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‘Brothers & Sisters’: Open marriages and impending drama

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For a moment on last night’s ‘Brothers & Sisters,’ Nora Walker looked pretty close to abandoning her traditional homemaker image for a torrid romance with a man in (gasp!) an open marriage.

But who were we kidding? Nora is the show’s moral rock. As much as the idea of her consenting to such an affair would be juicy and exciting, she’s gone through too much to suddenly agree to be the Holly Harper in a relationship. It was good while it lasted, though. Roger was handsome, successful and had a dashing accent — exactly the kind of man who’d prompt such moral concessions. Nora ended their romance with integrity, and it left me wanting more long-term prospects for her. Some might think it’s too soon after William’s death to stick Nora in a committed relationship, but this episode showed she’s more than ready for it.

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In the meantime, she can meddle in Saul’s new relationship. We finally meet Henry, the boyfriend he’s been hiding for who knows how long. Saul’s nervousness at introducing him to the family at Kitty’s baby shower was warranted. Nora’s neuroses alone would be more than enough to send someone running, but Henry handled it well. What this relationship means for Saul remains unclear, but it was nice to have a story revolve around him for once.

The episode also served as a primer for some end-of-season drama. Three major plot lines were introduced: the emergence of Ryan Lafferty, the discovery of Tommy’s devious (and possibly illegal) plot to take down Holly and the shake-up of Kitty and Robert’s marriage.

It’s about time Ryan entered the picture, and it’ll be interesting to see how his story will differ from Rebecca’s. For one, I hope he actually is William’s son. Another false alarm would undoubtedly cause mutiny among viewers. The actor who plays Ryan, Luke Grimes, has the same early-Johnny-Depp, I-can’t-help-but-be-troubled look, so I also hope the baggage he offers will bring out the best (or worst) in the Walker siblings.

Tommy’s plan to regain control of Ojai Foods is about to be foiled by Rebecca, who turned to her estranged father in New York when Justin couldn’t be supportive. We know Balthazar Getty is on his way to recurring-guest-star status, so Tommy will either be on the lam or heading to jail. Rebecca’s role in unveiling the plot also may threaten her relationship with the Walkers and put her in unfamiliar territory, a.k.a. her mother’s side.

Kitty and Robert are also facing a rough road ahead of them. With Robert running for governor, Kitty is left with the possibility of raising their adopted child alone. She turned down a job offer to run her alma mater’s broadcast journalism program in last night’s episode, and it’s likely it won’t be the only sacrifice she’ll have to make. A potential love interest for Kitty has been cast, so look for that boat to be rocked in the next few months.

Time for your thoughts. Which plotline are you looking forward to most? Ryan Lafferty, Tommy’s demise or Kitty and Robert’s marriage shake-up?

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--Enid Portuguez

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