Episode 201 Writer's Video

Hey kids!

Here's a new treat for fans of the Hit ABC Show, Brothers & Sisters!

Following the broadcast of each episode, ABC.com will post a video interview with the writers of the just-shown episode.  For instance, today you can watch Alison Schapker and Monica Owusu-Breen talking about the conception and execution of Episode 201, "Home Front."

Access it here: under the screen, click on "The Writers Room 201."

Hope you enjoyed the premiere -- we had a great party organized by Todd Stolarski.  Pictures to follow later in the week.

Take care now --
Dan

Comments

[will]

Dan, starting the blog off with "Hey kids!" makes me feel - a little troublesomely - like a Mickey Mouse Mouseketeer. There must be a more dignified way to go about this.

[PAT MINETTE]

I am the mother of a son deployed to Iraq, I cannot begin to tell you how heartwrenching it was to watch sundays show. I wrote something that i would like to share, Sally field is one of my favorite actresses (guess I am showing my age) and I feel she is perfect for this part, I have 3 sons, my oldest left 4 weeks ago and is in baghdad.
here is my poem that expresses exactly how I feel
I try to be happy, try hard to smile
but my heart has stopped, and it will for a while
my son is gone, he left for Iraq,
in one year and 3 months, I pray he'll be back
people say not to worry, they say I shouldn't fear,
but they say that while their children are sitting quite near.
some who have had husbands, or brothers or sons,
and have made it back safely and their worry is done,
tell me not to fret, that he'll make it back too,
but can you tell me for certain? and how about the few?
who did not make it back, the ones whose lives ended.
can their families go on? will their hearts ever be mended?
I worry each day, and when the phone rings,
my heart skips a beat, and I fear all the things.
that could happen to him, in a place filled with hate,
that a random bomb on the roadside could determine his fate.
so when you ask me about him and tears come to my eyes,
and I tell you i'm fine, please bare with my lies.
you see I won't really be fine, till he is on his way home.
and I won't have to think about him out there alone.
so when I am quiet, I'm not angry or mad
It's not about "you" so you don't need to feel bad.
I'll work my way through this, I'll put on a brave face.
but no amount of reassurance will ever replace.
his return home to us, the return of them all
when no more young soldiers will ever need fall.

[Carrie]

The premiere was amazing. The perfect balance of humor and drama, but it always is. Sally Field's performance was amazing and it's so easy to see why she won the Emmy just a few weeks ago.

[Caitlyn]

If you know one thing, you MUST know this: this is one of the best, most realistic, moving television shows I have ever watched. Keep up the amazing work and thank you for this masterpiece.

[CeCe]

{{{{Pat Minette}}}} Your strength amazes me. I'm not a praying person, but I will send positive thoughts out to the universe for you and your family every day.

I am thankful every day that my kids are too little to even be considered for war. But I know there are kids their ages in other countries who are fighting, and my heart aches for them and their families.

I hope your son comes home soon, and safely.

[Zach]

I loved the premiere. It made me laugh and it touched me like many season 1 episodes did but I couldn’t help thinking that it should have been this season’s episode 5.

I understand why the writers chose/needed to skip the summer but while watching episode 1 I found myself wishing they had found a way to avoid the fast forward. I want to know how the characters got to where they are. Correction – I want to see and hear how they got here. Examples . . . Sarah wants to reconcile with Joe but we are given too little to really understand why she wants this. Kevin said “I love you” to Jason but we have no idea why he can say that now.

This show has drawn me in more than any other tv show has in several years. The characters and their relationships are handled so well by the writers and actors. I’m looking forward to each upcoming episode even if I’m not happy about the past few months being kept from me.

[will]

Reflections on a second viewing.

You know, I prefer complexity in dialogue. Overlapping dialogue, dialogue that retains mystery, that isn't spelled out for the slowest viewers, that sometmes comes at you obliquely, out of left field. For this reason, I found the first half of "Home Front's" script to be on the vanilla, garden-variety side.

However, I was completely won over by the long, intricate mexican restaurant scene(s) - with its snatches of conversations overheard here... then there.... a shifting, rotating kaleidoscope of gossip & familial recriminations. This was somewhat ALTMANESQUE! with its freefloating atmosphere & uninhibited dialogue. As always, most of my favorite sections involved Kevin, and the spoken (written) words here are a fine tribute to Monica & Alison, the episode's screenwriters....

Mixing it up and drinking at the restaurant.

Kitty: How could mom DO this to me, on my birthday no less?

Tommy: Are we over hating Holly yet?

Saul: We don't HATE Holly... it's just ackward, that's all.

Kevin: (slouching over a drink, drowning his sorrows over Jason) I hate her.

Sarah: You hate everyone.

Kevin: (drink in hand, practically slurring) Oh, I'm sorry I didn't get a quickie on the spin cycle to put ME in a good mood....

