Brothers & Sisters

New episode tonight, and here’s hoping it’s not as annoying as the promo makes it seem! Here’s what ABC’s press release has to say about tonight’s outing:

ROBERT DELIVERS AN ULTIMATUM, ON ABC’S “BROTHERS & SISTERS”

Tom Skerritt Reprises His Guest Starring Role as William Walker

“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” - When Kitty and Robert reach a crossroads in their marriage, she is forced to reflect on her father’s (guest starring Tom Skerritt as William Walker) past indiscretions and decide what’s most important in life. Meanwhile, Ryan makes a discovery about his mother’s death and takes a huge leap in the wrong direction to vie for Rebecca’s affection, on “Brothers & Sisters,” SUNDAY, MAY 3 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Brothers & Sisters” stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell, Rob Lowe as Senator Robert McCallister, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.

Guest starring are Tom Skerritt as William Walker, Luke Grimes as Ryan Lafferty, Matt Letscher as Alec Tyler, Luc Charbonnier as Ben Tyler, Jay Knowlton as Grady and Toby Holguin as the bus driver.

“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” was written by Peter Calloway and Daniel Silk and directed by Laura Innes.

And, the word from Bloggers and Sisters:

Holly and Sarah host a party at Ojai to showcase that they are now a team. Robert returns to the office for the first time since his heart attack. Kitty’s marital situation brings back memories of William (Tom Skerritt), which sheds light on more than just her past. Justin and Ryan both look to Rebecca for support, which leads to some shocking conclusions. Nora finally takes the search for Tommy to the next level.

Always good to see Tom Skerritt again; luck for him these brothers and sisters never run out of daddy issues.

Five questions about last Sunday’s episode — “Julia” — still rattling around in my brain:

1. Could Kitty really be in twue wuv with Alec after a few weeks of flirting in the park? Hate to tell the fella, but she’s clearly fallen for him as a symbol of all that is Not Robert. I mean, how much farther can you get from an ambitious politician than a guy who seems to have absolutely nothing else to do in the world than hang out in the park with his son and listen to Kitty’s problems? If her marriage does indeed end over this, she’s going to be bored with this guy in about five minutes.

2. Is Kitty still a public figure? She is still a former TV personality, current author, and wife of a senator and gubernatorial wannabe, isn’t she? How fast do you suppose the police report about her having an accident with a strange man in the car would hit the Internet in the real world? That is, if cell-phone pictures of the two bonding at the park didn’t make it first, or a post on that real-estate agent’s blog. Women of even Kitty’s relatively low level of celebrity don’t get to engage in dalliances this public anymore, do they?

3. Did Tommy want his wife and daughter to be homeless? You’d think that in his letter home and the couple of phone calls they had, he might have given Julia a heads-up about the second mortgage.

4. So Rebecca has heard Ryan jump to the conclusion that William killed his mother, but it’s not until he allies with her own mother that she decides he’s dangerous? Actually, I suppose that is a valid litmus test.

5. Shall we start planning a Grey’s Anatomy/Brothers & Sisters cross-over? Seems a shame for Julia to go so specifically to Seattle without availing herself of the healing services of Seattle Grace. Maybe if Izzie doesn’t make it, Alex would like to rescue a struggling schoolteacher whose husband abandoned her and her daughter.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Julia, commentary

Continuing from yesterday’s listing of lines from the first half of “Julia,” here are some quotes from the remainder of the episode. Did I miss one of your favorites between these two posts? Share it in the comments.

Kevin: So, what, you’re gonna go up all by yourself? Be a single mother in a strange city?
Julia: It’s not my fault I’m a single mother, Kevin.

Julia: You’re all helpful until things don’t go your way.

Kevin: I’m just a little tired of feeling I have to make up for Tommy being such a failure as a father. I did everything he wanted. I was a sperm donor when I had some serious reservations about it. He was so eager for a child, and he promised me I wouldn’t have to find out who the biological father was. Then he made me sign this … stupid contract saying I’d never tell Elizabeth the truth, all under this promise of being a great father. Then he left.
Scotty: He’ll come back. Eventually.
Kevin: It doesn’t matter. Too much has happened. Even if he did come back, I could never forgive him. It’s over.

Nora: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Saul: Oh please, Nora. It’s not hell. It’s Seattle.

Saul: You have to let go. Even Tommy. Julia needs to move on.
Nora: How do I do that?
Saul: Start by wishing her well.
Nora: I could give her a dinner.

