Brothers & Sisters

Continuing on in a 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 — let’s look in on big sister Sarah.

Origins: When the series began, Sarah had recently taken over her father’s business, and both that enterprise and her marriage to Joe were unsteady, particularly after Dad died and left behind an embezzlement mystery and a bitchy girlfriend.

Progress: The business got back onto firm footing, but the marriage, not so much. Though Sarah and Joe struggled along for a while with marriage counseling, when Joe kissed Sarah’s newfound half-sister, it was pretty much downhill from there. For a while it looked like there would be an ugly custody battle, but after getting temporary full custody from a judge, Joe realized it was too hard on the kids and they’re now sharing Paige and Cooper. Sarah has also been plagued by Holly, her father’s mistress, who pushed her way into a share of the family business, then went off to start a winery with Sarah’s brother Tommy.

Current Status: Sarah’s being pushed by Saul and consultant Graham to expand Ojai Foods into the international market. She’s also been fending off what she’s seen as Graham’s romantic advances, but the arrival of her divorce papers and the departure of Joe for a European vacation with his ex-wife/current girlfriend — in combination with a lot of tequila — led her to proposition him. Successfully.

Concerns: Sarah can be warm and funny and snarky, but she can also be shrill and judgmental and vindictive. That’s not unrealistic, necessarily; but the latter qualities aren’t so much fun to watch. Not for nothing does everybody rejoice when it looks like Road Trip Sarah’s in the house. The battles with Holly brought out the worst in Sarah, and I’d like that not to happen too often.

Prognosis: Unlike Nora and Kevin, who both need to jump off the dating-go-round and have a real relationship for a change, Sarah needs to have some fun and play the field. That’s why, while I truly hope we see a return of Noah one day, I’d like it to wait a while. Graham’s a nice diversion, and maybe there are some more wild oats to be sewn and karaoke to be sung before she commits to someone new. Let Joe eat his heart out.

Second Opinions: Colleen and Sylviane are both hot for Ioan Gruffudd to be Sarah’s next big fling. Who would you set up Sarah with? Share your thoughts on this character in the comments.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Sarah, Rachel Griffiths