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, 10, and 11, 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 12, “Sexual Politics.”

0:50
You know, as much as I miss the days when Tommy and Julia were kind of the normal happy ones amongst all the drama, I really don’t miss these silly sexy scenes. The plotline in this episode was particularly annoying. Poor Tommy! His wife wants too much sex!

1:40
Robert is proclaiming his cooking skills to some ladies’ political organization. As long as he doesn’t try making cassoulet in Nora’s kitchen.

2:19
Family trivia: Robert says his mother passed away six years ago. Sparing Nora from having to share grandchildren with another grandma, anyway.

3:31
Robert’s the 200-pound tuna of bachelors. And a skinny little thing like Kitty managed to land him.

4:37
So, was part of the deal to get Justin his extension from Army duty that Kevin would go to exercise boot camp?

5:04
I’m having the same problem with Chad as I did with Kitty’s whole TV show experience: Knowing it’s going to come to nothing, it’s hard to really engage with this plotline again. I was never all that crazy about Jason Lewis’s performance, either.

5:27
So is this Chad’s way of getting guys’ phone number? Offering them shoes? Not too bad, I guess; at least you get something out of it.

6:00
Having ten girlfriends in one year isn’t really the most ringing endorsement for Chad’s heterosexuality, is it? There’s got to be a reason he can’t hold onto a woman for more than a month.

6:07
Family trivia: Justin has great gaydar.

6:15
I love it when Tommy acts as Kevin’s romantic advisor. You wouldn’t expect it of him, but it’s a nice brotherly thing.

6:49
Freeze-frame on the imitation-IMDb website they’re looking at. Here are Chad’s credits as an actor: Waiting For a Reason Why (2006), Of the Many Voices (2006), The Barbed-Wire Killer (2006), Ice Station (2005), Action Castrato (2003), and Mother, May I Sleep With Danger … Again (no year). Writing credits are The Barbed-Wire Killer and a TV movie called Wednesdays With Maurie. Pretty funny, but shouldn’t his soap opera, Tempest Bay, have been in there somewhere?

6:50
And, now, freeze-frame on Chad’s blog. Kevin reads Sarah the incriminating information that Chd’s favorite music is “All things Christina,” but here are the other “stats on Chad.”
Current home: Santa Monica, CA.
Favorite foods: Chiles rellenos from El Gran Burrito; monster chopped salad from Stanley’s, Pink Berry.
Can be found: Shooting hoops, taking hikes, working out & riding bikes.
Ice Cream Flavor: Sherbet. Any kind.
Movies: The Godfather, The Hustler, Steel Magnolias.
TV: Sportcenter, Top Design, and of course Tempest Bay!
Sports: Would be a Laker Girl if, you know …
Marital status: I’ll let the publicist earn her living with that one.

7:05
Poor Kitty, feeling friendless on the first day at a new school office.

7:18
Okay, if you really thought this chick was your boss’s girlfriend, would you tell her that some of the staff are uncomfortable with her being there?

9:27
So Kitty’s going to use the pushy matchmaker lady to find her a fake boyfriend. Couldn’t she just put up Jonathan’s picture? They didn’t really break up that long ago, she could still be pining for him.

Continue on to Part 2.

_{Photo: ABC.com}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, Sexual Politics