Tonight's Episode -- "An American Family"

Hey folks --

Thanks for all the comments; keep 'em coming.  We've got another new episode tonight, this one written by David Marshall Grant and Molly Newman.  David and Molly co-wrote 3 episodes from last season: "Family Day," "Northern Exposure" and "Date Night." 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts (and I know I'll hear them.)

Dan

Comments

[Sarah]

I really like the show,but as a family very closely linked to the war in Iraq, I notice some information that is mentioned in your show is incorrected. Nora is not a Gold Star mother, a Gold Star mother is a mother who has lost her son in Iraq. MY mother is a Gold Star mother, as my brother was killed in action in Iraq.

[Elaine Brown]

On the episode tonight when Kitty was ranting on the phone about her mother being a GOLD STAR MOTHER. She is not!!!! A gold star mother is one that has lost a child due to death! It has already been made clear that Justin did not die. Do you homework before you incorporate these delicate matters in your script.

[Nancy-Indiana]

I love this show, however if you continue with the Left Wing Lib scripts, you will lose a lot of Moderate and Conservative viewers. The segment of the Radio announcer, was a obvious slam on Rush Limbaugh. He would never say anything like what you suggested. It made me sick. Keep up the family plots, ditch the political crap.

[GWard]

I will not watch this show again. What a sad commentary on what Hollywood thinks is a true American family. This show is pure propaganda. Wow, talk about Democrat talking points. Move-on.org should "move over." Good thing there is no liberal bias in the media and Hollywood.

[Vic in Mi.]

What happen to the writers on 10/07/07 The story line about the show tonite was so lame.The show is so much better then that so
Please think about the story

[Denise]

I was so excited to hear Over The Rhine's "Born to Love" during the scene with Holly and Becca.

[Lisa]

Tonights show was great. I was glad to see that Justin came home. I like the idea of Justin trying to handle the pain with meds because of his drug addiction. I was very suprised about Joe sleeping with his ex wife, never knew he was married before. Again good show.

[Christi]

Tonights episode had a scene in which "kitty" was doing a radio intreview by cellphone. During this scene she made a comment, while defending her mother, about her being a "Gold star mom". IF this was made in referance to the service flag, a VERY BIG ERROR was made. Her mother is infact NOT a Gold star mom....that is because her son was NOT KILLED! A true Gold star mom will have caught this error as quickly as I did tonight! A "gold star mom" is defined as her military son/daughter being killed during war time.

[kevin]

what was that song playing in the background to the next episode???

[Debbie]

I have just one comment or correction to point out on tonight's show ... Kitty commented to the talk show host that her mother was a Gold Star Mother when they pulled over to call the radio station, unless Sally Field's character had already lost a son to a previous war (like the Gulf War or Vietnam) then she would be considered a Gold Star Mother, since the show's writers wrote that he returned home from Iraq, although wounded (Purple Heart), Sally's character would be a Blue Star Mother. For more info on this please research: www.bluestarmothers.org and www.goldstarmoms.com.
As a mother of two very brave soldiers, others like me pray that our Blue Stars don't turn Gold. A wonderful documentary was made on real life mothers of war, please see: www.mychildthemovie.com.
I really like the show, please keep it real. Thank you, Proud 2 Star Blue Star Mom of Two Brave American Soldiers. C.C. Tx. www.txbluestarmoms.org

[Michelle - Ontario, Canada]

Why do I always cry at the end of EVERY show ????\
It's so darn good!

[Heather]

Please see the Greys Anatomy Blog to see how blogging should be done:) Really love how each writer blogs about the episode and give insight. I would REALLY love it, if my favorite show (B&S) would start doing that, too.

I feel like such a junkie!I can't wait until next week to watch another amazing episode. I can't wait to see where the journey of life is going to take the Walker/McCallister clan. Speaking of that....please do NOT EVER write off Kitty and Robert McCallister. What an awesome couple. And...what is wrong with you people breaking up Joe and Sara for good? Please tell me it's not for GOOD!!!

Thank you for the incredible episode tonight (10/07). Looking forward to next week.

[Ginger]

The episode was good. I do wish you would have wait a couple episodes before Justin got hurt. People might get a better understand of the waiting and stress the families go through with a loved one deployed.

