Brothers & Sisters

For those just joining Brothers & Sisters because you’re Rob Lowe fans, or live in Australia, or are finally willing to believe the show’s not as bad as it was made out to be and may be sticking around for a while, here’s a brief guide to who all those brothers and sisters are. Use the episode suggestions to catch up on key episodes in ABC’s Full Episode Player.

Name: Nora Walker
Age: Turned 60 in episode 13, “Something Ida This Way Comes.”
Occupation: Meddlesome mother; worked briefly at family company after husband’s death, but quit after her son Tommy didn’t appreciate “Bring Your Pet to Work Day” or her rules about callers to the company needing to be polite.
Spouse: William, who died in the series’ first episode, leaving his family to painfully find out about his embezzlement from the family company and his longtime affair with Holly Harper, with whom he has a yet-unseen child, Rebecca.
Children: Sarah, Kitty, Tommy, Kevin, Justin
Siblings: Saul
Likes: Liberal causes, cooking, manipulating her offspring
Dislikes: Conservatives, Holly, Kitty’s boyfriends; had tense times with Kitty, who she blamed for pushing Justin to go to war after 9/11, but they’ve mostly made up. Also has mother issues of her own.
Key Episode: In episode 3, “Affairs of State,” she revealed that she wasn’t as in the dark about William’s indiscretions as everybody thought, “innocently” inviting the woman who was her husband’s mistress to a party and then coolly outing her at the dinner table.

Name: Sarah Whedon
Age: 39
Occupation: Head of the family company, Ojai Foods
Spouse: Joe, a stay-at-home dad; was maybe considering an affair with a former co-worker, but that subplot disappeared after the first few episodes.
Children: Diabetic daughter Paige, hyperactive son Cooper, mopey stepson Gabe
Role in Family: Big sister, business decision-maker
Likes: Gossiping with siblings, being bossy, getting revenge on Holly
Dislikes: Holly, her father’s mistress; the giggly neighborhood mom who’s a little too friendly with Joe
Key Episode: Sarah is usually shown being weighed down and overwhelmed by work and family complications, so it was a kick to see her let loose and play pool with a bar full of military men in episode 9, “Mistakes Were Made, Part 2.”

Name: Kitty Walker
Age: 38
Occupation: Professional conservative. At the show’s start, she had a radio show in NYC, then took a job in L.A. as the red-state half of a liberal vs. conservative TV talk show. After going easy in an interview with Senator McCallister in the hope that he would get her brother Justin out of going to war, Kitty left the show and is currently working for the senator (who didn’t get Justin a reprieve, but appreciated her candor about having thrown the interview).
Spouse: None. Was briefly engaged to NYC boyfriend Jonathan, but broke up with him after a brief fling with Warren, her TV co-host. Currently getting involved with her boss, the senator.
Children: None, but a sharp-eyed enough aunt to notice Paige’s diabetic symptoms before Sarah did.
Role in Family: Political pariah, Mom’s least favorite
Likes: Domineering men, flirtation, guns
Dislikes: Commitment, gay marriage, a solid meal by the looks of her
Key Episode: Kitty nicely held her own with Senator McKnow-It-All in a flirtatious scene involving firearms in episode 11, “Family Day”

Name: Tommy Walker
Age: 36
Occupation: Second-in-command in family business
Spouse: Julia, who goes unseen and unheard for episodes at a time
Children: None yet, but Julia is pregnant.
Role in Family: Dependable, overlooked, slightly grumpy oldest brother
Likes: Responsibility, family values, protecting the memory of his father
Dislikes: Justin’s irresponsibility, Sarah’s taking charge of the company
Key Episode: Tommy hasn’t had a lot to do but be defensive and underappreciated, but in episode 7, “Northern Exposure,” he deals with his infertility and desire to have a child with his wife by asking his brother Kevin for sperm, igniting a family debate and an eventual reconciliation with little brother Justin.

Name: Kevin Walker
Age: 34
Occupation: Lawyer
Spouse: None, and if Kitty and her gay-marriage-opposing boss have their way, he never will. Has had relationships with Scotty, a cute client who eventually dumped him for being less evolved; now involved with Chad, a closeted soap-opera actor with an alleged girlfriend.
Children: None, but since his and Justin’s sperm were both used to impregnate Tommy’s wife, he may have some soon.
Role in Family: Middle child, peacemaker, mom’s date for events
Likes: Unattainable men, going to the gym, being well-dressed and witty
Dislikes: Kitty’s senator boss, public displays of affection
Key Episode: Episode 6, “For the Children,” found Kevin in both top romantic and legal form, making up with Scotty by kissing him in the kitchen, then threatening legal action against the boss who fired Scotty for inappropriate behavior.

Name: Justin Walker
Age: 26
Occupation: Wastrel. His longest-lasting job was as a medic in the military, fighting in Afghanistan; other jobs, like one in a hotel where he romanced his boss, Tyler, were lost due to drug use. He’s been re-drafted to the military, but while Kevin’s legal wrangling couldn’t get him off the hook, he did get a six-month delay to get himself cleaned up.
Spouse: None. Besides Tyler, he’s had a fling with fellow user Fawn.
Children: None, although as with Kevin, he’s in the running to be the biological father of his niece or nephew.
Role in Family: Little brother, perpetual screw-up, Mom’s baby
Likes: Drugs, alcohol, surfing
Dislikes: Work, responsibility, going back to war
Key Episode: Episode 11, “Family Day,” helped define his role as the one every family member dumps their problems on without caring to consider that he may have problems of his own — quite a feat, since he was in a drug rehab facility at the time.

Name: Saul Holden
Occupation: Executive in his late brother-in-law’s business
Spouse: None; has pursued a romance with his late brother-in-law’s mistress, Holly, but Sarah’s attempts at revenge against the woman have thrown a wrench in that relationship.
Children: None, but his presence at Ojai Foods and closeness to sister Nora keeps him in constant contact with his nieces and nephews.
Siblings: He’s Nora’s big brother
Role in Family: Slightly shady elder statesman
Likes: Holly, keeping secrets, keeping the peace
Dislikes: The way his mother treats his sister, telling the whole truth
Key Episode: He takes Holly out on the town in episode 5, “Date Night,” but is he really looking for love, or fishing for information about where William hid the money he embezzled? Doesn’t matter to Nora, with whom he has a quick, petty, snarky little quarrel that proves the Walker kids aren’t the only bickering brothers and sisters here.

_{Photos: ABC.com}