‘Parenthood’ Recap - ‘Jump Ball’

Trying to move forward, Amber begins to clean up her apartment but finds a shirt of Ryan’s and gets depressed again.

Julia wakes up to an empty bed. She makes the kids breakfast, and they ask where Joel is. She makes the excuse that Joel had to work early, and the kids worry that their Dad forgot the commitments they made to them. Just then, Joel walks in with donuts, and basically ruins Julia’s work to cook a large breakfast for the kids.

Hank visits Adam at the studio. He hands Adam a picture of Bob Dylan and thought he would like to put it in the studio. Hank then asks for the number to Max’s Asperger’s specialist. Adam asks if there was an incident with Max but Hank quickly states he just needs for something else.

Amy hangs out in Drew’s dorm room, doing laundry. Amy gets a call from her parents, and quickly leaves the room, putting on the façade that she is back at her school. Drew’s roommate is concerned about Amy staying there so long as well.

Camille comes home from her trip, and the rest of the Braverman family surprise her as she walks in the door. Camille acts as if it’s good to be home, but she seems ready to leave again.

Amber calls in sick to The Luncheonette, stating that she’s going to be out for a couple days, when in reality she’s driving down the coast.

Kristina hangs up a painting Camille gave to them as Adam walks in. He tells her about Hank asking for the specialist’s number and they realize he may think he has Asperger’s. They talk to each other about Hank, and while somewhat odd in personality, they realize all that he has accomplished in life, giving them hope for Max’s life in the future.

Adam goes to Hank’s studio to get the picture of Dylan in a frame. Adam asks Hank to a poker game.

Sitting at the beach, Amber gets a call from her Mom, who is standing outside her apartment with chicken soup because she heard Amber was sick. After a minute, Amber tells her Mom that she’s not sick and she just needs to get away and clear her head.

Julia asks Joel where he stayed the night. After avoiding the answer, Joel states he spent the night at the trailer at his job site. Julia asks what they are doing, and Joel only answers that he’s trying to just keep moving forward.

Camille has been up for a while when Zeek makes his way into the kitchen. Asking what she wants to do today, Camille answers that she got invited to go to a museum with a friend from her trip who is only in town for one day. Zeek states that’s fine and Camille says she’ll be home well before dinner, and leaves

Hanks sits with the specialist and after talking for a while, Hank asks if he thinks he has Asperger’s. The specialist wants to run tests but Hank asks what his gut tells him. It’s a “jump ball” he says, meaning from what he sees, and the self-test Hank took, the specialist can’t say that he has Asperger’s but also that he doesn’t.

Natalie stops Drew as they head out of class. She asks if he’s going to watch the meteor shower for their Astronomy class. He states he doesn’t know, and Natalie gives him a hard time about Amy.

Adam tells Crosby that he invited Hank to their poker night. Crosby thinks Hank is weird, and really doesn’t want him there but Adam just gets angry and storms off yelling at Crosby.

After driving for the day, Amber sits in her car drinking out of a flask and smoking. She’s parked outside the place where her father, Seth, works.

Very late, Camille walks in, apologizing for the time. Looking for food, Camille realizes they don’t have anything for dinner. Zeek tells her that he’s taking her out to a nice restaurant. Camille seems happily surprised.

Drew gives Amy his card keys to access the dorm and the cafeteria. He leaves for his field trip with the Astronomy class, telling her he’ll be back in the morning. He asks when she’s going back to her school. She tells him how much she hates it there, and doesn’t want to go back. She tells him that he is the only thing that makes sense to her right now.

Julia goes to see Sarah and they talk about what is going on with Joel. Sarah tries to comfort her, stating Joel is just mad and they will work through this. Julia is still worried that Joel will leave.

Amber sits at the restaurant bar where her father works, and is very drunk. A guy that has been hitting on her, and buying drinks, tries to get Amber to leave with him. She tells him off, and tells him even though he bought her drinks doesn’t mean she owes him anything. He calls her a bitch and Amber starts yelling at him. Amber’s father breaks the fight up.

Amber runs outside, about to get in her car when Seth stops her. Amber yells at him, crying, blaming him for her and Ryan breaking up, worried that she’s going to turn out just like him.

While they are eating at the restaurant, having a good time, Camille tells Zeek that she’s really happy traveling. Zeek tries to convince her that it’s good she’s home, and that she missed a lot. She then tells him that she’s planning on going on another trip with the class in three months to France.

Seth calls Sarah and tells her that Amber is with him. He tells her he wants the opportunity to be a father to Amber. Sarah tells him to call her the next day.

After playing poker for a while, the person who is dealing gets to make the rules for the next hand. Crosby’s friend is dealing, and states that he’s making two’s and five’s are wild. Hank gets upset, arguing about the rules, and Adam tries to keep the peace, but by the end of the arguing, everyone but Adam and Hanks gets up and leaves. As they start to talk, Hank admits to Adam that he went to the Asperger’s specialist, and is frustrated not knowing. Hank offers Adam a cigar.

Drew heads to the bus where the rest of his class are, to go see the meteor shower. He sees Natalie from a distance, and turns around and leaves. He goes back to the dorm to spend time with Amy.

Joel goes home after the broken-up poker game, looking around the house and gazing at the rooms. He goes to each of the kid’s rooms, looking at them as they sleep. He finally goes into his bedroom where Julia is reading in bed and tells her that he’s moving out.

The next morning, Amber and Seth talk over pancakes that he’s made. She apologizes for the way she acted, and the things she said, and thanks him for letting her stay. He tells her that she’s not like him at all, that if she were, she would have left and never said a word. He tells her that she could never be him because she’s got her mother in her.

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