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, 9, and 10, 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 11, “Family Day.”

0:43
Matt Wertz’s Everything’s Right accompany our introduction to the idyllic rehab spot they’ve found for Justin. Certainly better than rehabbing in Iraq.

0:50
Justin’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt under a T-shirt, while the two yoga girls near him are in tank tops. Who’s not dressed for the weather?

1:28
Okay, most everybody wandering around here is in layers and Kitty’s got a coat on, so the two yoga girls should be chilly. I guess the light within them burns hotter than the light within everybody else.

1:54
For the last three weeks, Justin has done nothing but talk about himself. Probably more words than he’s gotten in with his family in three years.

2:11
Kitty says she’s better at complaining about politicians than working for one. Turns out, she can do both.

2:18
Justin mentions how good-looking McCallister is. I’m just going to keep count of the references to that.

2:24
Kitty can’t figure out why McCallister wants her for his staff. Other than a contrivance to get Rob Lowe involved with the family, I can’t figure it out, either.

2:36
McCallister says the reason is that she was honest about a mistake she made, and didn’t try to spin it. Which is praiseworthy and all, but better for a politican’s office would be a person who didn’t make those kinds of ethical mistakes in the first place.

2:51
Just pausing to shallowly point out that Rob Lowe looks good in a suit. Man, I miss The West Wing.

2:56
“See these shoes? I bought them on the Internet, sight unseen. Never had a problem. I’m a very good judge of quality, Miss Walker. I know how things are going to fit.” That little speech of Robert’s always stuck with me as sort of his self image in a nutshell. He likes to think of himself as a practical, decisive guy, and I bet even if those shoes pinched the heck out of his feet he’d still claim they were perfect.

3:43
Kitty admits her social life is pretty lame. Now, how long has it been here since she broke off her engagement, and then tried and failed with Warren? Not so long that she should be lamenting her lack of dates, is it?

3:53
When Kevin says the same thing Kitty’s been saying — “Why you?” — she gets offended. Good family dynamics there.

4:10
So being against gay marriage is kind of the last vestige of Kitty’s alleged conservatism that remains. Not very convincingly, though, just as an issue pinata for her and Kevin to bat around.

4:27
Kevin says that in 10 … no, in 20 years, he’ll finally be mature enough to sustain a committed relationship. And look! It only took one.

4:50
Sarah says Kevin and Kitty never fight, ever. Have they never discussed gay marriage before in their lives?

5:03
Sarah says McCallister’s gorgeous. That’s two references to the guy’s good looks in less than three minutes of screen time. Not counting my suit comment.

5:06
Justin recalls that McCallister put on an apron and cooked pancakes for the troops. Perhaps we can have a replay of that some morning in the Walker kitchen.

5:41
Wonder if this hot car Holly’s driving was a product placement. The logo gets a couple of loving looks.

6:15
Alright, I gave Holly a pass on her speech in the last episode because I thought it made sense from her character’s point of view, and the Walkers deserved a little payback for trying to cheat her. But she loses me here with the demand for an office and the threat to sell the stocks to a competitor. If she wasn’t overreaching before (and I know the majority opinion is that she was), she sure is now.

6:55
Holly asks if it’s possible for Sarah to listen to anything she says objectively. And of course, the answer to that, though Sarah doesn’t say it, is “Hell, no.”

7:12
Justin’s seeing everyone in this little booth with a table with an enormous shell on it. If you squint just right, it looks like he’s telling their fortune with a crystal ball.

7:25
Talking to his family drives Justin to arts and crafts. Stop him before he tie-dyes again!

7:34
Sarah tells Nora, “If you’re trying to drive me crazy, I can walk from here.” Another nominee for a needlepoint pillow on the Walker couch.

7:47
Nora helped William build Ojai from a 200-acre farm to what it is today … a place almost sunk by embezzlement, and about a season-and-a-half away from nearly going down again.

7:53
I really hate the sort of slapstick-stupid Nora plot in this episode. Nora’s one of the show’s major characters and she’s had a lot more screen time than, say, Saul, but the writers still seem to be divided over whether she’s a figure of strength or silliness. Maybe it’s a variation depending on who’s writing that week, and how they feel about their mother. But by any standards, this one was over the top.

8:41
Well, about the only good thing about the Nora at Work plot is seeing Holly momentarily taken aback. Too bad it doesn’t last.

Continue on to Part 2.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Family Day