Two addicts. One conversation. Let the games begin!
CouchTater: Wouldn’t BROTHERS & SISTERS have gotten a lot more mileage out of the off-screen kiss between Walker-clan newbie Rebecca and her brother-in-law Joe by having him deny the accusation or perhaps say that she’d been the one to kiss him? What could have been an intriguing “he said/she said” plot forcing the family to take sides and reverberating for weeks to come was instead reduced to an easily-digestable morsel. But perhaps that’s part and parcel of this show’s bigger problem: It’s seeming determination to burn through three years worth of storyline in a single season. Are our collective attention spans so short that we wouldn’t be able to make it until season two without meeting Holly and William’s daughter? How about giving Balthazar Getty’s character a little airtime instead of introducing new characters every few episodes? Why ditch Nora’s relationship with the charming handyman played by Treat Williams in favor of having her get involved with the smarmy teacher? B&S needs to slow down and let us enjoy the ride.
TheTVAddict: “Are our collective attention spans so short that we wouldn’t be able to make it until season two without meeting Holly and William’s daughter?” In a word — Yes. The unfortunate reality of modern-day television is that viewers all too often have demonstrated their willingness to move onto something new when a series fails to give them answers. (See: LOST losing five million viewers this season).
The introduction of Rebecca not only brought the remarkable Emily VanCamp back to television, its propelled B&S from a good show to a potentially great one. Since her arrival on the scene, the ‘other’ Walker has helped tear apart a marriage, pit brother against brother and create more drama than a month of alcohol-fueled game nights. Sure, the whole “he said/she said” thing sounds intriguing — but I’ll take an awkward weekend at the Vineyard any day. Who didn’t get chills listening to Holly’s final warning to Nora: “You don’t want my daughter living in your house!”
CouchTater: Okay, calm down. Nobody’s badmouthing your beloved Emily. All I’m saying is that if the show isn’t careful, it’s going to find itself heading into camp territory, in part because of its tendency to burn through plot quicker than the Walkers go through liquor. It’s hard to take a show seriously if every time we turn around, there’s fifteen new plots brewing. Not only that, but the show seems to be terrified of being identified as either a drama or a comedy. What the hell was up with that episode-ending catfight between Nora and Holly? What started as a clash of the drama queens eventually degenerated into a food fight. Holly wasn’t the only one who didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
TheTVaddict: Are you seriously telling me to calm down? Kitchen. One hour and come armed — carrots and celery at the ready, no throwing peas — they hurt. Jokes aside, I must respectively disagree with your assertion that “the show seems to be terrified of being identified as either a drama or a comedy.” One of the things I find so appealing about BROTHERS & SISTERS is that we get the best of both worlds. The emotional and heartfelt moments are properly juxtaposed with the light and fluffy ones, creating the ideal balance for a Sunday night drama. Straight up depressing TV, that’s why we have the evening news. 
