Brothers & Sisters

So we’ve looked this week at some possible candidates for that “A Shocking Death!” promise in the promo for this Sunday’s two-hour Brothers & Sisters: Robert, Tommy, Trish and her baby, David, and Ryan. But when you’re dealing with misleading promos and root-shaking plotlines, nobody’s really safe, are they? Here are some major and minor characters who could be marked for death, but probably won’t be — the most likely death of all is Nobody’s.

Holly: Oh, you wish. A lot of folks would be happy if Tommy shoots Holly before going on the lam (or maybe driving off a cliff), but I have serious doubts that this cockroach of a character could ever be squashed.

Nora: She’s doing an awful lot of running in that promo. Maybe there’s an ax murderer chasing her?

Saul: They’ve finally found the right role for Uncle Saul, and it has nothing to do with his coming out: By taking him out of the Ojai offices and planting him in Nora’s kitchen, they’ve given her the friendly foil she’s needed all along. Since he’s no longer expendable, this is probably when they’ll kill him.

Ida: Nora and Saul don’t exactly love and treasure their elderly parent, but there’s probably some good emotional storytelling to be wrung from her passing.

Courtney: The former Mrs. McCallister having a tragic accident just as Robert is incapacitated by illness could give Kitty three kids to care for, all at once. You wanted to be a mother, Kit? Here ya go.

Joe: Speaking of exes, the demise of Sarah’s would deliver some good story possibilities to the Whedon brood, and give Kerris Dorsey more opportunities to bring it.

Sarah: Rachel Griffiths is expecting, and I suppose she might have secretly decided not to mix work and newborns. But … nah. I don’t think Sarah is a character they can lose, and I don’t think they’d let the actress go with so little fanfare.

Justin: He’s certainly the Walker who’d be named Most Likely to Accidentally Get Himself Killed, but as with Tommy and Sarah, I really don’t see them killing off a core Walker. I’m not even going to consider Kitty and Kevin, because there is No. Way.

Rebecca: Out with the old almost-Walker, in with the new? Rebecca’s purpose in the storyline is questionable, but I’d be ticked that we went to all that trouble to bring her and Justin together for nothin’.

Chelsea: Justin abandoned his sponsee to please Rebecca, so if she went and drank herself to death, he’d no doubt feel all Tormented. I’d be happy to never see Chelsea again, but happier still to never again see Tormented Justin.

Julia: Lots of talk in spoilers of Tommy losing everything that’s important to him — hope that just means that Julia dumps him, not that she and Lizzie get hit by a dump truck.

Scotty: Well, there was that rumor about Chad coming back, but it better not be to comfort a grieving Kevin. Aside from the fact that Scotty 2.0 is adorable and undeserving of sudden death, I think there are more interesting plotlines open with Kevin married than dating again.

George Lafferty: Like Ryan doesn’t feel bad enough, the death of the man he thought was his father while he’s visiting his birthfather’s family could shovel another load of Troubledness onto those thin, thin shoulders.

Nobody at All: Truly, this is the most likely scenario, no matter what the promo says. I think Vin said it best in the comments: “The promo peeps are liars, all liars I tell ya.” Can we kill them off?

So far, we’ve speculated that Robert’s, Tommy’s, Trish and/or Baby McCallister’s, or David’s demise would provide the Shocking Death promised by the Brothers & Sisters promo. Today, we consider a fellow who represents a storyline many of us would just as soon not follow: the newest alleged illegitimate Walker, Ryan.

Prospective corpse: Ryan Lafferty

Why it might be him: Troubled kid, just had his world turned upside down, memories of his late mother now trashed, learns his birthdad’s a pig, hounded by a perky Pasadena widow to come and be part of some new family … throw in bad grades and rejection from a cute girl/boyfriend, and it could well lead to suicidal behavior, depending on just how Troubled Ryan was before all these new revelations. Nora would undoubtedly feel responsible, and the family would be shaken by the death of a sibling without having to kill off one of the core group.

Why it probably won’t be: They’d be a lot more shaken up, though, if they had a chance to get to know the guy. If some of them tried to help him, and some said things that are harsh, and then he jumped off a bridge or got hit by a bus, there’d be some earned soul-searching and sadness. Seems to be limiting a lot of possibilities to off him so soon. Plus, I don’t know, Ryan didn’t seem all that Troubled to me. He’s got a job, he’s going to a good school, he’s polite, he asks reasonable questions, and he avoids spur of the moment decisions. If only he was the one to bring up a paternity test, I’d say he’s too smart to be a Walker.

