Parenthood 1.08 “Rubber Band Ball”
Air Date: April 20, 2010
Discussion & Full Video [Spoilers, Photo, Video Trailer]
In this episode of Parenthood, we see Amber still struggling with her mother and rebelling by having her ex-boyfriend in town. Well, more than just “in town”. What a scene that was! Great acting by Lauren Graham. Indeed, it was a great episode overall for Lauren.
My thoughts on the episode:
- Do you like Abmber’s boyfriend, Damien?
- Are you surprised that Amber seems to have completely shifted, from an underachiever to a strong student?
- Does Amber now regret missing her SATs?
- I love how active Crosby wants to be as a dad, and I’m so proud of him for not being the one to spill the truth about not knowing Jabbar existed. That was the right thing for him to do.
- I feel so sorry for Adam & Kristina for thinking that Sydney also had a ‘problem’, when hers was a much ‘better’ ‘problem’ to have
- The scene with Zeek and Camille was moving. Poor Camille – we’re finally seeing that their marriage has issues – and why. I felt sorry for Zeek for being so oblivious until now, but more sorry for Camille, who let it happen (in a way).
- What did you think of the scene between Camille and Sarah?
Abmber’s boyfriend, Damien is a boy that believes in philosophy without really knowing what philosophy is, and taking is blurred dreams for reality. He’s not a bad boy, he only needs to be really taught. How? We’ll know it if he appears again in the show.
Never underestimate the power of love. I owe many accomplishment in my life thanks to that very very powerful feeling. So, I’m not in the least surprised “to see Amber seemed to have completely shifted, from an underachiever to a strong student.” People we love elate us, and help us to surpass oneself. That scene were she looks her teacher in such intensive way is not only moving, but also so true. So many teenagers having breasted such strong emotions… But she’s also extremely vulnerable, and she don’t know how to sublimate what appears suddenly to be her greatest lost.
This will happen when she regrets to have missed her SATs. But she realized it only when Damien uses a “philosophic word” in a wrong way. She knows then that she cannot compensate for her lost love with a substitute. This realization helps her to understand that she must move on.
The rubber ball is really symbolic. All those compact colors that announce so much intricate problems that the, may be genius, little girl feels or catches in her surrounding family and external world, all expressed in such hard way.
The birthday gathering, or party, is also the most moving scene. Two families from so different origins seeing only the needs of a child equally loved by its both parents, and grand-parents.
A strong episode all around [albiet a bit too comfortable with all the resolutions]. Cool that once Sarah removes her “parental seal of disapproval” on Damien that Amber can see him for the relative lightweight that he really is and she choses herself to move on without being nagged further. She appears to be smart enough to do well in school if she wants to so suspect the missing SAT will be of no lasting impact.
I was surprised how well they finessed the Sidney/Max possible mimicry such that both sets of parents came out looking supportive of each others trials, tribulations, and achievements. Kristina was wonderfully emphthetic to the good news for Julia and Sydney when she could have so easily been angry at her continuing cross to bear.
We finally meet the real Camille and Zeke. Zeke, headstrong and so confident in his own judgement that he can’t believe he made a mistake that could jeapordize the family’s finances. Also so totally intent on his own agenda that he misses all kinds of useful input from everyone around him. Camille, the quintesenntial child of the 60′s who gives everyone space, even when it means letting them make and live with their own mistakes [the anti-Emily and a great scene with LG]. The real strength and glue of the family that allows all the other extroverts to maintain their orbits without crashing and burning. Loved the way she spoke up and helped get Jabbar’s two families moving in the right direction.
Not so sure I credit Crosby with chivalriously holding his tongue until Jabbar’s mom clarified the reality of their relationship. Seems like he ducks talking until he has no choice. But certainly this worked out a lot better than I expected.
I have never gotten SO angry SO quickly at a character as I did at Sarah when she found her daughter in the shower with her SCUMBAG boyfriend!
If it had been MY daughter, Scumbag would have been thrown in jail so fast he would have thought the cops were parked in the driveway! And my daughter would be on restriction until she was eighteen.
And THEN, Sarah lets her daughter (who I am beginning to dislike all over again) turn the tables and make HER (Sarah) feel guilty.
All I can say is, “Sarah — GROW A PAIR, or put your daughter up for adoption. Because plainly you have no control over her.”
read my latest blog post about parenthood please! http://newsworthynonsense.blogspot.com/
I think Amber’s personality is actually a lot like Jess’ – she’s really smart, has lots of potential but chooses not to try when she doesn’t feel like it, and even though she makes bad relationship choices sometimes [read Jess and the random blonde girl he was with while waiting for Rory] she is attracted to smart guys [like her super cute english teacher]. Also, she’s strong in the same subject Jess was.
Also, Amber, like Jess, comes from a father-less family. I wonder how far we can go with these similarities…and when will Amber find her Rory?