Brothers & Sisters:

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

Tumultuous relationships. That was the theme of tonight's episode. In almost every one's life we have them caught between a rock and a hard place with their significant others. Not that this is much of a surprise in this family because if there are two things they're bad at it's bickering and relationships. No one in this family seems to be able to get in a relationship and stick with it. True, Nora lasted in the relationship with their father but he was leading a double life. Should we really count that as successful? In many was it still was except in the big picture it was a train wreck just like everyone else's relationships.

So Julia decided to come back and finally Tommy is feeling the guilt he should have been feeling all along. As I've said before, Julia was one thousand percent wrong in leaving him and going to stay with her family in Arizona. More than that, she didn't always talk with Tommy or let him hear his daughter. BUT none of that excuses the fact that he had an affair and did so over and over again. It was nice to see Julia back and happy! I guess her time away really allowed her to clear her head and put everything into perspective.

Who else felt awkward for Tommy, Julia, Holly and Lina when Julia surprised him at work? I wanted that scene to be over as fast as possible; I hate those moments when you really don't want the truth to come out. Julia is a fantastic presence on the show and I'd hate for her to find out what happened while she was away. Although in the Walker Family I can't imagine this secret will be kept for very long. And Lina can't really be trusted, right? Look at this girl! She's out of control and as soon as she's done with Tommy she moves on to his brother?! WTF? That's more than disgusting, it's slutty - and for good measure, so was her work attire. Good call Holly. I understand being hurt after Tommy broke things off but to then hook up with his brother? Not cool.

Speaking of not cool, Jason is an ass. This guy professes his love to Kevin and then tells him he has to go half way around the world on a mission but thinks a lame excuse like "the cell phone reception is spotty" is enough to explain why he hasn't called in months? This guy wanted the best of both worlds - to go on his mission and to have a warm body waiting for him at home. Too bad Kevin saw it for what it was and broke things off with him. I don't usually agree with Kevin because he's so self absorbed but this time he was right for ending things. Jason was treating him terribly and Scotty has really gotten his life together. Plus, Scotty is there and clearly wouldn't treat him like that so why not get back together? It should be interesting when Scotty does come back one day and Kevin is still with Scotty...

As for the upcoming nuptuals, Kitty and Robert have developed all sorts of problems seemingly out of nowhere. About a month ago everything was going great. Now we have Robert lying about his desire to have children, Kitty's insecurities about his prior marriage surfacing, his children unhappy about him remarrying, and the campaign messing with their marriage plans. The truth is that Robert is a great guy but he's also a man with an intense passion for succeeding; so much so that his life takes a back seat. His ex-wife tried to warn Kitty and I think she's starting to realize she might have been telling her the truth. Maybe, just maybe, this is why Kitty needs to take to Robert before they say "I do." No matter what the cause, these two need a good and honest talk. There's so much they haven't been talking about lately that they need it or else their relationship will be doomed. And just as a side note, the whole Lyle Lovitt romantic gesture was completely lost on me. Who cares if you did this so long as you keep lying to Kitty about the most important aspects of your relationship? It was a cheap move and I'm not impressed in the slightest.

The rest of the Walker Clan seems to be finding some new and interesting relationships. While Nora contacted her "first," (Go Chevy Chase!) Sarah is being wined and dined by none other than Steven Weber. Nora was so cute as she went on a first date since her last date 30 years ago with Stan. I think he was right when he said she chose to marry someone with the complete opposite political beliefs because she wanted someone to argue with. She was a fierce soul and that's what she thought she needed; and maybe it was. But he's not that guy, he just wants to love her. She might just be the woman he wanted to love now. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about him sticking around for a long time though so I'm not too sure how long it's going to last. I really like his character and I hope they decide to keep him coming back though.

As for Sarah her non-relationship with Graham doesn't seem all that interesting to me. He seems like a very smart business man and she might be attracted to that because he is completely opposite from Joe. Even if she is, I can't see it going all that far. They just seem to be missing that spark. In either case, I think it's great that she's might be ready to move on although I doubt a long term relationship is in her cards just yet.

