<p>Am I the only one thinking Adam had it coming from Rachel? I mean He parked the car, ran in the rain getting wet and laughing, wrapped her with his jacket. Isn’t that what lovers do in a show? Rachel would have stayed drier if Adam drove as close as possible and just dropped her off, which he should have done. Rachel shouldn’t have kissed Adam but piling all on her doesn’t seem fair. I didn’t see him ambushed.</p>
<p>I would say that he enjoyed her attention and didn’t go out of his way to avoid it. But he never would have made the first move; in that sense, I think he was ambushed.</p>
<p>An older, married man, in a position of authority, doesn’t go out of his way to avoid what he knows coming cannot be ambushed. I mean totally understandable. Just objecting to that “ambush” term.</p>
<p>It’s funny. I “read” the Crosby/Jasmine scene very differently than JHS did. </p>
<p>I think Crosby is very conflicted about his feelings for Jasmine. I thought that’s what the talk with sister Sarah was meant to convey to the viewers. She tells him what happens next depends upon what he wants. I don’t think Crosby really wants to marry Jasmine. They had issues before he was unfaithful and he felt, not unjustifiably, that she was making all the decisions for the two of them. Crosby is most definitely commitment phobic.Plus, I think we are supposed to be getting the vibe that Crosby is strongly attracted to Rachel. That whole “you’re a good person; we’re human and make mistakes” scene wasn’t wholly altruistic. He wants her to stay. </p>
<p>I’m not sure Crosby would articulate all this; it’s not in character for him to do it. I do think though that he realizes that Dr. Joe is a good guy and that, whether it’s Dr. Joe or someone else, it’s unlikely Jasmine will stay unattached. So, I think at some level, Crosby realizes he can’t try to entice Jasmine into sticking with him unless he is willing to make a commitment. As long as he isn’t sure he’s willing to, it really isn’t fair to wreck Jasmine’s chances with Dr. Joe. </p>
<p>So, while on one level Crosby’s conduct seems noble, I think on another level he’s not all that unhappy to extricate himself from his relationship with Jasmine in a way that makes him seem like a good guy to her. I mean if Jasmine said “Lets try again,” I don’t think Crosby would jump at the chance.</p>
<p>@performersmom: I am not in the business. I am a Television-Radio major who a) watches too much television and b) likes to talk about television.</p>
<p>Both shows are highly scripted since Jason Katmis is wonderful writer (winning an Emmy for the FNL finale) and his team works hard to create this scripts. Actors can add small ad-libbed moments but some will talk to the writers if they personally think their characters shouldn’t say something or do a certain thing.</p>
<p>One quick example: On Friday Night Lights, when Eric was being summoned to become the new coach of the “super team”. Coaches come over to the Taylor’s house and Tami says to Eric in a small moment something like ‘11 years…’ which in the script said ‘I’ve followed you around from coaching job to coaching job when is it going to be my turn? etc.’ After the episode aired Connie Britton said she didn’t like this long speech her character was supposed to give and instead thought that this smaller more subtle moment would play out better and it did. /tv nerd</p>
<p>We enjoyed this week’s episode. At the end though I did start to wonder if they had forgotten to pick up poor baby Nora.</p>
<p>Was Amber’s mom really saying she’d like two more kids? Yikes.</p>
<p>I agree with Lima’s comments on the Aspie portrayals. Some traits fit what I’ve read, many others do not.</p>
<p>Love those insights, TVNerd!!!</p>
<p>I was curious about Jason Katmis and about how this show (and his others) is written, as I seemed to recall reading somewhere that on Friday Night Lights the actors were actually encouraged to “ad lib” during their scenes, which seems to be different than what mdemvizi described above as “highly scripted”. I found this article:</p>
<p>[Interview:</a> “Parenthood” Executive Producer Jason Katims | TheFutonCritic.com](<a href=“Interview: "Parenthood" Executive Producer Jason Katims | TheFutonCritic.com”>Interview: "Parenthood" Executive Producer Jason Katims | TheFutonCritic.com)</p>
<p>There were a couple of things I found very interesting.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Jason Katims actually has a son with Asperger’s. I don’t really have any personal experience with kids who have this, but have always been impressed with the portrayal of Max on this show. And it seems that this must be an honest portrayal of at least this one man’s experiences…</p></li>
<li><p>He (Jason Katims) does actually give the actors freedom to “improvise a bit” during shooting of the show. He feels that is one way they capture the fine mixture of comedy and drama that is woven so beautifully in this show. And also was in Friday Night Lights.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Any way, I found the article very interesting.</p>
