Brothers & Sisters

Secrets, secrets. Everybody’s got a secret in “Affairs of State,” the third episode of the first season of Brothers & Sisters.

Kitty has a secret: In a moment of vulnerability after learning about her father’s infidelity, and under the influence of gin martinis, she slept with Warren, the liberal point to her counterpoint on her TV show. This is bad enough, but then Jonathan, the boyfriend who’d been firm in insisting that any life they had together had to be in NYC, comes calling with compromise and a move to L.A. on his mind. This first sends Kitty falling backwards into the pool, and then into a bit of a tizzy.

Saul has a secret: The house he’s trying to get Nora to sign papers to sell isn’t just one of many paperwork chores to be swept through by the widow Walker, but in fact the house that William bought for Holly. All the more awkward, then, when Nora insists on going to see the place, and banters merrily in an entirely deluded way as Saul and Holly exchange awkward glances.

Justin had a secret: He knew about his father’s affair with Holly. But he tells Kitty, who tells Sarah, who tells Kevin. The secret about Kitty’s one-nighter with Warren? Spreads just about as fast.

Paige has a secret: She doesn’t want to go in the pool because she saw her grandpa die there. Takes the fun out of water sports, don’t it? Sarah doesn’t catch on until her husband, sensitive nice-guy that he is, explains it to her, and when Nora gets wind of it, she does just what manipulative grandmas do to fix things: Have a party! A pool party will certainly get that little tyke past her PTSD and into the swim. Taquitos all around! And just to put as many people at sea as possible, Nora invites Warren to annoy Kitty and Holly to annoy everybody, and Sarah invites Scotty to annoy Kevin, and oh, what a recipe for wacky fun we have here.

Tommy has a secret: He resents the fact that Sarah’s in charge of the company. Oh, wait, that’s not a secret. It’s printed in bold letters on that big chip on his shoulder. He’s ticked when she fires two slackers whose employment was part of a handshake arrangement with a printer who’s now fixing to sue the company. He fixes that problem, and he fixes Sarah’s daughter’s problem, too, by jumping into the pool fully clothed and getting Paige to follow him. Take that, big sis.

And finally, Nora has a secret (or she did before ABC’s promo department spilled the beans): She knows exactly who Holly is, which means she’s enjoying making everybody squirm, right? This particular secret comes out when Warren asks why he and Nora are the only ones making chitchat, and she proclaims that everybody’s just scared to death that she’s going to find out that that woman over there was her husband’s mistress, and it’s keeping everyone from knowing how to observe the social niceties. Cause, you know, there’s nothing as socially nice as humiliating one guest, horrifying the rest, and finally passing the blasted Mango Peach Salsa.

By the end of the day, though, secrets are out. Kitty tells Jonathan about Warren, thereby maybe losing him forever (no great loss, you ask me). Nora tells Saul to sell Holly the house, and Holly says she’s not going to be a secret anymore. And it’s no secret that the Walkers just give the best parties. Not in terms of, like, everybody having fun and stuff, but for good snippy drama? Can’t beat ‘em.

Original air date: 10/8/06

_{Photo: ABC.com}

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