Brothers and Sisters

Here we are at Brothers & Sisters second season finale and we really have come full circle. Tonight the show started with a family meeting to inform everyone that Rebecca is not a Walker by birth. We end the show with Sarah and Kevin informing Nora that they think there is another Walker sibling somewhere out there. Shades of the first season don’t you think? To that I can only say, are they seriously going to do this storyline again?

While it was nice to see Tom Skerritt reprise the role of William in Kevin’s flashbacks, his reappearance kicks off the hunt for Ryan and elevates William to the level of total skank himbo cheat. Meanwhile, Justin and Rebecca have made up and are now making out. Awkward, but you know, anything for ratings.

Overshadowing all of these subplots was Kevin and Scotty’s commitment ceremony, which was to be held at Nora’s with Kitty officiating. Kevin really has come a long way from the neurotic commitment-phobe we met in the first season. He’s still endearingly neurotic, but he stepped-up in confronting Scotty’s parents who were not nearly as accepting of their son’s lifestyle as Nora was of his. While they love Scotty, they refused to attend the ceremony. We see hope for a reconciliation in the gesture Scotty’s father made by passing on the cufflinks that he wore at his own wedding.

These family difficulties reminded Kevin of his own strained relationship with William after he came out. Kevin’s memories not only made him appreciate Nora more, but also reminded him of the hidden knowledge he had about Ryan, the supposed other Walker love-child.

Now that Sarah, with Kevin’s help, is closer to having proof of another sibling, will she be able to follow through on her threat to sue Holly for fraud? Let’s hope so. That woman needs to pay for the grief she causes. Holly is like an adult version of Charles Schultz’ Pigpen, a cloud of mayhem follows her wherever she goes. And yet, no matter what she does, Tommy caves to her. I understand that his testosterone levels are low, but come on Tommy you’ve got to have a backbone somewhere!

It bugs me that Tommy will not stand up and fight for Ojai. Thank Goodness Sarah is on the case no matter how inappropriate a time she chooses – the commitment ceremony – to discuss the matter with the family. And poor Saul walking into the impromptu meeting, assuming everyone was discussing him and peremptorily coming out to his nephews and nieces.

Saul need not fear a thing. As Sarah informed Rebecca of her Walker status, “We’re like the mafia, once you’re in, you’re in for life.” That’s very sweet considering. But does she have to date her once upon a time brother?

As far as growing families goes, Kitty is still not pregnant and now willing to consider other options such as adoption. Which makes me wonder why she needs to adopt a whole other child when she could adopt her step-children? Has she made more than a perfunctory effort at bonding with Robert’s kids?

We’ve made a lot of progress this season. Sarah’s divorced, Kitty’s married. Tommy and Julia are back on track. Robert has lost the election, Justin has a stable, if slightly incestuous, relationship, Kevin has a husband and Saul has come out. All of this and yet somehow, we are looking ahead to a new season of find the missing Walker and battle with Holly. Yes, indeed I would say we have come full circle.

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I know Brothers & Sisters is trying to squeeze in a lot of story because of the writers’ strike-induced short season, but there was so much happening in tonight’s show that I feel like I have to type really, really fast to get it all in. On top of that, there’s a 48-hour time limit on these stories starting with Kitty and Robert’s fertility window and ending with Ojai’s near-miss with bankruptcy.

The thing about close families is that they can be as cruel as they can be supportive. In the wake of Ojai’s disastrous business deal, Sarah took all the blame for Saul’s reckless, fraudulent decision regarding the company’s expansion into China. With that came some scathing remarks from Nora on down regarding Sarah’s skill as a decision-maker and leader of the company. She bore it well, even suffering the humiliation of asking Tommy and Holly to help out. Their help came in the form of a merger with Walker Landing, courtesy Holly’s devious plotting to bring down the Walkers. With the bank calling in its $20 million loan in 48 hours, Ojai had no choice but to agree to the terms that made Holly chairman and CEO of both the vineyard and William’s company.

In other Walker drama, Justin acknowledged his attraction to Rebecca and did his best to avoid her hoping to quell what he thought were his incestuous leanings. Rebecca, hoping to assuage his distress, revealed the truth about her parentage, but Justin quickly, if perhaps unfairly, likened Rebecca to her lying mother and kicked her out of the house.

