It’s possible that this week’s episode of Parenthood was perfect. I mean, honestly. It was a heavy episode, but there were smiles too. Warm moments. Tense family issues. Tears. It was everything I love about the show. What a way for the show to come back in 2013 after a stellar first half of the season. I loved how the episode began, with Julia, Sarah, Kristina and Jasmine out at a bar having fun. They were all pretending to not have a care in the world and getting away from their problems for a while, even though they were all facing issues of varying depth. Then, Kristina p ulled out a few locks of hair. And she went home and boldly, bravely shaved her head. The whole thing was heartbreaking and wonderful. Adam’s reaction was perfect, in that it was flawed. There is no right way to help someone through such a situation, people can just do the best they can. I adored all their interactions in this episode – especially the romantic date Kristina covertly arranged for them. (Any Veronica Mars fans out there? That was Dick Casablancas hitting on her at the bar. He looks good!) Because we got some laughs out of Kristina’s cancer storyline this week, the heaviness could come from elsewhere – and I’m glad it did. So far, I’m pleased with how the writers have handled the introduction of Victor. It hasn’t been an easy transition, and I think they’re doing a good job of making it feel pretty realistic. Victor’s grades have come along, but he still doesn’t understand why he can’t see his own mother. He probably won’t ever consider Julia his “real” mom. It’s unfortunate that Sydney so often comes across as The Worst on this show, because I think she’s kind of just a normal kid. She was truly horrid to Victor, but I hope viewers don’t discount what kind of transition this would be for her. Her new brother gets all the attention, her mom told her to shut up. Lashing out at Victor seemed like a relatively normal reaction from a little kid who hasn’t really learned empathy yet. I was disappointed with how Julia handled the situation, but it felt real to me. Victor put Sydney in danger, and that brought up emotions and fears. Adopting an older, troubled kid is not easy, and I felt like this episode really helped push that storyline further. I very much enjoyed Crosby and Jasmine’s storyline this week. Crosby’s relationship with Jasmine’s mother (and her family in general) has always been strained, and that’s been touched on here and there. Jasmine’s mother is moving in with them now, under circumstances that in today’s economy make a lot of sense – she lost her job, is getting buried under debt, and has to rely on her family for help. Crosby is her family now, and it was nice to see him both struggle with the sacrifice and step up to do the right thing. If I ever hear anyone doubt Dax Shepard’s acting skills, I’d like to show them Crosby’s facial reaction to Renee’s heartfelt thanks. I think this is a great development for Crosby and Jasmine, because it can give them an obstacle in their marriage without actually threatening their relationship. The storyline that has been most difficult to like this season is Sarah’s, even though I do think her decisions have been in keeping with her character. I feel that the thing that has saved this plot is Ray Romano, and his chemistry with Sarah. Sometimes a person can make all the wrong decisions and end up with the right person, and I like the idea that Sarah and Hank are right for each other. I just hope that Ray Romano can stay on the show, because I’m tired of seeing Sarah move from one guy to the next. I want Hank to be it. I know not all of you watch the previews for the next week’s episode, so I won’t talk about it in detail. But I think it could be an extremely interesting storyline, and one that I think Parenthood, based on Katims’ Friday Night Lights track record, is equipped to do a good job on. There are only four more episodes left in this season (NBC is rushing the show out the door in order to air Smash, which I hate) and I have a feeling they will all be very emotional, excellent episodes that set us up for a fantastic fifth season. If NBC is smart, they’ll deliver one. ...