Why I hope it’s not: I feel about this exactly the same way I feel about Justin and Rebecca’s romance — I wish we weren’t going there at all, but if you’re going to go to a lot of trouble to get me there, there’d better be a there there. To spend a season setting up Ryan’s addition to the family only to kill him as soon as we’ve met him would be an insult, once again, to our attention and involvement. Ryan’s a character who can easily disappear for long periods of time, returning to stir up trouble when needed. Better to keep in reserve than in the ground. (Plus, if they lose this one, you know they’re just going to have to invent another illegitimate sibling down the road.)

Tomorrow’s Death Watch: Everybody and Nobody

So far, we’ve speculated that Robert’s, Tommy’s, or Trish and/or Baby McCallister’s demise would provide the Shocking Death promised by the Brothers & Sisters promo. Today, we consider a character who would shake a different family to its roots: Rebecca’s long-lost dad David.

Prospective corpse: David Caplan

Why it might be him: Alright, so we have a guy here who looks a lot thinner and sadder than the last time we saw him, and he abruptly leaves town, despite the fact that he has a show coming up, to go spend some quality time with his daughter. Sounds like someone who’s not got long to live, doesn’t it? Rebecca was typically me-me-me in their talk, so perhaps he just didn’t have time to mention that some terminal illness has been waiting for a Two-Hour Movie Event to take him out.

Why it probably won’t be: David’s less marginal to the plot than Trish, but marginally. His death wouldn’t so much as shake a leaf off the Walker tree, much less shake it To Its Roots. Plus, Ken Olin might like to be able to keep giving himself acting jobs now and then.

Why I hope it is: This is the scenario I’d pick, if I had to pick a death. No offense to Olin, who I still enjoy seeing on my TV set, but David’s death has the potential to ricochet Rebecca back to the Troubled Wild Child she was back when she was still interesting, and drive a wedge between her and Holly, at a time when Holly’s going to be fighting for her corporate life. The promo just said “A Family Shaken to Its Roots!” Didn’t say it was the Walkers. If anybody on this show could use a good hard shaking, it’s those Harpers.

Tomorrow’s Death Watch: Ryan Lafferty

So far, we’ve speculated that Robert’s or Tommy’s would be the Shocking Death promised by the Brothers & Sisters promo. Today, we move on to two other possible victims, birthmother Trish and the baby Kitty and Robert are planning to adopt. Could we be in for another dead baby story?

Prospective corpses: Trish and the McCallister-to-Be

Why it might be one of them: Killing outside the regular circle of characters allows for maximum momentary drama with minimum impact on longterm storylines. A medical crisis during childbirth is good Two-Hour Movie Event fodder, and in the aftermath Kitty could be rocked with guilt over Trish’s death, sorrow over the loss of the baby, or both. Combined with a health crisis for Robert, it could finally give Calista Flockhart enough big dramatic scenes to make a winning Emmy reel. And a couple of plot turns down the road, it can all be forgotten.

Why it probably won’t be: There’s a fine line between causing minimal longterm impact and making no impact at all. Trish’s death would be insufficiently impactful for all this fuss and bother; it certainly wouldn’t Shake the Family to Its Roots. Losing the baby would certainly shake Kitty to her roots, but goodness, haven’t we already done the dead baby thing? Would they really kill another baby? If the purpose was for Kitty to suffer loss, it would be easy enough to just have Trish change her mind at the last minute.

Why I hope it’s not: So obviously, I still haven’t quite forgiven the writers for having Julia bear twins so they could have a dead baby plot and still have a live baby to play with. Another dead baby would be the last straw. I’ll forgive these writers their daddy issues, but leave the little ones alone.

Tomorrow’s Death Watch: David Caplan

Yesterday, we speculated that Robert’s would be the Shocking Death promised by the Brothers & Sisters promo. Today, we move on to another possible farm-buyer, inept corporate crook Tommy. Could Robert’s alleged health crisis just be a decoy?

