Parenthood Issues

The second full season of "Parenthood,"  having started a week before the 2011-12 season, did so with a few surprises and some rather intriguing plot lines. 

Despite indications to the contrary back in April, when the previous season ended, Crosby and Jasmine are not back together.  Not yet, anyway.  Yes, Crosby bought a house for himself, Jasmine, and their son, and yes, Jasmine came to look at it in the last episode of the previous season, but it turns out they're still living separate lives, even as they're still trying to raise their kid together.  Crosby is hoping a new real estate venture - restoring a recording studio popular with legendary San Francisco bands - will pay off, and he even has his brother Adam, having lost his job, on board, but Crosby seems to be trying to re-create a glorious rock and roll past that can never be brought back.  But maybe that's just me.  Meanwhile, Adam has to figure out how to bring in some money to help is growing family, what with his wife Kristina about to have a baby and all.

Adam and Crosby's sister Julia wants to adopt a baby, and she works up the gall and the nerve to ask the pregnant, single barista girl at her law firm if she can adopt her unborn baby.  The answer? "No."  And Adam's daughter Haddie has to deal with her boyfriend Alex having to go to trial for hitting someone who was harassing him at a party, only to find out that he has a criminal record - he robbed someone.  

This is getting interesting . . . hopefully interesting enough to warrant Emmy nominations next year.  "Parenthood" kind of hasn't won any Emmys yet.  But as long as the cable-TV Emmy darling "Mad Men" is still not back, this is probably the best drama you're going to see on television right now.

And some folks don't have cable.