Season 4, Episode 15: “A Valued Family”
Original airdate: 2/21/10

Well, I’ll be…that’s the second excellent episode of B & S in a row.  One more and I’m going to start talking creative resurgence!  Of course, the last show that underwent a creative resurgence on ABC was my beloved Ugly Betty, and it got the axe a few weeks ago, so maybe that’s not all a good thing.  But anyway, on with the show!

The main plot tonight swirled around Kitty and the announcement of her run for Robert’s Senate seat.  Cheryl Hines made her return as Kitty’s frenemy, the unfortunately named Buffy McCreary (a name never more frustrating than when Robert and Kitty said “Buffy” about seven times in a row, and I started looking for a stake to fight the vampires), and strong-arms her way into the job of Kitty’s campaign manager.  (more…)

Season 4, Episode 14: “The Pasadena Primary”
Original airdate: 1/31/10

Now that…that is what I call a damn good episode of television.

That, dear readers, was the first time I was emotionally affected by this show in a very long time.  And I am so thankful for that.  That episode served to remind me of everything that I love about this series, and you know what?  Not a single melodramatic moment to be found.  The writers should STUDY this episode and do their best to emulate it in every way possible.  No cancer.  No heart attacks.  No hysterical weeping by Sally Field (although that has it’s place).  No Ryan Lafferty.  These were real people, dealing with very real, everyday problems, and yes, there was speechifying and general childish behavior, but they were not clowns.  Written by Michael Foley & Geoffrey Nauffts, this was unquestionably the episode of the season.  Okay, I’m going to move onto the actual recap, but the rhapsodizing is probably going to continue. (more…)

Yup, Kitty will be husbandless by the end of the season.  Read the TV Guide article here!

Season 4, Episode 13: “Run, Baby, Run”

Original airdate: 1/17/10

I am officially never complaining about the preponderance of dinner parties on this show ever again.  As far as I can tell they tend to make the show better, because it allows the core actors to interact like an insane family, which is really why we tune into this show in the first place.  This week, we were given another B/B- episode of Brothers & Sisters.  Hardly any Justin and Rebecca, as they are inexplicably not invited to the aforementioned dinner party?  Plus!  It’s apparently been about two months since Kitty’s surgery and she’s still wearing that ridiculous head-scarf?  Minus!  Sarah encourages Kevin to get plastered with her?  Big plus!  Sarah wears a beret, thus reminding us of Luc while we’re expected to be excited about her relationship with Roy?  BIG minus! (more…)

Season 4, Episode 12:  “The Science Fair”

Original airdate: 1/10/10

Well, that was a marked improvement, wasn’t it?  I’m not saying it was an amazing episode, but at least it wasn’t a hastily cobbled together pile of crap.  Turns out I’m still a little bitter about last week…letting it go in three…two…one…okay, moving on.  This week was a fairly run-of-the-mill episode of B & S, and if last week’s showing was a wrap-up of plot lines, this one served to introduce new ones.

We open with Nora and Sarah looking on as Paige prepares her Science Fair; actually, Nora is looking on, Sarah is dealing with a full-court press by Paige, who apparently wants to nominate her for Bitch of The Year.  Not sure where this is coming from, but I’m kind of tired of the whole “Paige-Is-Angry-At-Her-Mother” storylines.  (more…)

Um, yikes.  I, for one, think this has “disaster” written all over it.  Read all about the Entertainment Weekly casting breakdown here.

Season 4, Episode 11: “A Bone to Pick”

Original airdate: 1/3/10

Well, if that wasn’t the worst episode of television I’ve seen this season, I don’t know what was.  And I’m speaking as someone who happily watched Jersey Shore on New Year’s Eve.  Let’s go over the good parts about the episode: Lady GaGa was mentioned, and Kitty had a killer line.

Robert:  No regrets.  You?
Kitty (while wearing yet another ridiculous turban): Well, I’m regretting this scarf a little bit. (more…)

Season 4, Episode 10

Original airdate: 12/6/09

Well, I guess the title of this episode gives us a pretty good idea as to whether or not Justin and Rebecca will actually tie the knot.  All that remains is to find out WHY they actually wind up not sealing the deal.  Will it be because Justin is lying to her about his grades?  Or because of the impending bundle of joy that they are neither emotionally or financially prepared for?  Or because the mother of the bride was shtupping the father of the groom behind the mother of the groom’s back for years?  Or will they finally realize that thinking you’re blood-related for a season and a half of television, finding out you aren’t, and then going into a relationship is just creepy?  (more…)