While the relationships of the Walkers are falling apart, the ratings are as great as ever. The show is a huge success and apparently the sophomore slump means nothing to this great show. There's only a couple episode left before the writers strike will claim its next victim so enjoy every minute while you can. Until next week, enjoy the review!

Brothers & Sisters: 36 Hours

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

Tonight's episode was another shining example of why "Brothers & Sisters is the best show on television today. It might not be the most action packed, it might not be the funniest, and it certainly isn't the flashiest, but the writing is top notch and the acting superb. I haven't seen a show with such amazing talent in all facets of production come around in my entire life. True enough, I haven't been around for more than a quarter-century but in the time I have been watching television I can honestly say that this is the best all-around show I've ever watched.

The focus of tonight's episode shone directly and brightly on Justin Walker who once again had to go through De-Tox after becoming addicted to his pain medication. It's sad really because he fights for his country, takes shrapnel to the leg, and is forced to take the very pills he was trying to stay away from. Even more ironic and depressing is that Justin tried to convince the Army not to send him back because of his addiction which began while serving over seas during his first tour. What's worse though was the intervention. This family has got to get on the same page man. For a bunch of people who spend so much time poking into each other's lives they really should be able to work cohesively a bit more. This was the worst and most poorly planned out intervention ever; didn't they watch "Party of Five," that was a good intervention. Apparently Kitty was smart enough to realize what was going on and drew the line in the sand. Everyone else got defensive when Justin attacked him (which to me would seem like the obvious response from an addict - deflect attention from oneself by pointing out the weaknesses in others) but Kitty saw it for what it was, told him she was only there because she loved him and gave him a choice to either fix this or leave forever. It was brilliant, poignant, and emotional and exactly why I love this show.

For the next 36 hours Justin went through detox at home. Now, I was and am very skeptical on the whole "do-it-at-home detox," especially since the idea came from Justin. True, his reason was convincing (he didn't want to ruin the campaign) but I'm still not sure this was the best idea. At least for the time being it appears to be working and at the end of the night Justin met Nora by the pool for a beautiful mother-son moment where she told him he was no longer her baby and he had to be a man. This is going to be a very good thing for Justin and force him to finally grow up.

Aside from being Justin's detox wardens, Tommy and Kevin have quite a few problems of their own. Tommy, predictably, has been continuing his affair with Lina despite all the warnings from Holly. What's new is how deep into it he's gotten. He used to leave the relationship at sex but tonight we see him beginning to sleep over at Lina's. Not that he didn't cross a line long ago but now he's really gone too far. It was one thing when he was lonely and hurt (although never excusable) but it's completely another thing to be in a relationship with Lina. And you just knew that he wouldn't be able to keep this a secret for long in his family. I don't blame Holly for saying anything to Saul. Tommy is completely in the wrong and especially in an emergency she shouldn't have to protect such a horrible secret. Meanwhile, the way Tommy treated Saul when he said something to him was uncalled for and hurtful. Everyone in this family takes for granted what Saul brings to their lives. If they took a second to look around they would realize that he's a great man and a great uncle who they should respect.
Speaking of people who treated Saul terribly, Kevin needs to come off his high horse. He was doing so well for so long and all of a sudden he's right back up there. I sort of felt like it was coming though; Kevin has never really been one in control of his emotions. He should cut Saul some slack and let him be who he is. Of all people, Kevin should know how hard this must be and the additional weight from growing up in the era he did. I have a feeling that he's going to come around eventually but it would probably be very good for Saul to admit that he's gay. He'd have a much more enjoyable life as himself rather than living a lie. At least he told the truth to Nora. I was so glad that all she did was show her love and not judgment. It probably meant a whole lot to him.

