Parenthood 1.01 “Pilot”
Air Date: March 2, 2010
Discussion [Spoilers & Photos]
Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls) debuted her new series on NBC, Parenthood, last night. Lauren plays Sarah Braverman, mom of two and member of a very large and rather complicated family – a family she’s just moved closer to. There are so many characters that it’d be difficult for me to recap the episode clearly. So, let’s just discuss the highlights:
- Lauren Graham gets to play another high-strung fast-talking woman – yay!
- Sarah and Lorelai are similar, but quite different. Sarah doesn’t have a perfect family or even perfect grace. She’s flawed.
- We meet all the Braverman family members and find out each of them is battling personal issues. I’m surprised I didn’t get lost with all the characters and their issues.
- The whole episode felt really well tied together – exposing the heart of a well-laid-out family drama
- Sarah’s kids are so sad. She’s going to have her hands full with them!
- Comedy is really well balanced with the drama. There were also some really sweet moments – like when the whole family supported Max at his game.
I think Lauren did a fantastic job on Parenthood. In fact, I can’t say anyone underperformed on the series. It was really well done. And I’m not the only one to think so. Time and E! also praise Lauren’s role:
As on Gilmore Girls, Graham is infectiously winsome, even as she deals with a daughter more troublesome than Rory Gilmore, while also getting back in the dating pool. When Sarah’s set up on a date with a guy she knew in high school, they have an exchange that gets at the show’s playful, heartfelt spirit. He hands her a ring: “You sort of threw it at me,” he reminds her, “the night you broke up with me?” “Oh!” she recalls, delighted. “I hit you right in the eye!” Graham nails the role, and in fact you get the feeling that Sarah’s being built up to match; NBC seems to be promoting her as the ensemble lead, even though Krause’s Adam, the family consigliere, is functionally the central character.
We’ve loved her for years and we love her on Parenthood. As a slightly slower-talking (but still witty and endearing) mother of two, she steals every scene. “I’m having one of the best times ever,” Lauren gushes about her latest gig. “I chose this job because it was such a classy group, and even at its worst, we still have a good time.”
What did you think??
For more on Parenthood, see my Season 1 summary page.
NBC Photos: Chris Haston
I loved it! I thought all the stories fit together really well and the characters all seem like real people in real situations. Can’t wait for the next episode.
Good to see Lauren back with fresh material for TV. A solid opening episode and surprisingly good viewer numbers considering the competition it was up against [TGW discussed above, two four star movies in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "West Side Story", an Oscar nominee special, several good basketball games, etc.]. Guess the olympics promos worked, now on to next week for the followthrough.
For the most part I liked it, though a bit “busy” with all the background exposition and the huge ensemble. Will be an interesting juggling act for the writers to consistently provide good material for everyone. Good acting all around. Not sure I agree it was well balanced, Max’s final moment and Sarah’s early moments with Jim were the only really sweet moments and what’s with the familial “high five” for the results of their date? Reminded me of the “morning after” in a Frat house. Seems like the humor will eventually need to be distributed across all the story lines and in greater quantity so we don’t get worn out watching them jump from fire to fire. If the later happens, how long we will care about some of the characters? Also must admit I cringed a little when the promo for next week highlights Sarah being “interested” in one of her kid’s teachers. Shades of Gilmore’s past–
I got really confused because another Ingrid commented and I thought, “Did I comment in my sleep? I don’t remember writing that.” But I did want to comment! I loved the first episode of “Parenthood.” I thought they did an amazing job of packing a lot of storylines and background information into 49 minutes.
It wasn’t a perfect episode, but I thought it was great for a pilot. And mostly, I just kept thinking, “Thank God Lauren Graham is back on TV.” Missed her! Looking forward to next week’s episode.
