Brothers & Sisters Season 5 So Far

     This season of ABC's Brothers & Sisters began rough, with the loss of cast member Rob Lowe, and the reduction of some of the others' parts, including the departure of Emily VanCamp. I am most upset about VanCamp, as I took her breakup personally, and am most unhappy about it. Happily, Ryan (Luke Grimes) was finally booted as well, having been rarely seen last spring. I figured the necessary shakeup due to actors wanting to leave created the uneasiness I felt, and eventually things would settle down into the show I've loved for years.

     Sadly, that has not been the case. The last two episodes of the fall run in particular demonstrated just how downhill this series has rolled. In "Get a Room", all of the Walkers (who appeared in the episode) ended up in the same hotel and ran into each other in a comedy of errors. The show has done similar things before, but apparently they're running out of ideas on how to make this massive collision of their lives happen. I can tell you, sending them all coincidentally to the same hotel was not it. It lost all believability, even as I tried to tell myself, as they said in the episodes, "well, the rooms were half off".

     Even worse was the fall finale, "Cold Turkey". Nora (Sally Field) decided to go away for Christmas with her new boyfriend, Karl (John Terry, Lost). First of all, the Nora Walker we all know would never, and I mean never, abandon her family on Christmas. I don't care how they tried to explain it away, and gave her a huge guilt trip for going. She would not have left in the first place. Second of all, the dream sequence she had, where her kids had grown up evil and colluded with stepmother Holly (Patricia Wettig) to kill Nora was ridiculous. I don't care where Nora's brain was, it was way too bizarre. I sat very uncomfortably through the entire scene.

     Speaking of Holly, she has been MIA for most of the season. Yes, she suffered serious amnesia from the car wreck, forgetting a lot of her life. Her arc where Justin (Dave Annable) helped her was sweet. But I was very disappointed when Holly asked Justin to move on, and he did. Why is Holly even still in the cast? That dream scene was the most we'd seen of her in weeks. She's a wonderful character, developed so beautifully over four seasons, and now she's being completely wasted. Please, writers, get her back into the story fast.

     On the other hand, the one character having a good year is Saul (Ron Rifkin). Dealing with HIV is not 'good', of course, but Saul has already had more story this fall than all of last season. As a fan of Rifkin from his days on Alias I'm delighted to see the better treatment.

     I also have been fairly satisfied with Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane). Although I was heartbroken and sickened to see Scotty do the unthinkable and cheat on Kevin, that flashback actually justified it, showing the bad place the two had grown to, and what motivated him to do it. Scotty's intense regret helped, and they came out of it without going overboard. If the couple ever split up, proving definitively that no Walker can have a good relationship, I would likely be done with the show. Kudos for the one plot that is working among many.
 
     The relationship merry-go-round of the Walkers this season has been horrendous. Kitty (Calista Flockhart) is by far the worst offender, who, after just unplugging her husband, has bounced to a couple of different guys, none of which really clicked with her. Sure, the writers 'dealt' with her feelings on that issue, but they still went ahead with these dumb stories. Her latest is twenty-seven year old Seth (Ryan Devlin), who happens to be her boss's son. The whole thing is just wrong. The way-younger guy thing for a conservative republican mourning her husband? No, not in character at all. I love Devlin, but he needs to get off the sinking ship and back over to Cougar Town, where he was fantastic. And just where was Kitty's young son last week while she was in the hotel?
 

     Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) has fared little better. Sure, she's in a very stable relationship with Luc (Gilles Marini), whose addition to the cast I celebrated. But from the underwear modeling to the zany mishaps in the hotel, they have not been in a good place. And I don't mean their love hasn't been solid, it has, but crappy story telling has led them to some bizarre twists that were as unappealing as they were unnecessary.

     Honestly, if this is how it's going to be, the series needs to end. Not as many episodes were ordered this year, so plenty of people think it's a sign of the writing on the wall. I have adored this series since it's premiere, and never missed an episode, but the beloved characters are just being ruined at this point. I don't think I've ever seen a show I loved so much go to such a bad place. Please, please, just do a series finale this year and put the Walkers out of their misery. Unless they can fix the show, and then at least one more year is needed to wash the bad taste of fall '05 out of our mouths.

     It's been an entire week since Brothers & Sisters aired their last new episodes, but they will return to their Sunday night slot on January 2nd.

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Article first published as TV Review: Brothers & Sisters Season 5 So Far on Blogcritics.

TV Reviews: Brothers & Sisters

     I put off watching ABC's Brothers & Sisters when it first returned to the air this fall. I didn't do that because I don't like the show. On the contrary, I love it. But the events that unfolded at the end of last season, combined with known casting changes, made the thought of what the new episodes would be tough to stomach. I finally watched the first four hours, and it was as hard as I thought it would be.