Meanwhile, Robert almost came clean himself. He had the perfect opportunity to tell Kitty how he feels about having a baby and instead he took the politicians route - he faked a smile, told her how important she was to him, and told her the answer she wanted to hear. This is no way to start a life together and one way or another this is going to come back to haunt him for a very long time when Kitty finds out the truth. She's a wonderful person and deserves a lot more than that. I didn't really understand why Kitty thought she wouldn't make a great mother. As much as they fight she's her mother's daughter and has the same strength, kindness, and love as Nora. She's going to be a great mother...someday, but probably not anytime soon. The truth about Robert may come out sooner than we think if the previews are what I think they are. Kitty decides she needs to speak with Robert when they're at the altar, which can never be a good thing. I'm really looking forward to what happens.

Personally I love Rebecca and I think her character is great. It is about time though for her to move on and find some happiness in her own life without trying to find it with the Walkers. They should certainly be part of her life but not all of it. I hope Justin apologizes because their relationship is something special. He was horrible to her and she deserves a lot of grovelling from him.

This was another great installment from "Brothers & Sisters." I can't wait to see what the rest of November Sweeps brings for the Walkers. Until next week, enjoy the review!

Brothers & Sisters: Two Places

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

Great guest star, Danny Glover! Mr. Glover made an appearance tonight as Isaac, a political strategist that doesn't mind getting his hands dirty and compromising his morals. Apparently, both Kitty and Robert have a past with him; neither all that clean. Kitty kept some information about a candidate of Isaac's a secret and called upon him tonight to return the favor when she needed to run damage control regarding her pregnancy. Unfortunately, Robert wasn't very happy when Isaac showed up. It turns out that Isaac worked with a candidate Robert ran against years earlier and days before a pivotal event while Robert was leading in the polls, a story was leaked "outing" his brother. Needless to say this killed Robert's campaign but more importantly, it nearly destroyed his relationship with his brother. If Robert could have, he would have kicked him out on his butt except he had no choice; they needed Isaac's "expertise" if they were going to survive the pregnancy scandal.

Isaac suggested a shotgun wedding at City Hall which turned into an all out wedding when Nora refused to allow Kitty to be married there. Personally, I love that she stood up for her daughter at a time when she wasn't thinking about herself. The scene where they fought in the office really impressed upon me just how lucky we are to see these two incredible actors working together every week. They are unbelievable at their craft and the fact that they work together makes it that much better. Sadly, the story didn't turn out well. Kitty found out she miscarried her baby during her first sonogram. The scenes with Calista during these moments were very poignant and incredibly emotional. Even worse is that Robert is hiding the truth from her; he never wanted the child to begin with. I get that he already had two and is running for President but he needs to be honest with Kitty. If they're going to be married this is a very huge deal and he has to tell her before it's too late. It would be unfair to marry her if she wanted kids and he didn't. It seems that next week he may finally tell her the truth, I just don't see how their relationship is going to survive if she wants kids and he doesn't.

Lina is a slut! Well, she's at least 3/4 of the way there. Not only is she sleeping with a married man but then she flirted with his younger brother and made out with him. Granted she stopped kissing Justin after a few seconds but she's entirely out of control. On top of all this, she certainly likes to party. She drinks her fair share and takes prescription medications also. Tommy needs to stop what he's been doing. Has he forgotten so quickly what his father did and how mad he was when he found out? This is no different even if his wife is treating him like dirt. Like father, like son I guess. The only problem is that he's definitely not as good at keeping secrets as his father. In this family there's no way he'll be able to keep this quiet for long and when it comes out it's going to blow up in his face.

We know how Justin is getting is pills now. Somehow he's getting the prescription under a fake name; Jose Suarez. How exactly they came to be in his possession is still a mystery but that's besides the point. He's fully addicted again and unless someone does something soon it's going to be a lot worse than before. At least Rebecca is paying close enough attention. Everyone begged him to take the pills so that he'd get better and it seems they all got preoccupied very quickly. It's a good thing Rebecca stuck around and knows the signs to look for. She was awesome when she called him out on it and wouldn't take any of his sly talk about why he needs to do it. During next weeks episode it looks like the family will finally confront him and it's not going to be easy but he'll get through it just like last time.