I do have a correction, Nora is not a Gold Star Mom like Kitty said. A Gold Star Mom is a mother who has lost a son or daughter in the service of our country. Also - the online groups do not call themselves War Moms, at least I have never heard anyone refer to themselves that way. It is usually Army Mom, Marine Moms or Military Moms.

Thanks for reading my comment.

Ginger
Proud Marine Mom

[mothernlaw@aol.com]

I thoroughly enjoyed tonights episode of Brothers & Sisters. It was very bittersweet because I have a son in Iraq. I did, however, see only one mistake in dialogue as they were talking about Nora being a Gold Star Mother. A Gold Star Mother is one who has lost her son in war. Those who have sons on active duty and in the war are Blue Star Mothers. Just thought you would like to know.

[PJ]

What a moving epsiode tonight about the results of a neeedless war. Thank you. The more things change, the more they stay the same. This was a poem writen during World War I :

DULCE ET DECORUM EST

Wilfred Owen
(1893 - 1918)

BENT DOUBLE, LIKE OLD BEGGARS UNDER SACKS.
KNOCK-KNEED, COUGHING LIKE HAGS, WE CURSED THROUGH SLUDGE
TILL ON THE HAUNTING FLARES WE TURNED OUR BACKS,
AND TOWARD OUR DISTANT REST BEGAN TO TRUDGE.
MEN MARCHED ASLEEP. MANY HAD LOST THEIR BOOTS,
BUT LIMPED ON, BLOOD SHOD. ALL WENT LAME, ALL BLIND;
DRUNK WITH FATIQUE; DEAF EVEN TO THE HOOTS
OF GAS-SHELLS DROPPING SOFTLY BEHIND.

GAS ! GAS ! QUICK BOYS - AN ECSTASY OF FUMBLING,
FITTING THE CLUMSY HELMETS JUST IN TIME,
BUT SOMEONE STILL WAS YELLING OUT AND STUMBLING
AND FLOUND’RING LIKE A MAN IN FIRE OR LIME.
DIM THROUGH THE MISTY PANES AND THICK GREEN LIGHT,
AS UNDER A GREEN SEA, I SAW HIM DROWNING.

IN ALL MY DREAMS BEFORE MY HELPLESS SIGHT
HE PLUNGES AT ME GUTTERING, CHOKING, DROWNING.

IF IN SOME SMOTHERING DREAMS, YOU TOO COULD PACE
BEHIND THE WAGON THAT WE FLUNG HIM IN,
AND WATCH THE WHITE EYES WRITHING IN HIS FACE,
HIS HANGING FACE, LIKE A DEVIL’S SICK WITH SIN,
IF YOU COULD HEAR, AT EVERY JOLT, THE BLOOD
COME GARGLING FROM THE FROTH - CORRUPTED LUNGS,
BITTER AS THE CUD, OH VILE, INCURABLE SORES ON
INNOCENT TONGUES,

MY FRIEND, YOU WOULD NOT TELL WITH SUCH HIGH ZEST
TO CHILDREN ARDENT FOR SOME DESPARATE GLORY
THE OLD LIE:

DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI
IT IS SWEET AND GOOD TO DIE FOR ONE’S COUNTRY.

Wilfred Owen was killed on the battle field in France during W. W. I shortly after he wrote this poem

[a Marine father]

i have a son that did 3 deployments in Iraq and i thank God that i did not see these episodes while he was over there.

[Brother]

Loved this episode! The storylines seem a lot more complex and "messy" than last season.

Luther = Limbaugh?

I'll be out in LA in December to visit my family. My own sister, Charissa, is the Production Coordinator for B&S. Looking forward to seeing Stage 6/7 again!

[Sara]

Oh man. Tonight's episode was wonderful. I cried like a freakin' baby though most of it, to be honest. That last scene was a gutwrencher, and when Kevin started getting all teary at the hospital--I sobbed through both. Sheesh. Everyone was brilliant. Amazing writing, as always, but these actors sold it completely. Dave did an awesome job in this episode, and the conversation between Justin and Robert was excellent. Oh. I could gush about this ep forever. I think this one has officially taken over a spot in my Top 5 favorites. Thank you for bringing us your absolute best every week.

[Lee]

"An American Family" was a great episode. David and Molly know how to write smart dialog for these characters.