Robert: You could have died in that car. And all I’d be left with is a motherless little boy and the image of my wife in a car with some man that I had never even heard of.
Kitty: It’s not what you think.
Robert: This is so much bigger than being about whatever you and that guy were doing or not doing. I know things have been difficult. I know that I have my flaws. But I have been trying.
Kitty: I know.
Robert: And I wonder –
Kitty: No, Robert. I –
Robert: — why I even bothered. Do you want this marriage?
Kitty: Of course I do. I think that we just have to figure things out.
Robert: We don’t need to figure anything out. You do.
Kitty: Wait, wait, wait, Robert, wait, please. Just … I’m sorry.
Robert: Do you love him? … Then we don’t have anything to talk about.

Justin: (of Ryan) The kid’s a fake! I can’t believe you guys are buying into his act. He has all you women clucking around like you’re female chickens.
Nora: Hens, dear.

Sarah: The old “need more wine” exit ruse. Amazing how they never catch on.

Rebecca: (of Ryan working at Ojai) I think it’s great. It’s a great idea. I just want to make sure that it’s good for you.
Ryan: Are you kidding? It’s perfect. And I owe it all to you, and your mom. Trust me, she’s going to know how grateful I am when I get into that boardroom.
Rebecca: What do you mean?
Ryan: Well, those shares we got give us voting power, right?
Rebecca: So you’re automatically going to vote with her?
Ryan: I can’t wait to see the look on Sarah’s face. She’s gonna have a coronary right there in the boardroom.

Kevin: You know, I hear the people in Seattle, they’re much nicer than we are.
Scotty: Yeah, they’re almost Canadian.

Julia: This move is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. But I’ve watched all of you make really hard decisions in your lives, and you’ve gotten through them by supporting each other. And that’s what you’ve done for me. And I know that you’ll do that for Tommy, too, whatever happens. So really this is a toast to all of you, and to making hard choices.

Scotty: I can’t believe you’re leaving me with these crazy Walkers.
Julia: Well, we’ll always have Facebook.

Julia: I’ve made a decision. I’m going to tell Elizabeth the truth. You gave her life, twice. And you and she are connected. And I gotta make sure it stays that way.

Kitty: It turns out that a porch swing doesn’t actually solve all your problems.

For more recaps and memorable lines, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Julia, recap, memorable lines

As a follow-up to the recap, here are some memorable lines from the first half of “Julia.”

Sarah: Are you with someone?
Kitty: I’m at the park.
Sarah: Oh, you’re with Hot Park Guy.
Kitty: Um … I probably will be about another half an hour.
Sarah: You’re doing that flirty tilt-your-head thing. I can hear it.

Alec: Boy, the Friends and Family plan was definitely made for you.

Ryan: Look, I’m sure that it’s a fantastic place, and I’m glad that you guys got over whatever issues you had with the Walkers, but I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around going to work at the same place that son of a bitch went every day.

Nora: You can’t compete against the World’s Greatest Grandma, and I have a coffee mug to prove it.

Julia: I can’t believe I’m one of those wives you read about who doesn’t know how to handle their finances or what their husbands are up to until it’s too late.
Nora: Speaking as one of those wives, it’s never too late.

Sarah: You realize this is your pattern, Kitty. Every time somebody’s disappointed you, you’re off looking for the next shiny thing.

Kitty: I do. I do feel guilty. I feel guilty because I am guilty. I’m married. I have a new baby. I mean, believe me, I’m trying to convince myself that Alec is wrong, and that he’s just some stupid fantasy. But then every time I see him my heart races, and I feel … pretty. And I feel funny. And I feel … connected.
Sarah: I’ve been there. But I have to tell you, that feeling is the beginning of the end of your marriage.

Sarah: Stay away from the park. No buts. Stop going to the damn park.

Scotty: I’m sorry, Kevin, but I’ve worked hard so we can set aside some savings, not so I can become another victim in your brother’s midlife crisis.

Holly: You have to recognize that this is not an even playing field. You are a Walker.
Sarah: Do you want me to apologize for my name or change it?

Kitty: You have a porch swing! Oh, you have no idea how much I love porch swings. I have always wanted a house with a porch swing. Oh, I mean, think about it. Life gets too complicated, I just come out here and I sit on this swing, I sip some lemonade, and all my problems, they just melt away.

Sarah: Holly’s feeling a little … Walker-phobic at the moment.
Ryan: Look, I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes.
Sarah: Let me talk to her. See if I can get her to relax a little bit. Maybe get her back on her meds.

Continue on to part 2.

For recaps and memorable lines from other episodes, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Julia, recap, memorable lines

Often, the title of a Brothers & Sisters episode doubles as its theme. In this case, “Julia” appears to apply only to the character we’re saying goodbye to — Tommy’s wife, who splits town when her hubby refuses to return (and who says she’d want him if he did). But we can make a theme of it, too, as other characters suffer situations from the Tommy ‘n’ Julia playbook.

