This week's episode of "Parenthood" builds up to an emotional end that illustrates the honest moments when a cancer patient decides to tell his or her family.
But, first, the episode opens with Sarah and Hank developing photos in a dark room. Just like all romantic comedies promise with a setting like this, they share an intimate moment and a kiss. You can argue that Hank was the one that kissed Sarah, but she didn't exactly pull away. The two continue as if nothing happened and it's not until Sarah wakes up from what seems like a night terror that she forces Hank to have a discussion. After some cute banter, Hank simply proclaims, "You're funny, you're pretty, you're nice and I like talking to you. But I know you got somebody." My Hank-o-meter just spiked a little, even though he kissed an engaged woman. Sarah comes out of left field, surprising all the Hank fans and asks Mark to move in together. Denial? I think so too.
While Sarah deals with matters of the heart, Julia deals with matters in the workplace. From the looks of it, Julia is on the verge of getting fired for missing an important deadline, costing the firm millions of dollars and a handful of wealthy clients. On top of her job, she misses the deadline of Sydney's recital,which Sydney doesn't hesitate to remind her of again and again. Not being able to bear the burden of a full-time lawyer and full-time mother, Julia breaks down at breakfast as the toast and eggs burn. God bless working mothers, God bless full-time mothers, and God bless any mother inbetween. Stress levels take a toll on this "partner-track" lawyer and when given a second chance to commit 100 percent to her job, Julia tells the partners at the firm that she simply cannot do it all. She quits.
Zeek feels committed to Ryan York, the soldier from Afghanistan that he befriended from the volunteer center. Having discovered that Ryan didn't show up for a job interview -- or failed to show up at the center altogether -- Zeek takes matters into his own hands and visits him at his apartment. Ryan feels like an alien since being back and can't stand people looking at him like a "veteran." He pushes Zeek away saying that he won't be able to change anything. In a fury, Zeek returns saying that isolating himself in his apartment won't get him back into the world. What usually fixes things in the male world? Baseball. Zeek invites Ryan to Victor's baseball game where he meets the whole family, including Amber. Sparks.
Even though Kristina is hesitant to tell Haddie she has breast cancer in the middle of her fun, freshman year, she and Adam feel that it's time to break the news. Over Skype, Adam and Kristina tell their daughter that Kristina has cancer, but "not to worry." After more "don't worry, honey's" and "just concentrate on school's," Haddie calls Adam back the next day upset and angry that they haven't told her any details since she's so far away: "Can you treat me like adult?" This is a sincere father and adult daughter moment as Adam struggles to tell Haddie all the details through his tears. Telling Max was an easier task as he appeared to be unfazed, but he seemed like he understood.
The next and final step was telling the family. The baseball game served as a great prelude, painting happy Braverman moments when Victor hits his first homerun. The whole family celebrates at the pizza parlor and Kristina looks at her entire family adoringly, knowing that she is loved and that she loves them. To everyone's surprise, Haddie shows up. Wondering why Adam and Kristina aren't more joyful of the surprise arrival, the family knows something is up. Kristina starts: "I love you all so much, I just want to say that. But there's something I have to tell you." With that, in another brilliant "Parenthood" moment, Kristina tells the family about her cancer with no words heard, but Yael Meyer's beautiful song, "Shed Their Fear."
"Parenthood" airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.