good things to tell them: Zeek came through the surgery fine, and is recovering comfortably in I.C.U. Yay!
The family goes back to see him, with Camille entering his room and the Braverman siblings watching from the hallway windows, teary-eyed and together. Zeek doesn’t look great, but he’s alive, and when Camille slips his wedding ring back on his finger, he blinks open his eyes and the couple hold hands; again, the whole scene is very Parenthood. They’re really driving home the sappiness in these last episodes.
What do you think is coming up next in these final episodes of Parenthood? Be sure to leave your comments and predictions below!
Parenthood airs at 10pm Thursday nights on NBC.
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(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