Season 4, Episode 9:  “Pregnant Pause”

Original airdate:  11/29/09

Now that’s what I call an episode!  Brothers & Sisters returned from it’s American Music Awards-necessitated hiatus last night with what may be the best episode of the season.  Definitely the best episode of LAST season, but I realize I should probably try to let that one go already.  We open with Rebecca talking to David about her secret pregnancy (extra props to the episode for managing to focus almost the whole time on this story line that drives me effing batty and still keeping my interest).  (more…)

Season 4, Episode 8: “The Wine Festival”

Original airdate:  11/15/09

I’m going to openly hope that the backstage upheaval at Brothers & Sisters accounts for this episode, which, while not a train wreck, was just flat out boring.  And, frankly, I think that that’s the worse crime…if the show succeeds in pissing me off, at least it was probably trying to do SOMETHING.  As it is, it was just…blah.  Moving on. (more…)

Season 4, Episode 7:  “The Wig Party”

Original airdate: 11/8/09

Welcome back to a Brothers & Sisters blessedly free of d-bags!  Well, actually that remains to be seen, because I’m not sure if Ryan is appearing this episode or not, but I am certain that Tommy isn’t.  So…outlook is sunny with a chance of d-bag. (more…)

Season 4, Episode 6:  “Zen and the Art of Mole-Making”

Original airdate:  11/1/09

Photo credit: ABC

We open and Sarah’s spawn are again being featured.  Did I once wonder where these two were?  Curse me and my obsession with continuity…I say get rid of them.  Ship them off to boarding school in Italy or something.  They add nothing and the cloying sweetness of the scenes between them and Sarah makes my teeth ache.  Besides, they appear to be the largest obstacle preventing Luc from spending more time with his shirt off, which makes them Public Enemy #1 as far as I’m concerned.  But not to worry!  Sarah is apparently planning on filling them in about him soon…just as soon as she knows what exactly he is. (more…)

Season 4, Episode 5:  “Last Tango in Pasadena”

Original airdate:  10/25/09

I can only hope that readers of that title are musical theatre geeks, and hence get the reference.  Anyway, I enter this episode of Brothers & Sisters with high hopes for the hour…we’ve had a couple of good episodes in a row, and with all the tears over the last few weeks, the show is due for an episode of funny.   And I love funny episodes of this show…remember the game night episode from the first season, where everyone kept referencing how Kitty lost once and threw a plate?  Genius. (more…)

Episode 4:  “From France With Love”

Original airdate:  10/18/09

Why is this show starting and I’m not seeing Sarah?  I’ve had enough of Kitty and Robert, give me what I need!  In other news, however, congratulations to whoever is waxing Rob Lowe’s chest…it looks like skin grafted directly from a baby’s ass.  Also, props to the continuity expert who had the make-up department put that surgery scar on him.  (more…)

Season 4, Episode 3:  “Almost Normal”

Original airdate:  10/11/09

This is it, folks, Kitty’s big secret is coming out this week.  I think we should all take a moment to congratulate Nora and Saul on their overwhelming self-control in not blurting out the information for almost a full episode.  Well, Nora at least; Saul found out in the final moments of the last showing, which means he’s only kept his mouth shut for a few days at the most.  But the again, there was no dinner party last week either…if there had been, I imagine Nora would have said something like “Oh, Scotty, this mango salsa is just deli-KITTY HAS CANCER!!  I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!” (more…)

Season 4, Episode 2: “Breaking the News”

Original airdate:  10/4/09

Here we are again, another week, another chance to hope Brothers & Sisters fulfills the promise of yesteryear.  I’ll say right up front that I enjoyed this episode far, far more than the limping season premiere last week.  Genuine emotion and adult conversations abounded, and there was little of the Justin and Rebecca romance which meant I spent much less time choking back bile.  Unfortunately, nothing’s perfect, and this episode marked the return of Ryan Lafferty…this character has never worked, and the longer they try to shoe-horn him into the story, the worse it becomes.  But enough overview. (more…)

Season 4, Episode 1:  “The Road Ahead”

Original airdate:  9/27/09

Ah, “Brothers & Sisters.”  Here we are at the start of another season, another chance for you to make good on the promise of your first season…no more hidden children, no more quasi-incestuous story lines, no more additional characters.  Please, just get back to the good story-telling of yore, when Kitty tried to bribe Senators to get her brother out of the army, and Kevin was not friends with a Republican.  Oh, and Sarah and Kevin should go out to bars at every opportunity. (more…)