I’ll Be Right Here - Part IV

Parenthood Season 4, Episode 6 – “I’ll Be Right Here” [Original air date: Oct. 23, 2012]
Part IV

I hope you have enjoyed my ‘live’-blogging. Here is my fourth and final post for this episode:

Why do we do the things we do? Our decisions don’t just affect us, but affect everyone around us. Sometimes we forget that our actions can have consequences beyond those just seen by the decision maker. Sarah forces Drew to move (again), and this time to Mark’s place. When she decided to move up the moving date she really didn’t take Drew’s feelings or thoughts into consideration, making him move in the middle of his senior year of high school, and not discussing it with him beforehand. While Mark tries really hard to reach out and connect with Drew, Drew fails to understand that ‘what Drew does doesn’t just affect Drew.’ In a way Drew is a hypocrite, complaining about the very thing he is also taking part in, but this is rather a realistic concept many families deal with and it’s a situation which causes great personal development. Crosby, a secular individual, immerses himself in the act of prayer with Jasper. Crosby wants to better connect with Jasper, and whether you like or dislike what someone does it is always a good idea to respect and try to understand another person’s decisions. In this case Jasper is more religious and Crosby is a tad intrigued to know how “the whole talking to God thing works.” Similar to the role reversal we saw earlier with Amber and Ryan, we see another role reversal here: Father and son practically switch places – the teacher becomes the student and the student becomes the teacher. And like many non-religious folks out there, Crosby shows that he’s not sure who to turn to during a time of crisis when he has little to no control over the outcome (i.e. sickness). Even though our actions could be wrong, are we doing the right things if we have the good of others as our driving force? Adam and Kristina basically lied to Haddie when they told her Kristina was now cancer-free. Parents are constantly looking out for their children’s future, keeping their children’s best interest at heart. I’m a believer in education and think staying in school is a good idea – it appears Adam and Kristina agree. They did what they did because they want Haddie to stay in school, but once you tell little white lie it could become easier to tell larger lies down the road.

I’ll Be Right Here - Part III

Parenthood Season 4, Episode 6 – “I’ll Be Right Here” [Original air date: Oct. 23, 2012]
Part III
My ‘live’-blogging for this episode continues. Here is post three of four:

Amber and Ryan have become the new ‘it’ couple. Sure, they aren’t officially a couple yet, but it appears they are on their way to becoming one. Call me a helpless romantic, and a sucker for Hollywood love stories and Disneyesqu storylines, but the relationship I see budding between these two lovebirds makes me feel a little giddy. The awkwardness between Amber and Ryan brings me back to my middle school years, but also stands as a reminder to viewers that this awkward time period at the start of almost all relationships is practically inevitable so we should embrace it. Ryan is super nervous to ask Amber out on a date and Amber is sweet and shocked, almost taking on the role of the wallflower (interesting, because actress Mea Whitman was in Stephen Chbosky's 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'). Ryan tells us that life isn’t about winning or losing, but about the journey (Cliché? Maybe. But true? Without a doubt.). This fits in nicely with a phrase Adam told Sarah earlier in this episode: “You should do what feels good; life is short.” For Ryan, what feels good is the getting to know Amber, and taking things slow. While people often rush into things, Ryan shows us that it is alright to take some time to make sure you get it right. It’s as if Amber and Ryan reversed gender roles from what Hollywood and society tell us is the “normal” way of doing things. While Amber may have wanted to physically dive right in, Ryan looks to take the old-school approach to dating and explore his sensitive and emotional side. All guys could probably learn something from how Ryan acts in this episode.

I’ll Be Right Here - part II

Parenthood Season 4, Episode 6 – “I’ll Be Right Here” [Original air date: Oct. 23, 2012]
Part II

I am ‘live’-blogging while watching this episode for the first time. Here is post two of four:

Max Braverman’s view on Asperger’s: “Some people say that having Asperger’s can be a bad thing, but I’m glad I have it, because I think it’s my greatest strength.” Max’s student council presidency speech was truly inspiring, showing charisma, courage, and family love. Whether Max knew it or not, it was in this moment where Haddie felt that she was fulfilling her older sibling duty, knowing she was where she belonged and that she had a purpose, at least for a short while. Finding purpose in life can be one of the most difficult things to do (The writers of the musical Avenue Q made it a main theme of their show, and even titled one of the show’s musical numbers “Purpose.”). It was during Max’s speech where viewers were able to get inside Max’s head for a brief minute and really get a taste of what it is like to be living with Asperger’s Syndrome. Though this show is scripted, an actor shows great skill when he is able to not just recite the memorized words and fulfill his job of being an actor playing a character, but rather becoming that character and taking on the difficult task of being a truth-teller. As Max told us, those with Asperger’s have a difficult time saying hello and looking people in the eye, but they are smart, have great memories, and always keep their promises. Max’s presidential race was rooted in the concept of bringing back the vending machines to Cedar Knoll Middle School, not unlike the way William Henry Harrison’s (hero at the Battle of Tippecanoe) and John Tyler’s political platform in the 1840 United States Presidential Election: “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.” Yet with Max, we learned all about tenacity and the positive aspects which come with it.

I’ll Be Right Here - Part I

Parenthood Season 4, Episode 6 – “I’ll Be Right Here” [Original air date: Oct. 23, 2012]
Part I

For this particular episode I’ll be ‘live’-blogging over the course of about an hour as I watch the episode for the first time. Here is post one of four:

The way people emotionally and physically react to the situations life throws at them can say a great deal about their character. Still, reactions are often like reflexes and therefore there is little we can do to stop or alter them sometimes. We cannot help ourselves when we are overcome with a certain amount of adrenaline which our body chooses to expend in ways others may have a difficult time dealing with. Our innate reactions to want o help someone through hard times, though it can be bothersome at first, is most certainly appreciated at the end of the day. The desire to assist in any way possible shows a sense of love and caring. In this episode everyone wants to help Adam and Kristina to the point where it almost creates some comic relief for the viewer: Haddie gets caught up in the moment she starts talking about taking a semester or year off from college, Julia crates a spreadsheet with two-hour time blocks to schedule hospital visiting time for individual family members, and Crosby is assigned to take Otis to the dog park and to pick up dinner; you can almost sense something is bound to go wrong.