Parenthood: Crosby's Dilemma, the Next Twist in Julia's Baby Quest and Hopes for Season 4
It was the best of times and it was the worst of times on last week's Parenthood. Jasmine (Joy Bryant) professed her love for Crosby (Dax Shepard), just as his sister, Julia, (Erika Christensen) learned the heart-breaking news that she was not going to be a mother again.
And don't push those tissue boxes away just yet. "I'm really proud of the finale. It was one of those episodes where so many things come together and it's got good humor, it's emotional," showrunner Jason Katims tells TVGuide.com. "It's a nice mix of seeing some things come to a really satisfying ending and on the other hand, opening up some pretty big questions about what's going to happen next for these people."
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Here's what you need to know about the Season 3 finale (Tuesday, 10/9c on NBC) and beyond:
The wedding will happen. Don't expect any eleventh-hour bumps on the way to the altar for Crosby and Jasmine. "I always did feel that, despite all their problems and issues with each other, that there was always something so special between them and we wanted to get back to that," Katims says. That being said, it doesn't sounds like their first year of marriage will be so smooth. "It will be very interesting to watch them really committed to each other and really forging ahead together," he says. "The first year of marriage is something we haven't been able to explore yet in the show, which I think is a really fascinating period."
Parenthood's Joy Bryant: Jasmine will always have feelings for Crosby
But there will be a dark cloud over Crosby's big day. That innocent little handshake Adam (Peter Krause) shared with West Coast Recordings headman Richard Gilcriss last week is going to cause some major headaches as he and Crosby try to decide whether to sell the Luncheonette. "That question anchors the episode," Katims says. "They bicker a lot in this really, sweet fun way, but we see them deal with something that they really disagree on and how complicated that is when you're not only business partners, but you're brothers."
Julia and Joel's quest for baby No. 2 is just getting started. Zoe will pop up one more time following Julia's emotional discovery last week. "There is a really beautiful scene between Julia and Zoe in the finale and there is yet another twist in the story," Katims says. Will this twist have to do with Julia and Joel's next step in having another child? It sure sounds like it. "The thing you hear a lot about adoption is that things happen in a way that is so unexpected," Katims says. "It doesn't mean they'll never get a baby. It just means it may happen another way."
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Breaking up is hard to do. Judging from an early finale preview, things don't look too good for Sarah (Lauren Graham) and Mark (Jason Ritter) despite — or maybe because of — Katims' affection for actor Ritter. "I was trying to figure out a way to have my cake and eat it too which is being able to develop for Jason, but on the other hand, keep that character alive because I think the chemistry he and Lauren have is so wonderful," he says . "That was on my mind as I was writing the final episode and figuring out what would happen between them." However, even if Jason Ritter's NBC drama pilot County (also created by Katims), is picked up to series, the writer-director is confident this isn't the last fans will see of Mark Cyr. "I think we just have to wait and see what happens with County and see how much we'll be able to hopefully have Jason on Parenthood next year."
About Season 4... Parenthood has yet to be renewed and ratings are lukewarm at best. The most recent new episode ranked second in the adults 18-49 demographic (1.7), but third in total viewers (4.91 million) in the Tuesday-at-10 time period. But Katims is optimistic about renewal chances after NBC ordered two additional episodes earlier to raise the total Season 3 order from 16 to 18. "We're very hopeful about a Season 4. Obviously, the network has a lot of stuff that they're dealing with and clearly they're going to want to see what their development is, but they've been very supportive of Parenthood," Katims says. "[NBC Entertainment Chief] Bob Greenblatt really genuinely supports and loves the show and has been great with us. You always worry a little bit when the new person comes in. ... You never want to take anything for granted, but I'm hoping that we are able to come back."
Are you excited for Crosby and Jasmine to tie the knot? What do you think is next for Julia and Joel? What else do you want to see happen in Season 4?
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