Parenthood (TV Series) Vegas (2014) User Reviews

Parenthood gamble with going to Las Vegas and lose me.

[ivyleague929 · 7/10 · 21 January 2015]

You really can tell if a show is losing its audience, because they always try to have gimmick episode like this, where somebody go on vacation or take a trip, somewhere famous like Hawaii, Disneyland or in this case, Las Vegas. 'The Brady Bunch' did it. 'Friends' did it and now this show did it. While, the series is set in Berkeley, California; the vacation episode is set, outside of the norms of the normal episodes, with exotic locations like Las Vegas to get the maximum impact with viewers. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, Parenthood is a comedic television drama developed by Jason Katims and produced by Ron Howard & Brian Grazer for NBC. The show tells of the Braverman clan which consists of an elderly couple, Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) & Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman (Craig T. Nelson), their four adult children, Adam (Peter Krause), Sarah (Lauren Graham), Julia (Erika Christensen), and Crosby (Dax Shepard) and their families. The show is loosely based on the Ron Howard's 1989 movie with the same name. Unlike the movie that has a lot of great humor, and substance. This show lacks those elements, most of their episodes in later seasons. The writing for those seasons, often felt forced, unoriginal or messy. Truly, it shows as viewership has drop a lot since 2010. The only thing that they wrote, that catch the attention, of outside viewers, was having one of the character's children reveal to have Asperger syndrome. It's the key issue that brings, most of the viewers, back. Due to low viewership, and budget cuts. The sixth season would be, it's last. So, you would think that the season 6 premiere, titled 'Vegas', would open with a blast when this is last season! Sadly, not as Las Vegas wouldn't play a big part of the storyline. Honestly, with all the great things about Las Vegas, it's disappointing, they didn't use much of it. Very low keyed. If you're not going to focus the episode on Las Vegas, then don't call your episode 'Vegas'. Since, the episode isn't about Las Vegas, at all. The show dully put uninteresting issues like if one of the Adam's kids will go to the charter school that the whole family have pitch in, to help construct it. It's like watching literally paint dry. In which the episode kinda does. The other main focus on this episode is Amber Holt (Mae Whitman) and her teen pregnancy. Her storyline pretty much carry Season 5, and it's continue to be follow into Season 6. Not only does the teen pregnancy angle seem like an old cliché because other drama shows and even the movie, Parenthood, have already tackle this issue. The show, Parenthood gives nothing much to the story, this episode, besides her telling her mother, Sarah. Even that, didn't had much of an impact. Her reaction was like meh. What-ever. The whole pregnancy arch, felt a bit soap opera lifetime channel style programming with the young adults revisiting their old school, talking about how things, have change. The movie hints that Amber might get abortion, but really there was no doubt that Amber was going to keep the baby. Honestly, if they went the other route, and had her get an abortion. It might have, gotten viewers talking about it. Sadly, they went with the safe nor least controversy route. Honestly, I was thought, her pregnancy would give this show, it's much needed drama. Sadly, it's not delivering. The episode focus way too much on Hank Rizzoli (Ray Romano), a recurring character that Max (Max Burkholder) starts hanging out with. I know, that they want to use the best, out of Ray Romano to get viewership, but gees… the show already have way too many characters to follow. Plus, they are really using the Asperger's syndrome plot, way too much. They even wanted to explore more with the Hank, character. The episode had only one, exciting thing and that's Zeke having a panic attack and I wish, they explore more of it, during this episode, but I guess they wanted to drawn-out the heart attack storyline for later in the season. Overall: I would take the Buckmans from the movie, Parenthood over the Braverman family, any day, but since I can't. I will have to say, this premiere is pretty forgettable. Like soap in your eyes, it hurt to watch, most of the time. There are way better episodes than this. This was clearly a miss.