Prospective corpse: Tommy Walker

Why it might be him: There’s been no secret about the fact that Balthazar Getty’s employment status with the show would be changing soon. Between his tabloid exploits with Sienna Miller, reported on-set tantrums, and status as Walker We Would Be Least Likely to Miss, it’s not surprising that Tommy’s attempt to re-take Ojai from Holly has become a one-way ticket to Trouble. We’ve been assuming that Tommy might be going to jail or on the lam, allowing for some actor rehabilitation and possible future return to the cast. But maybe things haven gotten so bad that it’s time for a Tragic Accident. Robert has a health crisis and it looks like he’s going to be the one to go, then just as he pulls through and the family starts to celebrate, the news comes that Tommy’s been hit by a truck. You know, like this. Lotta thirtysomething DNA in this show. They know from the death bait and switch.

Why it probably won’t be: Recent reports have indicated a bigger role for Getty next year than previously speculated upon, so unless it’s a massive campaign of misinformation, I think the dude’s sticking around. Honestly, if the powers-that-be are capable of tricking us into thinking Getty’s staying so they can surprise us with Tommy’s death, then they’re capable of giving us better storylines than we’re getting. Prioritize!

Why I hope it’s not: I don’t know, are we really ready to knock off a core Walker, even so annoying a one as Tommy has become? He may be dispensable to the plot, but not to the family. These people are still not done reacting to William’s death, three seasons in. Seems to me the emotional stakes are too high, and there are too many other things going on, to croak an actual brother or sister. The show can certainly stand Tommy’s indefinite disappearance, but if they killed him, I’d be afraid of him stepping out of the shower a season or two down the line to declare it all a dream.

Tomorrow’s Death Watch: Trish and the Little McCallister-to-Be

So according to the preview we saw last Sunday (see below if you missed it), someone’s due to buy the farm on Sunday’s two-hour Brothers & Sisters plot explosion extravaganza. Since the Walkers don’t have a dog or a cat or a goldfish, presumably some human associated with the family is marked for death. Given how unreliable the promos have been, it’s entirely likely that the death will be a decoy, either not quite happening or happening to someone well outside the family circle. This week, let’s take a look at a few candidates for extinction and see if we can figure out what those writers are up to (or at least, those promo weasels).

Prospective corpse: Robert McCallister

Why it might be him: There’s been plenty of spoiler chatter about the would-be governor having a life-threatening medical crisis — and about an actor being cast as a love interest for Kitty. The couple has faced mounting marital tension this season, so his sudden death would dump a big load of guilt on his wife while also freeing the writers from having to resolve the issues in their relationship. Rob Lowe’s always been a bit of a problem plotwise — he’s too big a star to relegate to the sort of seldom-seen status of the other Walker spouses, but too tangential a character to give lots of screen time. A big dramatic death takes care of that, and the promo seems to be leading in that direction.

Why it probably won’t be: There’s been plenty of spoiler chatter about the would-be governor having a life-threatening medical crisis, but absolutely none about Lowe leaving the show. Hard to believe, in this loose-lipped spoiler-crazed day and age, that could be kept a secret. And from a promo point of view, if you’re going to have a big death episode for someone of Lowe’s fame level, I’d think you’d want to leak it a little.

Why I hope it’s not: In their better days, I’ve really enjoyed the chemistry Rob Lowe and Calista Flockhart bring to Robert and Kitty. I miss it now that they’re on the Bad Relationship Plot Track. I’d like to believe we’ll have it back again. Bring back the banter and brain sex! ASAP, if you please. This show could use a little fun about now.

Tomorrow’s Death Watch: Tommy Walker

Five questions about last Sunday’s episode — “Lost and Found” — still rattling around in my brain:

1. Has Nora learned nothing from the Rebecca debacle? Seriously, woman: Paternity test. Now! Do not invite this boy to meet your family, and overturn his life and theirs, without some proof this time. Are ya nuts?

2. Can we get Travis back? If Robert’s campaign for governor is going to survive next week’s Shocking Episode, I’d love for his old presidential campaign manager to return. That guy made me laugh, and he and Kevin might snark well together.

3. Just how stupid is Tommy? Pretty stupid, by the looks of things. It hadn’t occurred to me that he’d steal from the company to buy the land, but of course that’s probably what he did, Daddy’s boy that he is. Again with the not learning from the mistakes.

