'Brothers & Sisters': Match point

A charity tennis tournament was the centerpiece for a few revelations on Sunday night's episode of "Brothers & Sisters." Sarah discovers the root of her son Cooper's bad behavior, Robert meets the man he's investigating through his top-secret new job, and Nora calls Justin out on his thoughts on re-enlisting in the military. There was definitely plenty of conflict to go around, but my favorite reveal was Kevin and Sarah as the very funny tag team, Kevrah.

The tennis tournament begins as a rouse for Robert to meet Bill Stanton, a notorious businessman who also owns the tennis club. We learn that Stanton has his eyes on a contract to train the Somali army and approval from Robert's senate committee is crucial. However, Robert's new gig involves some covert security operation to catch Stanton cheating, which could be a dangerous situation for both him and Kitty's campaign. I'm very intrigued as to where this will lead. I have no doubt that Rob Lowe will leave the show with a bang, but with one more episode left until the season finale, the Stanton storyline will have to move pretty quickly.   

Meanwhile, when Sarah wasn't hilariously reliving her and Kevin's glory days on the court (that stretching scene was classic), she was dealing with her son's adjustment to Luc moving in. Cooper had been acting out in school and at home, which would be natural for an 8-year-old boy who's had to acclimate to a new family member. Sarah, in the midst of her denial that Luc is the reason for Cooper's angst, decides to take her own stress out on the Frenchman, who looked frustrated yet remained steadfast and patient through it all. Through the ordeal with Cooper, we learn that Luc is a proponent of healthy communication and consequences for bad behavior, two things that Sarah sometimes struggles with as a single mom. If that's not a match made for Sarah, I don't know what is. A good mother and son heart-to-heart solved the problem, but unfortunately, we weren't treated to a full Kevrah comeback -- Cooper's meltdown forced the twosome to forfeit the game.

On the Justin and Rebecca front, things already look shaky for the newlyweds. While Rebecca shopped for houses, Justin contemplated re-enlisting in the military and even dropped the bomb that he didn't want to become a doctor anymore. They're clearly not on the same page and I couldn't help but feel annoyed at Justin. I understand his yearning for a team connection and a sense of purpose, but where does that leave Rebecca? Like she stated, she had been busy preparing for their future, which is what adults do when they get married. He, on the other hand, can't think of anything beyond fulfilling his own needs. The finale notes indicate that they'll consider a trial separation, which could mean the beginning of the end for the couple.

Speaking of a sense of purpose, it's time for Kevin to get off of funemployment. While it's been refreshing to see a more relaxed side of him, he's also so good at sinking his teeth into his work. If he doesn't join Kitty's campaign, it would be great to see him paired with a new colleague who can challenge and banter with him as well as Robert.

What are your thoughts on the episode? Do you think Justin and Rebecca will make it or would you rather see them apart?

-- Enid Portuguez

Photo: Robert McCallister (Rob Lowe), Luc Laurent (Gilles Marini), Sarah Walker (Rachel Griffiths) and Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) take to the court on "Brothers & Sisters." Credit: ABC

Comments

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there's a reason i'm liking the show in the past couple episodes, less focus on Justin.
gosh, it seems like they've been writing the same story for him for 4 seasons...always whining about not being able to handle anything: oh i'm too stupid to be a doctor, oh i'm too weak to kick my drug habit, oh maybe i'm rushing into a marriage, oh you're all mad at me, oh i'm feeling guilty for not going back to war.
so self-centered, and frankly, useless. it's just getting annoying...since the first season.