And then there’s Uncle Saul who was arrested for drunk driving after he hit a tree with his car. As Kevin drove him home from lock-up, Saul confessed the truth of his sexual identity -- something that had been hinted at throughout the season -- and admitted that he did not know how to be a gay man. With his guilt over his role in destroying Ojai and his depression over a lifetime wasted, are we to assume that Saul’s accident was no accident at all and that he was trying to kill himself?

As I said, there was a lot of territory covered in the episode and most of it was depressing, but things picked up at the end when Kevin, home with Scotty, realized that even though his family’s life was a mess, he finally was happy. What better time to propose?

Next week’s season finale features a wedding and we’re all invited. Considering what happens when this family gets together for a party it should be must-see television. What are your thoughts on the de-Walkering of Rebecca? Should Justin have revealed his attraction to his “sister” and is Holly being helpful or is she merely helping herself to her former lover’s fortune?

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I feared this day would come. The DNA results are back and Rebecca is not a Walker. She is not William’s daughter. She is not Justin’s sister. She is, however, David’s offspring and now that the news has been confirmed, he has left the building. Holly is alone again and Rebecca is, yet again, fatherless.

You’d think news like this would spread like wildfire, especially in this family, but the thing is, the Walkers need at least a clue that something is up to set the phone-tree off and li’l sis ain’t talking. Either she’s taking a page from her mother and intends to hide another secret from the Walkers or she’s taking some time to absorb the new before she tells everyone. Or maybe she is just waiting for a hint from Justin that he’d prefer it if she were not a blood relation. "I can’t tell… are you happy?” she asked him. A little fishing, perhaps?

Over at the senator’s house, Kitty was expressing her displeasure at Robert’s potential vice-presidential post on his former opponent’s ticket. She was also grieving the fact that none of their embryos were viable. In the midst of these two monumental events in the McAllister household, Robert finally realized that Kitty was happy that he lost his presidential bid. As Kitty went on about her readjusted priorities, Robert pointed out to Kitty that his presidential ambitions were a large part of her attraction to him. Is there hope for this marriage?

Speaking of marriage, Scotty cut his finger at work. That may not seem related but it is. As he bemoaned his lack of health insurance, Kevin proposed they become domestic partners so that he could cover Scotty’s insurance. Ever the romantic, Scotty turned down Kevin’s practical plan because it in no way resembled the dream wedding he had envisioned. We’ll have to wait and see if commitment-phobe Kevin will eventually get down on one knee…

Fresh off of her breakup with Isaac, Nora decided to heal herself through redecorating the house. She later decided to turn her energies elsewhere and create a space for families of sick children to stay while they are away from home. Sarah offered Ojai as a sponsor. Too bad Sarah’s inability to say, “No,” to her boyfriend about his huge deal with a Chinese supermarket, has gotten her and the company into a bind. Uncle Saul went against Sarah’s wishes and behind her back and approved the $20 million deal that, with Plum Food’s bankruptcy, will probably be the end of Ojai. I bet it will be the end of Graham too.

How long will Rebecca hide the truth about her parentage? How long will Robert pretend he wants to have kids with Kitty more than he wants to be in the White House? With two more episodes left in the season, I’m guessing not too long.

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After a long break Brothers & Sisters is back and we can finally begin to get answers to the pressing questions that have been plaguing fans. Will Robert win the nomination? Is Rebecca truly a Walker? Will Nora move cross-country with Isaac?

While that last one may not have been weighing on our minds, it was the central issue in tonight’s show. Word leaked, as it always does, that Isaac was going to ask his lady love to move in with him and immediately all the little Walkers began to fret that Mommy might finally cut the apron strings. Never fear. After crashing Nora and Isaac’s romantic dinner and playing dumb as to its purpose, the clan set out to keep Nora at home. A golf outing with the boys turned into an inquisition for Isaac. “How much do you owe on your home?” “Is your prostate fine?” Then Kitty, supposedly Isaac’s dear friend, told him that he was asking too much and that Nora would not be happy. Nice. We’re not surprised that Nora changed her mind and let Isaac go home alone.

As for Robert and his political aspirations…Well, it’s three months later in the show’s chronology and he has “suspended” his campaign after losing big in the primaries. I did my happy dance at this notification that the political storyline was over but then Robert started talking of secretly missing campaigning even though he was enjoying his life with Kitty and their new quest for fertility. I knew something was up. As it turns out it looks like the guy from The White Shadow will be offering Robert the vice-presidency slot on his ticket. This truly is the plot that won’t die.