     I was fully invested in Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) and Justin (Dave Annable) as a couple. They thought they were siblings for awhile, but ever since then, I didn't understand why their romantic plot had to be so rocky. They were perfect for each other, the attraction was obvious, and it took far too long for them to walk down the aisle. I was mad as hell that VanCamp decided to quit the show then, effectively forcing the writers to end something that had been so long in building. Rebecca's recent two-episode return helped with some closure, and certainly, her leaving for a job in New York to help her grow that way that Justin had makes sense. It was tied up as nicely as possible. However, I would feel much better about the whole thing if VanCamp remained in the cast, with a promise that she would return and they would end up together. I won't rule it out, especially if the show ends in the next season or two, but it is far from a sure thing.

     Similarly, I loved Kitty (Calista Flockhart) and Robert (Rob Lowe) as a couple. Between his heart attack, her cancer, and her emotional affair, I was livid with all of the troubles their marriage kept going through. Yes, I know to keep TV interesting, things have to happen. But for the McCallisters, it just seemed so much more than necessary. Lowe's decision to leave the series, coming after Flockhart's desire for a limited number of episodes this year, pushed them apart permanently. In this case, the writers chose death. Why, I do not know, as if Kitty would only appear every so often anyway, Robert could appear even less. He could leave the show, but still be her husband. I'm happy that Lowe has already signed on full-time for the upcoming season of Parks and Recreation, but he couldn't even come back and lie in the bed for the first episode, until Kitty pulled the plug? It left his death a much-less emotionally moving thing than it should have been. Not to mention, with both of their prior health problems, death felt like a huge cheat.

     Also, Tommy Walker (Balthazar Getty), who had appeared so infrequently, was dropped from the cast. I wish I could say that his gradual fading out made it easier, but it didn't. It's not the same to have the Walker family down a sibling. Sure, plenty of families have their black sheep, but the Walkers would want to keep theirs close, not let him leave.

 

     Can the show recover from such monumental shifts? I'm sure it can, if these past weeks are any indication. I found it physically painful to watch, especially the season premiere. My gut ached. However, the characters that remain still shine. I remember how furious I was that Sarah's (Rachel Griffiths) husband Joe (John Pyper-Ferguson) was gone after season one, but I'm glad that she is now in a long-term relationship with Luc (Gilles Marini, the only new full-time cast member). It will be an adjustment, and I can't remember a show that dropped such a heavy burden on the viewer all at once before. That may have been why a shortened season was ordered this year. But additional episodes have already been picked up, as the Walkers slowly go back to normal, so will the show.

 

     As I mentioned, Luc is now a main character. I wish they would do the same for David (Ken Olin). Obviously he is going to be in the picture for awhile to come with his position as Holly's (Patricia Wettig) condition. I hoped awfully hard all summer that Holly would return full-time, and I am gratified to see that it is so, though she's worse for the wear. I understand why Rebecca leaving might help her, but hopefully Justin will maintain what he is building with his now ex-mother-in-law, as it's such a moving story. I think that he will, based on the characters.
 

     The silver lining I see in all of this is perhaps Saul (Ron Rifkin) will finally get more screen time. As the uncle, he was always pushed into the background, and for four years hasn't had a great deal to do. He'd get expanded plot for a few weeks, and then fade into the background again. His dating life has been front and center lately, though I'm still just waiting for that to be it from him for awhile. I sincerely hope it is not, and his opening a restaurant with Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) may be a sign that the producers are also leaning in that direction.

     Brothers & Sisters airs Sunday nights on ABC at 10pm.
For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.


Article first published as TV Review: Brothers & Sisters on Blogcritics.

Brothers & Sisters was riding smoothly until the crash

     I have some complaints about ABC's Brothers & Sisters finale, "On the Road Again", but first, let's start with the good stuff.  The Walker family mostly worked out their issues.  Justin (Dave Annable) and Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) seemed to be in a good place.  They have decided to spend a year apart, but, based on interviews I've read with the people that make the show, they'll be all right.  Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) was taking the dissolution of the family business pretty hard, but I'm sure that she'll recover.  Though are her kids ever on the show anymore?  Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) and Saul's (Ron Rifkin) restaurant looks to be the new business venture for the family, and I'm hopeful.

     Sadly, though, Saul has HIV.  I understand the explanation that he could have had it for decades without symptoms, but it seems to be stretching some already stretched believability.  When the series began, there was no hint of Saul's homosexuality, and it seemed to come from nowhere.  I am glad to see plot for Saul, when he is often left out, so I will forgive those mistakes.  I will also forgive the finding of water at Narrow Lake, though again, it seems very convenient, and a little cheap.

     Killing off Robert (Rob Lowe) was the best way to go, if he had to leave the show, though I'm still bitter about his departure.  It was also nice that it was done in an unexpected way.  However, the multi-car pileup, with so much of the family involved, was not handled all that way, and I am unsatisfied with it.  If Holly (Patricia Wettig) dies, I will be furious.  She is easily one of the most interesting characters on the show, and sorely needed.  I was sad to see her get so little screen time this week, but the series has been fairly good to her lately, so it can have a pass, for now.

