BWW Recap: Things Are Finally Looking Up (I Think) For Joel and Julia on PARENTHOOD

PARENTHOOD's always the type of show that'll throw us curveballs. Given the tearjerking promo that showed what I'd call more than just a glimmer of hope, this week, re: curveballs, was no exception. And, as this episode dealt with a plot line I've been very vocal about since the beginning of the season, it's safe to say I've restored faith in the Braverman clan (not that I ever lost it, but you know what I mean). But more on that later. My full analysis follows:

Growth is clearly the subject of every plot line this week.

It's old vs. young, but not in the way you might think, with Zeek & Drew. Zeek's taking advantage of Drew, and Drew's had enough and puts his grandfather in his place. This must have been the "changing of the guard" referenced in all those interviews and articles during the summer. Drew's becoming the "parent" to Zeek's "child." From trips to Big Top Burger to shooting creamed corn cans with a gun, Zeek's certainly pushing Drew around and clearly making him uncomfortable. While some may disagree, I happen to love Drew putting the kibosh on Zeek's antics. It shows that he's growing up... and furthermore, building off of last week, that he understands that he's growing up and needs to be there for his family. So, he's completely in the right IMO regarding caring for his grandfather. Such a smart kid! However, I will say I enjoyed the line about Zeek pushing Drew to have a little fun, and appreciated that Natalie (to whom I'm glad we're giving a little more screen time!) echoed that same sentiment. Yes, while it's super relieving to have Drew work toward ending on a note where he has a huge full circle moment re: becoming an adult, it's nice to see people pushing him to be a kid, too. :-) And yes, he comes through, when he takes Zeek to the driving range! Fantastic bonding moment between grandfather and - in the words of Zeek - grandson.

Speaking of parents and children, Amber's experiences a complete nervous breakdown while babysitting for Max and Nora, which sheds some light on how she (and others) views herself as a new mother. She's clearly stressed out, and it's taking a toll on her stomach. But, while she may not be the best parent in the world yet - leaving Max downstairs with the junk food and Nora in the wrong bed (but, at least, asleep!) - she's got a mom who'll help her along, who reassures her in a gorgeous one-on-one scene: "You're not gonna do [this] alone." As the season continues on, I can see how this plot line relates to the "changing of the guard" idea as well, with Amber becoming the new mother that Sarah once was to her. Now, you may say "well, duh!" (and you may, indeed, be right); it's just an observation that it's becoming more and more clear as she converses with Sarah about the baby.

Meanwhile, Hank's PARENTHOOD is also put to the test (and Sarah steps in... again) when Ruby's got issues at school. The issue's further escalated when Sandy gets involved and (despite the major improvement that was Ruby and Sarah's bonding moment) she and Sarah butt heads... and Hank leaves. It was nice to have Hank actually establish and understand his error(s), and I love, love, love that it was presented in a such a way that his actions paralleled Max's! A) Extremely clever, period; B) it's nice to show that the writers haven't forgotten that these two are indeed more similar than different, and it was a great visual reminder, without pounding it over our heads!

Of course, it's all leading up to the big reveal: Hank tells Sandy he's got Asperger's. And yep, as one might expect, the complete 360 in how she treats him - and her reaction to how he deals with Ruby - is instant! My thoughts on this change? While it's fantastic to see that Hank's made significant progress with both Ruby and Sandy, it does truly suck that it seems to come at the expense of his relationship with Sarah.

And then... the big moment we've all been waiting for... Joel & Julia, whose return (after being absent last week) was so much more than well worth the wait! We can tell wheels might be turning/minds changing at the beginning of the episode (Joel willingly giving up the house; Julia's hand grab... amazing BTW!), but they actually really get into a in-depth conversation about their relationship and how each of them really feels. This is nice 'cause it's the most "real" I think we've gotten from them in a while. It continues when Chris shows up, and Julia's just uneasy throughout the whole night - foreshadowing of what's to come DEFINITELY. And then, it all comes to a head in the most emotional scene of the night, the conversation between Joel & Zeek. Side note: I will point out, given Zeek's storyline, that this was a turning point/growth for him, becoming the "parent" again to Joel's "child." So, kudos on that, 'cause that's growth for Zeek. And of course, as one Twitter user, wrote, Sam Jaeger should get an Emmy for that scene! Holy crap! Wow! (And yes, the line where he thanked Zeek about being a role model had me in tears. Oh, hell. The whole thing did!)

And yes, while I think it's a little rushed for both of them to suddenly realize their true feelings when they've I can totally see why it all comes out and becomes real when they sign the divorce papers, which triggers such emotions. Glad to see incredible progress with them, though! I can only hope this week's cliffhanger ends up the way everyone wants it to!

The downside to this week? No Jabbar/Aida/Jasmine/Crosby. No Kristina or Adam either, but their absence was explained.

See y'all next week! Please leave your comments below.

Photo taken from PARENTHOOD's official Twitter account.