Julia’s departure plot is kicked off by a familiar Walker behavior, keeping secrets. Tommy failed to mention that second mortgage he took out to finance his anti-Holly scheme, and as a result, Julia’s got a foreclosure sign out front. Her parents want her to come home — of course they do — and the Walkers want her to stay put, to the point that Kevin pays up the loan (over Scotty’s slight objection) and Nora creates a teaching job at the cancer center for her. With that plus two enormous plush horses purchased by Grandma and Uncle Kevin, how can Julia and Elizabeth leave? But leave they do, after Julia taks Nora’s pep talk to heart and accepts a job offered by a mentor in Seattle. It’s all over but the final family dinner, at the end of which Julia lets Kevin know she’ll be ignoring that paper Tommy had him sign and letting Elizabeth know who her biological father is. And with that, she’s gone, leaving Nora to store all of Tommy’s junk in her closets.

The hard times Julia had after Elizabeth’s birth and baby William’s death — when she became distant from her husband and finally went to Arizona to stay with her parents and have a brief affair — is echoed in Kitty’s way too friendly relationship with CuteParkDad. She’s got nothing to say to Robert, but plenty to say to Alec, who’s thinking of buying a house and wants Kitty’s opinion about it. She sneaks off to take a walk-through with him and is enchanted by the porch swing out front. On the way home, though, they get into a car accident that leaves them both with airbag burns on their arms. Robert’s appropriately freaked out and attentive over the fact that his wife could have been badly hurt, and puts ointment and gauze on her arms before putting her down for a nap. Kitty seems a little chastened by the accident, and might be ready to step back from the affair abyss … except that while she sleeps, Robert takes Evan to the park, and is surprised when Alec’s son knows Evan, and takes a good look at the kid’s father, and notices the telltale airbag-burn-bandages on his arms, and adds to that the fact that Kitty wouldn’t let him come to the accident site and Alec has guilt written all over his face, and Kitty is so busted. She knows it, too, when she sees Robert’s note about going to the park, and when her husband comes back and asks if she’s in love with Alec, she doesn’t answer. Their ensuing estrangement gets Robert out of the Julia farewell dinner, and afterward, Kitty meets Alec at the porch swing. Instead of telling him it’s over, she goes ahead and kisses him. He asks “What are we gonna do?” but we’ll all have to wait ’til next week to find out.

The kind of Ojai share-shuffling that cost Julia a husband is still going on, with the latest William spawn to sneakily accumulate shares being Ryan. In his case, he’s secretly in cahoots with Holly, who’s peeved that Sarah is moving right back into her role as the board’s favorite and wants some backup of her own. She persuades Ryan to get a job at Ojai because, for William’s children, a job comes with voting shares. Ryan plays along and lets Sarah think he’s with her and against Holly. Holly then pretends to be outraged that Sarah wants another stinkin’ Walker to have voting rights, and suggests that Rebecca get some shares to to even things out. Sarah falls for it all, but Holly’s plan isn’t perfect. When Ryan tells Rebecca, over a squirmy candlelit dinner, that he’s gleeful about how upset Sarah will be when she finds she’s been tricked, Rebecca realizes what’s up and goes straight to Justin with the information. Making exactly one person who believes Justin that Ryan’s not what he seems. (Here’s an idea, kids: Have Rebecca grab some of Ryan’s hair from the shower drain and get a dang DNA test already.)

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, Julia, recap

While I’m putting together the recap for the episode named after her character, check out the interview with Sarah Jane Morris from the LA Times site. Here are a few excerpts from the Q&A by Enid Portuguez:

On character development: “It was unfortunate that there were major things that happened to Tommy and Julia that you never got to see. When it came out that both of us had had affairs, there was a scene when Julia says they needed help with their marriage. The show had already done the therapy story line with Joe and Sarah, so I get that they didn’t want to go there again. But you never got to see them work through their problems. Also being new parents and the whole fertility story got rushed and crammed into one episode.”

On Julia’s return: “There is definite potential for Julia to come back. I think they needed to have her go away so that they can reinvent the character. That’ll be interesting to see her come back after living somewhere different and being a single mom. I just don’t know when that’ll be.”

On her reaction to Balthazar Getty’s departure: “I was pretty surprised, actually. When I signed up for the show on Day One, I never could have predicted that things would go down the way they did. I was definitely sad and frustrated and all those emotions, but the producers were great about everything. I feel fortunate that I wasn’t killed [laughs]. There are not a lot of chances of being raised from the dead on prime-time television. … After I found out, I didn’t actually get a chance to work with [Getty] again, so I haven’t talked to him about it. We don’t hang out outside of work, and we never crossed paths at work again. It’s a little weird, but at the end of the day, it’s a job.”

A few quick thoughts on last night’s Brothers and Sisters episode. Tune in during the coming week for a recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

• On the candy or a rock scale, this was like a chocolate that looks appealing, but has something hard-as-a-rock in the filling that chips your tooth.

