So, after six seasons, the time has come to say goodbye to clan Braverman. And yes, it’s a given that there will be tears during Parenthood series finale. (I mean, come on, there’s ALWAYS tears with this show). But will they be happy tears or sad tears or gut-wrenching sobs? Hard to say, as Parenthood has triggered all of the above — sometimes in the same episode — and this is, after all, the series finale.
(Warning, if you aren’t completely caught up, some spoilers about where things stand going into the finale are below. And if you haven’t been watching Parenthood prior to this, you shouldn’t start here — go back to the beginning and see what you’ve been missing).
Fans, you know where things stand: Sarah is about to get married, Amber just had her baby, Adam and Crosby are at odds, and Joel and Julia are back together. Oh yeah, and Zeke might die — like any minute now. So odds are good for the happy tears … and the potential looms large for the others.
Reading what others are saying about the Parenthood finale, it seems like fans are divided. Some are SURE there will be a tragic event, and that it will probably be centered around Zeke; others are rooting for a happier finale. Nothing unrealistic, but maybe a peaceful passing coupled with an ending that lets us all see that the family survives, and moves on, and continues being the messy, loyal, sometimes annoying, sometimes unbelievable group that they always have been. And then there’s those holding out for a nothing-but-happy-tears ending (I think it’s a long shot, personally).
As the finale draws ever near, word on the street has both cast members and writers as saying the finale will be “bittersweet” and “very eventful.” Supposedly, there’s a time jump; and, of course, there’s baseball. It all sounds promising, and keeping in tune with the “true-to-life” tone that, IMHO, is what made the show so appealing.
See, even with the occasional eye-rolling plot turns and the characters that have more or less disappeared with little to no explanation (I’m looking at you, Hattie!), the overall feeling of the show was always grounded in things that felt, well, real. Real family dynamics, real relationships, real conflicts, real emotions. Not every problem is resolved, no one is perfect, the decisions that are made aren’t always the right ones. Feelings get hurt, confidences broken and even the characters you like sometimes are a real pain to spend time with. Who doesn’t identify with that?
For exactly this reason, some people have shied away from the show — it’s too realistic, it mirrors the struggles inherent in every family too closely, and thus is not enough of an escape. I’ve said the same thing from time to time, but it’s never made me stop watching. Sure, sometimes an episode feels more like a catharsis than entertainment, but I’m ok with that. I’ll be watching the finale, tissue box (or two) at my side, and I’ll miss watching this family grow and change; how about you? Share your thoughts about what you hope the ending will be — and come back after you’ve watched; let me know what you thought!
Parenthood‘s series finale, “May God Bless And Keep You Always” airs Jan. 29 on NBC.
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