Kevin, while quiet the last few weeks, is slowly digging himself into a big hole. Not only is he friends with Scotty and having dinners with him every so often, but now he has him crashing at his place. I give him props for trying to be a good friend which is completely unlike the usually selfish Kevin, except it looks really bad. To an outside observer who didn't know any better it would seem that their lives are getting ever so close and given their past who knows what will happen. He's walking a very dangerous line and needs to keep some barriers permanent.

Meanwhile, Sarah is still being put through hell. Joe hasn't budged a bit on the custody issue and it's starting to effect Paige. She pulled a fire alarm at school and ran away from Sarah's house. To be honest, I thought Joe was going to stick it to Sarah when Paige ran away and he almost did. He started on his usual hurtful and blind rhetoric when Sarah began to cry and said this wasn't working. Something finally reached him and he agreed that there needed to be changes. So, Joe decided to give in and share custody with Sarah. This was the first good things he's done in months and this was definitely the best thing for the children. At least now he's being somewhat of a responsible parent. I really hope they start to work this out and things settle down because Sarah has certainly been put through enough. Joe has single-handedly turned her life upside down. If any deserves a break it's Sarah.

Another great episode from "Brothers & Sisters." I can't wait until next week and I hope that when they confront Justin he'll kick the drug addiction once and for all. Until next week, enjoy the review!

Brothers & Sisters: Domestic Issues

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

Honestly, I didn't think Kitty would be pregnant this fast. After everything this family has been through in the past year or so and the fact that she's still not over her commitment issues (case in point, her prenup freak out last week), I was surprised to find that the writers did in fact decide to impregnate Kitty. I'm really not sure how I feel about this. I can't see a scenario where this could be good for their relationship let alone for the show. Robert is running for President! How are they supposed to stay together when Kitty needs rest and probably won't be able to travel everywhere with him on the campaign trail? I was hoping we would get to see some more of the fun side of their relationship before things got real serious with a wedding and kids.

Not to mention, Kitty apparently doesn't know Robert as well as she thought. It turns out that his ex-wife was right last week when she said it's all about Robert, all the time. In the end he came through and supported Kitty, but I have a feeling this wasn't the last we've seen of his sharp temper. He really cut into her in the hotel when he found out she was pregnant. Maybe it was just a long day for him or maybe it was just a one-time thing; either way, it was a bit shocking and doesn't bode well for their future.

I thought it was hilarious when everyone knew Kitty was pregnant because Nora walked into the pantry to speak to her. Turns out she had done the same thing on a few previous occasions such as when she found out Kitty was a Republican. Too funny and Nora played it off hilariously.

The best performance of the night goes to Rachel Griffiths, Sarah. She was unbelievable at the end of the episode when she said goodbye to her children. It was one of the best performances from an actor so far in both seasons; it was really something incredible. Speaking of Sarah, I can't believe what level Joe has stooped to in order to make her life miserable. Let's list what he's done: 1) kissed her half sister; 2) lied about kissing her half sister; 3) asked for a divorce when Sarah forgave him and wanted to work things out; 4) left Sarah to get back together with his ex-wife! AFTER he slept with Sarah again; and 5) Now, he's asked for full custody of the kids because he believes her job, you know that little thing that supported him and the kids for the past 10 years, is preventing her from being an available parent to her children. It's terrible that he wants to punish her for supporting their family while he stayed at home and played the guitar. Whats even worse is that the judge agreed with him. It's horrible that any good parent should ever have to be punished for supporting the family. I hate that this is how our system works and last night showed how good people can be destroyed by it. Sarah is an exceptional mother and the fact that she's a CEO of a company shouldn't factor into whether she could have shared custody of her children. I would understand if she didn't care and was never there for her kids even before the divorce but that's never been the case. I hope she finds a way to be with a children down the road. I have to believe Joe is going to mess up again sometime soon.