• I think I have a major difference of understanding with the ABC promo people as to what an effective promo should do. I’d say that it should make you eager to see the next episode; they seem to feel it should make you think, “Oh, sheesh, that looks horrible, not sure I can bear to watch that.” You know you’re in trouble when you find yourself saying, “Gee, I hope this is one of those cases where the promo is an outright lie.”

• I was thinking Holly was pretty smart to set up this situation with Ryan right up until she sought the shares for Rebecca, too. Did she really think the girl was going to be all enthused by this opportunity to screw over the Walkers? Major miscalculation there, lady. You read Ryan right and your own daughter wrong. (Can’t imagine David’s going to be too thrilled with this idea, either.)

• Glad Julia didn’t run back home to Arizona, but the job in Seattle seems a little random, doesn’t it? Too bad she couldn’t get a job at Ojai, I hear they’re hiring heedlessly.

• I hate the fact that we have to have this drawn-out Kitty/Robert marital mess; they’re a couple I’ve really enjoyed, and it’s too bad that the only way a TV drama has to deal with a happy marriage is to make it unhappy. We are getting an interesting character study of Kitty out of it, though, and she is following a similar pattern to her dalliance with Warren when things weren’t right with Jonathan. Though I hate that she’s cheating, I suppose she could argue that Robert cheated on her first with the people of California in his heedless gubernatorial bid. What I wonder about the whole thing is, what is wrong with Alec? He seems charming enough, but anyone flirtling so conscientiously with a woman he knows is married — especially one with a new baby — is not recommending himself as worthy mate material.

• The Sarah-Kitty sibling relationship has certainly gotten a lot of exercise this season, hasn’t it? That sisterly bond has been bouncing all over the place, changing direction at the whim of the script writers. Early in the season, Kitty was ticked off about trust issues that came out of nowhere. Later, Sarah was resentful of Kitty for trying to swoop in and fix her financial problems, a similarly “Where the heck did that come from?” development. Now, when Kitty could use some tough love, or maybe a foot in the behind, Sarah’s all the supportive sister. She did deliver some hard truths about Kitty moving on to the next shiny object, but in the end, she’s on Kitty’s side, because Kitty’s her sister. Yeah, she was your sister when you couldn’t be bothered to write her an adoption letter, too.

• Speaking of sibling continuity problems, it still jars me every time Justin seems concerned for Tommy and eager for him to come home. Tommy’s done stuff 100 times worse than the things he used to mercilessly bust Justin for, and there was significant bad blood between the two of them. I suppose they made peace with that during Justin’s intervention, but that it wouldn’t flare up at all now, when Tommy has made an unending mess of things including Justin’s relationship with Rebecca? Forgiving fools, these Walkers.

• I have no objections to Rebecca and Justin getting back together at this point. I have enormous objections to them getting back together only to fall apart due to Ryan manipulation and the same-old same-old family/jealousy maneouvers. Enough! Make them a couple or don’t make them a couple. Ideally, I’d like to see these two regain their spirit and foil Ryan’s evil plans. Enough with the moping.

• If Kitty and Robert do indeed split, we’re going to have to start seriously worrying about Kevin and Scotty. This is clearly a show in which No Marriage Can Survive. Maybe we should hope for Justin and Rebecca to have a quicky Vegas wedding so they can take some of the heat.

So, what did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

_{Photo: ABC}

Brothers and Sisters, Julia, ABC

Unfortunately, it looks like it might be her last episode. Here’s what ABC’s press release has to say about tonight’s outing:

A CAR ACCIDENT BRINGS ROBERT SOME CLARITY ABOUT
KITTY’S RECENT DISTANCE, ON ABC’S “BROTHERS & SISTERS”

“Julia” - Out of patience waiting for Tommy to return home, Julia makes a life-changing decision about the future, Robert discovers what Kitty has been keeping from him, and Holly and Sarah finally find balance in their relationship, on “Brothers & Sisters,” SUNDAY, APRIL 26 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Brothers & Sisters” stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell, Rob Lowe as Senator Robert McCallister, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.

Guest starring are Luke Grimes as Ryan Lafferty, Matt Letscher as Alec, Luc Charbonnier as Ben, Andrea Luna Grano as Leanne Mitchell, Marley Barth as Elizabeth Walker and Spencer Barth as Elizabeth Walker.

“Julia” was written by Cliff Olin and Molly Newman and Michael Foley and directed by Michael Morris.

And, the word from Bloggers and Sisters:

With Tommy still out of the picture, Julia must decide the next step for her and Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the family struggles with the fact that Julia and Elizabeth might move away. With Holly’s encouragement, Ryan becomes interested in working for Ojai Foods. Kitty continues flirting with Alec, the father at the park, and finds herself seriously questioning her feelings towards Robert.

