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Parenthood, Ep. 5.17, “Limbo” an accurate, unpleasant depiction of familial strife

Parenthood often centers on familial strife, the ups and downs that come with having, and caring for and about, a large family. Unlike the lovefest of “Just Like at Home”, this week’s episode centers on the ugliness that can peek out when a group of overly stressed and tired loved ones sit down to dinner. It’s well depicted, but unfortunately, it’s not particularly pleasant.

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Parenthood, Ep. 5.05, “Let’s Be Mad Together” sidesteps usual pitfalls with emotion, honesty

Communication is once again the name of the game as Parenthood continues its strong fifth season. Whereas “Nipple Confusion” focused on the varying forms of communication, from direct confrontation to frank conversations to long-simmering musings, “Let’s Be Mad Together” instead approaches this topic by looking at dysfunctional partnerships, from Joel’s work to Max’s Yearbook woes. A show far more interested in the painful small-scale struggles of day-to-day life than almost any other series on television, Parenthood is no less powerful for embracing this seemingly low-stakes approach. Rather, by eschewing the heightened hysterics of shows like time-slot competitor Scandal (as entertaining as that series continues to be), Parenthood plumbs greater emotional depths, providing far more recognizable and resonant drama week in and week out.

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