<p>mdemvizi,thank you for explaining the Canadian broadcast situation to sportsmama. It isn’t always that we get shows a day ahead but with some programming, like Parenthood, it does happen. And, although not a day ahead, this season of Amazing Race actually started at 8 every Sunday on the Canadian station, so no football delays. I should also mention that we get hundreds of U.S. stations, too. In fact, in addition to Buffalo and Detroit stations which are in the same time zone, we also get Seattle stations in HD, so if I miss a show, I can always set the dvr to record it later. :)</p>
<p>I actually loved this episode. As I watched it, I understood why it is I continue to stay with this sometimes annoying show. It’s the acting. The writing, in my opinion, is inconsistent but the acting is always strong. The large amount of airtime for Mae Whitman and Matt Lauria was a highlight. They are both such talented young actors, and their scenes together this week were excellent. Amber is, indeed, much wiser than her mom. As much as I love Matt Lauria, I am hoping that this really is the end of that storyline. The relationship was not a healthy one for Amber and I really wish they’d find one at some point for her character.</p>
<p>Their scenes and the one with Peter Krause and Craig T. Nelson when Zeke came back to the hospital with ‘supplies’ for Adam, were like gold for me. Oh, and Peter’s acting in the previous hospital scene when his dad showed up in the midst of the crisis for Kristina was great. My favorite part was the scene on Christmas morning, the chaos and joy of the family opening presents. It was so much like what happens at our house that it makes me excited for two weeks from now when my whole family will be here! </p>
<p>And, yes, emeraldkity, they played Wishlist over that Christmas morning scene. :)</p>
<p>Oh, and I meant to add this. For those of you who are Matt Lauria fans, and are in the NYC area, he will be in an off-Broadway play which opens in January. Not sure if this has been publicly announced yet but a friend who will be in it with him says it’s okay to now post about it. The play is called Really Really. We’re hoping to get down to see it.</p>
<p>Ds and I went to a basketball game last night so we didn’t get to watch together per usual. I got up early this morning and jumped on the computer so I could join in the conversation. :)</p>
<p>Amber and Ryan breaking up made me sad. They were so good last night.</p>
<p>I wonder whether the storyline with Hank and Sarah will turn on whether to move to MN to be with Hank’s dd.</p>
<p>So nice to see Haddie at the end.</p>
<p>So we’re saying the end of Janaury will be the end of the season? I don’t like that. What about Drew’s graduation, etc?</p>
<p>Yes, I guess the writers didn’t want to show the one scene I was looking forward to; Christina telling Haddie about chemo. When Haddie called to say she was getting a flight home, she asked if Christina was better. She wasn’t surprised when she walked into the hospital. Maybe that scene would have been too much to write or more airtime than Haddie was able to do; after all, she is not a regular on the show anymore.</p>
<p>I guess because I have a college junior and a HS senior I also was looking forward to how they were going to handle Haddie finding out that they lied to her. My senior son was so mad when they lied to her earlier. He’s going to be bummed when he gets to see the show tonight and not see how that played out.</p>
<p>Great episode. Sarah continues to make dumb mistakes (can you imagine sleeping with someone, especially your boss, so soon after breaking up with your fiancee?). Amber is definitely more mature and did the right thing. But maybe this will make him get his act together. I agree the Santa story line was a little stretched (especially since the kids are looking older), but I am OK with it. I wonder if there was a scene where they told Haddie and it was cut out or something. I also wonder if the actress playing Haddie is in college for real which is why she didn’t get a lot of screen time. I agree the scenes with Peter Krause and Craig T Nelson in the hospital were great. Most of all, that blond Braverman baby is incredibly cute!</p>
