Brothers & Sisters

The series of posts on the characters of Brothers & Sisters — where they’ve been, where they’re at, and where we’d like them to go — comes to the final series regular today, the dirty mistress, Holly Harper.

Origins: Holly was a mystery woman in William’s office and at his funeral, but the secret of her longtime affair with the Upright Family Man gradually got out to William’s kids, and was finally definitively revealed by William’s wife at a typically disastrous dinner party.

Progress: Holly was a force of eee-vil throughout the first season, lying about her daughter not being William’s child, demanding a role for herself at Ojai Foods, stealing Tommy away to start a wine business, even stealing Nora’s boyfriend at the winery opening. A food fight between her and Nora broke the tension that had been building, and Rebecca’s acceptance into the Walker clan plus Holly’s partnership with Tommy brought her into the family orbit in a more peaceable way.

Current Status: Maybe too peaceable, because this character has gone from spiciest to most bland in the space of a season. The return of her old boyfriend David may put her in the wrong again, if it turns out that he really is Rebecca’s dad and she lied about it.

Concerns: I’m very relieved that Holly’s no longer hated and hissable, but surely there has to be a role for an actress of Patricia Wettig’s talents that goes beyond Wise Advisor to Young Women. This is a big cast, and it seems impossible for everybody to be well-used. Holly’s been marginalized this year, and maybe that needed to happen, considering how many fans were calling for her ouster in Season One. Still, it doesn’t seem quite right for her to be The Benign Voice of Reason and Experience, either.

Prognosis: As with her daughter, I’d like to see a third-season storyline for Holly that gives her her wily spirit back without making her Cruella de Vil. Not one involving her having lied about Rebecca’s paternity again, let’s hope. And not one involving her protesting a Rebecca-Justin romance. Oh, writers, let’s just not go there. But if Rebecca wants to get a Bad Boyfriend that Holly needs to take apart, that might be fun. Or if Holly wanted to get a Bad Boyfriend herself, that would be okay, too. Seems odd that the mistress has had less romantic action since William’s death than the widow, doesn’t it?

Second Opinion: What would you like to see from Holly, or would you just like not to see Holly at all? Share your thoughts in the comments.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Holly, Patricia Wettig