Parenthood S03E18 – My Brother’s Wedding

Parenthood wrapped up season three with a cracker of an episode, filled with hasty decisions, tender goodbyes and unexpected plot twists.

Before Crosby and Jasmine could celebrate their reunion with the rest of the Braverman clan, they both had to end their previous relationships with Lily and Dr. Joe. The bittersweet goodbyes were executed perfectly, with a wordless montage that was done and dusted before the opening credits. This left the rest of the episode for the happier business of planning the wedding – and if you thought that process would be smooth sailing, then you were so very wrong.

What started out as a perfectly civil pre-wedding family meeting ended with two fully-grown men screaming inaudibly at the top of their lungs and flinging guacamole at each other. I completely ignored the whole Luncheonette affair last week – there was just too much crying going on elsewhere. However, the showdown was inevitable, and while you can’t really blame Adam for being tempted by the $2 million offer, he and Crosby had agreed from the beginning that they were both in it for the long haul. After Adam received a stern warning from Zeke to “fix it”, and Crosby being urged more gently by Jasmine to take things less personally, the two reconciled. It was touching to see that at the end of the day, these two brothers love each other more than any amount of money. As interesting as it may have been to explore the avenue of millionaire Bravermans, having the two men and their families living just a few blocks away from struggle street provides the potential for much more tension and conflict in the coming season.

The ceremony itself was beautiful – and yes,  I did well up as Jasmine sailed down the aisle to the choir’s heartwarming rendition of “Make You Feel My Love”, to meet her grinning Crosby. Everybody seemed distracted by their own dramas during the reception, most notably Drew and Amy who snuck off  to share an awkwardly sweet first time. Sarah couldn’t figure out why the pair were so sweaty when she bumped into them afterwards (classic), as she was preoccupied by her abrupt split with Mark, who later turned up and popped the question. Sarah’s known for backflipping on decisions at the first signs of doubt or hope, so who knows what her answer may be.

Amber had her own tough choice to make, between pursuing a relationship with Bob and a career. It’s true that Amber is one to let her emotions guide her, so perhaps it was a mature decision to stick with the job which is such a good fit for her. Still, it was sad to watch their regretful embrace, and there’s obviously still strong feelings on both sides. No matter how professional Amber or Bob strives to be, their relationship is going to be a complicated one from here on in .

In possibly the biggest turn-around of the episode, no sooner had Julia and Joel made their peace with Zoe’s devastating departure than had a last-minute orphan turned up at their doorstep. It wasn’t exactly the adoption situation they (or the audience) had expected from the outset, but 6 year old Victor is sure to shake things up in the Graham household.

It’s been a brilliant season of family drama that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching and discussing. I’ve got my paws crossed that NBC will be renewing the show for a fourth season, and this finale certainly left several unanswered questions to be explored.