Best episode of Parenthood this season. One of the best episodes of Parenthood ever. Why is this show not more popular? It’s so good, guys! Watch!
Apparently Halloween is a big deal in the Braverman clan, and I can relate. I love Halloween. It’s my second-favorite holiday. (For anyone wondering, it goes 1. Christmas, 2. Halloween, 3. My Birthday) As a kid, I had some pretty awesome costumes. I was a flower, a Christmas tree, McDonald’s french fries, a crayon, a scarecrow and many other wonderful things that my creative mom made for me. As an adult, I still love to dress up. I’ve been Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Courtney Love. I’ve been a doll, an escaped convict and a Queen Bumblebee. This year I’m going as Katy Perry and I can’t wait.
So, just seeing all the Bravermans in costumes was a treat for me. This could have been a tossed off novelty episode though, and it wasn’t. Like I said, this episode was one of the best.
Apparently Max had never gone trick-or-treating before because he’s afraid of fire. Instead, he and Kristina usually hide from trick-or-treaters upstairs and play Monopoly by flashlight. Which according to Kristina was super fun. I know Kristina is just concerned, but I couldn’t help but be super annoyed at the fact that she was resisting Max’s request to go trick-or-treating this year. Dressed as a cockroach. Sure, it could have been a disaster. But the fact that he wanted to do it shows progress, right? You don’t discourage progress. He ended up trick-or-treating with Sydney and Jabbar, and even went into a haunted house with them. It was so cute to see Max succeed, because the whole “If the little kids can go, so can I,” thing was a bit heartbreaking. Max is starting to realize how different he is, and pretty soon Adam and Kristina are going to have to tell him the truth.
Meanwhile, Julia was struggling with Halloween in a different way – her daughter decided she wanted to dress up as Miss California. Nothing Julia could say about equality and judging people on their looks and women’s rights could change her mind, because well, she’s five. She just wants to wear pink. Still, it was hilarious. I cracked up when Julia, looking defeated, said “I’ve failed her, Joel.” Little Sydney is growing up!
There was a great moment between Julia and Sarah this week when Sarah came to ask for advice about her work romance. Gordon kissed her in a parking lot last week, and then did nothing about it. Awkward! Only it was made WAY more awkward because Sarah just could not play it cool like Julia advised. Instead she got all weird when it seemed like Gordon was blowing her off. But she must have made an impression, because he came to the bar where she works that night. At first he was all “We have different lifestyles”, because she has kids and he has a boat. And then he said he wanted to date her anyway, and bought beer after beer for other people at the bar just so she would keep talking to him. It was actually kind of charming.
And then it happened. The moment that made me root for Billy Baldwin. Amber called, because she was stranded at a lame party with her loser rich kid friend, Kelsey. Kelsey dragged Amber to the party because Howard The Tutor would be there, and then got super drunk and jumped in a pool when she saw him making out with another girl. Gordon offered to drive Sarah to the party to pick the girls up, waded into the pool to get Kelsey when she wouldn’t come out, and didn’t even freak out when she puked in his BMW. Now there’s a catch. He told Sarah that his ex was a big drinker, and they had a really sweet moment together. I don’t care that he’s Sarah’s boss, and I don’t care that he’s played by Billy Baldwin. I’m smitten with this couple and I want it to work out.
The big, big storyline this episode was with Crosby and Jasmine, though. They were looking at apartments, and Crosby was acting incredibly weird. Basically, he wanted to move in with Jasmine and Jabbar but was too scared to say it. Crosby finally admitted that he was scared of becoming Adam. I couldn’t blame him, but it was kind of funny that he admitted that to Adam himself. Still, at the end of the episode he proposed to Jasmine…with a spider ring from Jabbar’s treat bag. It cut off before she gave an answer, but we know she says yes – partly because of the scenes from next week, and partly because it’s been obvious since Jasmine moved back to California that she wants to settle down with Crosby. Who’s excited? I’ve never been the biggest Jasmine fan, but I’m happy to see things work out for Crosby. And I think overall, this plot development is good for the show.
Again, I thought this episode was fantastic. Everyone had a good storyline – how touching was it when Zeek explained the importance of Halloween to Max? I also can’t wait to see what will happen with Sarah and Gordon and with Jasmine and Crosby. Now, let’s talk costumes.
Best Costume: I’m going with Julia as Amelia Earheart. It was all kinds of adorable, and perfectly fitted her personality.
Runner Up: Amber’s banana suit. Hilarious.
Hottest Costume: Sarah’s cat suit. Can you believe Lauren Graham is in her 40s?
Runner Up: Jasmine looked pretty good as Pocahontas, but Crosby looked great in his Evil Knieval costume as well. It’s a tie.
Most Hilarious: Amber in her banana suit, of course,
Runner Up: Joel! What was he dressed as, Amish?
Worst: Kristina, by far. Was she supposed to be a Q-tip? Pathetic.
Runner Up: Adam. Baseball player? Really? Are you seven?
And honorable mentions to Zeek and Camille for actually looking scary.
More great lines and moments from “Orange Alert”:
- Jabbar holding hands with the little dude with glasses at his new school!
- “You’ll be the first to know, when I send out the company wide memo.” – Gordon, kind of being an ass.
- “Maybe it’s the cat suit. You’ll get over it.” – Sarah
- “Awesome techno. Really. Not driving me crazy at all.” – Sarah, who followed up that line with a great facial expression directed at the DJ
- “Here! Here! The banana!” – Amber
- “He’s a Braverman.” – Zeek, after Max faced his fear and went up to the haunted house
What did you think of the episode? Who had the best costume? Has Billy Baldwin won you over yet?
