Parenthood: “Everything Is Not Okay” (Episode 4.03)

Life is chaotic. There’s no denying that. Television does its best to portray that, but usually tries to focus on a certain aspect. So many shows are praised for “realistic” portrayals of one thing or another. But so rarely do they show the absolute ugly side of life.

I’ve said it before about Parenthood, and I’ll say it again: this family drama doesn’t hold back. Last week’s dramatic revelation that Kristina has cancer was a twist no one saw coming. She’s gone through so much, and her life continues to become more overwhelming every step of the way. Her new relationship with a fellow cancer patient may have been an outlet for this episode, but in all honesty it needs to continue. Giving Kristina someone outside of the family will be important for this arc.

No doubt this show is going to focus on her journey, but it also does a great job of expressing Adam’s journey as well. For the first time he is hopeless, and his wife’s health is out of his hands. His panic and seemingly unjustifiable lashing out at everyone proved just how much he’s losing his grip.

Prior to “Everything Is Not Okay” this season seemed disjointed. The first two episodes tried to cover too much ground with each and every character. Now the pace has slowed and narrowed its vision to tackling a select amount of plots, making watching the show more enjoyable.

Aside from Kristina’s cancer taking centerstage, the episode focuses on the Braverman patriarch Zeek. While he is driving his grandchildren home he makes a poorly timed (illegal) U-turn in front of a cop. His decision to step outside of his vehicle only made things worse, as he was already driving without a license. Needless to say, he was arrested. This leads to the revelation that Zeek does have a heart problem. It’s not something that has been heavily addressed, but it is an underlying plot that always brings the family closer together.

Exploring Sarah’s relationship with Hank (Ray Romano) continues to be a pleasant gem, and it had to take a backseat this episode, but it would be nice to see more. Aside from his relationship with Sarah, Romano’s character has gone largely unexplored. There’s more to him than just the cranky photographer that he’s been playing.

Overall, this episode was the best of this young season. Parenthood is branching out on a lot of stories, but at the end of the day it’s all about the family and that’s why we tune into this show: because it’s heartwarming.