Brothers & Sisters
Most TV actors would be pleased with one meaty storyline each season, but Brothers & Sisters' Dave Annable feels like he struck gold this season with two.
Not only will Annable's Justin Walker start medical school this fall, but he'll also be planning a wedding with new fiancée Rebecca (Emily VanCamp). Naturally, those two arcs will conflict, and the result will be major drama.
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"We're really trying to tell the truth of how chaotic his life has become," Annable tells TVGuide.com. "Justin gets very frustrated ...
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Paris Hilton and Benji Madden by Chris Polk/ WireImage.com
Young Hollywood came out in full force to Crown Bar, Hollywood's hip new hotspot, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The space was transformed into the "Hornitos Garden of Agave," and the décor was far from incomplete with an elaborate ice sculpture and a donkey piñata hanging above the dance floor. Of course, a party is not a party in Hollywood without Paris Hilton and her new beau Benji Madden. When asked about what romantic things he does for her, Paris gushed to TV Guide, "He writes me beautiful letters and he just has a heart of gold. We are very in love!" Everybody all at once now, awww.Guests enjoyed cheese quesadillas and tuna tartare with some specialty cocktails to help wash them down, including Brothers & Sisters 'newly single Dave Annable. Between sips of his margarita, he recalled one of his favorite memories from the set. "I think one of my favorites," he said, "is one of the first scenes they did with Sally [Field]. We were shooting outside of a jail in the se...
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Emily VanCamp in Brothers & Sisters by Randy Holmes/ABC
We saw it coming. We dreaded it happening. And now it’s official—or as much as anything can be in the world of TV soap opera, in this case ABC's Brothers & Sisters. Rebecca is not a blood relation to the Walkers. So says her DNA. And her reaction to this genetic shocker was predictably unhappy—so much so that it prompted her biological daddy to split for the other coast, leaving poor Holly once again bereft. Compounding the misery: Rebecca is now lying about it to Justin, the Walker who matters most. As if the surfing lesson that ended the episode wouldn’t have had enough queasily sensual subtext as is.All of which leads me to this week’s critical quandary. Is it possible to hate a storyline and still love the actors caught up in it? (This also struck me watching last week’s Ugly Betty, with Henry succumbing to pregnant Charlie’s manipulations and sadly letting birthday-girl Betty down in every way possible. Christopher Gorham deserves better m...
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Episode Recap Something NewThere are some remarks only family can get away with saying Mom you slut is one of them While these are words that would never come out of my mouth they barely raise an eyebrow in the Walker household Truth be told their being uttered during a family discussion recalling what music was playing when they each lost their virginity took the sting out of such a declaration but it also goes to show the comfort level in this family This week we were in full wedding preparation mode with Kitty feeling that all planned elements for her big day were recycled From her dress to her first dance with Robert who of course had done this before She had a point so were happy that she found a perfect dress to wear instead of Noras outdated and oversized hand-me-down This also was a perfect moment for ABC to subtly remind viewers of the upcoming Dancing with the Stars finale by featuring a ballroom dancing sequence In
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Calista Flockhart, Dave Annable and Sally Field in Brothers & Sisters by Craig Sjodin/ABC
How’s this for irony? All last week, trying not to get too depressed about what a protracted writers’ strike might mean for the TV season and the industry at large, I was secretly looking forward to a weekend getaway: catching former Alias star Jennifer Garner’s Broadway debut in a revival of Cyrano, opposite Kevin Kline and Rescue Me’s Daniel Sunjata. Unfortunately, my tickets were for Saturday night, by which time the stagehands’ union had initiated their own sudden walkout and work stoppage.At this rate, I might actually finish the book I’ve been reading since mid-October.(Thankfully, I was lucky enough to catch Aaron Sorkin's new play, The Farnsworth Invention, before the strike. It was scheduled to have its official opening night later this week, but when it reopens, I predict a healthy run for this fascinating, entertaining play recounting the birth of television.)While consumers of TV, movies and even theater wait for unions and producers to reac...
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Question: I love your column. It is refreshing to hear the way you dissect television art, and I'd like to discuss Brothers & Sisters. I'm so glad I tuned in, despite the early problems. Not only was my perception of Calista Flockhart as annoying totally shattered, especially in the Sept. 11 episode, but the players I had no preconceived notions about, like Matthew Rhys and Dave Annable, showed me how strong the show really is. And last week's episode with Justin's return was pure brilliance, from the beginning with Kevin and Sarah talking on their respective cell phones all the way to the beautiful scene where Justin clings to his mother Nora, played brilliantly by Sally Field. I immediately thought of my mother through the tears this scene brought to my eyes, and remembered trying times in my life when a long hug made me feel better. This show has opened my eyes to the power of storytelling and reinvigorated my desire to crack into this business as a writer. I think this hour of ...
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Emily Van Camp, Matthew Rhys and Dave Annable, Brothers and Sisters
The Brothers & Sisters ensemble (sans the actors who play Nora, Robert, Kitty and Sarah) recently walked a red carpet outside the San Antonio Winery (where the show has filmed on occasion) in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the release of the prime-time serial drama's Season 1 DVD release. TVGuide.com was on the scene to get the scoop on that as well as Season 2, which debuts on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 10 pm/ET, on ABC.
Arguably, the biggest shock twist at the end of the show's freshman year was Uncle Saul possibly being gay. (Those longing looks with guest star Michael Nouri sure implied it, didn't they?) Does Ron Rifkin (Saul) know anyone who dealt with their sexual preferences later in life? "Are you kidding?" he responds rhetorically to TVGuide.com. "All of us [know someone like Saul]." That is, if Nora's brother
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Emily VanCamp and Dave Annable, Brothers & Sisters
Question: You can tell me your hush-hush Brothers & Sisters news. I can keep a secret.
Answer: OK, but I have to be a little cryptic about it, so dust off your thinking cap. (Spoiler alert) According to extremely reliable sources, there is a huge story coming up this season involving half siblings Rebecca and Justin. Coincidentally, I hear producers are well aware that there is palpable chemistry between Emily VanCamp and David Annable. Them's the dots. Get busy connecting 'em.
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Question: As a big fan of Brothers & Sisters, I have to wonder what's going to happen to the show next year with Justin in Iraq. Will Dave Annable still be on the show? And if Justin is kept in Iraq, how will that play out? I think the show's best moments are when the whole family is together. Will that be missing with one of the fan favorites on another continent?
Answer: By all accounts, Dave Annable will still be on the show next season. At this point I'd be concerned if you weren't concerned about what it means for Justin to go off to Iraq. But I'm not the spoiler expert on this site, and I'd just as soon not know what Justin's fate will be until I see how it plays out for myself. I think it's safe to assume he'll still be interacting with many of his Walker relatives in the months to come, but beyond that I'm happy for now for this to be one of many mysteries keeping us thinking about our favorite shows between seasons ...
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After it was resolved that Justin's deployment to Iraq would be delayed to allow him to work on his recovery, much of his story line has centered on his struggle to shake his addiction. But Justin's fears about going back to war were always there in the background. And tonight those fears became a reality in the worst way, as Justin found out at the last minute that his departure date was earlier than planned. At first I liked the way Justin handled his goodbyes individually — until, like Nora, I realized that he was saying goodbye for real, in case he wouldn’t be coming back. Even though I can see, rationally, how it doesn’t matter whether or not the word “goodbye” is actually said, I can understand how Nora felt that avoiding a formal goodbye would bring Justin back to her, as if not saying goodbye would make it impossible for him to die. Justin’s early departure coincided, unfortunately, with Kitty’s engagement party. He’d already said his ...
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