Brothers &#038; Sisters

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Retcon Patrol: 2-05 “Domestic Issues” Part 4

Terri — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:05:35 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the fourth part of Episode 5. Read Part 1, 2 and 3, and then hop right in here.

24:49
Justin and Rebecca, king and queen of subtlety. “The little mama … and Kitty!” “How are you feeling … about the debate?” They suck at secrets. Love them stealing all the Halloween candy, though.

25:18
But, of course, Kevin’s even less discrete, flat-out telling Saul Kitty’s pregnant. All Walkers suck at secrets. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for William to deceive them — they assumed if something was going on, they’d know.

25:41
Other than, maybe, the “Game On” episode of West Wing, mock TV debates are pretty silly-seeming. (Real debates, often, too.)

26:03
The music of tragic sneaky drug addiction plays as Justin wanders off to pop a few pills. I could never be a tragic sneaky pill-popping addict, because apparently you need to be able to swallow a handful of pills without water.

26:15
Justin: Where’s your costume?
Tommy: I’m an abandoned husband. You?
Justin: Wounded vet.
Tommy: Cool.
Their lives are messed up, but the Walker boys can still bring the funny.

26:52
As the candidates talk healthcare, Robert’s the only one who doesn’t look like he’s got one foot in the grave. Ironic that he’s a season away from a heart attack.

27:15
This is making me think about how we never get trick-or-treaters at our door anymore. Not even sexy kitten, sexy nurse, and sexy prostitute.

27:33
Sarah: “The only thing more depressing than not having your kids on Halloween is having to feed candy to other people’s kids.” No, more depressing than that is eating the entire bag of Snickers yourself. Not that I’d know.

27:57
This pouchy-eyed opponent of Robert’s has hair that matches his suit.

28:46
Appreciate Sal’s attempt to keep the pregnant woman from drinking alcohol, but since the pregnant woman has not yet been outed as such, there’s another secret bumble.

28:59
Kitty says she always knows when Saul is lying. Except for all that time he kept her dad’s mistress secret, I guess. Plus how we’ve since found he’s been lying about his sexuality for a pretty long time.

29:09
Poor Sarah. She doesn’t even get the secrets.

30:41
Robert gets points for telling his opponents to lay off his loved ones … but Kitty’s more than just the fiancee at this point, isn’t she, she’s also the communications director, and thus her views shouldn’t be entirely off limits. I’d expert her to think that, anyway.

30:57
Saul says Robert’s going to be a wonderful father. Well … let’s hope he gets a chance to be.

31:59
“Just look at those kids!” Kitty says, to reassure Sarah that every decision she’s made in her adult life isn’t wrong. Well …. Paige is kind of a smart mouth, and Cooper is out of control. But they’re cute, anyway.

32:24
Kitty says every day Sarah demonstrates being strong and in control and sure of herself. We must be missing those scenes, because Sarah’s been kind of a mess for a while now.

Continue on to Part 5.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-05 “Domestic Issues” Part 3

Terri — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:53:15 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the third part of Episode 5. Read Part 1 and 2 and then hop right in here.

17:09
This is the way I like Justin, sort of light gossipy comic relief, lying on the couch snacking and sharing secrets. Whatever level of meds he’s on right now is where he should stay.

17:16
We cut from Justin siting sideways on an off-white couch at his mother’s house to Paige sitting sideways on an off-white couch at hers. Deliberate? Or are they recycling furniture from set to set?

18:46
Tommy … really? You’re finally talking to your wife, who you complain has been dodging your calls, and you’re going to hang up on her to find out who’s on the other line? Bad form, dude.

18:58
Especially since it turns out to be your little office manager girlfriend.

20:10
And, Tommy and Lena start kissing in the car right out in public, oh joy. Oh stupidity. Oh highly annoying plot thread.

20:41
Robert worries that there’s something holding the voters back from committing to him. Maybe they’re seeing another candidate at the park, and he’s bringing them frozen yogurt.