Meanwhile, it's basically status quo for everyone else. No big news to report with Kevin, Justin is continuing to sneak extra medication, Rebecca is just chilling with Justin, and Saul wasn't around much last night for there to be anything to talk about. Unfortunately, it's also status quo for Tommy who continued his affair with Lina. I know what he's thinking but this is completely wrong. Julia is treating him very unfairly; not only has she moved away but she's refused him any contact with her and his daughter. It's absurd but it doesn't excuse nor justify the affair. This is going to blow up in his face and it's going to get very ugly. I just hope someone will talk some sense into him before its too late.

This was an enjoyable installment from "Brothers & Sisters" and a good segway into November Sweeps. Things should start to get interesting over the next few weeks as we near the holiday break and I'm wondering what the huge bomb is going to be. Will it be Julia discovering the affair? A rift in the Kitty-Robert relationship? Relationship trouble for Kevin? Self-destruction from Justin? Maybe all of the above? I can't wait to find out.

Brothers & Sisters: States Of The Union

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

Still one of my favorites. While the intensity and fast-paced storylines are slowing down, this show remains one of the best prime time television shows. The Walker Clan is still in a state of flux as everyone's lives appear to be dropping off a cliff simultaneously; with the exception of maybe Kevin which is relatively stable for a change. Here's where we currently stand: Kitty's relationship with Robert is being put to the test every week as a result of his presidential campaign (including a visit from his ex-wife), Justin returned from Iraq and had to go back on pills in order to get through rehab despite being addicted to these pills twice before, Julia took the baby and left Tommy because she decided she blames him for Williams death leaving Tommy without any time frame on when she might come home, Sara is now going through a divorce despite wanting to give it another shot because her husband not only kissed her half-sister but got back together with his ex-wife, Saul is gay and refuses to come out, Kevin is remaining faithful to his boyfriend who is in Malaysia on a mission for the church, and Nora is attempting to juggle everyone's problems all at once.

Well, the family is basically falling apart and no one more than Tommy. I feel absolutely awful for him right now. Granted Sara's marriage is falling apart too but at least she knows where she stands and can still see her kids. Tommy though has no idea what's going to happen with his wife or his child. Not only that but they left to stay with Julia's parents in Arizona! He can't even see his newborn child. Julia is being beyond selfish and blaming him for something that is NOT his fault. I couldn't imagine having to go through anything like this and I hope she gives him some answers soon. The problem now though is that her move and not returning any of his calls for weeks led directly to Tommy's affair with Lina. Now, Julia's actions are inexcusable but this is unforgivable. No matter what happens he shouldn't be having an affair. I'm wondering if maybe Lina and Rebecca are friends for a reason. They both seem to like making moves on married men. Holly was absolutely right - for now it was a mistake but after this it's a choice and it's wrong! He needs to go after his family and stop messing around with his secretary.

Meanwhile, Kevin is remaining faithful to his boyfriend but found out from his ex, Scotty (who he is friends with now so maybe he won't be faithful for long), that Saul attended an all gay men party. Kevin believes Saul is gay and asking him straight out for an answer. Unfortunately, Saul just can't bring himself to admit it and lied straight to Kevin's face numerous times. It's sad because he might have a happier life if he can admit the truth at least to himself. I think Kevin has a right to be a bit annoyed with Saul since his father gave him such a hard time when he came out and Saul never said a word to support him in front of his father. I have a feeling this story isn't over and the truth is going to come out sooner rather than later.

Kitty had a bit of an interesting night also. She found a prenuptual agreement in Robert's office which prompted her to go into her usual panic about commitment and relationships. Thankfully Nora talked her down at the end of the episode and made her realize that in reality Robert may have many good reasons for a prenup, having nothing to do with Kitty. It was sweet of Robert to tell Kitty that he trusts her and it was only the lawyers who drew it up to protect him. I think it was a bit of a lie though because it had to have crossed his mind at least once given his recent divorce. I think the writers need to give these two a break for a couple episodes. We used to see the fun side to their relationship but now all we're seeing is drama each week. Every once in a while we need to be reminded why we like a couple and this is a good time for the writers to start doing that.

