(S04E01) "William was a cheater. He had this bottle-blond tramp across town..." - Nora's mother to Holly
The dysfunctional Walker clan is back, and it didn't take long for the squabbling and worrying and break-ups and tragedies to surface. Things open right away with Nora's feeling of foreboding, and with this family, it's usually warranted. There's generally a nice mix of comedy and drama in Brothers & Sisters, and this episode followed suit.
If I were to pick one commercial genre that I can't stand it's the pharmaceutical genre. Why do we even have commercials for Lipitor or Celexa or Flomax? The ads are always telling us to "Ask our doctor" about a certain medication.
You know what? I trust my doctor to know that, if I have a particular medical problem he's going to know what treatment is best for me and which treatment I should avoid. It just seems bizarre to me (and doctors I know) that there are commercials on TV for prescription medicine, as if we are knowledgeable enough about it to make a connection to a health problem we have.
The actresses who have been competing for the Primetime Emmy award in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category these past few years are some of the top names in the business. Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field for Brothers & Sisters, multiple Emmy winner -- including last year's award -- Glenn Close for Damages. Previous winner Mariska Hargitay for Law & Order: SVU. Oh, yes, there's also Saving Grace's Holly Hunter, another former Oscar winner, and Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer.
All these ladies are worthy of winning nominations again, and it wouldn't be surprising to see one or all of them nominated. But if I were to have a say, there are some other women I hope to see recognized when the Primetime Emmy nominations are announced this Thursday.
Remember those great network promos that would have stars from various shows all interacting with each other and praising their networks? ABC is trying that again with the videos below. In the first one, Lost's Jack Shephard and Desperate Housevives' Susan Mayer are living together happily until Susan mentions a certain word (it also answers this question). In the second, Hurley is shown with various dancing stars, a nanny, and the Wipeout balls.
One of the biggest victims in last year's Writers Guild strike was the Golden Globe awards. Fortunately, the SAG threats of a strike remain just that -- threats -- so the Globes are on and the nominations were announced this morning.
Unfortunately, there were few surprises among the TV noms. In fact, it's kind of worrisome that these nominations are way too similar to the Emmy nominations. Among the new network shows from this season, and last, very little.
NBC will broadcast the Golden Globes on January 11. For the complete list of the Globe noms, click here, and for some instant impressions on said noms, read on after the jump:
Do you have those things on your favorite shows that just make you smile when they happen? It's not like it's the highlight of the show or anything; maybe it's just giving you those warm fuzzies inside. Maybe it's when Earl crosses something off his list on My Name is Earl. Or maybe it's as simple as when Penny sits in Sheldon's spot on The Big Bang Theory. Those familiar moments somehow make us feel like we're with old friends.
I get those. Most recently, I've been getting them when the Walkers of ABC's Brothers & Sisters are all on the phone together in some kind of mass speaker phone teleconferencing chain from hell. I'd say I don't normally watch these family soaps, but I've always liked Sally Field, and when she was recast as the matriarch of the Walkers, I found myself tuning in. This despite the fact that Ally McBeal's lips looked even puffier and she's still way too skinny. But then she married Rob Lowe and I've always liked him, too.
Who is the missing Walker sibling? For a year, the answer was Rebecca, but DNA has proven that that's not William Walker's unaccounted for child. It's a character named Ryan Lafferty and today a newcomer named Luke Grimes has been cast in the role.
When the storyline revealed that there was a Ryan somewhere out there, rumors were rife that a big name would land the role. Jason Ritter and Jason Dohring were in the running, but Grimes is set to sign on the dotted line and his resume is pretty slim, just a couple of minor movies, Assassination of a High School President and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane.
The news comes just weeks after Applegate earned an Emmy nomination for her work as an amnesiac trying to undo her past misdeeds on Samantha Who?. In addition to continuing to work on her series, Applegate is also scheduled to appear on the Stand Up To Cancer telethon on September 5th. The telethon, which will be simultaneously aired on CBS, NBC and ABC, will also feature Meryl Streep, Sally Field and Jennifer Aniston, among others.
Since the cancer was detected early through a doctor-ordered MRI and Applegate is continuing her work schedule, hopefully the cancer will be easily beat. Here's to a full and speedy recovery.
Sally Field is a two-time Oscar winner, a three-time Emmy winner -- including last year at Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for Brothers and Sisters -- and she's bound to be in the running again this year when the nominations are announced on July 17.
Sally will be joined by TCM host Robert Osborne introducing and discussing her four films. The Field four are Love With a Proper Stranger, The Awful Truth, All About Eve and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, and every one of them features great performances by women.
To those of you who aren't movie buffs, here's a bit more information about these films -- why I like them, and I mean, I really like them.
You think winning two Oscars would earn you some respect, right? What about a Tony and Emmy winner? No, apparently not -- in either case. Two high-profile TV movies which feature Jessica Lange and Mary-Louise Parker are being broadcast -- unceremoniously -- over the next three Saturday nights on CBS. Yes, they are essentially being dumped. The Nielsen numbers for programs on Saturday nights is next to nothing. By running Sybil and Vinegar Hill, these stars' respective films on that night of the week, CBS is showing no faith in them, let alone TV movies in general. I guess Hallmark Hall of Fame movies are the exception to the rule.
(S02E16) Rebecca: "I don't know what to do next." Justin: "Me neither."
