'Brothers & Sisters': Have a little faith

"It's all going to be OK" was the mantra of Sunday night's episode of "Brothers & Sisters." The Walkers -- Kevin,  particularly -- were still reeling from last week's events, and the only thing anyone could do amid the tumult was to have faith that everything would work out. And boy, do they have a lot of things to work out.

The bulk of the episode was dedicated to Kevin's big grudge against Nora. He was still unwilling to talk to her after the Aaron incident left him feeling guilty and deceived, but Nora, as always, stood her ground and waited for him to come around. Even as he reluctantly marked his 39th birthday, she seemed to be the only one in a celebratory mood. "If you bake [a cake], he will come," Nora insisted.

Her efforts at throwing Kevin a birthday party weren't rooted in naivete or delusion as Kitty and Sarah had thought but, rather, on the belief that she knew her son well enough to know he would eventually make peace with her and the situation. And he did. Kevin couldn't possibly spend his birthday angry (who could with stuffed squab and cake on the menu?), and a sweet mother-and-son talk quelled some of his insecurities. I loved Kevin's honesty that it would take time for him to fully deal with the consequences of Nora's actions, but his willingness to open up and talk about it felt like a genuine moment.

While Kevin sorted his feelings toward Nora, the rest of the family scrambled to save Ojai Foods from tanking. Tommy, Kevin and Justin tried negotiating with Dennis York, but he simply laughed in their faces and called off their initial deal. He would rather wait until the company fails and purchase it at a bargain price than buy out each of the Walkers. Meanwhile, a geological survey of Narrow Lake produced little answers to its mysterious value, so Rebecca, to Holly's chagrin, used her inheritance to pay off the company's debt and buy them some time. I honestly can't wait for this storyline to wrap. It's become this prolonged goose chase with few returns for the audience so far. Dennis' bitter sneer hints at deeper issues, but we're always left to wait and wonder about when they'll ever be acknowledged. I know, have a little faith.

One issue that the show did acknowledge was Rob Lowe's impending departure. For most of the episode, we were led to believe that a top-secret job in Washington, D.C., would whisk Robert and Kitty away, but at the end we found out that he didn't get the job due to his heart health. Since Lowe announced his exit, I believed that the show would do one of two things: Find a reason for him to move out of California (and come back as a guest star) or kill him off completely. Will another D.C. job come his way before season's end, or should we begin preparing for a dramatic death? The suspense is killing me!

We must also wait to discover the fate of Luc, who was back in the picture after being absent last week. His visa was to expire soon, and Sarah continued to pout as he packed his bags. From the looks of next week's preview, a possible pregnancy might make things complicated for the couple, but I have faith Luc will be back next season. ABC can't let one heartthrob go without replacing him with another!

What are your thoughts on the episode? How should Rob Lowe exit the show? Do you want Luc back next season?

-- Enid Portuguez

Comments

[Michael]

Scotty has always been delicious, and the attraction to Kevin questionable. I can't tell if it's the character of Kevin or the actor who plays him that is more annoying. I find the character insufferable. He's a whiny wimp. Sorry. That's how I feel about him.

[MLA17]

I really hope this Narrow Lake plot gives us a final answer soon. It's been taking too long.

I'm gonna miss Rob Lowe. He's so HOT! I predict Robert will have a fatal heart attack. I think his mentioning his heart condition as the reason for not getting the D.C. job was a precursor to his big ending.

If Sarah gets pregnant hopefully that will mean Luc will have to return next season! Yay!

[Brent]

I'm 34 and gay and lost my Mormon mother two years ago. Needless to say, the difficult mother and son moment between Nora and Kevin was genuinely moving to me. It was beautifully acted and greatly helped by the choice of song--"It's Only Fear" by Alexi Murdoch perfectly underscored the emotions in the scene between them. I'm reminded what a great actress--and asset--Sally Field is to the show. She reminded me a lot of my mom. I of course wish she was still around to have that kind of conversation with me. But after I came out to her, our mother/son conversations were strained and for a few years mostly stopped. So thank you Brothers & Sisters for that teaching moment. Hopefully there were parents out there watching who will be helped in their parenting toward their soon to be openly gay sons or daughters. Best wishes and continued success for the show. It's doing a great thing.

[Darlene]

My husband and I are confused, when Kevin was 14 in 1974 he accidentally paralyzed another boy. He is celebrating his 39th birthday, if he was born in 1960 would that not mean he was turning 49 not 39.

[Enid Portuguez]

Darlene, the flashback episode took place in 1986, so I'm assuming Kevin was 14 going on 15 during the time he got in that fight. That would make him born in 1971 and turning 39 this year.