21:35
How to passively aggressively determine if your girlfriend is pregnant and hasn’t told you: Bring home sushi and champagne. (”Think of it as ginger ale, only more fun.”)

22:48
And Kitty’s resentment of Robert’s political career starts … right … now, when she complains that she can’t be giddy about her pregnancy and rush out to buy booties because she has to worry about his campaign. Essentially, this is the point at which she starts unilaterally changing the ground rules of their relationship, and though Robert comes off looking like an ambitious jerk, I can see where he’d feel betrayed.

24:14
That was a pretty Season 3 sort of argument there, hurtful and with neither of them entirely in the right. The sort of thing that makes me want to hide under the couch.

Continue on to Part 4.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-05 “Domestic Issues” Part 2

Terri — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:14:04 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the second part of Episode 5. Read Part 1 and then hop right in here.

10:36
Rachel Griffiths’ Australian accent is slipping out a little in this emotional scene. In other news, I’m still hating that dress.

12:09
Kitty is currently the only Walker having sex. I feel sad for all of you too, Justin.

12:22
Justin shares with Rebecca the History of the Pantry, Epicenter of All Walker Secrets and Juicy Gossip.

13:57
Great figuring-things-out face on Travis, while Robert picks up zero signals about Kitty’s pregnancy. Clearly, Travis doesn’t need a smoking-gun pantry to know the score.

14:06
You know, I like Lena’s top and hairstyle, she looks adorable, but also about twelve. Not really the best office look. Or the best tramp look, either.

14:31
I wonder if Holly’s official job description at Walker’s Landing specifically mentions being all up in everybody’s business.

15:09
Oh, poor Sarah, about to find out that Joe has preemptively gotten referrals from everybody they know. But not from Nora! I bet he doesn’t have a book-long referral letter from anybody.

16:06
Joe is all about the kids needing stability. After he broke their family up and refused to consider getting back with their mother, of course. No referral letter from me, jackass.

16:22
Self-righteousness does not coordinate well with Joe’s unkempt musician look. If you’re going to pretend to be Mr. Family Values, get a trim and a shave.

Continue on to Part 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-05 “Domestic Issues” Part 1

Terri — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:56:53 +0000

This week, we’ll continue our summer-long journey through the second season of Brothers & Sisters, from our perspective here at the end of Season Three. I’ll be looking for contradictions between where the Walkers were then and where they’re at now, and also commenting on how the episodes look in retrospect. I’ll time my observations to the playback of the DVD, for those who want to view along. Share your own reflections in the comments.

And now, Part 1 of Episode 5, “States of the Union.”

00:45
This is the episode in which Sarah got blindsided by Joe’s custody request, isn’t it? As well done as that was, not a ton of fun to watch again.

01:01
I’m interested in the wardrobe choices for Sarah. I very often don’t like what she’s wearing — like this grey dress that looks like it’s maybe related to a religious order of some sort, or maybe on backwards — but it’s definitely a very distinct look. Maybe Sarah needs to go on What Not to Wear and make a change.

01:34
Blatant focus on the permission slip there. Just in case we’d forget, like Sarah.

02:01
In light of what happens later, Joe’s “I figured you might” response to Sarah saying Kevin’s representing her is less, “Yes, thanks for the warning that my former brother-in-law will be going up against me,” than, “Yes, you sucker, I figured you’d go with family while I hire the biggest divorce shark lawyer out there.”

02:14
Travis! Eventually I’ll get over the need to say that every time he appears on the screen. But not yet.

02:52
Travis, to Robert: “Use humor! It makes you seem like a real person.” Robert: “I am a real person.” And Travis just laughs.

03:47
Lovely phone juxtaposition between Kitty retching and Nora pulling out big gobs of pumpkin goop. I think I’m feeling a bit queasy.