Well, well, well. Justin turned out to be right. He's addicted to pills again and worse than that, no one in the family realizes it. Rebecca did but she fell for the oldest trick in the book where the addict turns the situation around of the accuser and gets away with it. She needs to tell someone what she saw before it's too late. My big question is, where did he get the extra pills? The pills he's taking can't be the prescription Nora got because they would notice. So where did all the others come from? Is someone slipping them to him? A friend maybe? We'll see more in the coming weeks and I'm sure things will be getting much worse.

The Walker Family will always be going crazy but I really hope we can have a happy episode sometime soon. It would be nice to see everything going well at least for a night. Until next week, enjoy the review.

Brothers & Sisters: History Repeating

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

This was a high quality episode that seemed to set us up for some bigger moments down the road. Generally when other shows hit the moment where they need to slow down and set things up for the future they tend to lose some quality in the process. The great thing about "Brothers & Sisters" is that no matter what the purpose of the episode, the quality is never lacking. Each and every episode is a demonstration of near perfection; a demonstration of what it means to write the best possible show every week.

Tonight was mainly about Justin and his struggle with the decision to take pain killers or suffer through an excruciatingly painful leg injury. Nora wants him to take the medications even though she knows it's going to change him and possibly push him back into the world of addiction. It's one of those choices in life where no matter what you do you're risking a life altering event that could change your future. For me, I don't know what I would do in a similar situation. If Justin takes the pain killers he can rehabilitate his leg properly and save his ability to walk and enjoy life but he risks becoming a drug addict once again. On the other hand, if he doesn't take them his risks losing most of the mobility in his leg for the remainder of his life but he won't fall back into drug addiction. It's a VERY tough call but I think he made the right. Although he's going back to a life of drugs it's different this time; he has a support system that's there for him and monitoring what he's doing. Plus he knows that he doesn't want the life he used to have and I think he's strong enough now to resist turning back to it.

However, the end of the episode gave the impression that Justin's personality may not be the same even if he can prevent himself from becoming addicted again. He already seemed different, dark like he used to be. I hope he can be strong enough to resist the temptation. He's a lot more fun when he's not on all the medications.

Tommy also had some trouble of his own tonight. Apparently, Julia blames him for William's death. Somehow her depression has changed her perception of the past events and she believes Tommy pushed her into making the decision to save their daughter and not their son. I really feel for Tommy here. He's done everything he possibly could to build a life for his family, make the best possible decisions, work with Julia to make them, and be sensitive to the fact that she's depressed. In the end, Julia still overlooks everything and holds him responsible. That's tough especially when he realized there's nothing else he could possibly do but to let her spend time with her parents in Arizona. I think they'll eventually work it out but not before a few more run-ins between Tommy and Julia's father. It's going to be a long ways off until we see these two happy again. Tommy just needs to make sure things don't go too far with Lina; clearly things seemed a bit, well weird at the end of the episode.

As for the rest of the Walkers not too much happened. Kitty and Robert had to deal with his ex-wife since she decided to go on Larry King to discuss her marriage with Robert. The former wife still believes (or pretended to believe) that Robert had an affair with the nannyeven though he has always told her that it was 100% not true. Kitty eventually visited her and bluffed with a story about finding the nanny and she was willing to tell the truth. After this, Robert's ex-wife cancelled the interview and all trouble was averted. The only problem for Kitty is that the ex told her Robert only looks out for himself and that his wife isn't really his partner. Hopefully, things will be different for Kitty and Robert because Kitty doesn't deserve a life like that especially when she's so successful herself.

I should point out that Scotty has re-entered our lives once again. He was pulled over for a D.U.I. and needed Kevin's help to get out of it. Turns out the police officer was homophobic and gave Scotty the ticket because he was gay. After Kevin won the case (of course he would) Scotty treated him to a five-star dinner at a sheek restaurant where he is now an intern. Since breaking up with Kevin, he's turned his life around and become a very good chef. Unfortunately, Scotty was just trying to impress Kevin in order to get him back. For the first time though Kevin remained faithful but it seems the two of them may still be "friends." I'm not sure how long a friendship will last between these two without something bigger "accidently" happening.

