Exclusive

Parenthood Finale: A "Surprise" for Joel and Julia, and Dax Shepard Reveals Another Kristen Bell Freakout!

Exclusive! Scoop on what goes down tonight, and why fans will want to bring Kleenex

By Kristin Dos Santos Feb 28, 2012 10:17 PMTags

Dax Shepard is getting married!

In real life, you probably know he's engaged to Kristen Bell, but first on tonight's awesome season ender of Parenthood, he seals the deal with Jasmine (Joy Bryant). We hit the set for scoop and learned that there is yet another Kristen Bell freakout Dax captured on film (you remember the sloth, right?), plus what's ahead for Julia (Erica Christensen) and Joel (Sam Jaeger) after last week's devastating (sob!) loss...

Last week on P'hood, fans got what they've been waiting for: A Crosby and Jasmine reunion, complete with rainstorm and surprise proposal! And tonight, they throw together a wedding in only three days, and Dax admits shooting the vows scene was surreal. "I've been to a lot of weddings, but this is my first time standing there and even faking it you're like, 'Oh wow this feels very real.' There's a lot of people here with really high expectations of this relationship."

Since the setting for the wedding (in Mom and Dad Braverman's backyard) was so darn purty, Dax also (jokingly) contemplated bringing his real-life fiancée on by to knock out their vows, too. "Yeah, we'll just swing through," he teased. "What if I did that though and I got a bill from NBCUniversal in the mail a week later? It's like 'Congratulations! And you do owe us $3900 for the space!' It's a cool wedding though in the backyard and I think it's how it should be done."

Dax reveals there was so much more to Kristen Bell's hilarious and adorable sloth freakout (the home video debuted on Ellen), saying, "It went on for a whole half of a day. She left the bed and then started getting ready frantically and I was like, 'What are you doing honey? and she was like, 'I got to get ready!' and I'm like, 'I don't think the sloth really cares how you look.' She was in a full panic attack. I had seen a similar reaction when I had proposed to her and...I think I have some photos of her breaking down." Cutest. Proposal. Ever?

And speaking of emotional breakdowns, you best have your therapist's number on standby when you see what's next for Julia (Erika Christensen) and Joel (Sam Jaeger), who lost their adoptive son last week when the birth mother (Zoe) decided to keep him. "I wish it was not real," Erica admits, "but it's real. It's one of those things that happens and so it's heartbreaking, it's brutal. Fortunately in this season finale she has something to distract her, something of which we won't speak, something exciting to give her something to distract herself."

Yeah, well, it better be good. Cause we fans have been put through the emotional wringer!

For more from Dax, Erica and Sam (and further proof the Parenthood cast is special), check out my exclusive on-set interviews (at the wedding!) above.

And if you missed Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, make sure you check out what they dished about their relationships, onscreen and off—Plus what Peter can say about Parenthood not getting cancelled.

(E! is part of the NBCUniversal Family)