4. Does Rebecca’s phone have an “off” button? Maybe she just liked to hear how frantically her mom and boyfriend were trying to get in touch with her, but checking “missed calls” later would have sufficed. Don’t make other people listen to the ringing if you’re not going to.

5. Who’s marked for death? The promo promised A SHOCKING DEATH! A FAMILY SHAKEN TO ITS ROOTS! I’ll be going over some possible SHOCKING DEATH scenarios in this blog over the coming week, since we don’t have anything better to do.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Lost and Found, commentary

Continuing from yesterday’s listing of lines from the first half of “Lost and Found,” here are some quotes from the rest of the episode. Did I miss one of your favorites between these two posts? Share it in the comments.

Kitty: Kevin, if you think that insulting Robert is going to make me feel better … you’re right.

Kevin: So if you don’t want him to run for governor, ask him to sit this one out.
Kitty: I can’t.
Kevin: Why not?
Kitty: Because he’ll say no.

Ryan: She was my mom. We were really close. But now I feel like I didn’t even know her.
Nora: She couldn’t tell you this. She wanted to protect you.
Ryan: How do you know what she wanted?
Nora: Because that’s what I wanted, too.
Ryan: Really? Did you have an affair?
Nora: No. No. But William and I were married for a very long time. And even after he told me the affair was over, there were times when I knew something wasn’t right, and I just looked the other way. I didn’t want my life to change, or to lose the things that mattered to me. So every time I got close to suspecting something, I just — I just looked the other way. I wanted to protect my family.
Ryan: It sounds to me like you just wanted to protect yourself. God, this was such a mistake.
Nora: Ryan. This is not just William’s mess. I was there the whole time. In some ways, I helped make it. So I’m partly responsible for what you’re going through right now. And I’m so sorry.

Rebecca: I don’t know why I expected anything more from you.
David: Ouch.
Rebecca: But, you know, I shouldn’t single you out. You’d think I’d be used to people not being there for me — you know, you, Justin, every other man I’ve ever been involved with. I just keep making the same mistakes over and over again.

Saul: Tell me something, Tommy. Where did you get the money to buy this land? Because if you did something illegal …
Tommy: Dad had to borrow from the pension plan. Sometimes you have to bend the rules.
Saul: No, you don’t. You don’t, Tommy.
Tommy: Ojai belongs to us, it is our family’s. Dad didn’t leave it to Holly. I’m just taking back what’s rightfully ours.
Saul: We blew it. Do you understand that? I blew it. The only reason Ojai Foods is around today is because of Holly.
Tommy: She got us out of a bind. It doesn’t make it her company.
Saul: Oh yes it does, Tommy, yes it does. That was the deal.
Tommy: Well, Uncle Saul, I appreciate your advice. I’m thankful that you covered for me, but it is too late. The deal’s done.

Robert: I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t confide in you. I think I was telling myself that I was waiting until the campaign was a certainty. But I think the truth of it is, I was scared you’d say no. Because what you say means more to me than anybody.
Kitty: Well, it doesn’t always seem like that.
Robert: Look, if I have to choose between you and being the governor, I’m choosing you.
Kitty: Robert, I know that this is your moment, and I want you to seize it, okay? But I have to be able to speak my mind. I have to be able to write a book without worrying about how it’s going to affect what you’re trying to accomplish. It just, it just, it has to be okay.
Robert: It is okay. It’s more than okay. And this campaign doesn’t have to be like the last one. You can do as much or as little as you want. We will work around you.
Kitty: And I don’t want to make it harder for you. And I really am sorry about the article.
Robert: I want this to work. Okay? And I am gonna do whatever I have to do.

Ryan: I can’t believe you bought me a plane ticket. You know, you’re kind of a spontaneous person.

For more recaps and memorable lines, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Lost and Found, recap, memorable lines

As a follow-up to the recap, here are some memorable lines from the first half of “Lost and Found.” More to come.

Saul: And this has nothing to do with Roger.
Nora: Roger who.
Saul: Roger, you know the one, the architect, with the wife.

Nora: He needs to talk to someone. William isn’t exactly available.
Saul: Yeah, but it’s William’s mess that you’re cleaning up.

Saul: You don’t even know this boy, Nora. You don’t know what he wants.
Nora: No. I don’t know him. But I know he’s a sophomore at Berkeley. He’s about to take his final exams. He probably wants good grades and a cute girlfriend … or boyfriend.