<p>I thought the portrayal of Max as a child with AS was true to the character of more than one AS child I knew at the age of 10 or 12. I cannot imagine any of the children I have known without that diagnosis behaving in that manner, although I can imagine several sneaking out of their homes, but for other purposes and having a better idea of the possible social consequences of their behavior.</p>
<p>Just watched last night on DVR - I had been avoiding the thread until this morning 
I loved the episode. I think the actress playing Haddie was extraordinary. D has a good friend with a younger sibling with AS. It is so hard on the older sibling - who is a great and loving person, but she has far more responsibility and far less parental attention than she would have otherwise. AS manifests itself so differently person to person, I am not surprised some of us think it is spot on while others don’t. Despite some issues (mom not being reachable, campaign not realistic, Sarah not ruling out a baby), I allow myself to go along for the ride, much like a good book with an unlikely plot item. The characters really touch me. I think the writing, acting, and production (thanks for the info,mdemvizi) are fantastic. It’s one of the few shows I look forward to.</p>
<p>Thanks for the interview link, churchmusicmom- fascinating to me.</p>
<p>It’s back!</p>
<p>Logistical questions first…on what planet does one drive from the Bay area to Bakersfield and stay overnight along the way? It’s what? 5 hours? Heck San Diego is maybe 8 hours, and they were meeting at 0900. Those kids of logic errors stick in my mind!</p>
<p>The story was great, I thought. All the stress and tension about the trip felt so real. We are preparing to see DHs parents shortly, nothing has ever quite been good enough for them, so Camille’s angst and Zeke’s tension felt so accurate.</p>
<p>I think Christina made a mistake in backing down, she just showed Max that he has to REALLY REALLY stick with it, but she will ALWAYS give in if he pushes long enough and hard enough.</p>
<p>Good point, Somemom. I’ve driven from an hour north of Sacramento to LA in a straight shoot. I think Christina made her point. She saw that he was trying to connect with his great-grandmother and she probably realized there might not be more opportunities. What is wrong with Sarah that she didn’t lock the door and/or teach her kids to knock???</p>
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<p>Given all the windy roads and scenic vistas, I believe they traveled along the route depicted on this map:
[Berkeley</a>, CA to Bakersfield, CA - Google Maps](<a href=“http://www.webpagescreenshot.info/img/270666-14201293604AM]Berkeley”>1CE - Awesome Extensions for Google Chrome [Shared Image])</p>
<p>I caught the second half. Beatiful scenery.</p>
<p>About Sarah. Am I the only one wishing she just let it rest for a while? Mistakes are made and you can’t always take them back.</p>
<p>Great episode! I was actually OK with Christina backing down. I thought she made her point. And I thought Camile’s facial expressions were very good.</p>
<p>I loved Camille’s facial expressions, I have made them myself when dealing with DH & his parents, to this day, I prefer to visit them without DH as I have no issue with them one on one, but when I watch the ways they hurt his feelings all the time, I get ‘riled up’ inside.</p>
<p>This was one of those episodes that prompted lots of discussion with the 16yo. We didn’t like the fit Zeke threw; it just wasn’t effective. The way he wouldn’t let the Cristina thing drop was irritating. I woulnd’t have backed down like Cristina, but it was totally in character for her.</p>
<p>I thought this was an interesting episode. It took the family as a whole out of their element which was their own homes and workplaces. Shows do this all the time and you see how the character act differently when it happens. This episode made me realize how much I love seeing the whole family together. They all are individual characters but when you bring them all together it is a whole different together.</p>
<p>This episode was really pretty too with all of the exterior shooting and landscapes. The Bravermen family all live in California but it is a totally different thing most people think of - it isn’t Hollywood or by the water or anything like that.</p>
<p>Glad to see the show back after winter hiatus. NBC ordered a shorter season - 18 episodes rather than a normal amount between 22-25. The show hasn’t been picked up yet but I am absolutely sure it will. It’s been in the same time slot since its first season and is one of the better quality shows on television.</p>
<p>The problem as somemom and I have noted is that the landscape is totally removed from what one would see if traveling from Berkeley to Bakersfield (where the family was supposedly going), which is a 5 hour drive along the very straight and often monotonous highway 5, down the central valley. I posted a link to a joke map I made as a hypothetical detour to account for all that scenery (post #474) – but I wish scriptwriters would check a map on occasion… The scenic views may very well have been taken in California, but they weren’t taken along a route that someone who wanted to pack the whole family in to visit the aging grandma would choose. I mean… if they had wanted a lot of beautiful scenery & an overnight drive, perhaps it would have made more sense if Grandma lived in Portland.</p>