Episode Recap: "An American Family"
Welcome home, Justin! Yes, while the show was still great last week, having you back this week makes us realize how much we missed you. And what a return! With a busted knee and some scrapes, Justin is due for a full recovery, but it's going to be a long haul for him since - as a recovering addict - he has refused to take any pain meds. Justin's physical pain may rival that of his journey of re-entry into a non-combat zone existence. On a good day the Walkers can be overwhelming - imagine that on top of coming home from war and this time, as Justin reminds us, he's not stoned.
It's a good thing we have the perfect senator around to provide the support that Justin may not be able to find in his immediate family. The relationship between these two men has become one of my favorites on the show. It makes sense that they have bonded, given the senator's own military history. Without that closeness, though, I'm sure I would have smirked when Justin looked into
Rob Lowe's baby blues and said of Kitty, "I know she's kinda stoked about being a McAllister, but I'm kinda glad you're going to become a Walker." Instead, it hit me right there.
I'm not surprised, though, that the episode managed to make me both weepy and giggly, because every week
Brothers & Sisters manages to strike the right balance between comedy and drama. In the midst of their trip to retrieve their war-wounded brother, Kitty, Kevin and Nora pull off the road to phone into a talk radio pundit who has personally insulted their family. Was it any surprise that their on-air response did nothing more than make them look ridiculous? They outed Abe Lincoln, for crying out loud! It may be time for Kitty to step down from the senator's staff. I've yet to see her invaluable abilities as communications officer, and I suspect that the fact that they've brought up her
irresponsibility on the job when it comes to her family is a sign that she'll soon be faced with having to do just that.
She may not be the only Walker having to make a choice in the near future. I smell a situation coming up for Tommy and his new office manager, Lena. Call it my
Spidey Sense, but I think this friend of Rebecca's may steal one or two of her friend's moves. Julia and Tommy are having that rough patch And how about Lena offering up a female or
male date for Saul? The writers are not being subtle at all here with his response when explaining his bachelorhood: "The great irony of my life is that I love women as well." Mm-hmm.
Joe also loves the women. I didn't think they could ruin his character more, but then they had him cavalierly inform Sarah that he'd taken off his wedding ring a month ago and then admit that he'd been seeing his ex-wife Paula. Why, oh why? I'm so disappointed. So, again Sarah gets kicked in the stomach with this news from her husband (who, by the way, is still claiming to be family) and then has to hear Rebecca's confession that she had actually come on to Joe a few month's ago. That's O.K., Rebecca. That was only news that could have saved Sarah's marriage! At least we got to see a little bit of that edge that Sarah's been missing lately - loved Sarah describing Rebecca as the "dear deflowered little girl." I guess their truce is over.
The drama will continue, as always, for the Walkers, but I am so looking forward to Justin and Nora's story as these two go through his recovery together. I was touched by Kevin's tears when he first saw Justin, but the final scene with Justin in agony, finally turning to actually clutching his mother for comfort pushed me over the edge. So, again I say: Justin, welcome home.
Thoughts on tonight's show and the incredible chemistry between
Sally Field and
David Annable? Were you savvy enough not to fall for ABC's misleading previews last week featuring a military funeral?
Check out footage of
Brothers and Sisters on our
Online Video Guide.
Find out what the staff writers of
Brothers & Sisters had to say about this episode in TV Guide's exclusive
celebrity blog.
show less
Episode Recap An American FamilyWelcome home Justin Yes while the show was still great last week having you back this week makes us realize how much we missed you And what a return With a busted knee and some scrapes Justin is due for a full recovery but its going to be a long haul for him since as a recovering addict he has refused to take any pain meds Justins physical pain may rival that of his journey of re-entry into a non-combat zone existence On a good day the Walkers can be overwhelming imagine that on top of coming home from war and this time as Justin reminds us hes not stoned Its a good thing we have the perfect senator around to provide the support that Justin may not be able to find in his immediate family The relationship between these two men has become one of my favorites on the show It makes sense that they have bonded given the senators own military history Without that closeness though Im sure I would have smirked
read more