My overall impression of this episode was a huge thumbs up. I love the acting, the writing, and the family bonds that permeate every storyline. It's one of the best shows in recent memory and I'm glad the Walker Family will be around for some time to come.

Brothers & Sisters: An American Family

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

I was actually surprised at how good this episode turned out to be. I figured it might get a bit sappy with Justin coming home and all the family bonding when he did. However, rather than focus on his return for the entire episode the writer's gave us a lot more to watch. If you're new to this show I guarantee you were stunned at how amazing the actors and the writing are and you probably added it to your season pass list immediately.

Once again, Sally Field stole the show with an unbelievable performance. I don't know if there's anyone better on television right now that can switch emotions so quickly and so genuinely well. She is the perfect actor for this role and this writing. The way she went from manic, relieved mother to cheery, stay happy for my son mother to loving, emotional rock for her son at the end of the episode was simply amazing.

For the rest of the episode, Senator McCallister had to deal with his soon-to-be in-laws the Walkers. They were always crazy but it didn't hurt anyone until now. Selfishly, this family is going about their normal, neurotic lifestyle while it is obviously destroying McCallister's chances at winning the election. This is the one thing I cannot stand about this family. In every circumstance they take every opportunity to show off their selfishness. They never think about the consequences to others and it's even worse that Kitty is doing it too and its her fiance' that's running for President. How could Kitty, as communication director for the campaign, think it's a good idea to call in to the very radio show that's antagonizing her to do it? It was a bad move and especially with her family sitting there with her; they've never been able to hold their tongues so why would they start now. I do like McCallister's response on the plane to his advisor about being madly in love with Kitty and his response on the radio show about listening to everyones ideas. Reminds me a bit of his days on "The West Wing."

If it weren't enough that the Walkers are always selfish, apparently it's rubbed off on Rebecca as well. Why in the world would she tell Sarah about how she kissed Joe back and led him on a little? At this point it couldn't possibly help the situation and would only serve to get the weight off her shoulders. Sarah was right to say it was incredibly selfish. BUT where does Joe get off with what he's doing? He never seemed like all that much of a nice guy except this is too much. He kisses his wife's half-sister, moves out, and then 10 minutes later he's having sex with Sarah on the washing machine all the while he's back with his ex-wife! He couldn't possibly sink lower than he has already and it's terrible for Sarah to be treated like this. She never did anything wrong. Even though their marriage may have been in a rough spot they were working it out! It seems like Joe has completely forgotten about how well they were doing before he told her about the kiss. And on top of everything he's done he goes back to his ex-wife. That's just a knife in the heart and Sarah should get away as fast as possible before he does any more damage.

I should point out though that Sarah needs to chill on the attitude. I understand she isn't very happy with Holly or Rebecca but she can be really cold and mean sometimes. She needs to chill just a bit.

A simmering storyline that's going to come front and center next week is Julia and Tommy's marriage. Julia is definitely depressed and taking it all out on Tommy. I feel bad for him because he's clearly trying to help with the baby and work with Julia to move on. She's just not letting him off the hook for something that wasn't his fault to begin with. Next week it looks like we'll see a lot more about this and I hope they can work it out. We don't need anymore affairs or failing marriages on this show. Until next week...

Brothers & Sisters: Home Front

ORIGINAL EPISODES, SUNDAYS @ 10PM ON ABC

Best Writing. Best Acting. These two things make this the best quality television show currently airing. If only most shows could take a page out of this book and we might not have so many reality shows and wanna-be Emmy winners. The sad thing is that most of the time we get treated like dead-brained viewers that only understand simple words and simple jokes. The truth is that we're capable of complex drama, case-in-point "Brothers & Sisters" and "The West Wing." This is why I whole-heartedly recommend this show to anyone looking for superb writing, excellent acting, and an all around great hour of television.

