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Brothers and Sisters: Matriarchy (season finale)
(S01E23) At the beginning of the episode, Justin says, "Life is what happens in between big sets." He is talking about surfing, and also the past year and everything that has happened. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not that is true, profound, or whether, as Justin said, it just sounded poetic in his head. And I think I'm going to have to go with poetic in Justin's head. Just like I think this episode was probably so much better in the writers' heads. I have to admit, I am a little disappointed. I am struggling with a huge bias here though: I HATE slapstick. Hate it. And so whenever this show employs it, I just kind of shut down and zone out. Last week was a brilliant, beautiful episode, and I wish they had just stopped with that. In fact, in my mind, last week's episode is just going to be the season finale, and we'll just pretend this one didn't happen, shall we?It was bad enough that the tent collapsed, but Robert McCallister's family was too much. It was such a caricature that there wasn't anything real or grounded about it to remain in the episode for during those scenes. And they were intermingling this with Justin sneaking off to war? It was just too much, too disparate. And perhaps it was leading up to the moment in which they all, in their fancy clothes, hurled themselves into the swimming pool, but what could have been an elegant release, a cleansing, a baptism, a washing away of the past year, past sins, the sorrows and anguish, just... wasn't. I can appreciate what they were going for, but it lacked a lot in translation and execution.
I always like Garry Marshall, but it was just too much, you know? The jokes about his name Major Weiner, which was pronounced alternatively Whiner and Weener (his name is Jack, Robert's is Bobby - what are these? The anti-Kennedys? And Jack and Bobby BOTH died, so look out, Brothers and Sisters writers. Are these the comparisons you are really establishing for us?), were bad enough. But then his lewdness, reaching into his pocket, grabbing Nora's "caboose," and the entire family? The entire Beverly Hillbillies clan? I just cannot believe that Robert and Jason (too close to Justin, I get the names confused) came from that family. Robert jokingly asks Kitty whether he is still electable after she meets his family (didn't she go to his hometown to find dirt about him? How did none of this ever surface? Unbelievable, and poorly anticipated), and she says, "Probably not," and I think it was supposed to be a joke, but let me tell you: It wasn't. With that family, he is completely unelectable.
They are the kind of people who vomit in public and pee in the pansies. You cannot take them anywhere. And who exactly were they trying to make fun of? Who are these people supposed to be? Jason tells Robert that they were raised Catholic (another Kennedy reference) but he became a Methodist minister. So, are we making fun of Catholics? California hicks? People who bring artichoke ambrosia to catered parties? I don't get the joke. Surely, at some point in his career (or say, his engagement to his first wife), Robert had to bring his family to public gatherings. He should either give them a list of rules or stop inviting them. He should know better. Nora tells him that you never have to apologize for family, but yes, Brothers and Sisters writers, yes you do.
We had some nice, quiet revelations: Holly and Sarah had a nice moment of making peace. Saul's friend admitting that he is gay, and the sudden aha! about Saul, and Saul's painful, silent, denial. Julia's depression is growing and Tommy's trying to hide it, not really facing it yet. Rebecca finally came clean about her torrid past (oh, and it is torrid, but I think her past actually makes her a more sympathetic character, just because she is damaged, and she was so young). Do you think she will come clean to Sarah? Kitty and Nora rushing to the airport - I have to admit, I had tears in my eyes when I started writing the review, just because of Justin leaving. I have three sons, who are very young, but that was still hard. But these moments didn't really add up to anything. And other moments were going for some kind of closure, poignancy, like Kitty and Nora squabbling about Kitty moving out, and they just ended up falling flat.
I know that I am being really harsh, and it's because I'm irritated. This show can be so damn good when it's really good, but uneven crap like this is going to have a negative effect on the show. Take a look at all of the episodes that have hit notes like this, look at the bylines of those writers, and get rid of them. Keep the good ones, and if you have to, hire some new ones. Talent abounds. It shouldn't be that hard. 
I'm giving this episode a 3 out of 7, but I realize that I am probably biased about the slapstick and perhaps I am being overly prickly about it. I just can't give it a 4 though: that negates every other episode that really merits a 4. But oh, Lordy, I can't wait to see what you guys thought of it.
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