However, another hinted at twist is starting to percolate. It’s Rebecca’s first birthday as a Walker, complete with Nora’s homemade cake and a gift from the mysterious David that leads to more questions about Rebecca’s true parentage. The necklace, which once belonged to David’s mother, was a loaded gift. It got Holly’s temper going and finally prompted Rebecca to go get a @#%^# DNA test. It’s about time. Holly finally admitted that there was a slight chance that William may not be the father. I feel for Rebecca if that turns out to be the case, but on the upside she will, at least, now have a father she can get to know in the flesh instead of through raucous Walker re-tellings.

In between the drama, we were treated to some fun moments from the gang. Kevin, always good for a giggle, started to break down at the thought of Nora leaving and big sis Sarah had to slap him to stop the meltdown. Rebecca’s grown-out bangs were applauded, though in all honesty her bangs only made her look like a teenager, it was no Keri Russell Felicity debacle. Tommy was likeable. Please keep the weight of the world off of his shoulders. Kevin and Sarah realizing that the food was store-bought was yet another classic moment for these two. And of course, the family brawl that topped off the birthday party. As Holly said, it wouldn’t be a Walker event with one. It definitely wouldn’t be our show without it either.

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There was a little bit of everybody in the show tonight.

Blah blah blah…politics. Boy do I wish Robert would pull out of the race, but I guess that's not going to happen now that he's taken Michigan. And he even did that without the governor's endorsement and sporting a gay brother. How do you like them apples? Jason confronted Robert about his sexuality being a burden on Robert's campaign and they had an (all of one minute!) fight over it. Never fear they kissed and made up by show's end.

I wonder if things will go so smoothly for Saul and Milo if the implications behind a goblet of wine and good conversation shared between the absent Milo's housesitter friend and Saul are any indication of a tryst in the making.

Speaking of trysts, the newly divorced Sarah hit the sheets with Graham after a drunken night of karoake spent with the uptight Kevin and Scotty's friends. The prize for best exchange of the night goes to these two. Graham attempted to rebuff a kiss from Sarah with, "You're drunk!", "I know, but I'm a grown woman and I know what I'm doing.", "Let's get out of here." Will Sarah regret her rebounding? I don't think so.

Thank goodness Kevin and his uptightness is on this show he provides the best comedy on this series. "We've been spotted, quick look like we're having fun." I used to think he was funniest with Kitty, but he just sparks with anybody. More Kevin!

Less David!

After enough people basically called the do-nothing Rebecca a loser she adopted a sudden keen interest in photography. Enough to make David her mentor and share languorous afternoons with him sifting through old photos of her mother from way back when Holly was the love of David's life. Just how long ago was that really? The date stamped on the back of a sultry photo of Holly may have satisfied Rebecca's suspicions about the overlap of lovers in her mother's past, but seriously, nothing short of carbon dating is going to stop this girl from proving that Holly is lying about something. Shocker.

Kitty's life as a stepmother was less mysterious. The kids, after a purely coincidental photo op with the senator on the eve of a big primary, come down with the flu and so too does Kitty. When is this woman not sick? It seems like very other episode she's waving a sniffly Kleenex around. Love Nora's wise advice to her, "Suck it up, Kitty". Despite the accidental porn flick and plumbing issues the senator's children are finally accepting their new stepmom.

Finally, there's Nora and Isaac who while apart physically, are together in each other's hearts. The lingering question though is how long will this honeymoon last? Saul jokingly referred to the scandal that would erupt should he inform their mother of Nora's latest boyfriend. Here's to hoping we don’t go down that road.

While nothing much really happened this week, a lot went on and I, for one, didn't miss Tommy at all. Did you?

Next week it's the Oscars so no Brother's & Sisters. Just a little warning in case the last two weeks of new episodes had you feeling hopeful for a third.

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This is a family show, right? And no, I’m not asking because of the over-abundance of romantic storylines in this episode. That I’ll attribute to the approach of Valentines Day. It’s just that family is what, supposedly, lies at the crux of this show yet I was hard-pressed to see the Walkers together at all tonight. Kitty’s in the car. Sarah’s in Cisco. Nora is home alone. Who knew I’d miss those family dinners so much?

