"The Feast of Epiphany"
How fitting that in this time of striking writers, and absent first-run programming
Brothers & Sisters should return to the air, however briefly, with an episode about coming together and catching up. Yes, it's true that nearly every episode of this delightful show features some sort of Walker gathering, but this time the family is getting together, at Nora's nudging, simply because they haven't seen each other in a while. Well, that's not entirely true. Nora has a crush on Kitty's friend, Isaac, and has invited him to dinner with her whole family as backup. However, things rarely go according to plan around this clan and by the end of the evening the gang's baggage is all on the table by dessert. Would we have it any other way?
The wedding cliffhanger was the prevarication hanging over Robert's campaign, which, of course, makes him a perfect fit with this family that has a tendency to have its secrets exposed. The politicos arrived at dinner after the Senator's live town hall meeting addressing his so-called wartime heroism and ever-the-last-to-know Kitty created an awkward moment by posing the theoretical dilemma concerning the revelation of a secret that could hurt someone else. Cue the furtive glances about the table as those in the know silently weigh in on Tommy's infidelity and the resulting triangle between him, Justin and skanky Lena.
As predictable moments go this one was rather enjoyable. By the end of the evening, Julia (Nora and Isaac) knew about the affair and had confessed her own meaningless indiscretion with a high school flame during her sabbatical from the marriage. But wait, just before that dust-up Robert finally admitted to his new wife that he was "ambivalent" about her timetable for having kids. Ambivalent. What a politician.
Elsewhere Holly, Rebecca and Dave were also ensconced in a cozy dinner fraught with simmering tensions. Holly was mysterious, Dave was slickly charming and Rebecca was piecing together her mother's murky past enough to question whether William or Dave was really her father. You see, Holly, when you lie, people don't believe you. You can assure Rebecca all you want that she's a Walker, but your twenty years of saying a director was her father couple with the appearance of a washed-up actor ex-boyfriend will keep Rebecca doubting your word.
As for Kevin's ex? Well, he's coming back to town and wants to have lunch. While Kev nearly decided to keep Scotty in the dark with some excuse about Scotty fearing a dumping should Jason return, Kevin finally did come clean. We call this growth.
While everyone was busy putting it all out there Sarah was busy being light and flirty delivering some of the best lines of the night in between deflecting advances from her new business associate. "Mom's hot for a Republican!"; "All the men in the family can do with a little cricket on their shoulder." Kitty, however, had the best dead pan of the night reminding us that, "not all Republicans are gay."
They may not all be gay, but in this make-believe world of Walkers, it seems that all the republican candidates have something to hide. Kitty's earlier theoretical dilemma played out as expected when Robert's biggest competitor for the nomination dropped out of the race after his personal secrets were revealed. Now, it could be a straight shot to the presidency for the senator and his baby-craving wife. Should that happen, I tell you one thing, I'll be looking forward to those family gatherings at the White House.
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