'Brothers & Sisters' recap: Another explosive family dinner
Oct 6, 2008, 12:37 PM | by Michael Slezak
Categories: 'Brothers & Sisters', About Last Night, Television
"You're adults! Get a filter!" With those five words, Robert McCallister (Rob Lowe) summed up exactly the life plan that the Walker 6 -- Nora and her children Sarah, Kitty, Tommy, Kevin, and Justin -- ought to be discussing with the therapists I'm sure each of them visit every week, but who we never get to see on screen. (Side note: All in favor of a shrink-themed episode say "Aye!")
Then again, if these nosy, noisy, wine-soaked adults ever did learn to control their tongues, and their impulses, Brothers & Sisters would immediately cease to be the predictably soapy drama that's come to represent the perfect nightcap to my weekends. Which doesn't mean I didn't love Robert's stern reprimand in last night's ep (directed by ER vet Laura Innes), or the way he kept at it when Nora & Co. took offense to it, saying they couldn't pretend they weren't angry with Kitty for writing an accidental (and family-secret-spilling) book about the life of a campaign staffer/political wife. "It's not pretending. It's being considerate!" Robert raged, and rightfully so.
Sure, Kitty was daft for inviting her crazy clan to dinner with the adoption-agency rep (and serving vino to boot) but their borderline sabotage of her dream of having kids seemed like an exorbitant punishment for the crime committed, even among the self-centered Walker clan. Something about Lowe's performance as the polished Senator has always struck me as a little cold, but I did like his exasperated interplay with Kitty when she dropped the bombshell about her book on him right before the home inspection. And sure, Nora might as well have fixed a giant canned ham for dinner, but her initial response upon reading the (eventually coffee- and chicken-stained) manuscript -- a curious "huh?" followed by an indignant "huh!" -- was pretty hilarious.
Of course, right at the point B&S looked like it was about to devolve into caricature last night, the writers went and gave us that magnificent reconciliation scene between Kitty and Nora. Indeed, Sally Field's monologue about the sometimes thankless role of motherhood, about her quest for respect and admiration from her children, about her struggle to be recognized as a smart and talented person and not just a meal maker and child bearer, rang absolutely beautiful and true. Nora's final remark about Kitty's dedication -- "You're right. It doesn't seem so bad in context." -- played as a larger depiction of all the Walkers' crazy behavior during the episode.
One area where context is very necessary is the nervous romance playing out between Justin and Rebecca, who just a few episodes ago were supposed to be linked among those titular Brothers & Sisters. Now, suddenly, we're having to accept the sight of them making out on a couch while ignoring the (low budget?) action movie playing a few feet away from them. I was glad to see Justin freak out a little about the idea of having sex with the Artist Formerly Known as His Half-Sister, but enjoyed even more the way Sarah casually spilled the beans to Tommy ("He's talking massage oils!"). Saddling Rebecca with a $2 million trust fund -- and watching her turn over the "dirty money" to Nora -- certainly gave Emily VanCamp more to do this episode (even if the camera crew's sudden and obsessive interest in her heaving bosom makes me a little skittish).
I don't begrudge Rebecca her feelings: This season, Patricia Wettig's Holly Harper has evolved as an even more enigmatic, and possibly more deceptive, presence than ever. She's a wily (and fun-to-watch) manipulator, whether bringing coffee and donuts to milk info from (suddenly off-the-radar) Saul, or using cocktails and flirtatious body language to try and get ahead of the Walkers in the quest to find Ryan. Here's hoping Holly continues to prove a worthy adversary: Given the Walker clan's penchant to forgive one another before the wine glasses even hit the dishwasher, this show needs a vital villain more than ever.
What did you think of this week's show? Were you surprised to see Kitty and Robert get agency approval by the end of the hour? Did any of you tear up during Nora's monologue? And what's your take on Holly: Total she-beast, misunderstood mama, or somewhere in the middle?
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