Coming from a rather large family myself, Brothers & Sisters held the, “that’s so us!” appeal for me. (Though there have been no requests for sperm donors or nearly incestuous love triangles in my own clan, we’ve been known to have a squabble or two and family gatherings… well that’s whole other blog.) So what’s my point? It’s losing it appeal. Tonight’s show, featuring flirtations, recriminations, second dates and dangerous liaisons, was the closest I’ve come to watching a soap since I quit my daily obsession with As the World Turns (which, in it’s heyday, was a darn good show!).

The big event tonight was the return of Kevin’s prodigal ex-boyfriend Jason but their sit-down was interrupted by a particularly bratty Scotty who busted in with a soft-shell crab Trojan horse. While Scotty’s jealous streak wasn’t nearly as charming as he’d hoped it did get Jason and Kevin to honestly address their issues. You see Jason’s silence while abroad stemmed from a personal crisis of faith and seriously missing Kevin. Kevin couldn’t quite see the correlation between being missed so much and the lack of phone calls. And Jason’s glib “Yes Kevin, in a contest between you and God, God won!” retort did not do much to convince Kevin that he was truly missed. In the end Scotty won out over Jason though I doubt this triangle has been completely put to rest.

On the other end of the spectrum is Nora and Isaac and their burgeoning relationship. It’s understandable that after a gazillion years of marriage the widow Walker is unsure about the dating scene but this nervous Nora is hard to recognize. In the two season’s of the show Nora has been out there and with some pretty memorable guest stars. Enough with this twittering over Isaac. And please, Isaac, quit with the whispering! What’s that you say? Speak up man!

So that’s off my chest.

Now on to the show’s most boring couple. But first, let me explain. I’ve tried not to be uninterested in Tommy. I give up. I just don’t care about him or his wife or his girlfriend. His hopes, his dreams whatever. He is so dull. I want the writers to hurry back so they can write that little unfaithful family out of the show. Am I alone here?

At least Lena, the skanky secretary, finally got the message and left both brothers after mixed-signal-Tommy rebuffed her attempted kiss. This once I’ll say that she was somewhat blameless. Tommy was clearly asking for that kiss if only so that he could project the image of the faithful husband that he wishes he were. This of course leaves the sex-addicted Justin to now find another way to “escape reality”. Let’s just hope he doesn’t turn to Rebecca for anything more than sisterly support because I just can’t take another soap-opera twist on this show.

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How fitting that in this time of striking writers, and absent first-run programming Brothers & Sisters should return to the air, however briefly, with an episode about coming together and catching up. Yes, it's true that nearly every episode of this delightful show features some sort of Walker gathering, but this time the family is getting together, at Nora's nudging, simply because they haven't seen each other in a while. Well, that’s not entirely true. Nora has a crush on Kitty's friend, Isaac, and has invited him to dinner with her whole family as backup. However, things rarely go according to plan around this clan and by the end of the evening the gang's baggage is all on the table by dessert. Would we have it any other way?

The wedding cliffhanger was the prevarication hanging over Robert's campaign, which, of course, makes him a perfect fit with this family that has a tendency to have its secrets exposed. The politicos arrived at dinner after the Senator's live town hall meeting addressing his so-called wartime heroism and ever-the-last-to-know Kitty created an awkward moment by posing the theoretical dilemma concerning the revelation of a secret that could hurt someone else. Cue the furtive glances about the table as those in the know silently weigh in on Tommy's infidelity and the resulting triangle between him, Justin and skanky Lena.

As predictable moments go this one was rather enjoyable. By the end of the evening, Julia (Nora and Isaac) knew about the affair and had confessed her own meaningless indiscretion with a high school flame during her sabbatical from the marriage. But wait, just before that dust-up Robert finally admitted to his new wife that he was "ambivalent" about her timetable for having kids. Ambivalent. What a politician.

Elsewhere Holly, Rebecca and Dave were also ensconced in a cozy dinner fraught with simmering tensions. Holly was mysterious, Dave was slickly charming and Rebecca was piecing together her mother's murky past enough to question whether William or Dave was really her father. You see, Holly, when you lie, people don’t believe you. You can assure Rebecca all you want that she's a Walker, but your twenty years of saying a director was her father couple with the appearance of a washed-up actor ex-boyfriend will keep Rebecca doubting your word.

