Pilots in general aren’t usually the best episode of any series. I can probably count on one hand the pilots that I thought were so phenomenal I didn’t know what could top them. (Modern Family, Glee, Gilmore Girls). That said, I really enjoyed the pilot episode of the Parenthood reboot, and I was excited to see more. The 2nd episode, titled Man vs. Possum involves all of the family members. For Sarah, it’s about starting her new life and trying to find a job. Her dad encourages her to apply for a PR job (not a bartending job) and she reluctantly agrees. However, her dad goes to talk to her brother, Adam to get him to make a phone call to bring Sarah in for an interview (unbeknownst to her of course). Julia is still struggling to bond with her daughter, and insists on taking her to school. She runs into trouble in the parking area, which later leads to an interesting mother showdown. Crosby, now a new dad, finds out that his son and his son’s mother actually decided to move back into town. Crosby tries to bond with Jabbar but finds that he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. And remember the mom from the parking lot, she has an adopted daughter who is friends with Sydney (Julia and Joel’s daughter) and is spending a little too much time with Sydney and Joel for Julia’s liking.

In addition, Adam and Kristina find out that Max does have Aspberger’s Syndrome (they hadn’t gotten a final diagnosis in the pilot). They meet with a family whose son was also diagnosed and of course he is playing guitar and dancing around in his underwear. The parents explain they will have to change Max’s diet, see a ton of behavior specialists, and Adam and Kristina are clearly overwhelmed. They get into see a specialist, who helps them understand how to treat Max’s condition.

There’s also a storyline with Sarah and her kids, some other sweet moments, and obviously there is a possum involved somewhere, but I don’t want to spoil too much. I can tell you that after this second episode, I am hooked. I would watch anything that Lauren Graham is in, and after the first episode, I decided I would give the show a shot. However, after the second episode, I truly see a ton of potential in this series. The episode was heartwarming in many ways but also had it’s funny and quirky moments like any good drama should have. I found myself wanting to see more once the episode ended and that is an extremely good sign. People have come up to me and told me that they can’t wrap their heads around watching Lauren Graham play someone other than Lorelai Gilmore. I completely understand and at first it was strange for me too. But I feel like Graham is embracing the role of Sarah, while bringing pieces of Lorelai to it as well. They are certainly polar opposite characters but there are moments in Parenthood (especially in this episode) where you see Lorelai’s wry smile or her sense of humor and sarcasm shine through. There are serious moments for Graham as well (perhaps the ones that seem out of place if you are used to Lorelai), but I’m asking all my readers who might not have been crazy about the first episode, to give this show one more try. If you watched the Friends pilot when it aired, you might have given up on that, but I think Parenthood is going great places. Jason Katims hasn’t let anyone down with Friday Night Lights, and I think he will take Parenthood to great places. The cast of this show is phenomenal, and I like that there are so many story lines to become invested in. I can’t wait to see more.

Be sure to tune in tonight to NBC at 10 pm for “Man vs. Possum.”