I don’t know — judging by the new personnel policy witnessed in last week’s episode, Ryan is nowhere near hunky enough to work at Ojai Foods. Hit the gym, buddy.

Five questions about last Sunday’s episode — “S3X” — still rattling around in my brain:

1. Can Roger really be divorced? It doesn’t seem as though enough time has elapsed since he was last around, unless British divorce laws are similar to those of Las Vegas. Is this a case of the writers hoping we won’t notice, or Roger hoping Nora won’t?

2. Does Justin know Ryan is staying at Rebecca’s? And walking around in his underwear? I was overjoyed that we did not get the predictable Scene of Jealous Misunderstanding, but it’s hard to believe it’s not coming, hilltop apologies or no.

3. Speaking of Ryan’s whereabouts, how exactly did he take his leave of Nora? I don’t think she’s made any mention of his moving out. Since she made such a big deal of bringing him out and introducing him around, you’d think she might be concerned that he’d rather be on Rebecca’s sofa. Or maybe she thinks he’s gone back to school?

4. Do the Walkers need a new calling plan? Julia came over to Nora’s house twice when she could have delivered her good news/bad news by phone, and Sarah’s now burst in on Kevin and Scotty twice under circumstances that would formerly have been prime phone-chain fodder. Batteries all dead, or what?

5. When the siblings are holding their contest for Most Promiscuous Walker, are they counting their dad in the mix? Dude seems to have gotten around.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, S3X, commentary

Continuing from yesterday’s listing of lines from the first half of “S3X,” here are some quotes from the remainder of the episode. Did I miss one of your favorites between these two posts? Share it in the comments.

Nora: Oh, let’s go to Paris, please.
Roger: I know this wonderful hotel, the Marais. You’ll love it.
Nora: We could go back and forth between Paris and your flat in London.
Roger: And then we could come back here for the winter and put our shorts on and lie in the backyard, which will now be nothing but a gigantic flower garden.
Nora: Or, I could sell this house. We could get a little place at the beach, not too far, but with no guest room.
Roger: We’d sleep at night with the windows open and smell the salt air. And once a month, I’d buy wine and three books, which we would read. And that’s all we’d do, we’d read, drink, and swim.
Nora: I’m calling the Realtor.

David: (of Ryan) I’m not real wild about the way he looks at you.
Rebecca: You’re crazy.
David: Rebecca. I’m a guy. He’s a guy. Trust me.

Rebecca: Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing right now.
David: What am I doing?
Rebecca: Even though you’re being completely ridiculous, you’re … acting like my dad. I kinda like it.
David: Well, I’m not being ridiculous. And I’m not acting.

Sarah: I had sex in the office. I really need to share with somebody.
Kevin: Why me?
Sarah: Because I can’t get ahold of Kitty. And, well, before you and Scotty got together, you were the most promiscuous member of the family.

Kevin: Scotty wanted a three-way.
Sarah: Oh, my — Scotty!
Scotty: I can’t believe you actually told her.
Kevin: She just had sex on her desk. Please.
Sarah: In the storage room. Please.
Kevin: You know what, I was’t the most promiscuous member of this family, Justin was. I bet you he’s had gobs of three-ways.

Scotty: I’m not having this conversation with you, Sarah. You Walkers have absolutely no boundaries!

Kitty: It’s all those things, all those things that I used to love about him … you know, like his confidence, and his ambition. It just is all so disappointing to me know.

Robert: Let’s just say that things aren’t going well. Something’s changed, and it ain’t my life expectancy. You know, I wish we could just go back to the beginning when everything clicked. It was all just perfect. Maybe if I did, then I could see that moment when …
Justin: What?
Robert: I lost her.

Robert: This can’t go on. We have to talk.
Kitty: I know. I know. It’s just that … there’s nothing I want to say right now.

Scotty: (of Chad) He has nothing to be sorry for. I mean, look at us. If I were him, I’d want a piece of this action, too.

Scotty: God, we are such prudes.
Kevin: You’re not kidding. One possible three-way and we practically have a nervous breakdown.
Scotty: I guess we’re more comfortable nesting. We may as well be lesbians.
Kevin: Even lesbians have three-ways.
Scotty: Yeah, but their heart’s never in it. So, we move on. Monogamous. Domesticated. Married.

For more recaps and memorable lines, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, S3X, recap, memorable lines

First the good news: According to TV Guide, Brothers & Sisters has been renewed for another season. Not that there was much fear that it wouldn’t, but it’s still nice to have the reassurance.

And now, the good words: As a follow-up to the recap, here are some memorable lines from the first half of “S3X.”

Sarah: What was wrong with the pantsuit?
Kevin: It was grey and boring.
Sarah: No, it was practical, Kevin.
Kevin: Oh, come on. I could put a tie on that thing and wear it.
Sarah: It was recession appropriate.

