Parenthood Episode 5.02 All Aboard Who's Coming Aboard

Everyone's running late for the first day of school, which is also time for parent volunteer sign-ups at Sycamore Elementary. Julia has made it on time, but clueless dad Ed Brooks snags her to watch his kids while he retrieves their forgotten lunches. Julia knows what this means: all the "good" volunteer jobs will be taken, and she and Ed will be stuck on the Sustainability Committee. Across town, Kristina is already interviewing campaign managers. A true force of nature, Heather Hill takes over her interview and hires herself. With Kristina's announcement speech to write, there's no time to waste!

Ryan and Amber are making out in the car outside her grandparents' house, agreeing not to tell her family about their engagement when they hear the furtive clicking of a camera shutter. Max thought it would be a good idea to photograph their "wrestling"... Inside, everyone's thrilled to see Ryan home from the war. Amber is so overjoyed that she blurts out their good news, stunning her mother. Later Camille approaches Zeek with another letter from the insurance company. They have to install a security system or their policy will be revoked; furthermore, the house is simply falling apart. Zeek insists everything's fine and goes about bungling a series of repairs.

Work on the hated Sustainability Committee begins. Julia and Ed troll the cafeteria like green police, lecturing kids on their offensive potato chip bags and plastic water bottles. Julia tries to make the best of it, but Victor and Jabbar are embarrassed - all the kids hate her! Adam returns home to find his living room packed with interns as Heather monopolizes the phone. Kristina already hired a campaign manager?! Heather has big plans for Adam, and she'll need to meet with him first thing tomorrow. The campaign bus is leaving the station, and Adam better get on it... While Max shows Hank his photos of Amber and Ryan and tells him about their wedding plans, Amber drops by Sarah's. Sarah wants the details of the proposal and when she understands that it was completely spontaneous, Amber gets her drift - Sarah's worried.

Amber and Ryan are in the middle of a romantic evening at home when she asks how he reached the decision to propose. Turns out, Sarah was right: Ryan's proposal was completely spontaneous. Across town, Kristina's feeling a little uncomfortable in her meeting with Heather. Despite the fact that Kristina is a speechwriter by profession, Heather has carved up her announcement speech with a red pen. Then she asks: Is Kristina sure Adam's 100% on board with the campaign? Because if Adam doesn't believe in Kristina - then who will? It could be death to her grassroots campaign...

The baby's sleeping, Crosby is trying to take a nap, and Jabbar is bouncing a basketball and watching cartoons at top volume. An argument flares between father and son, and Crosby quickly realizes he needs to make peace lest Aida wake up and push Jasmine into a wrath that knows no bounds. Understanding that the constraints of having a new baby in the house seem wildly unfair to Jabbar, Crosby offers to let him pick a restaurant for a family outing that night.

Ed and Julia are trying to make the best of picking recyclables out of the school's garbage. Ed admits that he recently got laid off and can't help but feel a little inadequate, even if he does have more time with his kids. When he asks Julia about her job, her pride gets in the way, and she lies, saying she's still working for Dengraf & Prossler. Hank stops by Sarah's with a housewarming gift, but he's really interested in seeing whether she's okay with Amber's impending nuptials. Of course, he bungles his display of concern, but he does manage to hit a nerve. Sarah admits it all seems rushed, and she doesn't know anything about Ryan or his family. Hank encourages Sarah to tell Amber the truth - so what if she pisses Amber off?

Kristina runs through her announcement speech for Adam and when his response is less than enthusiastic, she asks whether he's on board with the campaign or what. Adam's quick to anger; he's not sure Kristina thought everything through. Her doctor said she's supposed to be watching her stress level! Adam escalates, brusquely reminding Kristina she almost died. In tears, Kristina agrees. She almost died, which is exactly why she's running for mayor.

It's Jabbar's night, but Aida is taking up all the air in the restaurant. She won't stop crying and she won't take the nipple. Just after the entrees are served, the unctuous manager asks the family to leave, which ignites Crosby's last raw nerve. Jasmine's worst fear is realized as Crosby stands up and starts yelling at everyone, shaming them for their intolerance toward a baby - the miracle of life! Sarah stops by The Luncheonette with a six-pack to consult with Adam: should she talk to Amber about her engagement? Adam reminds her how it went down when Sarah announced her engagement to Seth. Whatever Sarah decides, what she doesn't want to do is drive Amber away.

It's midnight and Zeek is still trying to fix the windows that are filled with dry rot. The security guy was right. Camille insists the wood rot is just the tip of the iceberg. There are all manner of repairs needed, not least of which is a new roof. Has Zeek ever thought about downsizing? A condo in the city, for instance, in the midst of all the action? Camille allows that the house is full of memories, but it's now pretty much empty. If they were in a condo, they could have a great third act, money to travel, new experiences. Camille wants to talk about selling the house, but Zeek absolutely does not.

After dropping the kids off at school, Julia bumps into Ed and decides it's time to get something off her chest. She lied about her job and wants to tell him the truth. Ed takes it in stride - it's no big deal, and the friendly bonding over unemployment begins. Elsewhere, Crosby perpetrates a jailbreak, signing Jabbar out of school without telling Jasmine. It'll be their secret. At The Luncheonette, they discuss the logistics of living with a new baby. It totally sucks and it's going to be tough for a while, so they'll have to catch their father/son time wherever they can.

Sarah stops by Amber's with a question: is Ryan the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with? Amber has not a single doubt in her heart. Sarah married Seth at a courthouse, a day when she wore a tragic skort. She was happy, but it wasn't the day she pictured. With Amber's permission, Sarah will help give her daughter her dream wedding. Amber is overjoyed. Meanwhile, Heather introduces Kristina at the press conference to announce her candidacy. Holding Nora, Adam assures his wife he's 100% behind her, but as she takes the dais, he looks nervous and maybe even a little scared.