<p>I liked a lot about the episode; esp. Zeke/Adam scenes and the Crosby/Jasmine storyline. It was a bit too wrapped up with Santa and Haddie and the big bounce back from septic stuff, but overall I liked it. I thought the acting by Ryan and Amber actors was great. I hope they let the Ryan character get the appropriate help; showing it is difficult but possible to function well after the trauma of war, etc. would be better than having him drop deeper into PTSD, IMO. Here is what bothered me: what about all the in-laws and work issues? H and I just have one sibling each and pretty flexible jobs, and it is always an issue. I know it’s TV, but noone even mentioned going anywhere else for part of the holiday or having an inlaw come to town or needing to work Christmas Eve!</p>
<p>The septic shock thing was very hard on me. I was in that situation 13 months ago with my mother, but she never came out of it. (She was much older, of course, but not in any way ready to die. The crisis was completely unexpected.) I found myself really sobbing during the hospital scenes, and then again after it was all over.</p>
<p>I was a little surprised about the Santa thing and the big deal about Christmas, since I had always assumed that Zeke Braverman and family were Jewish! The Santa stuff was a little over-the-top, although Xolo Whatever (the kid playing Victor) sure did a great job of selling he regained innocence.</p>
<p>Like everyone, I loved how they handled the Amber storyline. But I do hope they keep Matt Lauria around enough to show Ryan getting better. It’s such a nasty cliche to have the serviceman returning from war be a lying, out-of-control mess. I want to see him on the path to becoming Zeke, not on the path to becoming a homeless substance abuser.</p>
<p>It was good to see Jasmine again – I don’t think she had been onscreen in a month, at least. And the conversation between her and Crosby was lovely.</p>
<p>I liked last night’s episode but I didn’t think it was spectacular. I think I screwed myself over thinking it was the season finale while I was watching it. Luckily we got 4 episodes left in January with the finale airing on the 28th. </p>
<p>Peter Krause continues to be one of my favorite actors. The scenes he did in the hospital were so brilliantly done. I really enjoyed them. He knows how to cry.</p>
<p>Crosby, in prior seasons, drove me crazy. They pulled him together and now I really enjoy him, and his family. Great interactions - being that he missed out on parenting his son in the early years, I found him chasing his diaper-free niece to be funny.</p>
<p>Nothing beats Adam’s bad-ass wrapper episode from a few seasons back. I still remember laughing to the point of tears with that one.</p>
<p>And, I agree with JHS and mnmom… that they shouldn’t feed the serviceman stereotype any further, especially since Zeke is volunteering to help these type of guys. They need to ramp up the compassion angle and show the good things that can come to/from servicemen. Let him pursue become a police officer or rescue someone from a burning house! Having more training to become fearless results in many acts of stateside bravery. So many times you hear of their training kicking back in years later. I total agree on the Amber angle, though I hope he gets help and then comes back to try again.</p>
<p>I did groan at the Hank/Sarah thing. That and the Santa thing made me disappointed in the episode, and probably the rest of the season.</p>
<p>I bet a lot of people have forgotten. Seriously, what is the network thinking? Are they trying to cancel the show? It hasn’t been on for weeks and then they put it back on at 10:00 on New Year’s Eve?</p>
<p>Zeke IS Jewish…though not at all religious. Camille isn’t. At least that’s what I remember from a scene a long time ago when Crosby—and I do have to wonder how THAT family came up with a name like Crosby–explained to his mother in law why he didn’t go to church. He said the Braverman family church was baseball.</p>
<p>This season, he asked his parents about God. This was when he found out Jamal was saying good night prayers. Camille said that she and Zeke had tried Buddhism early on. </p>
<p>I expect any day to learn that Crosby was named for somebody who died in Vietnam or disintegrated afterwards like Ryan.</p>
<p>Lol, Youdon’tsay. I’m the one who goofed and had the days mixed up. (Too many days off, I guess.) </p>
<p>Anyway, I still think it’s not a good idea for the network to put it back on the air on a holiday. College football rules on New Year’s Day. People are not back in their normal routines. I’m worried about the future of the show.</p>
<p>Watching football last night I saw bits of a preview of Kristina shaving her head. I didn’t catch that it will be on tomorrow night. Thanks for the heads up.</p>