'Parenthood': Will Jason Ritter And Ray Romano Be Back For Season 5? Lauren Graham Weighs In

Will Jason Ritter And Ray Romano Be Back For 'Parenthood' Season 5?

Now that NBC has renewed "Parenthood" for Season 5, fans can start speculating about what the next chapter might hold for our beloved Braverman clan.

Star Lauren Graham stopped by HuffPost Live to discuss her new book on April 30, but naturally, her character's tumultuous love life came up too, since Sarah was involved with both her sweet younger fiance Mark (Jason Ritter) and her curmudgeonly employer Hank (Ray Romano) last season.

Asked who she thinks Sarah should end up with, Graham laughed and said, "Well, we don't have either of them for next season, so I might have to go back to Billy Baldwin."

But panic not, "Parenthood" fans -- we reached out to NBC for comment on that potential bombshell, and a spokesperson for the network said that at this stage, the producers don't know exactly what's in store for next season yet, and that since Jason Ritter has a pilot in contention at Fox (co-starring Graham's former on-screen daughter Alexis Bledel, no less), that will dictate his availability for the next season of "Parenthood."

It's possible that Graham meant that, since the Season 4 finale saw Sarah end things with both Mark and Hank (with the latter leaving town to be with his daughter), she isn't counting on either of them being around next year. Still, if Ritter's "Friends and Family" pilot isn't picked up, we can't help but cross our fingers for a Sarah and Mark reunion.

At the show's recent PaleyFest event, Graham did express hope for both of Sarah's suitors. "I felt that the finale left it open. Sarah made a choice and then Ray Romano’s like, ‘I’m moving to Minnesota,’ so to me there was a lot of energy in both areas, so I didn’t view it as ‘I chose one or the other’ necessarily because it wasn’t going to work out. It could still go anywhere," she pointed out. "It didn’t feel like, ‘Here’s where we’re going to go next season!’ It’s hard because I really enjoyed working with Ray, and Jason has been part of this family for the whole time, so every year it’s been hard to imagine the possibility of saying goodbye to him."

Ritter also told The Huffington Post that he'd love to return. "Obviously [Jason Katims and I] love working with each other and we did a pilot together last season and so, it just depends on so many circumstances," he said on the Paley red carpet. "I think if was up to Jason and me we’d be like, 'Yeah!' But even if my show got picked up, if everyone cooperated, I would be able to do a couple [episodes]. So I hope so, I would love that."

During her visit to HuffPost Live, Graham also voiced her relief at the Season 5 renewal. "In this TV landscape, to have a show in its fifth season and then get 22 [episodes] -- because we've been doing shorter seasons -- feels very positive," she admitted, noting that the business has changed considerably since "Gilmore Girls" was on the air.

"The ratings alone ... when I first started and there were shows like 'Friends' on. There's no show -- or maybe there's one -- that does that kind of number anymore. And the numbers we used to do on 'Gilmore Girls' that were considered small then would now be a big hit," she pointed out. "We didn't have this much reality television -- it doesn't stop. It's taking so many slots that might be scripted TV. Some of it's really entertaining, and it's a bummer for actors."

"Parenthood" will return to NBC in the fall. Graham's book, "Someday, Someday, Maybe" is out now.

Do you think Sarah should end up with Mark, Hank or neither when "Parenthood" returns? Sound off below!

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