I loved the pilot and don’t understand all these people like Ingrid Díaz who are saying it wasn’t a perfect pilot. What in the world wasn’t perfect about it?! My favorite characters are definitely Adam (the kinda-main character at least in this episode, played by Peter Krause, an actor I know and love from Six Feet Under) and Sarah (Lauren Graham). :D All the different family dynamics are wonderful, all the stories were good and the series just has SO much potential! :D I mean it’s a little cliche but that’s part of what makes it so realistic and I’m sure it’ll get less cliche as the series goes on. I personally am not one to mind cliche though. It makes you laugh, it almost makes you cry, every actor in it is WONDERFUL, even the kid who plays Max – look at his imdb page and you know he’s insanely talented. :D
Everyone needs to watch the pilot episode if they haven’t. I think it’s a very very worthwhile show to get into. http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AB9PEAJ9 There. Download it. Or streamm it: http://www.megavideo.com/?d=AB9PEAJ9 Seriously. Do it. Then watch the rest of the series Tuesdays at 10 on NBC. I think it’s totally worth it! ;)
I loved the pilot and don’t understand all these people like Ingrid Díaz who are saying it wasn’t a perfect pilot. What in the world wasn’t perfect about it?! My favorite characters are definitely Adam (the kinda-main character at least in this episode, played by Peter Krause, an actor I know and love from Six Feet Under) and Sarah (Lauren Graham). :D All the different family dynamics are wonderful, all the stories were good and the series just has SO much potential! :D I mean it’s a little cliche but that’s part of what makes it so realistic and I’m sure it’ll get less cliche as the series goes on. I personally am not one to mind cliche though. It makes you laugh, it almost makes you cry, every actor in it is WONDERFUL, even the kid who plays Max – look at his imdb page and you know he’s insanely talented. :D
Everyone needs to watch the pilot episode if they haven’t. I think it’s a very very worthwhile show to get into. www DOT megaupload DOT com/?d=AB9PEAJ9 There. Download it. Or streamm it: www DOT megavideo DOT com/?d=AB9PEAJ9 Seriously. Do it. Then watch the rest of the series Tuesdays at 10 on NBC. I think it’s totally worth it! ;)
First, let me say I JUST re-found this site after weeks of thinking it was gone. I was so sad. But luckily a kind person on the imdb chat boards pointed us lost soles in this direction!
I loved the pilot, as I expected I would. While she’s not Lorelai, she’s a great actress and can bring a new character to live like Lorelai. I loved her dramatic and comedic performances in this pilot. And, I agree, Arieanna, the pilot was done quite well so that it was easy to follow the characters and their stories.
I *love* the chemistry between Graham and Krause. Yay for Parenthood producers in bringing these two gems together :)
I was really looking forward to the premiere but in the end I was a little disappointed. Probably because my hopes were too high.
Sure the actors were great and the potential is definitely there. However I felt like something was missing. I had this feeling of déjà-vu, probably because the whole dynamic reminds me of Brothers & Sisters. The final scene was also over the top, IMO.
But of course I’ll be watching the next episode. Some shows click instantenaously, others take more time… Plus, I’m so happy to see LG on TV again. I know she wouldn’t like what I’m gonna say but I couldn’t help but think about Lorelai the whole episode, especially for the scene at the restaurant with the tongue clicking or the thumb movement to tell Jim she was leaving.
Enjoyed the pilot but I was preoccupied with thinking something was different with Lauren Graham. Did she get her teeth done or something? It’s bugging me.
You’re right she had her teeth done. Watched her in The Answer Man last night and kept thinking something was different between her in the film and in Parenthood and then it dawned on me she had her teeth done! I don’t think it was necessary but she obviously did. Still love her tho.
I still need to watch it again, if it’s possible, to forge an opinion. For what I’ve understood, I think the series has definitely a great potential. All actors are great, all characters really moving. The relation between Sarah Braverman and her son is truly a good experience for Lauren Graham, showing a new aspect of her talent and sensibility.
Yet can I be hooked on? I don’t know, to early to pronounce. Perhaps, it’s a little too much full of cliché for me. I mean, my taste in series is not to be taken as a reference, I only mean that the series or the movies that really attracted me had something very special in them. The theme was special, or I felt it as special.
So often we love the character interpreted by the actor, more perhaps than the actor itself. At least in this relation, production, spectator, and so one, since we don’t have the real possibility to know them personally to forge a subjective, or objective impression.
How many of us discovered and loved Lauren Graham in Gilmore Girls as Laurelai? Even if we love her for ever, can we really love everything she does? Have we this expectation to see the end of GG throughout what she does now? Perhaps these questions were in our mind while trying to catch a glimpse of the magic she left us to see in GG, hopping to see it again…
It can’t really be In Parenthood, because of the huge distribution that doesn’t allow the creation of such privileged relations between a few people only, and of course with the public. But, I may be wrong.
Independently of Lauren Graham, Parenthood remains a great subject, with a tremendous potential. But that only means that, if it lasts, it’ll create a new generation of fans that will have found some connections between themselves and some of the characters.
Maybe I’ll try to dig up some photos for a comparison.
Arieanna, I hope you do dig up some photos to put this type of gossip to rest. I have followed Lauren’s career closely and she definitely has not had her teeth done. You’ve all seen Gilmore Girls right? There was nothing ever wrong with her teeth to get “done”. And – they look exactly the same as before. Wow.
Anyhow, I LOVED the Parenthood pilot so very much. I felt the writing was poignant and the characters fascinating. The actors played their roles with depth and intelligence. I am extremely happy to see that Lauren has such a wonderful project to show off her talent. Can’t wait for episode two!!! : )
It actually look like she’s had 2-4 caps done, in the comparison here: http://www.gilmorenews.com/2010/03/08/lauren-graham-has-teeth-fixed/
Just checked it out. Disagree completely with your analysis. Serisously disappointed you made this an entirely new topic instead of ending it here. It’s sad this site has been reduced to this.