Parenthood: A Review of the Series

Last week this wonderful, emotional, heart felt series aired its final episode. So sad, but what a wonderful ride it was! Since I have a few thoughts, and just in case you've not watched it, I thought I'd do a post gushing its praises.

This series started back in 2010. I let two seasons go by before jumping on board. Not sure why. Maybe it's one of those times where I knew I would be hooked and I was just avoiding getting hooked to another show. Maybe it was because I couldn't picture Lauren Graham as anyone but Lorelei. I don't know. But one day, we watched the first episode, then binge watched the first two seasons. After that, it was watching it live (well actually I usually watched it online the day after it aired) every week.

The same people did this show as those who did Friday Night Lights. So, if you're familiar with that one you'll know that every episode is full of emotion and feelings and nearly every week you're left weepy eyed. Parenthood delivered this same type of stuff. Every week! I think because it deals with real stuff, ordinary stuff, everyday stuff, stuff we all have to deal with, or people we know deal with. Things like:

• dating, both when you're young and when you're older
• going to college
• dealing with kid with a disability
• getting old
• getting married
• having babies
• infertility and adoption
• affairs
• inlaws
• politics
• all sorts of teenager issues
• abortion
• cancer
• starting a business
• following your dreams
• relationships between siblings, parent and child (both little and grown), aunts and uncles and cousins, grandparent and grandchild, husband and wife, etc.

All the stories made you love the characters and hate them both! But still, you end up with favorites. I especially loved Max, Drew, Mr. Cyr, Crosby, Zeke, Sarah and Hank.

Here's Sarah with both Mr. Cyr and Hank.
I didn't like Hank at first, but he grew on me. 

The parents (and grandparents) of the whole crew.
Zeek was the heart of the show. 

 I really loved Crosby and felt everyone
treated him like crap most of the time.

This Max and Drew and Amber.
These kids all do an amazing acting job.

And, beware spoilers as I talk about the final episode, directed to those that have watched!

 I loved how they did this! I was hoping that the whole dying thing would not happen, but of course they had to do it after all. I loved the wedding and how Max took all the pictures and we got to see everyone together and in family groups. But I especially loved the flash forward several years into the future. Wasn't that nicely done? And from what I gather it looks like Julie and Joel stay together and end up having their own baby after all! Along with the new one they adopted. And Max graduates of course. All is well with him. Crosby's Lunchette gets going and they are pregnant again too. And Amber does gets married to someone else and has another baby but appears to have a good connection going with Ryan. Nice. Everyone seems to get their happy ending. Even Camille is visiting the special cafe in France. That's when I got pretty teary! 

Anyway, so if you haven't watched it and you are in the mood to binge on Netflix show... one about real life, then you know where to go!