In all honesty, this show is not perfect; but it's pretty close. My one criticism of this second season premiere episode is that the writer's need to hold up on the all out Walker-clan public displays of insanity. Granted one of the most popular and appealing aspects of this family is that they tend to get into massive screaming matches and fights in inappropriate public settings. However, it can get played out and the writers are walking dangerously close to that line. We've seen so many, that the effectiveness of these scenes are decreasing. If you use them sparingly though it can be a great way to endear the audience with the family. Maybe they only used it in the premiere given the hype of a new season, so I'm hoping we won't see one again for a while.

As for what was good about this episode, basically everything I said above. What stands out the most, as always, is the acting of Sally Field. The entire episode we saw her frantic and distant as she tried to distract herself from the reality of having a son in Iraq who she hasn't heard from in three weeks. Then, at the drop of a dime, she turns happy and jovial when she finds out Justin is alright and coming home. Unfortunately the happiness didn't last too long; Justin's convoy was hit by an IED and they don't know if he is among the dead. And with the drop of that very same dime, Sally becomes a crying mess (in the best and most tragic way) and I was in awe of how effective and majestically versatile she is as an actor. In that moment that she asked Kitty not to ask her to stop fixing up Justin's room I realized that this show is Sally Field; she sets the standard and everyone else follows. This is why "Brothers & Sisters" is a show that everyone should be watching.

The family's relationship with Rebecca has changed a lot since last season and it's good to see most of them embracing her as a true family member. Kitty and Rebecca have formed a solid bond in their longing for Justin to come home. It's great to see but I'm still worried about what Rebecca may do in the future. She secured her place in the family by suckering Joe into a mistake he probably wouldn't have made. We know she can be conniving and devilish, so what does she have in store later on?

Kevin is still Kevin and personally I don't like him. At times he's brilliant and funny but more often than not, incredibly selfish. It actually turns me off to his character and I usually can't wait for his scenes to be over. If only some humanity in the selfishness could come through I might like him more but it hardly ever does. When his boyfriend told him about being reassigned to Malaysia he didn't even give it a seconds thought before selfishly getting mad at him. Not only did he never consider what it means to his boyfriend but he completely failed to remember that he never made any significant commitment to him in the first place. In the end, he did and that's respectable. I think he'll have a lot of opportunity to grow this year and it would be nice to see him put some of that selfishness on the back table for a while so we can see more of what his character has to offer.

I completely agreed with McAllister that he shouldn't get military information on Justin for the Walker's when so many other families can't get it either. As a presidential candidate that would be overstepping the bounds but at the same time he's about to marry Kitty. That's a tough balancing act and his decision to tell them he was okay and coming home but nothing more was probably the right thing to do. As for next week's scenes where his advisor asks him to get out of the wedding, I'm wondering what Kitty did to bring this question about. I don't think he'll call it off because I hear he is a full cast member now. Although he could end up calling it off which would give the writers and opportunity to keep Kitty around the house while still keeping him running for President.

My favorite line of the night was when Holly and Nora were at the grave site. Holly asked if it would be an imposition if she came to Kitty's dinner that night and Nora responded, "It's an imposition that you're at my husband's grave site, a taco with my daughter on her birthday I think I can handle."

By the way, don't you all just hate those loud, obnoxious parties in restaurants that refuse to get up and let anyone else eat dinner? Man, I hate those parties...

Now, Joe. I really do not like this guy. Not only did he kiss his wife's half-sister. Not only does he have what appears to be make up sex with Sarah. But after she finally gets to a place where she's forgiven him and wants to give their marriage a shot, he tells her he wants a divorce. Why?! He never wanted one before and as far as I can tell she's a great mother and wife. So what could he possibly want a divorce for other than the fact that he's just a playboy and wants to be with more women? It makes no sense to me that he would have any reason to tear about the family. It should be a very interesting progression to watch as they go from married to divorced.

Please, please, please watch this show and give it a legitimate chance. You won't regret it, I promise.