As for Kevin's ex? Well, he's coming back to town and wants to have lunch. While Kev nearly decided to keep Scotty in the dark with some excuse about Scotty fearing a dumping should Jason return, Kevin finally did come clean. We call this growth.

While everyone was busy putting it all out there Sarah was busy being light and flirty delivering some of the best lines of the night in between deflecting advances from her new business associate. "Mom's hot for a Republican!"; "All the men in the family can do with a little cricket on their shoulder." Kitty, however, had the best dead pan of the night reminding us that, "not all Republicans are gay."

They may not all be gay, but in this make-believe world of Walkers, it seems that all the republican candidates have something to hide. Kitty's earlier theoretical dilemma played out as expected when Robert's biggest competitor for the nomination dropped out of the race after his personal secrets were revealed. Now, it could be a straight shot to the presidency for the senator and his baby-craving wife. Should that happen, I tell you one thing, I'll be looking forward to those family gatherings at the White House.

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It is Kitty and Robert’s wedding and sure enough here comes the drama. Remember way back when Kitty and Kevin handled a certain situation that had come up regarding the senator’s not so sterling military heroism? Well, it has reared it’s little head again and has Kitty so rattled that she had to interrupt her wedding to spill her guts to her betrothed about her (mis)handling of the situation. Something about blackmail…Luckily, Kitty has her man Isaac to watch her back.

Yes, that’s right Danny Glover is back in the form of Isaac and when he’s not handling things for his best gal he’s making eyes at her mother, Nora, who was unceremoniously dumped at the wedding by her long-ago love and current date Stan (Chevy Chase). I’m fine with that given Stan’s rather abrupt appearance on the scene. There’s no need in investing in a relationship that has no future, right?

That’s along the lines of Holly’s thinking with regards to Saul, who in a moment of lonely angst broached the subject of reconnecting with her. Holly, a woman who spent, what, over twenty years in a relationship with a married man, now seems quite comfortable as a single woman. She quickly rebuffed any advances Saul might have wanted to make by reminding him that he wasn’t all that interested in her in the first place. Poor Saul. He just seems alone and confused. I hope the show will clear some of this up for him soon.

Perhaps they could move as quickly as they did with the Lena storyline. Lena showed up at the wedding on Justin’s arm (skank) and in no time at all Rebecca knew that her friend had been sleeping with Tommy and she let nearly everyone else know it too. This, of course, led to a mini-brawl between the Society of Brothers who had Slept with Lena, which in turn landed Tommy and Justin in Secret Service sponsored detention.

I have to take a moment to mention my annoyance at this plot device. First of all why is the Secret Service even at this wedding? To my recollection McAllister hasn’t won the primary yet much less the party’s nomination. So, why does he have a Secret Service detail? (Heck, why does he have a private jet?) Also in detention, Kevin and Stan each for their perceived threats to His Republicanness, McAllister.

Once the brothers-in-law and Stan we’re freed, Robert and Kitty snuck off to start their 36-hour honeymoon. I must say, I didn’t actually expect the wedding to go off, but it was nice to see Kitty sincerely happy. How long that will last is anyone’s guess.

As for her brother Kevin, I had hoped that he and Scotty would finally be at a good place now that they’ve addressed their issues, but I hoped for too much. I’m disappointed that we’re playing that apart we’re perfect, together we suck game again with these two. And as for the whole cold shoulder from the McAllisters regarding Kevin’s break-up with Jayson, I was so hoping that Kev would set them straight. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some sort of smackdown on this later.

Next week, the aftermath of the Drudge Report’s breaking news on the Senator and his not-so heroic military rescue. The aftermath of the Lena, Tommy, Justin, Julia quadrangle. And hopefully the revelation of who mystery-man Dave (Ken Olin) is to Holly.

I leave you with my favorite line of the night from Nora to Isaac while searching for the detained Stan, “I’ve lost my date. Wonder where Holly Harper is?”

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Episode Recap: “Something New”

There are some remarks only family can get away with saying. “Mom, you slut,” is one of them. While these are words that would never come out of my mouth they barely raise an eyebrow in the Walker household. Truth be told, their being uttered during a family discussion recalling what music was playing when they each lost their virginity took the sting out of such a declaration, but it also goes to show the comfort level in this family.