Nora: Aren’t you the least bit curious?
Saul: No. I’m not.
Nora: I am.

Kevin: So you actually told Kitty you’re running for governor.
Robert: I didn’t so much tell her as agree when she guessed.

Kevin: The whole Kitty situation? A ticking time bomb.

Kevin: (seeing Kitty and running back into Robert’s office) Incoming! Incoming! (to Kitty) Oh, hi! I didn’t see you out there!
Kitty: We made eye contact.
Kevin: We did?
Kitty: Kevin, are you hiding from me?
Robert: Subtle.

Kevin: So Kitty did that interview this morning, and the Times sent some of her quotes over, and they were just wondering if you’d care to comment. You know the whole “ticking time bomb” thing I talked about … I mean, this isn’t, you know, (imitates explosion). It’s, this is a cherry bomb in someone’s locker.

Ryan: I’m sorry if I was rude to you when you came in.
Nora: That’s okay. It’s not every day you meet your … whatever I am.

David: So, do you still see them, the Walkers?
Rebecca: Well, that’s a funny story. Uh, well, Justin and I, you know, were friends, and then found out we weren’t related, so, um …
David: Oh. You’re dating Justin? Wow.
Rebecca: I don’t know if it’s a “wow” thing, but …
David: Well, I didn’t see it coming.

Ryan: So all this time you thought Rebecca was William’s kid.
Nora: It all added up to that.
Ryan: And this woman, Holly? You didn’t find out about her until after he died?
Nora: No, I knew something. Not everything.
Ryan: But you didn’t say anything?
Nora: I did once. He told me all about it. Promised to end it.
Ryan: I thought I was gullible.

Ryan: You know, the one thing I’ve been hanging on to is this stupid hope that whatever my mother did, maybe it was worth it, he was worth it. But God, he sounds like a real jerk. Maybe that’s not the right word. Maybe “pig” is better.

Robert: You knew what you were getting into when you married me.
Kitty: Okay, just because I happened to know that you were ambitious doesn’t mean that you’re absolved from considering my point of view.
Robert: I consider your point of view. I just don’t always agree with it.
Kitty: Right. Because you don’t even know what it is. My God, Robert, just for one second, can’t you just put yourself in my shoes?
Robert: Then who would be in mine?

Continue on to the second half of the episode.

For recaps and memorable lines from other episodes, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Lost and Found, recap, memorable lines

What’s in the “Lost and Found” for this fifteenth episode of the third season of Brothers & Sisters? Let’s rummage through the shelves and see.

LOST: One boyfriend. It looks like Roger will be spoken of but not seen now that he and Nora went from twosome to potential threesome to “just friends” in the space of the last episode. FOUND: One stepson. Ryan’s call gave Nora a new relationship to pour her heart into, and so when the long-lost William spawn says he wants to talk, Nora takes the next plane to Berkeley to oblige him. He’s a little freaked out to have his birthdad’s wife just show up in his place of business (yes, he has a place of business! though from the looks of it, he’s just a busboy at a coffehouse). He’s a little more freaked out when Nora shares the whole sordid story of William and Holly and Rebecca and not-Rebecca and the search for the mystery “R.” I give him credit for finding it all a little ridiculous and overwhelming, and for being troubled in a quieter way than (onetime) Wild Child Rebecca, and for not in the end taking Nora up on her invitation to skedaddle back to Pasadena with her and meet all those new brothers and sisters. Just delaying the inevitable, though, aren’t we. We know he’ll find his way soon enough.

LOST: One girlfriend, as Rebecca repeatedly ignores Justin’s calls and then, when they finally connect, gets mad at him all over again and cuts the call short. FOUND: One dad, though it’s not entirely clear what Rebecca is expecting from David. Thinking it’s just a place to crash while visiting friends in the city, David leaves her a key and goes off to set up a gallery show. Rebecca turns up to help and seems to want to talk, but when David starts asking questions about why she turned up out of nowhere and doesn’t want to answer her phone, she’s all, “Who are you and what have you ever done to deserve the right to care about what I do?” Then it’s his turn to follow her, to a bar, and they re-draw their boundaries. But the next day, after she leaves to head home, he follows her again, to the airport, with suitcase in hand, determined to accompany her to L.A. and resume their relationship. I guess if you’re going to be the only adult on the show with a father, you might as well be able to flaunt him.

