What I’d like to see: A special-needs storyline
This week, with all the characters checked-up on, I’m doing some looking ahead to what I’d like to see more of in upcoming episodes of Brothers & Sisters — sometimes specific stories, sometimes general directions. We’ve talked about more sibling together time, spousal support, and work for Jamie Lee Curtis.
Today’s entry is pure selfishness on my part, because when the show does anything dealing with disabilities, I can blog about it on my special-needs parenting site. But I do think there are some good dramatic stories to be told on that subject, of the type that keep the focus on the family and not on external foes. Here are three possibilities; maybe you can think of something you like better.
Paige: The show has actually had a special-needs storyline already, but after an episode or two of trauma sort of let it drift. Paige was diagnosed with diabetes early in the first season, as part of the general beating-up that Sarah got for being such a workaholic mom. We haven’t heard much about it lately, though, other than maybe an occasional reference. But Paige is starting to be old enough to be more in charge of her own diabetes maintenance, and also to screw it up on purpose to get attention. Especially if it brings mom and dad together and focused on her instead of fighting.
Elizabeth: I’ve mentioned in Julia’s check-up that an autism storyline for Elizabeth could have lots of dramatic potential, and it’s certainly a high-profile disability right now. The situation many parents go through of feeling something’s not right but being unable to get a solid diagnosis — and dealing with differing opinions from relatives over whether the parents are responding too much or too little — could make for a nice story arc in this most overinvolved and opinionated of families. It would at any rate give Julia something to do, and does she ever need it.
Baby McCallister: Given Kitty’s age, genetic testing might reasonably be a part of impending parenthood for her and Robert. Terminating a pregnancy due to a suspected disability would be touchy territory for a Republican politician, I’d think, and even screening out embryos in IVF can present a moral quandary. I’m thinking about the way Robert responded to the news that his opponent hid a developmentally disabled son, and thinking that the candidate’s reluctance to make political hay off it might have been more than just a clean campaign pledge — maybe he doesn’t know if he could accept a child with a disability, and can relate to Adamson’s actions. If we’re hoping that the end of the presidential effort kicks off some soul-searching for Robert, this might further it along.
What sort of challengs would you like to see the Walkers face? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Photo: ABC.com
Brothers and Sisters, ABC, special needs
April 18th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Terri, I can’t say it enough, your special needs blog is awesome, especially this month (Autism Awareness Month). It helps me a lot.
Paige is approaching puberty, which pediatricians say starts around 10 these days. Don’t know how puberty affects diabetes.
I heard somewhere that Tommy and Julia were going to have a fight about vaccinating Lizzie. Did anyone else hear this? Having spent so much of the last decade (and certainly not the better part of it) having this conversation, I so hope that we don’t go there again, unless the message is exactly what Terri says in her awesome special needs blog. There are so many other crucial special needs stories, like special ed and jobs.
McBaby: I agree with Terri about Robert’s ambivalence, which brings up something I’ve wondered about: Robert and Jason’s relationship with their dad. All I remember Robert mentioning is his father’s death, whereas he talks his mom’s nurturing. This is the sort of silence that speaks volumes.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:38 am
It is only a matter of time before Kitty’s obsession with breeding causes some serious problems in her relationship with Robert.