I cried twice during this episode. Maybe more. I cried when Nora told Kevin he deserved to have a beautiful wedding just as much as anybody else. And I also cried at two more points, but I'll talk about them below the jump. This was a beautiful episode of television. Even though I don't know that I have written about the music used in episodes, I thought the use of "Can't Find My Way Home" for the last two scenes was profoundly moving. Last year, I thought the season finale was a disaster because it ended with grand hijinks and everybody jumping into a pool. This year's season ended quietly on a beautiful sunny hillside, and it just about broke my heart. I am going to go out on a limb here and hope that this show wins an Emmy, because when they do it well, they really nail it.
(S02E15) "We should ask ourselves: 'What's the right thing to do?'" Holly Harper to Tommy Walker
So, what are we to think of Holly? Is she a pathological liar and a scheming manipulator? A greedy opportunist? Or is she genuinely trying to do the right thing as she sees it, affair with William Walker not withstanding? Honestly, I can't make up my mind, but I am leaning toward seeing her as a flawed person who is doing her best. Lord knows, she could have taken her inheritance from William Walker and kissed the entire clan goodbye. Perhaps some see her as unable to let go, unable to stop until she has revenge on the Walkers for having William in ways she couldn't. But that seems a rather extreme pathology. It's much more interesting to view her as a complicated human being, which has certainly been supported on the show.
[S02E136 "That was weird, wasn't it?" Justin Walker
I am starting to feel like Siskel and Ebert every week. Oh, that was a great episode! Oh, that episode sucked! It doesn't seem like there is any in between with me. Does that mean I'm too picky?
You know, it's funny because sometimes I don't even know how I feel about an episode, really, until I start writing about it, so my actual experience with watching it isn't necessarily negative, even if I write up a critical review. But tonight, I am pretty sure I know how I feel about it: That was a great episode.
Lots of things going on this week: Things are definitely heating up and charging down the runway toward May Sweeps and the end of the season, but they are things that have been set up for so long and so well that their very inevitability feels natural, unhurried, unforced, like a cart careening down a hill, picking up momentum, and heading into rush-hour traffic. And I'm not going to talk about it before the jump, so let's get going, shall we?
I know it must be hard looking after all those brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and lovers. And while I truly do appreciate how you welcomed your dead husband's lover and their child into the Walker fold, I really think it's time you grew up and started making some decisions for yourself.
Ok, so maybe moving to Washington, D.C. with Isaac wasn't the right decision, but it seemed like the one thing that kept you in California were those four words uttered forlornly by Kitty: "I need you, Mom."
Kitty's a grown woman with a career and a husband. She can take care of herself, as can the rest of the Walker clan. OK, so I'm a little undecided as to whether I'd want my entire family there to watch me puke and get the shakes, as was the case when Justin was de-toxing. Then again, drug addiction isn't pretty any way you look at it, so ... go Walkers.
(S02E15) "I'm leaving to get away from all of you!" - Nora Walker to her darling children, about moving to Washington D.C. with Isaac.
Sometimes what I actually want to review is the scenes for next week's show, because it seems more interesting than the one I just watched. However, I know that many of you deliberately do not watch those clips, so we shall say no more on the subject. I am glad the Walkers are back, and I like how they have handled the time off due to the strike: they simply said, "Three months later," and picked up with events then.
Before that jump, though, we learned some important things: That Graham and Sarah are still dating, that Tommy and Julia are still happily together, and that Senator Robert McCallister loses the Republican Party's nomination for the Presidency, so Robert returns to the Senate.
If I were to pick one commercial genre that I can't stand it's the pharmaceutical genre. Why do we even have commercials for Lipitor or Celexa or Flomax? The ads are always telling us to "Ask our doctor" about a certain medication. 
The actresses who have been competing for the Primetime Emmy award in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category these past few years are some of the top names in the business. Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field for Brothers & Sisters, multiple Emmy winner -- including last year's award -- Glenn Close for Damages. Previous winner Mariska Hargitay for Law & Order: SVU. Oh, yes, there's also Saving Grace's Holly Hunter, another former Oscar winner, and Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer.
One of the biggest victims in last year's Writers Guild strike was the Golden Globe awards. Fortunately, the SAG threats of a strike remain just that -- threats -- so the Globes are on and the nominations were announced this morning. 
Who is the missing Walker sibling? For a year, the answer was Rebecca, but DNA has proven that that's not William Walker's unaccounted for child. It's a character named Ryan Lafferty and today a newcomer named Luke Grimes has been cast in the role. 
Christina Applegate, star of ABC's Samantha Who?, is battling breast cancer. According to a statement released by her rep, the cancer was detected early and is not life-threatening. "Christina is following the recommended treatment of her doctors and will have a full recovery," Ame Van Iden said. 
Sally Field is a two-time Oscar winner, a three-time Emmy winner -- including last year at Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for Brothers and Sisters -- and she's bound to be in the running again this year when the nominations are announced on July 17.
You think winning two Oscars would earn you some respect, right? What about a Tony and Emmy winner? No, apparently not -- in either case. Two high-profile TV movies which feature Jessica Lange and Mary-Louise Parker are being broadcast -- unceremoniously -- over the next three Saturday nights on CBS. Yes, they are essentially being dumped. The Nielsen numbers for programs on Saturday nights is next to nothing. By running Sybil and Vinegar Hill, these stars' respective films on that night of the week, CBS is showing no faith in them, let alone TV movies in general. I guess Hallmark Hall of Fame movies are the exception to the rule.
(S02E15) "We should ask ourselves: 'What's the right thing to do?'" Holly Harper to Tommy Walker
[S02E136 "That was weird, wasn't it?" Justin Walker
Dear Nora,
(S02E15) "I'm leaving to get away from all of you!" - Nora Walker to her darling children, about moving to Washington D.C. with Isaac.
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