LOST: One daughter, since Holly isn’t having much more luck with the phone calls than Justin is. She confronts Justin about what may have set Rebecca running, and although he avoids blurting out “She had some crazy idea about Tommy trying to run you out of the business!” he does mention work as a source of Rebecca’s stress. FOUND: Evidence that Tommy’s an idiot. Holly goes through Rebecca’s desk looking for clues and finds a copy of the contract for the new orchards, which she goes over a lot more carefully this time. When she finds something she doesn’t understand — mention of a company called Omni getting the stocks in the transfer — she first goes to Saul to ask about it. And although Saul avoids blurting out “That’s Tommy doing that thing I told him not to do!” he’s none too convincing in his effort to brush it away as nothing, nothing to see here, move on. Holly runs the paperwork by a lawyer anyway, and the guy traces the holding company to Tommy and figures out the plot in no time flat. Holly seems genuinely shocked that Tommy would force her out, but it seems pretty likely now she’ll find a way to foil his plans.

LOST: All the fun from Kitty and Robert’s relationship, and all the effective communication, too. FOUND: A topic that brings in lots of comments. Robert thought he got away with giving Kitty the news about the governorship, since she told him it was A-OK with her. Kevin knows his sis is a ticking time bomb, though, and sure enough, she detonates with a lot of snarky quotes about her marriage during a newspaper interview about her book. Robert tells Kevin to kill the article, but being one of the few people in this storyline who can still communicate, Kevin tells Senator Brother-in-Law that if he’s going to buy that kind of trouble, he’ll have to do it himself. Kitty and Robert do finally talk it out, with Robert swearing he’d choose her over politics in a sort of but-you’re-never-going-to-ask-me way, and Kitty saying she understands that he has to seize his moment. They reconcile sufficiently that Kitty feels bad about the interview and wants to soften it … and Kevin winds up in the middle anyway, having to explain that her husband had the interview killed. Along with Kitty’s spirit, by the look of her. Boy, I sure like the McCallisters better when they’re having brain sex and bantering wittily on the same wavelength. Don’t know how long it will take to find their way back to that relationship, but it can’t be soon enough.

LOST: Sarah, who was entirely missing this week. (Yes, and Scotty and Julia, too, but sadly, we’re used to missing them.) FOUND: A really ominous promo for the two-hour episode coming up a week from Sunday, in which A WALKER WILL DIE. Or someone close to the Walkers. Or get really really sick. Or, you know, have a bad dream or something. But it’ll be dramatic!

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, Lost and Found, recap

Maybe I’m just under the influence of The West Wing re-runs on Bravo, reminding me that Rob Lowe will forever be good-guy Sam Seaborn in my heart, but I’m having trouble seeing McCallister’s callous run for governor as the eee-vil act it’s apparently supposed to be. You know, the guy’s in politics. He’s gonna run for things. It’s the advancement path for that particular career. He already turned down a promotion to Vice President at his wife’s urging, you can’t ask him to stay in middle management forever.

Sure, he should have talked to Kitty about it before he made the decision. Just as Kevin should have talked to Scotty before ditching the lucrative law career to go work for a Republican. And Tommy should have talked to Julia before he put his finances and liberty at risk to seize back Ojai (he didn’t even tell her about the legal part of that plan). And, come to think of it, Kitty should have told Robert before she sold a book about his campaign and their lives.

Honestly, matching up Kitty’s preemptive publishing vs. Robert’s preemptive politicking, I think Kitty looks worse. Robert’s career moves, if anything, make her more marketable as an author and pundit, whereas hers had the capacity to embarrass him publicly, and if nothing else lost him his communications director. Running for governor when you’re adopting a newborn sounds bad, except that if he gets this job he will no longer have to be jetting cross-country on a regular basis. Sacramento’s far from Pasadena, but nowhere near as far as the White House.

Calista Flockhart’s doing an awesome job with the quietly disappointed and heartbroken facial expressions, and those move me more than the facts of the storyline. Kitty knows who she married, she knows the political landscape, she could easily have come right out and said, like the former campaign operative she is, ‘”Hey, I see this is a good time for you to run for governor, and I know you’re thinking about it. Let’s discuss.” Robert’s not the only one who was ducking that conversation.

