Parenthood Season 5, Episode 8 Preview: Kristina's Campaign Heats Up In 'The Ring'

Between Scandal and Parenthood, it seems like election season is still in full swing on Thursday nights. For the NBC drama, Kristina’s mayoral race is heating up and the preview for next week’s “The Ring” suggests she’s considering going negative. But this is only after Bob Little takes a shot at her and Adam. By the way, what exactly is going on in that news article Heather shows Kristina?

Did some photographer manage to prompt their crazed responses or is that photo from something old or being taken out of context somehow, because… wow.

Of course, Kristina has ammunition of her own that she could choose to use to fire at Bob. And that’s his secret relationship with Amber. Remember that? But it’s one thing to expose Bob Little for his inappropriate behavior. It’s another to expose her niece’s private life for the sake of her campaign. Even if she doesn’t disclose the name of Bob’s intern, how long before the press digs it up? The preview suggests that Kristina’s decision to use this information will be made during next Thursday’s episode. I hope she finds a way to strike back at Bob without jeopardizing Amber’s reputation or her relationship with her niece. Unless, of course, Amber says it’s ok. There’s always that possibility, and the episode description for “The Ring” does say Amber makes a tough decision that rocks the boat with Ryan. Could that be it?

Also teased in the preview is Julia’s developing relationship with Ed (David Denman). It seems like she realize a line is being crossed with their friendship. Her spontaneous visit to Joel’s worksite seemed like an effort to appease her own guilt or assure herself that Joel is the only man she wants. But why is it that Ed’s the one who made her feel better after a hectic week? It’s a tricky enough situation, as it could put a rift in her relationship with Joel, but it’s made even trickier by the fact that Ed is also married. Is this situation going to make a mess of his marriage? I suppose we should just worry about Julia for now. Optimistically, they’re just friends. But the hints that maybe there’s something more happening here seem too obvious to ignore.

Looking at the description for the episode, it looks like whatever drama we’re seeing related to Julia may be related to Victor’s school issues:

Also, Jabar’s taking ballet?

Parenthood airs Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC.