Yet we go back, because whatever pain we respond to in a family drama like this one is a good pain, a necessary pain, a pain the only thing worse than which is its absence. He was an integral part of his family's life-- ours too. One hardship the audience and the Bravermans knew they'd have to face was Zeek's death. Parenthood closed the book on the Bravermans with an incredibly satisfying series finale that featured a three-year time jump to get a window into what happened to one of TV's most beloved families. In other words, it was chock-full of happy tears and inconsolable sobbing. For Sarah and Zeek’s walk down the aisle (which depleted my tissue box by half), Ingrid Michaelson’s “Always You” is played. No tissues needed. Yeah, I didn’t believe them, either. And hopefully, to leave them with a network of people who are stronger together than individually, an idea captured in Parenthood‘s final sequence, that tear-jerking yet uplifting family baseball game. The box is connected to my whole Apple ecosystem of media–music, videos, and my iPhoto library, which dates back to around when my first child was born, in 2001. When we met later that year in Austin, it was like we'd already had a longstanding friendship. Huh. I know, there’s a lot of things that we have to kind of suspend belief with here, especially at the end, but I just can’t wrap my brain around the success of this school, no matter how much I want it for them. We learn that Camille finally visits Chez Marie, the French inn Zeek wanted to take her before his heart attack; Crosby is the proud owner of the blossoming Luncheonette, while Jasmine is pregnant with their third child; Joel and Julia's family grows to include another baby and a golden retriever; Sarah, Amber and Drew finally get the uncomplicated nuclear family they always wanted as they gather at the dinner table along with Hank and his daughter Ruby; Amber is presumably married (played by Friday Night Lights alum Scott Porter! Hank and Sarah's wedding finally arrives. May God Bless and Keep You Always . This is a show about love and about growth, things that as humans, we understand implicitly, even as we fight against challenges. Absolutely. And yet it managed to feel full rather than rushed. 8:00pm PT Parenthood has always been about taking small moments and making them instantly indelible — there's a reason why this drama affects many of us the way that it does, how it can violently yank on our heartstrings by transforming the most insignificant moment into something profound and poignant. After I witnessed the shooting of the final scene, Jason got up and delivered a speech. Jason has such a way of figuring out how to tell real life stories and make it captivating and I wanted to be a part of it. Those flash-forwards aren't about showing the extended Braverman family members in drastically different situations; it's not about Julia becoming a partner at her own law firm or Max becoming a famous photographer — it's about small, stolen moments that hint at what's to come. Listen to the most important stories of the day. It’s sweet and tear-worthy, sad, and promising. Click here to read our postmortem interview with Jason Katims and here for more on Zeek's journey with our chat with Craig T. Nelson. We'll miss you Bravermans. So on top of Sarah’s wedding (which we knew was coming) and Zeek’s death (which Parenthood telegraphed all season), we had a passel of other life transitions: an adoption (on top of Amber’s recent childbirth), career changes, a graduation. It's just one of the most perfect television shows we've had during the past couple of decades. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. Everybody at Parenthood who decided to let me be on the show was on board with the idea of having a little familiarity by casting someone who plays her future husband and thought that it would earn the show some good will with the fans. And yeah, Hank has emerged as one of my favorite (honorary) Bravermans. It’s forced. And that final six-minute sequence at the end of Parenthood's series finale (called, fittingly, "May God Bless and Keep You Always," the first lyric of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young," the show's theme song) might just be one of the most gorgeous scenes ever to air on television. How dare her mother greet her with a hug after a few months? Haddie returns for the wedding with little fanfare. I’m a sentimental sap when it comes to my kids. There are literally no more tears left in our tear ducts. But I don’t. As someone who grew up without a father around, Zeek Braverman has been my dream dad for the past six years. Because Drew hasn’t had a father figure around in a long time (if ever), and over the past few episodes it’s clear that he’ll now have a truly decent one in Hank. I always say that one-word scenes are the hardest and think I was wrong. 'Parenthood' Series Finale Review: Bye-Bye, You Beautiful Bravermans . Father-Daughter Bonding Anyone would be lucky to have a father like Zeek. I have such respect for Jason. Not looking at those pictures? I mean, if Hank found success and love while living with his Asperger’s, Max will be able to as well. With Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Monica Potter. You needn't be a great-grandparent to see the bliss enveloping Zeek and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) when they meet their great-grandson, also named Zeek, for the first time. by © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. The story returned to him one by one, as he gave Sarah his blessing, assured Crosby that he could run the Luncheonette, invited Amber to live with him and Camille. 