‘Parenthood’ Recap: ‘The Pontiac’ (Season finale)

Sarah and Amber wait in a chair at Ryan’s bedside in the hospital.

A now blonde Haddie and a friend are on a plane.

Adam hangs a sign over their entry way saying “Welcome Home Haddie”, while Kristina gives him direction. Max comes out of the house and states he’s grown so he needs a new suit for graduation. He wants a brown one because Hank has a brown one. A cab pulls up and Haddie and she introduces her parents to her “super awesome, best friend” Lauren.

Sarah walks through a hotel lobby and Hank shows up with coffee. She asks what he’s doing there and he says he wanted to stick around. He goes and helps Sarah run some errands.

Joel is at the construction site when he gets a text stating that Victor won an essay contest. He tells his friend, and his friend proceeds to embarrass him by telling all the workers about his good news.

Victor is waxing his grandfather’s car when Julia comes out and tells him the good news about winning the contest for the essay. She and Zeek say how proud they are of him, and that he will be reading it aloud in front of people.

Amber playfully tries to force Ryan to eat when a woman comes in and says to Ryan “Well, you’re a damn mess.” Turns out to be Ryan’s Mom, and Amber introduces herself. She then asks how she knows his son.

Drew walks Natalie to a bus taking her back home to Portland for the summer. She tells him to come and visit him, but he says he’s broke and has no car. They kiss goodbye, and she tells him to think of something creative, and to get up there to see her. Just as the doors to the bus close, she says she loves him, leaving Drew speechless.

Adam and Crosby go to help his parents move. Camille comes in the house with a birdhouse she said Crosby made from her artistic inspiration. Adam gives him a hard time about Crosby getting in touch with his feminine side to create something so beautiful.

Ryan’s Mom grills Amber how long they were going out. After playing down their relationship a nurse walks up asking for Mrs. York. Ryan’s Mom starts to speak and the nurse says she means Amber. Ryan’s Mom asks if she is married and she states no. The nurse is confused because Amber told the hospital they were. The nurse then states Amber is listed as Ryan’s beneficiary. Ryan’s Mom questions how she did that.

Haddie picks up Kristina’s campaign posters from her bed as Lauren gives her a hard time about a baby picture. Haddie says she’s excited for Lauren to meet the rest of her family. “I’m your ‘super awesome, best friend’” she says, and it becomes apparent she and Haddie are in a romantic relationship. Lauren tells her that Haddie shouldn’t tell her family for her, but for herself. They start kissing and Max abruptly comes in the room. Haddie quickly kicks him out.

As Crosby and Adam move a mattress down the stairs, Adam still gives him a hard time about the birdhouse. Crosby admits that it actually isn’t his birdhouse, that he stole it from a neighbor who was in the same class, and had the same initials. Adam starts to give him a hard time about that and they begin to play-fight. Knowing they are emptying out their childhood home, Crosby asks if Adam is up to make one last memory.

Amber talks to Hank and Sarah as they get to the hospital, saying it is probably best if they just go home. She’s surprised to see Hank still there, and gives a smile to her mother. Sarah hands her the hotel key, and, hesitantly, Amber gives Hank a big hug, thanking him, and saying she couldn’t have done it without him.

At the top of their parent’s stairs wearing football helmets, Crosby and Adam take turns sliding down on cookie sheets. Crosby’s slide doesn’t go well, crashing into the mattress below, with the cookie sheet flying onto the floor. Zeek and Camille rush in scolding them as if they were teenagers.

Adam goes home to get some food while Haddie is making lunch for her and Lauren. Haddie passionately tells her Dad how great a friend Lauren is, and that she feels like she really gets her. Adam is glad that she’s made such a good friend. Haddie wants to tell him about their relationship but decides against it and goes upstairs.

Adam and Drew carry in an antique bench, and Drew complainingly asks how long this is going to take to his grandfather. Zeek states as long as it takes, and Drew tells them about what happened with Natalie. Zeek tells him to go up and see her but he tells him that he’s broke. Zeek then tells them both that there is a prize for the best mover. Drew sarcastically states it is probably his grandfather’s “lucky dollar” or something.

Amber sits down to breakfast with Ryan’s Mom, who is smoking and drinking, and explains telling the hospital that she was his wife was the only way they would let her see him. A waitress comes over and tells her to put the cigarette out. Ryan’s Mom explains to Amber that she’s taking Ryan home at the end of the week. Amber states Ryan should have a say on what his next move is. Ryan’s Mom then tells Amber that Ryan was discharged from the Army.

Kristina and Max are in a store buying Max a suit. As he’s trying one on, he asks if a girl kissing another girl makes them a lesbian. Surprised Kristina begins to ask why, and Max quickly states he saw Haddie and Lauren kissing. Stumbling over her words, trying to rationalize it, finally asks Max how they were kissing.

Max reads his essay that tells about how he helped his grandfather restore the Pontiac, talking about how much he’s learned from him. He states how it really made a bad year for him into a decent one. His parents and grandparents are there to see him read it.

Afterword, Julia and Joel take the kids out to get ice cream. As the kids are getting their sugar high, Joel and Julia talk about how good of a day it was.

On their way back from San Diego, Hank asks Sarah about getting back together. Sarah is hesitant, and tells Hanks she’s not really sure, especially how well things are going between them right now. She’s not sure if she wants to risk that.

Amber confronts Ryan about being discharged. He explains he was reporting back for duty after a night of drinking, and was still drunk and crashed. She asks him about going with his Mom back to Wyoming and he says he doesn’t have a choice. He tells her he is not her problem to help. They hug and begin to kiss, and have sex.

Joel and Julia get the kids home. Joel is about to leave and Sydney breaks down crying, holding onto him telling him not to go, and that this is where he should be. Joel agrees to put her in bed to try and calm her down.

Amber and Ryan say goodbye to each other.

Joel tells stories of Sydney’s birth to Sydney and Julia as they lay in bed together. He gets nostalgic telling one story, and Sydney falls asleep. He reaches over and holds Julia’s hand.

The next day, Drew is still helping his grandparents load up their moving van. Camille tells Zeek to let Drew take a rest. Zeek tells Drew that by default, with Adam not being there and Crosby hurting himself, that he has won the “best mover” award. Again Drew asks if it his luck dollar. Zeek tells him no, and pulls out the car keys to the Pontiac. Drew tells him he can’t take the car but Zeek admits he started fixing it up with the intention of giving it to him.

Kristina sits down with Haddie in her room while Lauren is out on a run. Kristina says she’s there for Haddie if she ever wants to talk about anything. Haddie realizes Max said something to her, and comes out saying she and Lauren are dating. Kristina says she always has her support, and is glad Haddie is happy.

Lauren comes back from her run and Adam is in the kitchen. She tells Lauren to grab some cold water out of the fridge, and thanks Lauren for being such a good friend to Haddie. Lauren says, “Yeah, I love Haddie, she’s amazing.” Adam thinks for a minute, and realizes what she really is saying.

Amber shops in a drug store, picking up a pregnancy test.

As they keep moving things into the moving van, Zeek finds baseball gloves and a bat and ball, inviting Crosby and Adam to play.

Sarah walks into Hank’s studio and without saying a word starts kissing him, rekindling their relationship.

The Braverman’s finish moving out of the old house and into the new one. Zeek and Camille take a last dance in the empty house.

Drew drives his new car to visit Natalie.

At the new house, the Braverman’s are setting up for an outside dinner, and Adam talks to Haddie about knowing.

Drew gets to Natalie’s and they kiss. He tells her he loves her.

The Braverman’s sit down and have dinner at the new house.