     I am being this tough on Brothers & Sisters because it is usually such a good show, and I was not happy with the finale.  I don't feel it lived up to the show's usual standards.  I am not sure about how the reduced role next season of Kitty (Calista Flockhart) will bode, nor is it a good sign that only eighteen episodes have been ordered.  By contrast, this year saw twenty-four hours, and most drama series deliver twenty-two currently.  Next year will also pick a year after the events of this season, so perhaps that may give it a new injection of life.  I am simply concerned, and really hope that I one of my favorite shows bounces back soon.

Brothers & Sisters does the time warp

     ABC's Brothers & Sisters returned from a short hiatus for a two hour episode this week, and there were plenty of surprises.  The episode was called "Time After Time", and for the first hour and twenty minutes or so, we got flashes of the siblings in their younger days.  Specifically, when most were in their teens, on a night that rocked the family and changed their lives.  The thing is, none of the kids knew what really happened that night until this episode, and the really big twist was not obvious.  Unfortunately, most of the casting of their younger selves felt false and pretty off base, the one exception being Sarah (usually played by Rachel Griffiths).  And those long ago scenes were far from the best ones in the episode, though some of them were slightly fun.

     The story changed Kevin (Matthew Rhys), as he was the one that did the very bad thing.  Accidentally, he pushed a guy, and paralyzed him for life.  Nora (Sally Field) covered up the entire thing, providing for the boy, but lying to her children.  Now we know what the mysterious Dennis York (Peter Gerety) was holding over Nora to try to force her family to sell their shares in the family business, though we still don't know why he wanted them so badly.

     On the topic of this season's mystery, much was developed in that, as well.  The budding friendship between Nora and Holly (Patricia Wettig) is fun and sweet, and was taken to whole new levels as they teamed up to break the law and figure out what their deceased mutual lover was up to back in 1973.  Instead, they did discover what their two children were up to.

     The show's couple who has faced the most obstacles also found time in the jam-packed two hours to take a huge leap forward themselves.  Poor Justin (Dave Annable) and Rebecca (Emily VanCamp), after having their beach wedding interrupted months earlier, eloped, only to find their mothers bust in on their secret honeymoon.  To make matters worst, moments later other family, and then the police, showed up, and the aforementioned women were carted to jail.  That has to go down as one of the worst honeymoon's ever.  And they took it in such good humor.

     It was a wonderful episode, with all the best elements of Brothers & Sisters, a fast pace, and plenty of story development.  Brothers & Sisters regularly airs Sunday nights at 10pm on ABC.

Hurricane only lightly laps at Brothers & Sisters, and that's a good thing

    This past Sunday's "Nearlyweds" marked the final Brothers & Sisters of 2009.  Like almost all ABC shows, this one could not go out for a break without a cliffhanger.  Thankfully, it wasn't the one that was most expected, but it was a tad over dramatic.

     Kitty (Calista Flockhart) has been battling cancer this year in a plot that feels less than fresh.  Of course things would flare up and lead to her collapsing at her brother's wedding.  Why not?  I do not understand, however, how her tumors stopped her from breathing.  And if she was in such dire shape, why would the doctor tell her to come in on Monday instead of immediately?  I am willing to forgive this lame plot, however, because it saved her marriage to Robert (Rob Lowe).  Last year, Kitty was also the one with the crappy plot, as she had an emotional affair and almost left her husband.  Thankfully, because Rob Lowe is, as usual, fantastic on the show, it seems to have been worked out.

     The other plot I am less than thrilled with is Nora's (Sally Field) new, young doctor boyfriend.  He has bad skeletons, and I could have told you as soon as Nora mentioned investing that he was a schemer who would run off with her money.  Apparently, though, the producers have decided to stretch that puppy out, as though he skipped the wedding, they didn't delve into it.

     Not to be too negative, though, because Brothers & Sisters gets most of it right.  For instance, though his name still appears in the opening credits, we have had to endure very little screen time from new half sibling Ryan (Luke Grimes).  He was not well received by fans when he showed up, including this one, and his part has been cut down dramatically.  On the other hand, Uncle Saul (Ron Rifkin) who usually has far too few lines, seems to be very involved in the last couple episodes, even performing the wedding finale, if a bit too over-dramatically.  Viewers of Alias may have a hard time reimagining Rifkin as a doting uncle instead of a creepy villain, but he has won me over.  Plus, the more frequent popping ups of David (Ken Olin) are always a pleasure.  And, for the first time since the series began, Holly (Patricia Wettig), while always a delicious actress, has been likable, a welcome development.

     The biggest triumph, though, was the handling of Justin (David Annable) and Rebecca's (Emily VanCamp) love story.  When Rebecca was first introduced as the lost sibling, it was clear there was wonderful chemistry between the two characters.  Wisely, it was decided that she was not a sibling.  This finale was their wedding, and it almost didn't happen.  While some of the fighting was a bit forced, Justin was consistent in his doubts of himself, and Rebecca truly did know him.  That's why it worked out, as it should.  I, along with many others, would have been up in arms had the pair permanently split, and while they didn't get the chance to say 'I do' this fall, surely they will already be wed by the time the show returns in January.