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Brothers & Sisters (2009) 4.1-2

TV show episodes review: Brothers & Sisters, season four (2009), episodes 1-2 (directed by Ken Olin)

I only found out the other day that ABC started showing series 4 of Brothers & Sisters back in the end of September, so I’m catching up now. It’s a show I saw a trailer for originally and thought looked good, but never got around to watch. That is, until I found out who would guest star in series 2. So I watched those particular episodes and thought it was good and then, as British TV started showing series 2 from the beginning, I decided to watch it, and then I watched series 3 … and I’ve still only seen the first 5 episodes of series 1!

Series 4 has been eagerly awaited by myself and my mum-in-law, who loves the show. Series 3 ended with Kitty (Calista Flockhart) having an affair (or did she?), Ryan (Luke Grimes) being a sneaky bastard (er, literally), Robert (Rob Lowe) trying to run for governor behind Kitty’s back and she found out, Justin (Dave Annable) is a med student, Tommy (Balthazar Getty) is soul-searching in Mexico and Justin and Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) getting engaged. At the start of series 4, there’s a very effective scene which sets the picture for us, in case we forgot. It’s Nora (Sally Field) and Saul (Ron Rifkin) talking in her kitchen. We are told that Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) are same ol’ same ol’, Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) has started dating, and Kitty and Robert are trying to patch things up. Brilliant, we know just where we are with everyone.

We see Sarah dating some random freaks she found on an online dating site, and then she decides to head off to Paris. Holly (Patricia Wettig) is throwing Justecca an engagement party at her place, when a very funny thing happens and it ends up being held at Nora’s instead. Justin has doubts about his abilities as a med student and ends up having a huge argument with Rebecca at the engagement party. Well done, there. Meanwhile, Robert is busy being self-obsessed as usual and Kitty’s not feeling quite well, and hasn’t been for a few weeks, so she goes to the doctor. Kevin and Scotty are considering getting a surrogate baby, but Scotty is having doubts.

Parts of episode one it made me laugh out loud, they were that funny. Plus points for Holly’s squeeze David (Ken Olin) making an appearance in front of the camera as well as behind it (being Mr Director and all). I do enjoy seeing those two together, seeing as how they’ve been married in real life a couple of months longer than I’ve been alive!

This show does deal with serious issues, and I’m wondering what this series is going to be like to watch considering the very serious issue we get a clue about at the end of episode one and then get confirmed in episode two. The scene at the end of episode two, where Nora and Saul are talking in the park, brought tears to my eyes. Not only because the show is incredibly well acted and well scripted (incidentally, the episode was co-written by Cliff Olin, who got a mention earlier in the month) but because the issue is close to home. Very close to home. Not just the general issue, but the particular type of that general issue. (Notice how I’m trying to stay spoiler-free.) That’s why I think it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster to watch. We’ll see how it works out. I might just have to give my fellow enthusiast a heads up beforehand.

Anyway. Sorry to end on a depressing note (well, okay, if you don’t know what it’s about, you won’t actually know it’s depressing … duhh), but yeah, series 4 is starting out strong, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the episodes. As long as there’s some more David to cheer me up, I’ll be okay. Speaking of which, I’m amazed how similar Rebecca and David actually look. I’ve seen a picture of his real-life daughter (Roxy Olin, an actress, who guest starred as one of Justin’s friends’ girlfriend in series 1, I believe), and OMG she looks like a copy of her mum. Really. The only thing she seems to have inherited from her dad is the dark colouring. So again, random people look more like Ken Olin than his own kids! What’s up with that? Still, I think it’s kinda cute how the show is about family on-screen as well as off-screen. They even made it a feature in the extras in the series 1 box set. 🙂

Traxy

An easily distracted and over-excited introvert who never learns to go to bed at a reasonable time. Enjoys traveling (when there's not a plague on), and taking photos of European architecture. Cares for cats, good coffee and Boardwalk Empire. A child of her time, she did media studies in school and still can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up.

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