Brothers & Sisters

Today continues our summer-long journey through the first season of Brothers & Sisters, from our perspective here at the end of Season Two. As with our re-view of Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, I’ll be looking for contradictions between where the Walkers were then and where they’re at now, and also commenting on how the episodes look in retrospect. I’ll time my observations to the playback of the DVD, for those who want to view along. Share your own reflections in the comments.

And now, Part 1 of Episode 10, “Light the Lights.”

0:42
Love that we hear a hyped-up Cooper noel-ing in the background before we see him or even know where he’s at. It’s the soundtrack of an ADHD Christmas.

1:07
Do kids today still sing that “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” song? Does anybody ever teach it to them, or does it just get passed down in our genes?

1:39
Paige is how old here, and they’re just now having the “Why don’t we celebrate Hanukkah” conversation? I had a very Cooper-like friend growing up, and he was all over his parents about it at a very young age due to the more-days-for-presents situation.

2:12
Paige’s classmates are Mackenzie and Duncan and Moises. Doesn’t anybody name their kid Sarah or Kevin or Tom anymore?

3:09
Nora explains the downside of religion to Paige. I wish we got more scenes with the two of them, as Grandma tries to mess up the next generation. I think Kerris Dorsey would be up for some good grandmother-granddaughter scenery chewing.

3:35
Tommy characterizes Saul’s look as one he hasn’t see since the “Audit of ‘98.” You mean, the look he’s had so far while this whole near-bankruptcy has played out isn’t his worst look?

4:02
And again, my numbness at the dumbness of William’s plan set in. He couldn’t put his mistress in his will because then his family would know about her, so he gave her a third of the property that his children would need to sell to save his company. Um … huh?

4:21
I think the last scene in which we saw Sarah and Saul, she was telling the old man he had a choice to make. How does she know he’s made it in favor of the family as she spills her plan to “screw Holly”?

5:09
After the Army guy says no to Justin’s petition for a delay, Justin says to Kevin “What did I tell you would happen?” But wasn’t Kevin the one who was holding out no hope for swaying the Army back at the start of this? And he doesn’t usually try to be a lawyer-of-all-trades; would taking on the Army be his sort of thing?

6:02
Holly says the politically correct term for “mistress” is “the other woman.” Is that really better, Holly?

6:43
Boy, Tommy and Saul gotta work on their poker faces.

6:56
Hey, Holly’s confused about William leaving her out of the will and then making her a part-owner of the land, too! You and me both, sister, and the fact that the land’s worth a bundle more than they’re tellin’ ya doesn’t fix it.

8:14
Jack clearly is somebody who needs to be kept away from the alcohol at office parties. No lampshade is safe.

8:58
Kitty: “I have strengths?” It’s a wonder a girl with self-esteem that high couldn’t make it in show business.

9:19
Whit says they’re developing a Jon Stewart-like vehicle for Jack. Really? I hope they’re talking about Stewart’s car, because Jack hasn’t appeared to have any particular “strengths” at all.

Continue on to Part 2.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Light the Lights