Brothers & Sisters

Today we complete our search for inconsistent or comment-worthy moments in the Brothers & Sisters first season with a look at the fifth and final part of Episode 3. Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 if you need to catch up, then dive right in here with Part 5.

33:55
“It is time that I become a person. I won’t be invisible any longer,” says Holly, and boy, did she make good on that plan. But I think it’s worth noting, as we move back into Holly Hate Mode for Season 3, that she didn’t come out of nowhere to stalk the Walkers. They — or Nora, in this case — came after her.

34:12
Kitty sums up this and many a Walker party: “That was an interesting hour and ten minutes of unmitigated torture and taquitos.”

34:30
Nora says she’s known the affair for fifteen years, since she caught William in a lie and he swore he’d stop. And Rebecca would have been … what, about six then?

35:09
When Kitty tells her William loved her, Nora says bitterly that he didn’t give up anything to do it, and what kind of love is that? And this is where I think they have an in if, somewhere down the line, they want to say Nora had an affair, too. The way she says “If I had known” and “He didn’t give up anything to do it” makes me think that she did give up something, and wouldn’t have if she had known. It doesn’t have to have been an affair, even — maybe, like Sarah, she was just in sync with a man who was not her husband.

36:14
Speaking of iffy marriages, Sarah’s packing lunches and crying. Fortunately, it’s Good Joe who comes in to say encouraging things to her, instead of ego-busting Bad Joe. And finally, there’s some touching.

37:38
On the advice of her mother, Kitty tells Jonathan about her own personal mini-affair with Warren, but of course, he’d already guessed. Guy can read a script, you know? And take the next plane out of town.

38:59
Next morning, Nora turns up in Saul’s office, and he’s in full “I did this apparently bad thing for only the best reasons” mode. She’s sufficiently ashamed not to call him on it. Should have brought Justin with.

39:25
Nora does tell “Sauly” that he lost his way a long time ago. But then she says she’ll love him no matter what, as long as there are no more secrets. And of course he says, “Oh, no, no more secrets. Fresh out. Unless you’re talking about financial indiscretions and illegitimate children and my sexual orientation? No? We’re all clear, then!”

40:14
On Kitty’s TV show, Warren is talking about how it’s impossible to hide things as Kitty gives him the evil eye and Aqualung’s “Easier to Lie” comes on the soundtrack. Or, as it should be called, “Uncle Saul’s Theme.”

40:17
And it’s time for the concluding Walker montage. Kitty’s show playing silently on everyone’s TV as Nora cries; Justin mixes drugs, booze, and Fawn; Sarah does cute puppety things with her family; Kevin eats one of Scotty’s cupcakes in a provocative manner; Tommy looks over paperwork; and Nora jumps in the pool in her nightgown. Because nothing says liberation like wet clothing.

And that’s five days of catch-up on Episode 3. Retcon Patrol will continue tomorrow with Episode 4.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Affairs of State