Brothers & Sisters

So now, finally, the mystery has been solved: The magic that kept two women staying loyal to William Walker for decades was, his hair. He had great hair. No moral or ethical compass to speak of, but irresistible locks of love. Maybe if Joe would just, I don’t know, hire a stylist to do something with his limp mane, he could hold onto his wife and also canoodle with guitar students. Take a lesson, bro.

Finally, here was an episode that was all about Tommy … except, not so much. He’s the guy in every family who’s so not the drama, and constantly gets upstaged by his siblings’ messy lives. In a cozy poolside chat at the start of the episode, while making out invites for a dinner with investors, he assured Holly that his family would show up and behave, and that they were always there for each other. There, as in physically present, yeah. There, as in able to avoid public drunkenness and bickering for one damn day so that their son and brother could shine? Aw, you poor deluded fellow, of course not. Then again, going into business with the sworn enemy of your mother and sister, and throwing a shindig immediately after her daughter makes time with your brother-in-law, is probably stacking the deck a little.

Before we even get to the wine country weekend, we get a little roundelay of Walkers trying to weasel out of it. Sarah doesn’t want to go because her recent mess with Joe makes socializing with Holly impossible, but she does have a cake to contribute. (And we all know this: If you show a cake in the first act, it has to go in somebody’s face at the end.) Kitty doesn’t want to go because the senator has some proposal discussion and sexy lingerie activity planned for his D.C. trip, and she doesn’t want to miss it or explain to Sarah that there may be marriage on the line. Kevin doesn’t want to go out of loyalty to Sarah, and Justin doesn’t want to go out of loyalty to Rebecca, and it’s all a lot of hot air because of course Nora’s going to call a family meeting and strong-arm them into it. Because it’s all about Tommy, you know.

Even Joe and Sarah wind up attending, with Joe hoping that the flagellation involved in exposing himself to his wife’s family will turn out to be sufficient punishment for his misdeed. Bad idea, but not as bad as Nora bringing Marc, her sleazy writing teacher, for the weekend with her. Holly buzzes on up to him like a bee to a juicy flower, and you know, they really are a much better-suited couple than him and Nora. They’re both equally manipulative and self-deluded. Plus, he has a lot of hair.

While various relatives are giving Joe the cold shoulder, and Holly’s giving Marc a warm one, and Saul’s knocking himself out trying to keep his former girl away from his sister’s guy, Kitty’s knocking herself out literally by mixing wine tasting with pill popping. Mistaking Kevin’s pain medication for aspirin leads her to a long nap, but not before she lets slip that she proposed to Robert. Kevin, possibly topping Justin’s secret-breaking record from last week, lets the news spill to the rest of the Walkers in one of the many, many family debates that keep the family occupied at the party, and keep Tommy going “Would you please stop that! I have investors here!” Investors who are getting quite a show.

With all the family drama, Nora has little time to attend to her slimy boyfriend; despite all the investor intrigue, Holly has plenty of time to attend to him. They take a stroll among the grape vines, Holly bats her eyelashes, the professor quotes poetry, and in what comes as a surprise to nobody who watches commercials, they kiss. And again I say, these two? Made for each other. Nora should put a bow on this guy and send him to Holly’s house. Rebecca would totally dig him, too. Anyone with scruples or taste in men or a strong gag reflex, on the other hand, should stay the heck away.

The Holly-Marc flirtation does have one delicious side-effect, though, and that is stirring Nora to really let Holly have it, with angry words first and Sarah’s cake next. The food fight was well-choreographed and well-acted and messy and pissy and funny, but what I absolutely loved the most was the way the men in the family kept getting as far as the door, making ineffectual “Now stop that!” noises, and beating a hasty retreat. The women finally do stop that, all on their own, and take a moment out of their feuding to share heartfelt wisdom. The bit about William’s fine hair, for one thing. And then, from Nora to Holly: You’ve got to let the guy go. And then, from Holly to Nora: You don’t want my daughter in your house. Words to live by, all.

In the peaceful aftermath of the next a.m., Kitty’s awake after sleeping it off, Sarah’s supportive of her impending marriage or whatever, Nora’s kicking Marc to the curb, the investor’s enjoyed the floor show enough to deliver a big check, and Julia … well, Julia’s going into labor, and not in a good way. Tommy runs for Justin, the family gathers ’round, and judging from next week’s promos, things do not get better from there. If the twins have a medical crisis, does that mean Tommy will actually have a major part in the episode? Or will he and Julia go off with a doctor while his siblings bicker and drink and have sex and get engaged and play Twister? Tune in next week, my friends. Tune in next week.

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Grapes of Wrath, recap