TV review by Merrill Barr, co-host of The Idiot Boxers

Show: Parenthood
Airs: NBC, Tuesdays, 10pm
Episodes: Season One Finale

Every TV season has its stand out new show. In 2001 it was 24. In 2004 it was LOST. But the stand out 2009-2010 series didn’t come in the form of a hardcore serial drama, no, the stand out came in the form of a dramedy. That dramedy is Parenthood, the story of a very large family working through all walks of life. From the standard nuclear family, to the single mom, to the stay at home dad, to the single dad with long lost son, to the grandparents dealing with the issues of their now grown up children, it is all here.

The show throughout the season focused on four main characters, Adam, Sarah, Crosby and Julia. They are all siblings who make up the children of the Braverman family. Each of them represents one of the various family dynamics mentioned above. Then of course there are all of their various children. Adding to them are Adam, Sarah, Crosby and Julia’s parents Zeek and Camille. That should give you an idea, the vast scope of the series.

You would think the show would have trouble balancing all of these stories throughout. For the first 3 episodes that was the case. But, by the time we get to the season finale, everything gets its fair share of time. We really get to see some good writing when all of the Braverman kids are suddenly focused on one thing. Getting their parents Zeek and Camille back together after they discover Zeek cheated on Camille many years ago.

Parenthood truly gets down to what it means to be a family. It gets the point across that all families are hectic and it requires more than just a half-ass it attitude. A family takes commitment and responsibility. We see that most in Sarah’s family. Sarah is the single mother in the equation. At the start of the series she moves, with her kids, back into her parents’ home in hopes to give her kids a better life closer to their family. She is forced to suddenly not only deal with the drama of being a single mom, but also the drama of being a 38-year-old adult living with her parents.

There is also a great message in the way family is able to come together. In the pilot we see something is wrong with Adam’s son, Max. We learn by the second episode that Max has Asperger syndrome. It’s a struggle for Adam, his wife Kristina and his daughter Haddie to deal with this new development and we see what hardship is all about.

While I will be the first to admit that the season finale really copped out in the last five minutes by wrapping everything up in a nice neat bow, everything leading to that is very well done. There are so many stories that, due to spoiler reasons, I don’t want to mention. But, I will say that they all have the same common theme. Family is everything.

Parenthood explores much more than just what it means to be a parent. That is why the show is relatable to more than just parents. Teenagers, college kids, pre-teens, elderly, they can all take something from this series. Family is everything in this world and this show couldn’t be doing a better job at representing this. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next season for the Bravermans.

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Tags: Brian Grazer, Parenthood, Ron Howard, Season Finale