[will]

"An American Family"

Hahahahaha. Kevin & Sarah bantering, bitching about near the beginning (Kevin complaining of having to do "manly chores"....my poor baby). Two such easy-going relaxed naturals. Off to a good start. I love these little "nothing" scenes where the sibs bitch & banter & life isn't all about "DRAMA" (Kevin's a drama queen, yeah, but he's just his own sweet sarcastic self, take it or leave it). That scene could have easily gone on twice as long.

Nora, in the car, to Kevin: "All this 'cruising'...!" Matthew looks very cute in shades. The whole scene in the car between Kitty, Nora & Kevin wss interesting. No bum dialogue. And Calista didn't resort to those "isms" that make her indistinguishable from Ally McBeal.

Loved the whole talk-radio & "Abe Lincoln was gay" scene.... so nicely played. I am being hard on Calista. Or she's changing & actually supplying us with a real character? Love it when the scenes & characters seemed "lived-in".

I am slightly bored with this whole Rebecca-Joe who-kissed-who thing. So Rebecca confessed? Who cares? Yesterday's news. Not interestingly written. Again, Holly is drifting around the episode like a zombie, spouting bad homilies. Holly is in desperate need of a character make-over. Christmas is coming, maybe Santa's left her an interesting poltline or snappy dialogue, something....under he tree. I probably shouldn't fault Patricia. Meryl Streep couldn't make Holly work.

My f--cking God. Dave is just so freaking TOUCHING. He LOOKS (& sounds) like he's gone through something mind-expanding - in bed, meeting up with part of his family. There's a beautiful sweetness & naturalness & vulnerability he imbues his character with. The next scene is intermixed with Kevin's
silly gay asides ("waltzing with the president's brother") & the whole thing feels so damned lived-in. PLEASE keep these silly gay asides coming. They are perfectly in character & snarky & always manage to get a rise out of me (I was fairly young-ish around the time of "thirty-something", but I THINK I remember this sense of intimacy & "lived-in" from that show). Really like the small playful & intimate moments as opposed to the big, packaged, dramatic production numbers......... Again, the quiet scene with Justin & Robert. There seems something "more" than usual there in Dave's voice. A soft grizzardly sotto voce. He is possessed. Nothing breaks you out of the spell he casts. Nice.

The Rush Limbaugh-like "Luther" was overdone. (Of course, Rush himself is overdone, so it's sort of a moot point). Oh, we end on Justin in bed, in pain. So beautifully played. This is Dave's night. Dave gets the acting kudos. Simple, honest, heartbreaking. I had to stop typing for a few seconds there..... Dave adds something extraordinary to this ensemble. There seems a humility there that can't be faked. Bravo, Dave.

[Proudbuckeye]

My son is in the Marine Corps. I am a Marine Mom, I also don't mind being called a Military Mom but I am NOT a WAR Mom. Whether there is a war on or not, I would still be a Military Mom. AND...you are not a Gold Star Mother unless your child has been KILLED in war. Military Moms are called BLUE Star Mothers. Please do not disrespect the real Gold Star Mothers of this country.

[Proud Army Mom]

I am curious about something said in the show last night. When they were in the van and talking on the phone with the radio personality, Kitty mentioned her mother is a Gold Star Mother. I am curious as to just how that happened? I don't recall another brother or sister although it could have been in the very first episode but I don't recall them speaking of another. So please, tell me how/what I missed? Sally is a blue star mother by her son's enlistment and honorable service. So please, did I miss a brother or sister? and if so, I think it would be a good time to thread his/her story into the main story line right now around Justin.

God Bless and Keep Safe Our Service Men and Women

[Corey]

Kudos to the writers on the final scene of this episode.

Tears were streaming down my face as Justin embraces his mother in and effort to obtain the best medicine we knew as a child. A mothers hug.

[Sharon Stanley]

Okay guys, I've tried to overlook the conservative bashing for a season and a couple episodes, but I'm done. You obviously think we conservatives are brain dead and unable to see the barbs thrown our way every week. Some I've tried get past, but I realized last night that watching Brothers and Sisters was simply endorsing the totally liberal slant you put on everything. I'm sure I can do something better with my time than contribute to that mindset.

[Jan Knapp]

Kitty said her mother is a Gold Star Mother - that is incorrect.
A Gold Star Mother is the mother of a casualty killed in action. A Blue Star Mother has a child serving in a combat zone.