10 funny mockumentaries to remind us about the absurdity of life, Family-friendly Halloween films for boos big and small. I mean, there’s no way he can make the kind of money being headmaster as he can with the boring old water bottle job. Sitemap | Because what’s the alternative? Parenthood Series Finale: The Bravermans Say Goodbye So. The entire Braverman clan (including Haddie!) That to me sums up the whole push-pull of watching Parenthood over six years. So it is, perhaps, not the wisest screensaver setting for me to have. Parenthood Series Finale Cry-Cap: Teary Eyes, Full Hearts. What he’s good at, and what obviously gives him great joy, is working with the kids at Chambers Academy, where he can wear onion goggles and do his awkward dance moves to make the kids laugh. The day is filled with so many special one-on-one moments you come to expect from a family as close-knit as the Bravermans: Zeek reassures Crosby that he is fully capable of running the Luncheonette without the help of his big brother Adam; Haddie admits to Max that she's a better person for being his sister; Zeek and Camille invite Amber and the baby to live with them; Drew pays tribute to his mother in a touching best man speech; and Crosby helps Adam realize that he's the happiest when he's working with the kids at Chamber's Academy. I got an email from Jason and he said, "Hey, I know it's super last minute but we found out you're available. The Parenthood finale hit all the right notes and gave fans a splendid and satisfying end to the show. Above all, it suggested that he’s finding a place in the world and in the family, but on his own terms; while Kristina can’t let go of her concerns–she still wants him to “be in the picture,” socializing at the reception–his way of doing that is by being the camera. It was mutual admiration all around. Think of Kristina (Monica Potter) dancing with Max or climbing in that backseat to comfort her son. Because even though we’ve only gotten to see him as a father for six years, he has been the very best. In fact, she immediately brushes Kristina off when she tries to hug her and kiss her cheek. Now, let’s just keep our fingers crossed that Sydney doesn’t combust when she realizes she’s no longer the little darling of the Graham household. Opening up to Hank, and explaining not only what Sarah means to him but all that she is as a person, Zeek gives him his blessing, telling him, “Take care of my litt … my daughter,” before his voice breaks with emotion. He was always going to die at the end of Parenthood, leaving the four adult Braverman children to contend with the loss of their larger-than-life father. There's a beauty and majesty in saying goodbye this way, in a long and deliberate embrace with something you love that you don't want to say goodbye to. And it’s an important job on this show. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Porter to get the inside scoop on how the role came to be, Whitman's involvement and how Katims made good on an offer the actor made during the Austin Television Festival more than two years ago. Crosby breaks the news to Amber that he and Adam are shutting down the Luncheonette. January 29, … Kudos here to Craig T. Nelson, who with Bonnie Bedelia has often been overshadowed in Parenthood‘s kid-focused stories, but served as the finale’s emotional home plate, modulating the emotion behind Zeek’s reserve. But it’s true. The moments keep moving at their own pace until, as for Zeek, they run out. I feel the same way about the flash-forward on the Parenthood finale. The couple gets an unexpected phone call from Victor's adoption agency to come in for a meeting. They spent so much time with Matt Lauria's Ryan, so the character had to be someone who could really step into those shoes and not get backlash for the finale. It just doesn’t make sense. And we thought he was the brains of the family. Zeek and Millie ask Amber to move in with them, and she agrees. Here's a look at the emotional highs and lows of the NBC drama's final bow. Fans of the show joke about how much we expect the next episode to make us cry, like competitive eaters psyching ourselves up to try the world’s hottest salsa. From the Luncheonette thriving through Adamâs departure to Chambers Academy financially supporting both Adam and Kristina, the âWell, wait, how does that add up?â logic lingering around many of the brash decisions made in the series finale was easy enough to ignore. I think probably a no-line scene — at least at this point for me — is the hardest thing to do. (My own anguished reaction was enough to have to deal with, thankyouverymuch.). Life, man. By signing up, you agree to our “I’m never gonna stop loving her.” Wait, save the Kleenex because you’re going to need them again immediately. My immediate reaction was just three letters: Yes. Like any family drama, Parenthood tells an old story, but it’s done it with thoughtful attention to a central question: What is a family for? Or any of the family dinners in which the Bravermans came together, bickered, drank, and danced. I felt so connected to that fan base for so long because I sat and watched with them. Although still hesitant about signing the papers that will officially end his and Adam’s business partnership, Crosby gives in. And took a screenshot of our tweets and put them into one picture. Getting the boost of confidence from Zeek (who tells his youngest how much he believes in him—pass those tissues, please and thanks) and Jasmine, Crosby decides to keep The Luncheonette going on his own. But rather than make the finale about Zeek's funeral and his children's grief, Katims instead makes it about life, the unexpected changes that come along with it, and the slippage of time. The other unifying thread of the episode was Max’s photography, which both gave his Asperger’s journey some resolution–suggesting, for his his doubt and his parents’ worry, that has has an independent, fulfilled future ahead of him–and gave the episode license to follow his camera at the wedding, taking in the sweep of the stories it needed to wrap up. If this doesn't reduce you to a blubbering mess, then you're not human. On tonight's remarkable finale of Parenthood, the Braverman family experienced some of their happiest moments, coupled by some of their darkest.