Family Check-Up: In-Laws and Out-Laws
We’ve done check-ups on all the major Brothers & Sisters characters and quite a number of minor ones, and now it’s time to clean up some of the odds and ends — like the miscellaneous extended family members who have wandered through. An over-the-top bunch they’ve been, too.
Ida: Nora and Saul’s mother was a piece of work, wasn’t she? Ruining Nora’s birthday surprise, suspecting Justin’s gay, and generally inspiring in her grandchildren a rare compassion for what their mother goes through as a daughter. Prognosis: Ida seemed like more of a caricature than a character, good for some laughs but not so much fun to be around. We’ve got to have a return appearance, certainly, to deal with the change in Saul’s lifestyle, but beyond that, I hope they use Grandma very sparingly.
The Ridges: Julia’s parents, meanwhile, were over-the-top evil. Well, her dad, anyway; Mom seemed nice enough, but if she condoned that ambush by which Tommy’s wife and child were taken from him, she’s guilty, too. Prognosis: If these two come back, Tommy’s going to need more back-up than Uncle Saul. I wouldn’t mind seeing Nora going at them, or the assembled sibling mob. But somebody better be keeping an eye on the baby the whole time.
Major Weiner: I think it was mentioned in a first-season DVD commentary that they kind of put Garry Marshall in a scene and let him go, and it shows. He was more restrained in the wedding episode, though still, a little of him goes a long way. Prognosis: I wouldn’t mind an encounter between Ida and the Major — too bad she never made it to the wedding — but as with Ida, Robert’s uncle needs to be sparsely seen.
The McCallister Clan: Their trashing of Nora’s yard was completely ridiculous, but worth it for that scene when the normally life-of-the-party Walkers have been cornered on that little patio, and respond by jumping into the pool fully clothed. Also silly, but a very cool way to end the season. Prognosis: The only time I’d like to see Robert’s cousins reappear is if Nora schedules another game night with the Joneses. These McCallisters will not only beat the pants off that snooty crew, they’ll hogtie ‘em and lash them to the roof.
The Other Walkers
Does it seem odd to anyone else that we’ve seen Nora’s brother and mother, Tommy’s in-laws, and dozens of Kitty’s husband’s relatives, but never a single soul from William’s extended family? Was there a deadly family reunion disaster years ago that took generations of Walkers, siblings, nephews, nieces, and cousins in one fell swoop, leaving William the last Walker standing? I’m willing to believe his parents are deceased, and the funeral was done so quickly and early on that they might reasonably have been there and not mentioned. But the engagement party? Kitty’s wedding? A lot of daily life? Have we ever even heard them mentioned? Prognosis: If William’s family has stayed away from his children because they don’t like his wife, maybe they’d be interested to know that they have a niece who’s not related to her.
Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Marion Ross, Bill Smitrovich, Garry Marshall
April 13th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Meant to reply sooner, sorry, So here goes:
Ida: I would like to see her return occasionally. She was interesting. She was so opinionated about everything, but in the end she turned out to be also insecure. I don’t think she was an evil person. She reminds me of my mother-in-law.(And I always have to remind myself that she’s not an evil person either
)
Julia’s parents: Ahum, well Julia’s father reminds me of my own. He, too, will make the same stupid-heard-them-a-1000-times-before jokes. I didn’t see him as being evil, but as a father who would protect ‘his baby’ regardless. But I do believe that he had Julia’s best interest at heart. But it is obvious that he felt Tommy didn’t do a good job. AND I didn’t entirely disagree with Julia’s decision to leave. Tommy reacted EXACTLY as my husband would have reacted. So this comes close.
As far as the McCallisters are concerned I hope that I will not be exposed to any them again (and that includes the Major)… with the exception of Jason… provided Jason stays OUT of the Kevin/Scotty-relationship.
I have to admit I never think about ‘other relatives’. Maybe we will see more them in season 3…