This week we were in full wedding preparation mode with Kitty feeling that all planned elements for her big day were recycled. From her dress to her first dance with Robert – who, of course, had done this before. She had a point so we’re happy that she found a perfect dress to wear instead of Nora’s outdated and oversized hand-me-down. This also was a perfect moment for ABC to subtly remind viewers of the upcoming Dancing with the Stars finale by featuring a ballroom dancing sequence.

In the spirit of happily-ever-afters Kitty asked Rebecca to be a bride’s maid and had the nerve to be surprised that Rebecca had not expected an invitation to the wedding much less one to be in the bridal party. How quickly Kitty forgot her own relentlessly unwelcoming behavior to the sixth Walker.

I give Rebecca credit though for her handling of the Walker clan whose capricious behavior towards her was excuse enough to write them all off. By finally heeding Holly’s advice to stop playing the “shrinking violet” and speak her mind, Rebecca has finally claimed a spot at the table. Her outburst was long overdue given how Justin laid into her at the intervention though his heartfelt apology was worthy of acceptance.

The story is a little different with the sisters. While it was nice to see that Sarah and Kitty feel they are all at a point where they can joke with their sister about the offenses they’ve had against each other – namely Rebecca’s dalliance with Joe – maybe these ladies ought to check with Rebecca about that. Was she being too sensitive to Sarah’s offhand remarks or was it that Rebecca is not yet used to the shorthand between the Walker siblings? Either way, Sarah’s snide comments leave one wondering if she has indeed truly let it go?

Holding grudges has normally been Kevin’s department. He’s been valiantly trying to change that personality quirk while also trying to accept the lack of communication from his significant other. Enter a little wine and lobster and a cute ex-boyfriend slash roommate and the countdown begins towards the end of his committed relationship. While it may be cliché that Jason would finally call Kevin just after Kevin had slept with Scotty, it is a relief that this non-relationship is over. Now, with no obstacles between them we hope that he and Scotty can make it work.

Oddly enough, Tommy is in a similar situation now that his wife and child are back. Julia showed up at the vineyard all smiles and sunshine as if she hadn’t absconded with their child and accused her husband of executing their other baby. Too bad Julia didn’t catch the looks Holly was tossing at Lena and Tommy when she suddenly appeared. Oh yeah, this is going to be ugly.

Lena may be playing the “I’ve moved on,” card but seriously, if she is not a total psycho then why would she follow up a failed affair with Tommy by dating his younger brother? She’s too cool right now, blithely accepting the break-up as if it had no effect on her, and that, of course, doesn’t bode well.

On another front, Nora is now dating Stan, an old flame played by Chevy Chase. It could be that I’m just out of it, but when did Chevy Chase become a silver fox? I suppose his gray mane was about as surprising as Lyle Lovett’s lovely, but tacked on appearance at the end of the show. It was certainly a cute and much needed moment between the Senator and Kitty but still a hurried one.

Hurried or not, this show manages to stuff a lot of story into one episode. I haven’t even mentioned Sarah’s new leading man played by Steven Weber. Hopefully, we’ll see more of him next week when the big day arrives. The previews show what looks to be a fight between Tommy and Justin, which we are to assume, involves Lena; and Kitty stops the wedding to share a secret with Robert. What it could be I have no idea. Will it derail the wedding for good? I’m not sure so, guess where I’ll be next Sunday at 10 PM?

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Hi Readers! This is Mario DiMaio filling in for Rhoda Charles who will be back in two weeks when the show returns with new episodes. I've just posted the blog for the gasp-inducing season finale of Tell Me You Love Me and then watched this episode that took my breath away.

Was everyone lashing out more than usual tonight, or did it just seem that way after Justin let everyone have it during his withdrawal diatribe? We knew Rebecca would be first on his list after Holly, doing what any parent would do, insisted she tell Nora about Justin's addiction. All of the Walkers got the call to show up at the family home except Tommy who was having a sleep-in with Lena. Holly's sarcasm rears its head and let's Saul in on the affair by telling him: "I don't think she stops working on Saturday."

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when it was decided that Justin would go through detox at home without medical treatment, even though the rehab center could have provided proper monitoring in case of his collapse. But Justin is young, physically strong and determined to do whatever he puts his mind to. Dave Annable did a good job of showing the pain Justin was going through and I believed he was going to puke each time he ran to the bathroom. Having gone through the aches and sweats, let's hope he's kicked his habit for good.

