(S02E03) My TiVo didn't start taping this episode on time, so I missed about the first three minutes of the show when I was putting my kids to bed. If I missed something significant, please forgive me (and let me know in the comments!).

Tonight was a more Tommy-centric episode, and was also uniquely, for Brothers and Sisters, devoid of slapstick. I know, I know. I take this show too seriously. It's a soap opera. It's supposed to be melodramatic. But I really enjoyed the fact that they played this episode straight. Though, I will admit that when I saw that next week promises more "antics," I was also a bit relieved by that because this episode was really intense.

(S02E02) My husband tells me that Heather Havrilesky has written in Salon that Brothers and Sisters is manipulative. She writes, "'Brothers & Sisters' is emotional Frogger. Luckily, I loathe these beautiful, wealthy, loving, empathetic humans and so it brings me deep joy to watch them suffer."

I, however, persist in liking Brothers and Sisters, manipulation and all. That isn't to say that I don't get irritated with the show, as readers who followed my posts last year can attest. I was irritated tonight with the blatant manipulation of opening the show with a funeral, when last week's episode left us in some doubt about whether or not the youngest Walker (oops, second-to-youngest), Justin, was killed in Iraq.