Then, a couple quickie scenes later, Kevin with his mother:

Kevin: You know, this is your fault.

Nora: What's my fault this time?

Kevin: The "Thornbirds". You made me watch it with you. Richard Chamberlain and his "cute, little white collar! A love that's taboo and irresistable - Ooooohh!"

I am so IN LOVE with that silly-sulky dialogue (& Matthew's extraordnary choices as an actor). The "Thornbirds" was a 1983 miniseries about the "taboo love" of a priest... played by Richard Chamberlain who was in real life, ironically enough, gay. So Kevin implies it's Nora's fault that he fell for a gay priest in the form of Jason MaCallister.

Then, still with the salty tongue, Kevin chats with Saul.

Kevin: Uncle Saul, you have the right idea, you know that? No ties, no commitments. And if you want to spend the whole weekend in bed watching porn and doing the New York Times crossword, would anybody stop you? No.

These short shifting snarky scenes are the best. Nothing is belaboured. The comedy free-flows like the booze for a number of minutes & I don't think I could have enjoyed these minutes any fuller. The best tribute I could give to Monica & Alison is that it was worth every minute of time it took me to copy this dialogue down long-hand (from the online episode). The scene was a sparkling little gem. Brava.

[florent]

Thanks so much for this wonderful new feature. It is great to see what is going on behind the screen.

[Judy L]

No one can capture the B&S flavor better than M&A. Well done ladies!!!

[will]

"maryland fan" on the previous thread & CeCe... & Zach on this one & myself....what is the common trait linking these diverse personalities??

We all felt JETLAG...a certain sense of the body feeling disrupted...or dislocated.... because Jason is suddenly leaving BEFORE WE EVER GOT TO KNOW HIM.

Look, I know there were practical concerns & personal obligations....& that actors aren't available indefinately. But this was CLUMSY! You showed them...it looked like they were moved in together.... they were showering & kissing & happy after apparently 3 months of domestic bliss....you dangled & freaking carrot in front of our face then SNATCHED IT AWAY!

BOOOOHH! HISSSSSSS! GRRRRRR!

Here's another fabulous idea: Why not have opened season 2 with Kitty & Robert newly married....& ALREADY DIVORCED. Yeah, see, what happened during the intervening 3 months was that the senator had a torrid affair with another co-worker...it's too complicated to get into right here.... but anyway, they eventually divorced - or rather got their marriage annuled - & when we pick up the story again, Senator McCallister has moved to Wisconsin to be with his new wife (as he's recently re-married).....

You are tossing Jason out like yesterday's trash. I feel.... VIOLATED. NEW STORYLINE! Switch places!! Shuffle Jason off to Malysia & shuttled the old one (Scotty) back in.... (apparently to appease Kong Chang who's been maintaining a "Luke MarFarlane fansite" forever & finds Scotty super-duper-cuddly & "sweet"). Sorry...that's my bitchy streak....

But I want those summer months back again. I was so craving a REAL & emotionally honest storyline.

[trinity]

This is absolute fantastic to include the writer's video weekly after the aired episode. The writers of brothers & sisters has inspire me to write and getting a chance to watch every week about the writer is amazing.Keep updating~!

[John]

I really loved the premiere
anyway, not about this post, could you revive the music list of this show? I want it back so bad!

[ilovemylife]

Loved Eric Winter in this episode. Agree with Will's commenting about the missing out on Kevin and Jason's getting to this point in their relationship. That would have been fun to watch.

Everyone seems even more natural in their characters in this first episode of season two.

Enjoyed Sarah/Rachel a lot. And the opening scene where Nora is talking to Justin and the ending scene where Rebecca is also using the video cam talking to Justin - both give us an intimate feeling with these two characters. Nice.

[Toto]

I really liked the Jason&Kevin. And if you explore fansites, all the fan of Brothers and Sisters posted how cute they were! Everybody seem to like them being together. So will you consider reappearing him? Maybe next season....or next next season, when Eric Winter is available.
Anyway thanks for great soap opera!

[CeCe]

THIS is a GREAT feature! Thank you so much! I watched it while having my coffee this morning, and it just made me smile and think and feel really excited for the next episode! And yes, I am a total dork, but I LOVE the ticker for the time until the next episode!

[Chantal]

It was a great episode! I really enjoyed it. Everybody's struggle but their togetherness. Nora and Holly, Sarah/Joe/Tommy, Tommy/Julia, Rebecca/Kitty, Saul... They're fabulous! It's great to watch. I didn't like Joe 'taking advantage' of Sarah though, and I really hope they will work things out. He's hot. And I like them as a couple. They should make an effort!
Thanks for the great writing. B&C is one of my favourite shows!

[Nick]

Loved the episode, very heartwrenching and realistic... though it was interesting that Malaysia was a country of choice! As a frequent traveler to Kuala Lumpur, I can say that it's not the impoverished nation that the show made it sound to be (unless you were referring to the Borneo region, East Malaysia, which certainly could apply)... I understand of course that it was used fictitiously, so no harm done. Great job on a terrific premiere! ~N

[Kate]

LOVED the premiere---where is the MUSIC GUIDE??????????????????????