The sniping continued after Kevin thoughtlessly made a remark about Saul looking in the closet. Though it was a harmless mistake, Saul calls him the loneliest person he knows and makes the point that times are different today and more open than when he grew up. Is this the reason he can't confide in his nephew? It was nice to see him confide his same-sex affair to his sister, Nora, who was ultimately upset that she didn't know years ago. But, as Saul points out, everyone has secrets. Perhaps one day we'll see a few of Nora's.

Kevin is realizing that though he is in a committed relationship, Saul isn't too far off the mark. Jason does not return his phone calls, he goes home to an empty bed and Scotty is the one to leave food waiting for him. Tommy refers to Scotty staying at Kevin's place a "slumber party", but with Kevin feeling lonely and vulnerable, it just may turn into more than a party.

Missing the "hateful name-calling part" of the intervention must have bothered Tommy because it provoked him to break things off with Lena. I'm really hoping she used birth control or things are going to get really ugly when Julia finally returns. Or maybe now that she's unattached, Lena will do some comparison-shopping if Justin gives her a call.

Kitty may feel she didn't get the "cuddle gene", but she's willing to give motherhood another try. And Robert, who is not interested in having another child, can't say no to the woman he loves. But does he mean it? This after telling Travis he is a very ambitious person, and firing the entire staff and refunding checks because of the King of Pork scandal. Let's hope he's sincere or it's going to take more than bringing Kitty corn bagels from Iowa to make things right.

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Kitty and Robert had a decidedly sad week after learning that they had lost their baby. Now as Kitty deals with this turn of events will she figure out that her fiancé is somewhat relieved? It looks like it's time for this couple to really talk about what they both want because one has no idea what the other wants or doesn't want. Tommy on the other hand is enjoying his dessert while his cake's away. Too bad his brother Justin is enjoying the same dish as well. Maybe this week the Walker's will catch up with each other and realize that things are getting a little too close for comfort.

Hi readers! This is Mario DiMaio, fresh off of posting the Tell Me You Love Me blog and substituting for the lovely Rhoda Charles, who is taking a well-deserved vacation. She'll be back next week.

It initially looked as if Operation Puppy might go off without a hitch. Kitty was covering her bases enlisting damage-control adviser Isaac Marshall (Danny Glover), who was stunned as Nora made her entrance again with her usual flair. I had no doubts when Nora met Isaac's challenge and said she could pull off a wedding at her home in two days. But Kitty's "unviable pregnancy" brought things to a halt. Calista Flockhart maintains an understated expressiveness and then is especially moving when Nora left and Kitty had her moment alone. And the writers showed some necessary taste alleviating the humor when it came time to pass along the news to family members.

Though Glover has a calm assuredness that's easy to like, I can understand the friction between Robert and Isaac. Outing one's brother is a low blow, but did this hurt Jason as much it may have caused Robert political problems 10 years ago? Isaac gives Robert practical advice to go on daytime talk shows to avoid the perception of the miscarriage as an abortion. But with a heavy schedule and the fact that he's really not interested in having another child, Robert seems ready to move forward. Since this most likely will be a future topic of discussion, can the baby issue become a wedding showstopper?

With Scottie having financial problems and between homes, we have the perfect setup for Kevin to get into trouble when he invites him to stay at his house. And I'm pretty sure when Kevin was speaking with Jason on the phone, he didn't mention that there was company. Since we see very little of Kevin with Jason, and much more of him with Scottie, the stage seems set for Kevin to eventually be in a long-term relationship that we'll actually get to see. Besides, would Kevin choose to watch The Exorcist if Jason was around?

Justin's pill popping is getting out of hand and he looked just as high as Lena when they were with Rebecca at the bar. I was a bit surprised when he lost balance and then made a move to kiss Lena. Then there was the "oh no" moment when Rebecca conveniently sees it. Lena might have let the kiss continue but I'm guessing that the thought of Tommy put the kibosh on her night out. Later, when Justin walks in on Rebecca packing her things to move back home with her mother, she tells him it's because he's taking drugs. But her witnessing the kiss was probably a slap that jolted her back to reality, realizing that she's a bit too close to her half brother.