04:37
I’m glad that Nora’s excited about grandchildren, but jumping up and down over Kitty’s possibly being pregnant under pretty difficult circumstances calls for maybe a little less glee. I mean, Nora, it’s a baby Republican.

04:59
It says a lot about Lena that she is afraid to get fired because she just bought a really amazing purse that cost her a fortune. The girl’s about as deep as a clutch bag.

05:25
Lena’s not naive, she knows Tommy has a wife and kid, and she doesn’t want to ruin that. So did you ever think about, I don’t know, not sleeping with him in the first place?

06:57
Ouch! The custody stuff. Joe thinks Sarah is unable to provide a stable home. Because, like, she has no ex-spouse to hook up with.

08:11
Love that the first name Nora suggests is “Ainsley.” I’m going to take it as a shout out to Ainsley Hayes of The West Wing whether it’s meant to be or not.

08:34
Busted! Justin overhears the “p” word and witnesses the flight into the pantry. See, Nora, here’s where your plan to medicate him backfires. When he was bedridden and writhing in pain, he couldn’t sneak up on your private conversations.

09:38
Kitty lies to her mom about the plus sign on the pregnancy test. Like that’s going to slow the secret down.

Continue on to Part 2.

Continue on to Episode 5.

Retcon Patrol: 2-04 “States of the Union” Part 5

Terri — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:09:58 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the third part of Episode 4. Read Part 1, 2, 3, and 4, and then hop right in here.

35:44
So, do you think they costumed Lena in that blatantly flowery shirt so that we’d notice she was still wearing the same thing the next morning?

37:06
I wonder if scenes like this, where Holly lectures Tommy more like a mother than a partner, and he takes it with head hung down less like a partner than a child, were the beginning of the end for their partnership. I think Holly’s right, but not sure calling your colleague on the carpet that way is smart politics — especially when the fatherly footsteps you’ve been urging him to follow include an affair with you.

37:55
You know, Nora’s grown children are really pathetic. They’re at that “hate you, love you” phase with their mother that most kids get over after their teenage years. Too bad the name Arrested Development has already been used, because it’s perfect for this crew.

38:54
Now, see, if Nora could have given her opinion that succinctly in the first place, without all the dithering about magazine articles, they could have had a much nicer weekend. This is about the pitch at which I like Nora — opinionated and fresh but not nuts.

39:16
Love Rebecca’s top. I’ve been looking for one like that, though not so low-cut. There’s about a mile between her necklace and that top button.

39:38
What happened to the “I know a lot of drug addicts, and Justin is going to be a lying scumbag for a while” speech Rebecca gave Nora? Now she’s falling all over herself apologizing Justin for doubting him? She should be searching his bedroom while he’s busy burning toast.

40:17
So awkward that Kitty’s got the bouquet in her purse, right there and obvious and odd, but the scene in which she caught it got cut.

41:09
Robert doesn’t want Kitty to sign a pre-nup, because he has faith in their union. Ooh, buddy, might be reconsidering that now, huh?

41:55
People really need to stop leaving Justin alone so he can conveniently sneak some pills. That’s probably why the toast was burning.

42:23
The show is addictive, ha! Right? Right? Addictive? Get it? How about if I punch you in the arm?

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-04 “States of the Union” Part 4

Terri — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:59:18 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the third part of Episode 4. Read Part 1, 2, and 3, and then hop right in here.

30:30
Justin uses the same “unsettle your accuser with outrage” defense with Rebecca that Saul did with Kevin. She’d have had better luck with this question if she still looked like the old bad-seed wild-child Rebecca instead of Miss Goody-Two-Shoes with the bangs.

30:58
What’s this “everything” that Justin and Rebecca have been through? A few bad Walker parties and some wartime e-mails? A bunch of episodes of “The Hills”? (Okay, I’d need combat pay for that.)

31:56
So what’ s Lena’s thought process here: “Gee, I’m so sorry to hear about your dead baby. Wanna have an office affair?”

