The Daily Star - Stay Tuned
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The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 19, 2014 18 By Jacqui Wiens TV Media F amily-centric shows are everywhere on television, in every conceivable genre, but new ideas and methods of portraying family life bring a fresh take with each new imagining. The long-run- ning series "The Simpsons" tosses reality to the curb to bring us a dysfunctional and deeply flawed but still loving family. Another iconic series, much shorter-lived and featur- ing a different shade of imper- fection, is "Parenthood." The sixth and final season pre- mieres Thursday, Sept. 25, on NBC — and it looks like every- one is in for a rough ride. "Parenthood" centers around the Braverman family, led by patriarch Zeek (Craig T. Nelson, "Coach"). Zeek and his wife, Camille (Bonnie Bede- lia, "The Division"), have four children who are all around middle age and each has at least two children of their own. Each character has their own concerns and problems, and the show can feel sort of "soapy" at times as each sto- ryline interacts with the others. The show-runners do a good job of keeping the plot lines and character development moving along in the midst of all the potential drama. Each episode leaves you feeling as if you learned something along with the on-screen family members. Going into the final season, executive producer Ja- son Katims says he has always had a clear vision for the up- coming episodes. "One of the things I wanted to do for the season was to find one larger story that influences everybody on the show," he said at the Television Critics As- sociation Press Tour in July. "The story is going to be intro- duced in the first episode and play throughout the season. It's a huge new challenge for the family and one that we didn't see before… I feel like I want to do something that starts at the beginning of the season — by the way there will be as many story lines go- ing on as usual — but this will be something that tracks us throughout the year." Some have taken Katims' statements and tied them to the fact that Zeek has a heart condition. There has been some buzz in the blogosphere that showrunners might have the patriarch's health take a turn for the worse. "Parent- hood" has always made a point of confronting difficult topics head on, so watching the family pick themselves back up after a world-shatter- ing loss might not be out of the picture. Early in the series, Adam (Pe- ter Krause, "Six Feet Under"), the eldest of Zeek and Ca- mille's children, has a child, Max (Max Burkholder, "Family Guy"), who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Also in the first season, their second eldest, Sarah (Lauren Graham, "Gilmore Girls"), moved back to her parents' home along with her two children due to fi- nancial troubles. The season 5 finale of "Par- enthood" didn't back down from its straightforward treat- ment of difficult situations. Among other important goings on, Haddie (Sarah Ramos, "Runaway") came out to her mother, Kristina (Monica Pot- ter, "Boston Legal"), after Max walked in on Haddie kissing her girlfriend. Amber (Mae Whitman, "Arrested Develop- ment"), Sarah's eldest, buys a pregnancy test in the finale, raising questions about the next generation of the Braver- man clan. "Parenthood's" real strength lies in the cast and the emotion they convey on screen. Watching Kristina ap- proach Haddie with an opaque "we love and support you" statement thinly veiling the question she really wanted to ask, you feel as though you are really watching an awkward first admittance. In all of the varied circumstances they en- counter, there is a sense that the Braverman family is a co- hesive and supportive unit. Along with Haddie and Max, Adam and Kristina are the par- ents of young Nora (Mia and Ella Allan). The next branch of the Braverman tree consists of Sarah, her musician ex-hus- band of 12 years Seth Holt (John Corrbett, "Lucky") and their two children, Amber and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER"), both of whom have taken their father's surname. An era is coming to an end, and showrunners are deter- mined to do justice to the char- acters and their stories. The up- coming sixth season of "Par- enthood" will undoubtedly test each and every member of the Braverman family, but viewers can be confident they will come through it in signature fashion. Love will keep this family to- gether in the final season pre- miere of "Parenthood" airing Thursday, Sept. 25, on NBC. Lauren Graham stars in "Parenthood" Final farewell Braverman clan returns to TV for last touching season Featurestory