Sarah: (of a hot pink dress) You’re very sweet to think that I can pull that off. However, I’m going back to work at my family’s company, not at a brothel.

Kevin: Put that on, it’ll get you noticed.
Sarah: Yeah, yeah it will … from space.

Sarah: (of Chad) He really is spectacular. He’s bi, right?
Kevin: Yeah.
Sarah: Maybe you should introduce me.
Kevin: What?
Sarah: I’m 40, I can’t be that choosy.

Roger: You wanted to be the only woman in my life. Well, consider it done.
Nora: I don’t know what to say.
Roger: Well, you don’t have to say anything.
Nora: Wait. It’s — it’s a bad time. This is a very bad time. My life is a mess. I mean, it’s not just me. It’s a really confusing time. And I mean, look at me. I’m — I’m gardening at midnight.
Roger: I am looking at you, and you look beautiful, and flawless. And I love you.
Nora: (squeaks)
Roger: And if it’s alright with you, I think I’m gonna kiss you.

Sarah: Kevin, this is insane. I’ve come back, and Ojai Foods has turned into Ojai Dudes.
Kevin: You sound like a gay Justin.

Sarah: Oh my God, it’s Cal again.
Kevin: Who?
Sarah: Cal, the gorgeous accountant.
Kevin: Cal sounds like a porno name.
Sarah: What, and Chad isn’t?
Kevin: That’s a name I’m trying to forget.
Sarah: Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that kiss. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you’re dead.
Kevin: I did like it. That’s the problem. And try not to tell Scotty what happened.
Sarah: You’ve got nothing to be guilty about. You didn’t provoke him. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame myself if Cal just walked into my office and blindfolded me and dragged me down to the loading bay and tied me to a truck and …
Kevin: Wow, you have it really bad.

Chad: Hello. I keep thinking about you.
Kevin: That’s fine. I think about me all the time.

Nora: Life is so much sweeter with a baby. Why did you guys have to go and grow up?
Kitty: Well, that was the only way we could get away from you.

Nora: I haven’t thought about Tommy one moment all day today.
Kitty: Mm-hmm.
Nora: No. Obsessing about him is not gonna help. It’s his life, not mine.
Kitty: Are you like … medicated or something?

Sarah: So, do you come from a big family?
Cal: Ten siblings.
Sarah: Oh, my God.
Cal: You?
Sarah: Four … and a half. But they feel like ten.

Continue on to Part 2.

For recaps and memorable lines from other episodes, visit the pages for Season 1, Season 3.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, S3X, recap, memorable lines

Sex on the brain, marriages on the rocks, brother on the lam, old boyfriends on the make — the Walkers have a lot on their mind in this twenty-first episode of the third season of Brothers & Sisters. Here’s who’s getting some this week, and who’s hot and bothered:

Sarah makes her return to Ojai Foods only to find that it’s become “Ojai Dudes,” a veritable feast of fit fellows keeping her mind on the wrong kind of business. Even wondering over whether the fruit basket Holly gave her is poisoned can’t distract Sarah from drooling over Cal from accounting, and after a day of flirting and a hastily signed agreement of consent, the two of them go at it in the storeroom. The next day, Sarah wears her best new va-va-voom dress, but alas, Cal was just a temp, and he’s gone. Holly’s amused that Sarah’s asking after him — was he part of the fruit basket, too?

Nora needs distraction after Julia tells her Tommy’s coming home, lest she make herself too much a part of the talks that he and Julia are going to have to have. She tries gardening at all hours of the day and night to occupy herself, but a better distraction arrives in the form of Roger, who claims to have divorced his wife out of love for Nora and be ready now for a non-open relationship. Their romantic interlude has Nora dreaming of trips to Paris, or of selling the house and moving to a cottage at the beach. But of course, Ma Walker has way more baggage than a jet or a beach house can accommodate, and soon Roger is off to travel alone, with promises to return. As if there will ever be a time when Nora can let go.

Kevin, while out on a work-clothes-shopping expedition with Sarah, is surprised to see Chad again. Even more surprised when Chad kisses him in public. And even more surprised when he proposes getting together for drinks with Kevin and Scotty. Kevin expects Scotty to go into jealousy mode, but he turns out to be a fan of the former soap actor and is eager to meet him. Over drinks, Chad suggests that the three of them do more than just chat, and while Kevin and Scotty chicken out at the time, later, when their at-home makeout session is interrupted by a knock on the door, they assume it must be Chad and decide to give him a chance. Only the person at the door is in fact Sarah, freaked out by her dalliance with Cal and once again thwarting her brother’s attempts at marital bliss. Later, Kevin and Scotty decide that they are in fact happy to be monogamous and not out engaging in threesomes … or any behavior that would cause them to burst in on siblings at bad times.