Interesting that for all their compulsive communication, these Walkers aren’t really so good at talking with their spouses about matters of importance.

A few quick thoughts on last night’s Brothers and Sisters episode. Tune in during the coming week for a recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

• On the candy or a rock scale, this one was kind of like a rock through your window. Given how much this season has wandered, I’ve been bracing myself for episodes with lots of Big! Dramatic! Plot! Developments! and no room for fun, and this was one of ‘em. I’m happy that we’re finally getting a two-hour episode, but I hope there’s more to it than this.

• Ryan has a job! Right there, he’s ahead of Justin, and Rebecca when she joined the family. If you’re going to bring another Troubled Youth aboard, one that works and goes to school is a step in the right direction.

• Couldn’t Tommy have given his holding company a name that sounded at least a little like Crawford? If it’s going to be that easy to prove the holding company’s yours, a little more subterfuge in advance sounds like a good idea.

• I missed Sarah.

• Hey, Justin, just some relationship advice here: When your girlfriend, who you’ve been worried about, finally returns your call, you might not want to throw the same thing at her that made her bolt in the first place.

• I appreciated Kevin’s valiant attempt at comic relief with the ticking time bomb business, but it didn’t really take. This is about the most dour episode in recent memory.

• If someone’s really going to die next week, and it’s not just the usual inaccurate promo hype, I nominate David as the Most Likely to be Bait-and-Switched — only because I can think of absolutely no other reason for him to pick up out of nowhere and go to L.A. Perhaps someone throws Rebecca under that bus Sylviane was talking about, and he dives in front to save her.

• Another skipped week before the next episode! Darn those Oscars.

_{Photo: ABC}

Brothers and Sisters, Lost and Found, ABC

New episode tonight! Here’s what ABC’s press release says we have to look forward to:

“Lost and Found” - Nora decides it’s time that she connect in-person with Ryan, Rebecca disappears to find her father in New York, and Tommy’s plan to get regain control over Ojai Foods hits a major road block, on “Brothers & Sisters,” SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Brothers & Sisters” stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell, Rob Lowe as Senator Robert McCallister, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.

Guest starring are Ken Olin as David Caplan, Luke Grimes as Ryan Lafferty, Andrea Grano as Barbara Whitaker, Jim Gleason as Walter Geary, Patty Yu as the female barrista, Subhash Mandal as the cab driver and Carole Gutierrez as the B&B owner.

“Lost and Found” was written by Michael Foley and Jennifer Levin and directed by David Paymer.

Meanwhile, the writers’ blog Bloggers and Sisters gives this rundown: “Nora heads up to Berkeley to meet Ryan Lafferty. Rebecca spends time with David in New York City, and her unexplained absence upsets Justin and Holly. Kevin worries that Kitty is not entirely okay with Robert’s decision to run for Governor. Holly looks at the fine print of the Crawford Orchards acquisition.”

So the moment we’ve been bracing for since the end of last season is here at last, and we get to see exactly what sort of trouble Ryan is going to be. Also, maybe, what trouble Tommy is going to be in. And Robert. Doesn’t sound like a real fun episode, but we’ll see.

Brothers and Sisters, Lost and Found

Five questions about last Sunday’s episode — “Owning It” — still rattling around in my brain:

1. Did Ryan Google the Walkers? The Ojai Foods website was on the computer in the background when he made his call to Nora. Surely her phone number isn’t on the public contact list, but it does look like he was checking them out.

2. Is Paige growing up too fast? Never mind her Frederick’s of Hollywood for Juniors wardrobe attempt from last episode — did her smirky understanding of why some of these uncles are not like the others, and of Grandma’s clearing them out for a booty call, seem a little advanced for a 10-year-old? Maybe I’m just a fuddy-duddy like Nora.

3. How come no one knew Roger was married? If he’s such a high-profile architect, and designed a restaurant for his spouse, it seems like she might have been mentioned in some of the books and materials Saul and Nora pored over about him. It’s not like he was hiding some secret relationship.

4. Are we done with Chelsea now? Oh please, please, please. May Rebecca’s abrupt trip to visit Dad not be an opportunity for more Chelsea-related misunderstandings. I’m guessing we have enough Ryan-related misunderstandings to come.