Between Paige pulling the fire alarm at school and then running away from Sarah's house, I was sure we were going to see "Nasty Joe." But the realization that Paige is acting out was a sign that the kids need both parents and he comes around to suggest a more equal custody agreement with Sarah. There was a nice scene when Justin talks with Paige and she says she does things to make people mad. With those words hitting home, Justin looked as if he were a kid again.

Except for the "oh no" moment, and Kevin's new living arrangement, this was a relatively strong episode. Danny Glover added contrast to Robert's political agenda. Will the state of Robert and Kitty's relationship be leaked to the public? And do you think Isaac will be around to help with damage control?



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Kitty and Robert are expecting. What does this mean for the campaign? Heck, what does it mean for their relationship? Robert was less than bubbly about the news initially, but let's write that off to stress. Sarah's got a battle on her hands for her kids, and Justin is ever so secretly popping pills. How pissed will Rebecca be? When will Nora catch on? My guess is sometime around sweeps. Leave your comments here during the show and I'll be back later on with the recap.

Episode Recap: "Domestic Issues"

Well, it’s the top of the eighth, so I’ll keep this quick as I’d like to watch the Red Sox win the series. Right off the bat, Kitty’s pregnant, Joe is suing Sarah for full custody and Tommy is still sucking face with Lena. Things aren’t looking good for the Walkers.

Justin, that gossip, has spread the news of Kitty’s pending motherhood to nearly every family member — leaving only Nora in the dark, though she was the first to suspect. Robert, the republican baby daddy, was the last to know and was quite nasty about it once he did. But come on, Kitty only found out that morning. Give the woman a chance to mention the news in between your debate prep and your lecture on how this would affect the campaign! I don’t know about these two. Robert pays a lot of lip service to their relationship — usually after the fact in some over-the-top, heart-warming and very public speech. I wonder sometimes what he’s more committed to: Kitty or his political aspirations.

I also wonder about Tommy, who one minute is pining away for his wife and child and the next is running to a sloshed Lena’s rescue. I’m rather disappointed in him, the son who seemed most effected by his father’s infidelity. It’s hard for me to buy that he’d follow so closely in dear old Dad’s footsteps, given the heartache he personally suffered. And what’s the deal with Lena? She’s pretty aggressive. I can’t imagine that she can’t find an available man and not some married guy on the rebound.

Holly has been pretty one-note on this whole issue. And lately her manner in dealing with both Tommy and Lena has been so harsh that I’m finding it hard to fathom what William saw in her at all.

But people can be deceiving, as Sarah is learning with Joe — who surprised her with a petition for full custody of their kids. You have to feel for Sarah, who discovered all too late that Joe has been actively planning his attack for some time. I hate that Sarah couldn’t find anyone who hadn’t already been approached by Joe to be a character witness. Maybe now that the judge awarded Joe full temporary custody, Sarah will get herself a real divorce lawyer instead of relying on Kevin, who is clearly out of his depth. But you have to wonder: did the judge make the right call in giving stay-at-home dad Joe primary custody?

Whether in choosing baby names or supporting Sarah when Joe came for the kids, Nora did a much better job of being there for more than one child at a time this week. She even managed to tend to the trick o’ treaters in full costume while catching the Republican debate that was curiously scheduled on Halloween. However, Nora’s talk with Kitty made me wonder about the Walkers' birth order. All this time I thought Sarah and Kevin were the two oldest, but if I heard Nora correctly it goes Sarah, Kitty, Kevin, Tommy, Justin and Rebecca. Was I alone in thinking Kevin was older than Kitty? I’ll leave you to ponder that, and if you have a moment check out my friend Damian’s blog on the best TV series on DVD.

What did you think of tonight’s show? Until next week, leave your comments here!

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They’ve hinted at an affair between Tommy and Lena but its off-screen nature leaves us wondering, has Tommy really strayed? Now that Scotty’s back in the picture the brother most likely to step out in this family is Kevin, but he may be too wrapped up in Saul’s private life to look twice at his ex. As for the ladies, one’s heading down the aisle and the other for a divorce lawyer. And what about the babies of the family? Will Justin’s drug addiction ruin his relationship with his new-found sibling? This should all make for an interesting show. Chat about tonight’s episode here and read my thoughts later on in the recap blog.