Ryan sure appears to be hoping for some bad behavior with Rebecca, sleeping on her couch and running around in his underwear and sneakily discovering what kind of flowers she likes. Rebecca’s oblivious, but when she brings her ex-boyfriend’s half-brother over for dinner with her folks, David immediately picks up on the fact that this slick SOB is making a play for his little girl. Ryan and Holly, meanwhile, hit it off just fine, as befits co-members of the Walker Hating Club. Rebecca’s not a Walker-hater; she still misses Justin, and after he calls her to their kissing hilltop for a simple apology, it seems possible that they might still have a future, if Ryan doesn’t tie her to railroad tracks or hypnotize her into loving him or some such skullduggery first.

Robert is hoping to light a fire with Kitty again, even going so far as to get an affidavit from his doctor clearing him for sex. But his wife’s as disinterested in that as she has been in brain-sexy bantering with him lately; as she confesses to her new park boyfriend, all the things she used to love about Robert are the things she can’t stand about him now. Park Dad, on the other hand, brings her frozen yogurt and coffee and lends an ear to her woes. There’s no S3X in the equation yet, and no brain sex, but if there’s such a thing as emotion sex, she’s a cheater alright. (Anybody else getting flashbacks to Joe and Guitar Mom from Season 1?)

Julia not only isn’t getting back together with her husband, she’s not getting him back at all, as the return promised at the beginning of the episode turns out to have been a giant decoy. Tommy’s not coming back now after all. Maybe he’s found a cute mom in a park in South America to flirt with.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, S3X, recap

A few quick thoughts on last night’s Brothers and Sisters episode. Tune in during the coming week for a recap, memorable lines, and five questions.

• On the candy or a rock scale, this was like a big bag of Sour Patch Kids, sweet and tasty but sometimes makes you wince.

• So what the heck was that business with Tommy? He’s coming home! He’s not coming home! Was the purpose of that to make us believe Nora will never be ready for Roger? Combined with the press release’s clueless mention of Holly considering dropping the charges, it had me worrying all hour that Holly was going to trick the Walkers into thinking Tommy was safe so she could get him jailed after all. I was worried Ryan would tell her Tommy had gone on the lam and that would precipitate more confrontations on this stupid, stupid plotline. But indeed, the charges are already dropped and the dummy is not coming home and all that happened was I enjoyed the episode less for all the dread. And the point was … ?

• Episodes like this, with droopy Rebecca being taken in by slimy Ryan and pining over mopey Justin makes me miss the old messed-up Rebecca all over again. What a terrible, terrible turn they took with this character. She just has had all the spirit drained out of her. I liked David being the dad looking out for her; that was sweet. But clearly the ineffectual genes came from his side of the family, and she’s become daddy’s little girl a little bit too much.

• Disliked Chad the first time around. Dislike him still. If they had to bring back an old Kevin boyfriend, I’d have preferred, if only for the sake of realism, that it be the guy who’s the brother of his brother-in-law and boss.

• Robert has now had two conversations with Walker siblings about his marital troubles with Kitty, and neither one of them has mentioned that, you know, if you’re wondering when you lost her, it might have been when she saw you declaring for governor while your baby was being born and said to anyone within earshot that she was through with you. It’s pretty unbelievable that some unrelated bystander didn’t capture that by cell phone and sell it to the local press, but even more so that Walkers are now keeping something, anything, to themselves.

• Speaking of the press … are we sure that CuteParkDad is actually a random friendly father and not someone looking to turn up a juicy story on McCallister? Kitty’s a pretty high-profile girl to be spilling her family secrets to the first guy who buys her frozen yogurt.

• Hey, remember back a long time ago, way back to the start of the series, when Sarah was supposed to be a savvy businesswoman and not undersexed comic relief? Really, she returns to take the company back for her family and her first act is sex in the storeroom? It doesn’t seem as though these writers really know what to do with a strong, capable, professional woman. Sarah’s been buffeted by marital woes and emotion-driven business mistakes, and now Kitty — who not that long ago turned down marriage to someone who wanted her to be just a mom, and even more recently was at least interested in a career as a writer or a college professor — seems to want to do nothing more than sit in the park. When Holly is your best example of a competent working woman, your show is in trouble.

• Perhaps Kevin and Scotty should invest in a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Or possibly hang a sock on the doorknob. Or, you know, move and not give Sarah their address. Enough already on the drop-ins.

• If Roger has to wait until the Walker kids have their lives straightened out to really have a relationship with Nora, he’s going to have a heck of a long wait. Didn’t we already do this, though, with Danny Glover’s character? If Nora’s going to stay tied down by her brood, she needs to start dating local fellas.