[CeCe]

Well, since you haven't updated the comments in a few days, I was forced (forced, I tell you!) to rewatch the episode and think of more things I loved. :-D

OK, I'll get the whiny Kitty part out of the way: in the hotel room she is whining about people not taking her seriously since they got engaged. Well, hellooooo! If you want them to see you as fitting in the "high powered working woman box" instead of the "fiance-slash-wife box", don't put your hand on the Senator's leg all wifey-like during a television interview about his campaign!!!

Other brilliant moments:

Kevin saying "I'd be afraid to celebrate my birthday." and "Maybe there's a Kitty curse." Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE Kevin?

Julia saying: "Tell her [Nora] to call me when Justin dies. Then we'll have something to talk about." Amazing, right? So brutal and cruel and so perfectly exactly how she was really feeling at that instant. We all have our "stuff", and usually we can tell when other people's stuff is bigger or harder or worse than ours. But sometimes...we can't fathom that anybody could possibly be going through something as horrible as what we're going through at that moment. And in those moments, sometimes awful, hurtful stuff like that gets through our filters. {{{Julia}}}

Along those same "gosh is this show incredibly realistic" lines...Tommy was kind of a dick to Sarah when she needed him, but guess what? That is so much more realistic than if he were to have dropped everything in the middle of all his stuff, to try to help with her stuff. It was perfect.

Tommy in the restaurant after Kevin says the snappish comment about the quickie on the spin cycle: "Since when are we not allowed to blab?????" He looked so innocent and sooooooo cute!

Kevin when Jason walks in the apartment: "What were you doing with the Bishop so long? Should I be jealous?" Matthew played it like he was mostly kidding, but also a little seriously worried, too. OMG he is too adorable!

The moment in the cemetery when the hottie got out of her car and started heading toward William's grave... was fantastic comic relief. Loved it.

And speaking of beautifully written sentences...
will said: "However, I was completely won over by the long, intricate mexican restaurant scene(s) - with its snatches of conversations overheard here... then there.... a shifting, rotating kaleidoscope of gossip & familial recriminations."

Indeed, indeed.

3 Days, 07:57:19 left...

[CeCe]

Oh! Seeing the requests for the music guide made me remember this:

The version of Who'll Stop The Rain that played over the closing scene with Rebecca was just ... GAHHH!! Loved it! Who was the singer?

Did y'all see that our boyfriend Matthew Rhys is on the cover of next month's Advocate? SQUEE!

[Sadia]

LOVED the premiere!!!!!!

[yvette]

Loved the premiere. Hate the fact that Eric Winter's character Jason is leaving. But I understand way. But could you please keep him in mind for future seasons. Kevin and Jason click and if Kevin is finally going to settle down with someone it should be Jason.

[locklear]

Sorry, but #201 was the most poorly written episode to-date. And, to have it as the season opener??? Someone's awful decision! It seems the intent is to turn the Walkers into cartoon characters. How disappointing to see not one, but two scenes, in which the actors were shown quarelling loudly screaming, actually) at each other, one voice drowning out the other. One scene would've been enough since they showed this kind of thing successfully last year. I remember! They didn't need two repeats - in the same episode.
And, not sure how far the writers can go with making Nora into a gold-star mother who cries and cries over her boy. For me, it got old fast last season when Justin OD'd. Preceding that, we had his earlier overseas experience followed by his new call to arms. Nora wept and wept in all these scenes culminating in the grand weep when he left for the war in Iraq at season's end. Now, here we are again in a new season with Nora again (or still)weeping and weeping even though she has no idea whether Justin's okay or injured. That's just not good writing in my book. It's repetitious, just as those scenes are with the protagonists yelling at each other in a display of "typical" family behavior.
These same writers should never again be allowed to set pen to paper. But, the way things are going, they don't have to write anything. They can just let the actors yell at each other.
I waited all summer long thinking the season opener was gonna be fantastic. What a let down.

I have followed this show all last season and I cannot describe how excited I was for the premiere. The show really lived up to all of my expectations. I loved how the relationships continue to change and grow as do the characters.
Can't wait for Justin to come home.

[will]

Love senator Robert's & Kitty's little love fest....

But, what say we give this relationship the Jason McCallister treatment and HACK THE MIDDLE OUT? Get rid of all of Kitty's growing love & affection.... when we pick up the story again on Oct. 14th, Senator Robert McCallister suddenly has to move to Sri Lanka or Azerbaijan. Kitty can drown her sorrows with a few marguaritas at a mexican restaurant & that will be that.

Yes, I am still bitter at you hacking out all the GOOD STUFF that happened between Jason & Kevin. Yes, the bitterness lingers.