32:39
Life wisdom from Lena: “Sometimes, you need to just think about yourself.” Something she is apparently good at.

34:45
So, indeed, Sarah and Kitty and Nora seem to be sharing a hotel room. If Sarah had managed to remember the right room with the son of the groom? Awk-ward.

34:58
The girls are arguing about how Nora is too wrapped up in them. So she did manage to start something for herself with her totally improbable Ronald McDonald House … but not to the extent of keeping a relationship at the expense of child-obsession time.

35:15
Though Nora should have made a tape of this to play when her children freaked out so severely over her prospective move to Washington with Isaac.

Continue on to Part 5.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-04 “States of the Union” Part 3

Terri — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:47:55 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the third part of Episode 4. Read Part 1 and 2, and then hop right in here.

17:30
Would a pricey spa honestly have no restaurants open and not tell people that before they came?

17:32
Memo to maitre d’s: When you’ve just told three women who’ve already been kicked out of the quiet room that they can’t enter the restaurant, that is not a good time to take a phone call and leave them alone. Get that stern spa lady over here.

18:08
Nice facial expressions on Nora as Kitty tells Sarah to join them because “What happened to the girl who used to throw back bourbon and dance on bars?” A flash of “she did what?!!” horror mixed in with the “Yes, yes! Come crash this wedding with us!”

18:38
Holly says, of Tommy’s behavior in the negotiations, “Your father never would’ve done that.” Correct. But William had Saul to, say, go to Arizona and pay someone to bump off Julia’s parents. Tommy’s all on his own.

19:33
Who is this guy hanging around with Robert today, eating burritos in the car? Where’s Travis?

19:47
Alternate title for this episode, from Robert: “What the hell is happening at that spa?”

21:32
Good luck, Kevin, playing “gotcha” with Saul, the only living person in the extended Walker family who can keep a secret.

23:00
Saul did a good job of the “use outrage to mask the fact that you are not really denying the accusation,” but if Kevin could just hear the Music of Poignant Intrigue that’s playing now, he’d know the truth.

23:42
And … Nora makes a break for it! This episode does a bad job, I think, of balancing Nora’s serious and silly qualities, skewing way too much toward over-the-top, but this is a pretty slick little maneuver. She’s going to be one of those old women who give their kids the slip and go wandering around the neighborhood.

25:25
Wow, I want one of those corkscrews like Tommy has that opens a bottle instantly. Though, in this particular case, I’d have preferred he and Lena were drinking cork. Nice focus on his wedding ring while he’s opening the bottle.

26:59
I think they missed the boat here, because Tommy jumping into a car and driving to Phoenix, with his mother along to tackle those awful in-laws, would have been a heck of an interesting Walker road trip.

27:13
Three words that Nora — oh, heck, any mom — will always disregard: “Don’t worry, please.”

27:39
Nora’s Mom radar is off, though, if she’s not worried about Tommy and the blond office manager in the office after hours with an open bottle of wine. Don’t go! Only you could have prevented this insufferable plotline.

28:05
An errant key card (or bad room-number memory) saves Sarah from a Wedding Crasher fling. Which is just as well, because … isn’t she sharing a room with her mother or sister? That’s gonna be awkward.

Continue on to Part 4.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-04 “States of the Union” Part 2

Terri — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:27:17 +0000

Today we continue our look for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters second season with a look at the second part of Episode 4. Read Part 1 and then hop right in here.

09:07
Ooh, I want Nora making me sandwiches and Scotty making me pancakes. Those don’t quite look like gourmet restaurant fare, but still yummy.

09:24
Kevin says he thinks he would know if his uncle were gay. Hey, we’ve only known the guy a little more than one season, and it seems pretty obvious.

09:29
Scotty cites as proof the way “he and this Milo guy” were looking at each other. Mostly, I think Saul’s been looking at Milo with terror.