5. What’s the significance of the title? I usually try to work the title into recaps, and look at the episode through that angle, but this time … I got nothin’. I guess Ojai owns the orchard, and Kitty owns the Rolls Royce of strollers, and needs to own the fact that she’s having a baby, but those seem inadequately thematic. What am I missing?

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Owning It, commentary

Continuing from yesterday’s listing of lines from the first half of “Owning It,” here are some quotes from the rest of the episode. Did I miss one of your favorites between these two posts? Share it in the comments.

Kitty: I don’t want to have to watch an instructional video to learn how to work a stroller.

Kitty: I just don’t undertand why people just can’t have a baby without all this pomp and circumstance.
Nora: Is that what this is to you? Pomp and circumstance?
Kitty: Well, I guess I’m just not as traditional as you are.
Nora: Well, there you are. That’s the problem. I’m just too traditional. Why should anyone listen to society’s rules? They’re just a bunch of outdated, prudish mandates.
Kitty: Prudish? What does that have to do with anything?
Nora: Everything. Nothing. God, you know, I’m done. I’m done trying. Obviously I’m just a dithering old fuddy-duddy standing in the way of everyone’s fun.

Sarah: You should have seen me before Paige came.
Kitty: I did. You seemed fine.
Sarah: Yeah, on the outside. On the inside? I was a bundle of anxiety. I was worried that I’d have to go back to work too early, that I wouldn’t be able to give Paige what she needed, that I’d ruin her life, that she’d ruin mine. And then she came, and everything was so much more amazing than I could’ve imagined.

Saul: It’s okay, Nora. Kevin told us what’s going on, so it’s fine.
Nora: And what would that be, Saul? What was Kevin referring to? The fact that I find myself involved in an open relationship with Roger? Or the fact that I was yelling at Kitty and saying she was barely aware she’s having a baby?
Saul: You did that?

Tommy: I heard the shower was exciting.
Nora: The shower was more like a thunderstorm.

Nora: Were you happy, Holly?
Holly: You mean … with your husband?
Nora: Yes. With my husband.
Holly: Nora, I just don’t look at life like your average girl. I like to just jump in there, have fun, let it roll. I like not being tied down. And it was convenient knowing he had you to go home to. I just hope that’s enough for you.

Justin: Tommy would never do that.
Rebecca: What makes you so sure?
Justin: Because he’s my brother!
Rebecca: Oh, my God, could you stop being so loyal to your family for once in your life and just listen?
Justin: And listen to what? Listen to my girlfriend, who’s hacking into computers?
Rebecca: I walked up to see you kissing another girl.
Justin: She kissed me!
Rebecca: Okay, and I’m doing my best to trust that that’s true.
Justin: What, you don’t believe me?
Rebecca: I do believe you. That’s the point. I always give you the benefit of the doubt. I don’t understand why you can’t do the same for me.
Justin: Because you’re attacking my family, the people I love!

Roger: I took it as a positive sign that the key was still under the cactus.
Nora: The key is always under the cactus.

Roger: Nora, your contrary nature is one of the things I love most about you. But sometimes I think you deny yourself certain pleasures out of sheer stubbornness. And I’m not going to let you ruin a romance that we’re both clearly enjoying a lot because of some wrongheaded notion you have of what constitutes a marriage. You’re just being stubborn.
Nora: That’s not true. You have a right to arrange your marriage any way you want. Maybe if William and I had done it your way, I would have had a lot more interesting life.
Roger: You’re about to say “but,” aren’t you.
Nora: But –
Roger: I knew it.
Nora: But I’m just not that kind of girl. There was one little moment I tried to convince myself it didn’t matter. It was … exciting.
Roger: Well, what happened?
Nora: I talked to someone who reminded me who I am, and who I am not. It’s not that I’m old-fashioned, or as she put it, “your average girl.” It’s that I want to feel I’m enough for a man. Just me. For once in my life. Just me. That’s what I want.
Roger: You’re more than enough for any man.
Nora: Are you going to leave Wendy, move to L.A., be with me … No, I didn’t think so. Roger, do you know who you’re really married to? Your work. You, my friend, are happily monogamous, and you don’t even know it.

Kitty: We are being invaded by this strange and marvelous thing called a baby, and I just wanted to be there for it.

For more recaps and memorable lines, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

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