Brothers & Sisters

If you want to watch each Season 2 episode of Brothers & Sisters surprised and unspoiled, you might want to think about hiding that Season 1 DVD set. The writers seem to be using it as a template for their second season. Consider these similarities so far:

Episode 1: The first episode of both seasons centers on Kitty coming home for her birthday amid significant tension with Nora over a matter involving Justin. In both episodes, her party is cut short when tragedy befalls a family member.

Episode 2: Both episodes open with a funeral, although in the first-season version it really is who we think it is in that box, and not some stranger whose laying to rest the siblings just happen to be attending. Later, Nora and Kitty and Kevin road-trip to pick up Justin, from jail the first time, from a hospital the second.

So, assuming the writers are working by their old outlines, what can we expect from tomorrow night’s Episode 3? That corresponds with last year’s “Affairs of State,” in which Kitty slept with Warren, Saul was secretive about Holly, Tommy helped Paige jump into the pool, Scotty came over for dinner, and Nora outed Holly as William’s mistress.

ABC’s press release for our new Episode 3, “History Repeating” (indeed), indicates that Scotty Wandell will again make an appearance. And the previews on the ABC site for the show indicate that Kitty will again be dealing with the aftermath of a sexual indiscretion, though this time it’s the senator’s and according to him, never happened. It’s no secret that Saul still has a secret. Maybe Tommy can find some incredibly sweet gesture to make to overcome Julia’s emotional distress. And, let’s see, at a big family dinner, Sarah can point to Rebecca and say, “That woman over there didn’t mind being kissed by my husband!”

Looking further down the road, can we expect another Hanukkah party? Another visit from Ida? A rematch with the Joneses? A second food fight? The family jumping into some other body of water? The possibilities are … well not endless, exactly. There’s just a season’s worth.

By Monday we’ll be able to do a week’s worth of updating on the Plot Recycling Count. Meanwhile, have you noticed other parallels among the first two episodes? It’s safe to watch those on DVD now, anyway. Or go to the Season 1 Recaps page to jog your memory.

_{Photo: Terri Mauro}

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, recaps, commentary, DVD