Tommy who?
If they threw a Brothers & Sisters story arc and Tommy was hardly in it, would anyone even notice?
Aside from the spectacularly ill-advised affair storyline from last season, and a blip of activity with the birth of a winery and a baby at the end of Season 1, Balthazar Getty’s character hasn’t exactly been what you’d call high profile.
Of course, now the actor is high profile in a bad way, his affair with Sienna Miller splashed across the tabloids, and that’s led some to call for his firing. Or, in the case of a questioner in Entertainment Weekly’s “Ask Ausiello” column, Tommy’s death:
Question: Brothers & Sisters has dealt with a lot of tragedy over the last two seasons, but the one place they have yet to go is the death of one of the Walker children. Given that Balthazar Getty is getting his fair share of bad press lately, and the character of Tommy is already underused in an increasingly overcrowded cast, I can’t help but wonder: Are Getty’s, and thus Tommy’s, days numbered? It actually could be a decent story line and would give every actor material that they would knock out of the park. — Katelyn
Ausiello: While I’m sure there are a few people at ABC who would love to see Tommy go belly-up in the Walker pool, I don’t think it’s happening anytime soon. “It’s really important to separate ourselves from [Getty's troubles] in every way,” says exec producer and sometime guest star Ken Olin. “As long as he continues to do his work and be committed to his work, then his personal business is his own. Frankly, I don’t have any judgment about it… It’s got to be really hard when your life blows up that way. I feel for him. But as much as possible, all of us have tried to divorce ourselves from that part of his life.” So, is it just a coinky-dink that the next batch of B&S episodes to be shot are decidedly Tommy-light? Olin insists it is. “There’s a period where he’s lighter in the show, but that follows a period of him being very present in the show,” he maintains. “It’s more of a situation where you need some characters to drop back so you can bring other characters forward. You’ll see that Holly is very present for a number of episodes, and then for a couple she is much lighter. That’s the ebb and flow of having a big ensemble drama.”
If this means less of Tommy hanging around the Ojai Foods offices twisting the knife in Sarah’s back, I’m all for it. Perhaps when they do bring the guy more heavily into the action, he can actually have something worthwhile to do? I’ve always liked Tommy better as a stand-up guy than as a weasel. The one thing that stinks about Tommy being lightly used for a block of episodes is that it probably means Julia will be lightly used or typically nonexistent.
Maybe they can ship Tommy off for a wine research trip to France, and his family can make sure Julia and Lizzie are included in family gatherings and TV nights and road trips. Maybe she can fit in some spa time with her sisters-in-law. Maybe she can do some bonding with her fellow Walker spouses. Julia’s suffered plenty from the stupid way Tommy’s been written of late. She shouldn’t have to suffer from the actor’s stupidity, too.
Brothers and Sisters, Balthazar Getty, Ken Olin
August 13th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I’ve stopped watching Brothers & Sisters.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Why?
I read the same sort of comment on IMDB calling for a boycott, so the show will tank and they (the producers) will fire Getty… Oh and also the rest of the cast, but THAT fact is obviously less important and, for some odd reason, seeing Sally Field, Matthew Rhys, Rachel Griffiths etc get fired, will make Getty’s wife Rosetta feel better…(?)
It is a great series, with wonderful actors and just ONE of them is acting like an *** and people are going to stop watching the show punishing ALL the actors, even those who outraged by Getty’s behaviour.
Gosh, with ‘fans’ like that the series doesn’t need enemies.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Romanticalgirl writes great fanfic on lj, and she’s done several rich and interesting Kevin-Julia stories. They’re great friends; they kid around and tell each other things they don’t tell anyone else. I’d love to see scenes like that on my TV.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Sylviane as a consumer I have the right to choose which shows or products I support or don’t support. I’m sure the fact that I have stopped watching the show will be neither here nor there in the greater scheme of things.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I’ve been hugely turned off by Balty’s recent behavior, and frankly I wouldn’t be opposed to Tommy going away permanently…but like Sylviane, I do not understand the “petition” to cancel the show.
Huh? So all the other wonderful actors on the show (not to mention the writers and the crew) should be punished too for one co-star’s conduct? That’s just absurd to me.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Sorry, Sarah, it was not meant as an attack on you personally. I was just still flabbergasted over the message on IMDB. Of course everyone has the right to chose what they watch or don’t watch.
I just think it’s too bad that you stop watching the show, with a wonderful group of different characters, over one bad apple. But, you are right, it is your choice and none of my business.
And I have to admit that re-watching certain episodes with Getty’s behaviour in the back of my mind makes Tommy seem even more hypocritical to me…
But that is not the fault of Nora, Kevin, Scotty, Sarah, Kitty etc.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:15 am
I never felt much for Tommy. He was boring to me and Getty’s performance is less then stellar, irrespective of his extra-marital shenanigans in real life. It’s just another reason to go and refill my wine glass when his scenes come on (which won’t be that very many any way)
August 19th, 2008 at 2:56 am
*** It’s just another reason to go and refill my wine glass when his scenes come on (which won’t be that very many any way) ****
Lucky for you, Vin, or you’d turn into a Walker as well.
But I was listening to B&S 2.09 yesterday while cleaning and to hear Justin say to Tommy: “You are seriously an a**, You’re cheating on your wife and your baby is what? 6 months old?.”, it does cause a bit of a chill.