10:37
Tommy’s showing off that incredible business acumen we’ve been hearing about by checking his cellphone during an important meeting and giving up quickly.

11:52
Yeah, it’s funny and all that the Walkers can’t function in a “quiet room,” but really, how old is Nora? Surely they have a hotel room where they can discuss her magazine article, or a lunch table later. She can’t shut up for a few minutes? I bought this “noisy Walkers, quiet place” thing better in the Season 3 season ender, when it made sense that she would be impatient to talk to Tommy. Here? For goodness sake, woman, put a sock in it.

13:43
Kitty wants Robert to be honest with her, but without her having to be honest about having seen the prenup. And this is a professional communicator?

14:30
Oh, horrors! Somebody thinks that Rebecca is Justin’s girlfriend! Oh, unthinkable thing!

15:26
There’s no talking allowed in the quiet area, no cell phones, I bet there’s a rule about no secret spilling too, Sarah.

15:34
Why do they always swear each other to secrecy before telling a secret? Has that vow ever, ever held?

15:56
That military hospital in San Diego should hire this spa lady to man their front desk. She doesn’t take any Walker guff.

16:16
Are Nora and Kitty wearing identical sweaters? Actually, Nora’s entire outfit is very Kitty-like. Maybe she lost her suitcase and had to borrow.

17:07
Memo to physical therapists: When the guy in the wheelchair who’s as high as a kite rolls up to the guy with the busted knee who’s just gone back to pain pills despite a history of addiction, this is not a good time to leave the room for a few minutes. Use some sense.

Continue on to Part 3

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Retcon Patrol: 2-04 “States of the Union” Part 1

Terri — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:05:15 +0000

And now, Part 1 of Episode 4, “States of the Union.”

00:57
The bangs! Rebecca’s bangs make their debut. I was remembering her as having them at the start of the season, and was wondering when she’d get that fateful haircut. Well, one thing I remembered right: They look awful.

01:17
I want Nora making me Swiss and avocado and nitrate-free turkey bacon sandwiches while I laze in front of the TV. Justin doesn’t know how good he has it.

02:04
The current state of the Walkers, as per Justin: “Sarah’s going through a divorce, and Kitty’s planning a wedding, Tommy’s got a newborn, and Kevin’s in, like, a long-distance relationship with a minister, which is possibly the scariest thing I’ve ever heard.”

03:36
I’m distracted in this scene by Kitty’s blouse, which is … a perfectly normal white blouse with puffy-ish sleeves, rather than the slinky camisole-y thing she usually wears under jackets and sweaters. Did she forget to do laundry and had to pull some old thing out from the back of the closet?

03:41
Kitty’s get-rid-of-mom cell-phone method: “Hello, Mom. Hi, how are you? I can’t talk right now. Bye.” Click. They should use that more often.

04:10
Kitty finds a copy of a prenuptial agreement on Robert’s desk. Illustrating, as we’ll learn again in Season 3, that one must never leave something on one’s desk that one would not want just anyone — like a fiancee, or a business foe — to find.

04:56
When Julia’s the one needing “space,” Tommy’s not so sympathetic.

05:30
Per Milo, 30 is the new few.

06:04
And here’s Scotty, your cater waiter! Introducing himself to Saul thusly: “Scotty. I’m Kevin’s ex? We met last year at Nora’s. The most awkward dinner party ever. The one with the fantastic mango peach salsa.”

06:20
Excellent “busted!” facial expression there, Saul!

07:47
Kitty may have a good “get Mom off the phone” maneuver, but it pales in comparison to Mom’s “get myself invited somewhere I’m not wanted” technique. That’s art.

08:20
Nora says, of Justin, “He survived Iraq. You would think he could survive one night in Pasadena without his mother.” And with his pain pills, you know, the ones his mother forced him to take with the vow that she would rigorously supervise his medication. Well, heck, how addicted could he get in one night?

Continue on to Part 2.