‘Brothers & Sisters’: A trial run
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After her sizzling romance with hot Frenchman Luc quickly fizzled, it was only a matter of time before Sarah Walker got back in the dating scene. It was also just a matter of time before she used her children’s school as a meet market for other fellow single parents.
Her latest love interest is Roy, a divorcee who easily relates to Sarah’s struggles with parenthood. She found his easygoing manner and good humor dreamy -- he’s got to be too good to be true, right? The bubble burst at a PTA meeting, where they duked it out about whether the school had the right to search students’ backpacks. Crestfallen that her new crush dared to take an opposing stance, Sarah wrote him off and declared herself destined for a spinster’s life.
A little public spat didn’t deter Roy, however. When he showed up at Sarah’s dinner party with a bottle of wine and a friendly smile, I marked him a keeper. He certainly is no Luc Laurent in terms of physical attributes (we’ll see more of Gilles Marini in upcoming episodes, thankfully!), but he had enough confidence to walk into a room full of Walkers and hold his own. My favorite scene was actually the one that took place in Sarah’s living room. It was simple: a group of adults having pre-dinner drinks and getting to know a new guest. But the group’s chemistry was so natural and the rhythm of the conversation ebbed and flowed so well that I felt like I was sitting in the love seat next to Kitty. The subtle looks shared by Kitty and Sarah when Roy would say something impressive and even Saul’s crabbiness toward Nora showed how seamlessly these actors work together.
When I wasn’t contemplating the fate of Sarah’s new relationship, I was wrapping my head around Kitty’s potential political career (not to mention her unlimited supply of head scarves). Not only was I happy to see Cheryl Hines guest star as her gossipy girlfriend Buffy, but I also was pleasantly surprised they switched Kitty’s and Robert’s roles by not having him run for reelection. Galvanized by her experience with cancer, it’s no shock that Kitty would want to take life by the horns and do something productive. Politics seemed like a natural progression after her career as an author and pundit. I’m mostly looking forward to how Kitty and Robert will work as a team when the spotlight is turned on her. They probably would be a dynamic duo, but I’m sure a few power struggles lie ahead. Too bad we can’t realistically imagine which area of Southern California she’d represent -- the 54th congressional district doesn’t exist.
The rest of the episode was dedicated to Kevin and Scotty’s adventures in surrogacy. Now that the embryo has been implanted, they eagerly await the result and we must endure Kevin’s maddening neuroses.
What are your thoughts on the episode? Do Sarah and Roy have a chance at love, or will Luc’s impending return spoil it? Do you think Kitty has a future in politics?
-- Enid Portuguez