So, what did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

_{Photo: ABC}

Brothers and Sisters, Missing, ABC

Our show is back! Roger and Chad, too. Here’s what ABC’s press release has to say about tonight’s episode:

HOLLY CONSIDERS DROPPING THE CHARGES AGAINST TOMMY,
ON ABC’S “BROTHERS & SISTERS”

“S3x” - The Walkers keep up hope that Tommy will return home when Holly considers dropping the charges. Meanwhile Sarah makes yet another major career change, Kitty questions whether or not her marriage will survive, and Kevin and Scotty consider a surprising proposal from Chad (guest starring Jason Lewis), on “Brothers & Sisters,” SUNDAY, APRIL 19 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Brothers & Sisters” stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Cooper Whedon, Kerris Lilla Dorsey as Paige, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Whedon, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell, Rob Lowe as Senator Robert McCallister, Sarah Jane Morris as Julia Walker, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Emily VanCamp as Rebecca Harper and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.

Guest starring are Ken Olin as David Caplan, Luke Grimes as Ryan Lafferty, Jason Lewis as Chad Berry, Matt Letscher as Alec, Luc Charbonnier as Ben, Nigel Havers as Roger Grant and Cristian de la Fuente as Cal.

“S3X” was written by Cliff Olin and David Marshall Grant and directed by Laura Innes.

And, the word from Bloggers and Sisters:

Love is in the air. Roger returns to Nora with a new proposition. Sarah returns to Ojai and meets a sexy new coworker. Kevin’s ex Chad returns and is suprised to learn Kevin is now married. Ryan is still crashing on Rebecca’s couch, and Rebecca invites him to dinner with her parents. Kitty continues bonding with Alec, one of the fathers at the park. Meanwhile, she and Robert are still having problems connecting.

It’s great to be back on the air after a month! This was a really fun episode for everyone on the Writers’ Floor to work on. Hopefully it’s equally fun to watch! Look out for Jason Lewis, returning as soap star Chad Barry.

Lots of sexy times in this episode if you couldn’t already guess by the title. Kevin/Scotty fans, tune in for some good shirtless making out.

This looks like it may be a fairly fun outing for the show’s return after three weeks off, and I’m all for that. A little worried about the “Holly considers dropping the charges” — based on the last episode, I thought the board decided to drop the charges after Holly said she wouldn’t participate. Seemed like a done deal then. And what’s this about “Ryan is still crashing on Rebecca’s couch” — when did he start?

Good to be back, anyway. Hope we’ll still feel that way after the episode’s over.

Concluding the Relationship Death Count started at the onset of this three-week B&S hiatus, let’s look at the relationship drama in Episodes 18 through 20 of the current third season of Brothers & Sisters — the last ones aired before the break –and see how many twosomes tanked.

Episode 3-18: “Taking Sides”
Relationship carnage: Julia all but guns Tommy down in the courthouse hallway, telling him not to come home and appearing to deal their marriage a death blow; Justin’s siding with Tommy and failing to support Rebecca when Tommy attacks her blows that relationship up real good, too.
Relationships on alert: Kitty and Robert, who’s in heart-attack denial.
Relationships just starting out: Holly and David appear to be sweethearts once more, so they’ll be moving out of the death column.
Total Relationship Deaths: +2-1=1

Episode 3-19: “Spring Broken”
Relationship carnage: Justin’s flirting with a not completely unattached babe causes Tommy to suffer a beating, but no relationships die this time around.
Relationships on alert: Kevin and Scotty, who are having to schedule sex; Kitty and Robert, who’s warned by Sarah about what Kitty’s detachment means.
Total Relationship Deaths: 0

Episode 3-20: “Missing”
Relationship carnage: Just more of the same — Julia in no mood to forgive Tommy, and Justin bungling his attempt to revive his romance with Rebecca.
Relationships on alert: Robert and Kitty, who’s started flirting with a cute dad at the park.
Total Relationship Deaths: 0

TOTAL Dead Relationships in Season 3, Episodes 18-20: 1
SEASON TOTAL thus far: 5
AVERAGE Relationship Deaths Per Episode for Season 3: 0.25
SEASON 2 TOTAL: 7
AVERAGE Relationship Deaths Per Episode for Season 2: .4375
SEASON 1 TOTAL: 13
AVERAGE Relationship Deaths Per Episode for Season 1: .565217391304
SERIES TOTAL thus far: 25
AVERAGE Relationship Deaths for Entire Series: .423728813559

That’s a total of 25 deaths over 59 episodes, for a little less than half a dead relationship per episode. Pretty tough odds for romance. Maybe things will improve if a few deceased couples revive — Nora and Roger look ready for another go-round according to the previews; I still have hopes for Kitty and Robert, and think Justin and Rebecca have to last longer than this to justify all the turmoil involved in bringing them together. We’ll start to see where the rest of the season leads on Sunday, when the series finally comes back to us. About time!