<p>I am ambivalent about Lauren Graham, on Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, or wherever. It may be the parts people cast her for, not her, but since she always seems to be playing the same part I suspect it’s at least partially because that’s who she is.</p>
<p>On the one hand, she’s certainly pretty (like everyone else on TV), and she delivers lines – sometimes difficult lines – with aplomb.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if in real life someone were that relentlessly (and indiscriminately) flirtatious, she would be tarred, feathered, run out of town on a rail, and THEN committed to an institution. Her characters seem to have no sense of propriety in basic interpersonal situations at all. That’s not so uncommon on TV, of course, but the shows she has been in – Gilmore Girls and Parenthood – have generally pretended to a kind of near-realism that you don’t expect in sit-coms, police procedurals, sci-fi, or Anglo-mainstream telenovelas (by which I mean Revenge and its ilk, or Gossip Girl). </p>
<p>(Is Lauren Graham actually tall? Mae Whitman is really, really short, but I thought Graham was basically average-short, say 5’4" or so. It’s so hard to tell on TV. In the past, when I have met or seen famous actors in real life, they are almost always much tinier than they appear on screen.)</p>
<p>I think IMDB says she’s 5 ft 9" which is tall to me. Mae Whitman is probably just past 5 ft. You can tell Graham is tall in that she’s not dwarfed by Edward Hermann or John Corbett. I may be adding extra final condiments to their names.</p>
<p>I know people like that in real life. Not tarred and feathered, but admittedly, not particularly successful. One problem with TV is there are people, especially immigrants learning american culture, that think TV is just like life. They are absolutely flummoxed when that type of behavior gets them in trouble. </p>
<p>I guess what I’d like to see consequences for her actions. Perhaps that would make the character less annoying.</p>
<p>Oh I don’t know…to watch or not to watch…i thought they did a great job last season of bringing the story lines to closure. Sometimes I am so disappointed when a well written show just drags on another season more than needed and then disintegrates - it’s what I loved about Friday Night Lights, they just brought it to an end. I haven’t watched TV in a week or so, so maybe I’ll turn it on just to peek and see if they can make it work.</p>
<p>maybe we are an atypical bunch on cc, but I found the sendoff to college kind of odd…think given their parenting style, would have expected at least one parent to accompany Haddie to start her freshman year, especially given Kristina’s angst over letting go. I felt for Haddie as she seemed to feel so disconnected from them all, but then I guess there’s some reality to that as well…</p>
<p>I think Haddie will not be seen too often. Unlike what they did with Julie on Friday Night Lights, Sarah Ramos was taken out of the opening credits and I think is listed as a guest star at this point. </p>
<p>Thoughts on Ray Romano? My dad really liked the show Men of a Certain Age which I think gave Romano a different role opposed to his usual comedy ways. It will be interesting to see where they go from here with him. </p>
<p>Some dropped story lines (like Bob Little and financial obligations with sending Haddie to Cornell) which is normal for television shows. Overall it was a quiet episode. It feels like the show has been gone for a while (and really it has since last season’s finale ended in February).</p>
<p>Liked Ray Romano.
Also thought it odd that at least one parent did not go to Cornell with Haddie. There will be many expensive cross country trips ahead, getting to Cornell, over the next 4 years. It’s only fiction but it makes you wonder how much the family really did take those kinds of issues into consideration when choosing a college.</p>
<p>Given the usual Braverman family dynamic, I agree. Absolutely unbelievable. The episode had its usual mix of the unbelievable/annoying and the poignant/understandable moments. I particularly liked the scenes with Crosbie and Jabar, and the small issue of Mark wanting to be included in the family portrait. Haddie’s goodbye scene with Max in his room brought tears to my eyes. The show will miss Sarah Ramos’ amazing talent. Amber,last night once again, proved that she, at 20, is the most mature one of the bunch when she told her uncles to butt out. The whole Victor storyline was ridiculous.</p>
<p>Fun to see Paul McDonald in the role of the musician. Nice for Parenthood to give him that exposure with his new song. I thought Ray Romano’s character was interesting, and his portrayal of a grumpy, socially awkward man was good. I’m looking forward to the introduction of the character to be played by Matt Lauria, in yet another role that will be a short-lived one for this talented FNL alumnus.</p>
<p>I picture the writers of this show (ala The Dick Van Dyke writers room) talking about Haddie going to college and deciding that the majority of viewers won’t get that taking your kid to college is more the norm nowadays and that, of course, her involved parents WOULD do that. They didn’t write it in because that would involve another episode and logistically maybe shooting off site. I like it better when a show just makes sense and I don’t even think that it’s not a real life show. Sort of like when you watch Glee and you keep thinking how NOT like a real HS it is. I like Parenthood when it seems so real you believe it whole hog.</p>
<p>I think there are still plenty of kids going East from California (or vice versa) who say goodbye to their parents at the airport.</p>
<p>And I loved almost all the scenes with Sarah Ramos/Haddie last night. Her scene with Max was great, the fight with her parents was another stellar example of Jason Katims’ skill with mother-daughter fights, and the physical acting in the airport scene was perfect. I don’t know how, but she absolutely nailed the combination of being brave and ready to leave, capable of being in the world on her own, and not being sure that what she really wanted wasn’t to curl up on a sofa with her parents again. None of that would have been possible if they had sent a parent to college with her.</p>
<p>Taking her off the credits is a clear sign that they’re not going to cheat and keep her around, like Amber. (And what great scenes Mae Whitman had last night, too!)</p>
<p>It wouldn’t have been as poignant if there hadn’t been the big airport goodbye scene. I’m glad to hear that she’ll likely stay at college. I agree about the show missing Sarah. I love her character. </p>
<p>I knew that singer was from American Idol, but I couldn’t think of his name. I like that little storyline. Very realistic – slept with a dog, put a stop to it, moved on. Did we know last season that Amber was working at The Luncheonette?</p>
<p>Also like that it doesn’t seem that they’re going to have Amy get pregnant. I mean, if they were going to, she’d be showing by now, right? It’ll be interesting to see the dumped person after sex be the boy. Poor Drew.</p>