'Brothers & Sisters': setting it up

I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to something actually happening on "Brothers & Sisters." So far, it's been one set-up episode after the other, and thankfully, from the looks of next week's preview, things are about to get interesting.

Tonight's episode mainly prepped us for the events to come. Kitty and Nora pair up for a road trip that echoed the one they took to bail Justin out of jail in the first season. This time, the trip was to Bakersfield (which, by the way, looked more like another neighborhood in Pasadena) to break the news about William's indiscretions to the Laffertys. We don't meet Ryan just yet, but his dad, George, looks to be a handsome match for Nora despite his initial impression. After uncovering the drama surrounding their deceased spouses, shouldn't those two find some love in return?

The trip also allowed mother and daughter to compare marriages since Kitty (and the audience) has been given a reason to not trust Robert. After telling Kitty he was headed to D.C. to meet with foreign leaders, Robert was actually headed on a classified trip to the Middle East. OK, we'll give him that one, but it definitely planted a seed for future doubts against the too-good-to-be-true senator. He surely can't be as deceiving as William Walker, but a little political scandal could help shake things up a bit.

Kitty and Robert get approved for an adoption, which, you'd think, would elicit more joy from the parents. Maybe the cautiousness and skepticism should be expected from Kitty, but could she show just a little emotion over the good news? Even her fake "I'm happy" face fell flat. I'm excited to see in the preview that they'll be presented with an African American birth mom -- perhaps that will conjure up a reaction.

Also falling flat were Tommy and Kevin. It was a matter of time before they got into an actual tussle. It was also bound to happen at an inappropriate time and place, so the bushes at Justin's first-year sobriety ceremony seemed right. I suppose some shoving, a dive into the bush and a few bruises could constitute a decent fight, but I wished they showed the brothers really have it at each other (my money would be on Tommy). Since we weren't treated to real blows, Justin's intervention and the induction of Kevin and Tommy into "Bitches Anonymous" provided a laugh. The duo begrudgingly agreeing to fake civility for the family's sake has got to be a set-up for a future crisis in which they will have to set their differences aside and genuinely work together.

What other plots could the last few episodes be setting us up for? Feel free to comment.

-- Enid Portuguez

(Photo courtesy ABC)

Comments

[LA]

"What other plots could the last few episodes be setting us up for? Feel free to comment."

How about Sarah hooking up with the young blonde guy who came to her house to beg her to work for his start-up?

Or Saul and Tommy working together to get Holly out of Ojai foods?

You're absolutely right, there has been a lot of setup and very little action so far this season.

[Jason]

The excessive amount of setting up is boring. Especially because the big set up (Ryan Lafferty) is a patent redo of Season 1's Rebecca story line. It would have made more sense to get rid of her and have Ryan's father stop the madness with his "go away" speech (which would resolve the entire Holly "drama/threat"). The writers are just lazy: The $20M Saul/Ojai story that ended last season and set up this season is another rip: why bother? Even simple details (temp agencies don't threaten to fire temps who don't accept temp assignments just like recruiters don't send an MBA grad with CEO experience for an interview to an UNVETTED company sans office or cash flow; selling his truck might barely pay the commission on hiring Sarah. It wouldn't pay salary, even as a part timer. It's stupid, lazy and absurd.)

The affairs are also lazy; pure soap opera thievery. Having Rob Lowe have an affair (if that is what the tease turns out to be is another lazy repeat of season 1 & 2 - William, Tommy, Kitty (with her TV co-host while engaged and living with another man), Sarah's Husband, Justin (with his nameless drug skank while he was with his boss at the hotel), Kevin (with Scotty while Kevin was with the actor) -- even Nora with her teacher featured a cheater.

I'd like to see them minimize or get rid of some of the cast and get better story lines AND writers.