Season Finale Sunday -- "Prior Commitments"

These actors would be even happier if they got a break after Season 2!

Yes, it's true -- Sunday night's season finale has what I believe to be a network television first.  You can correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure you will, but if any other shows on the big 4 have done a gay wedding on prime time, no one gave me the memo.

Regardless of the history we're making or not making, "Prior Commitments" is by all accounts a fabulous episode.  Directed by Executive Producer Ken Olin, and written by fellow EPs Greg Berlanti & Monica Owusu-Breen & Alison Schapker the episode does what any finale should do -- wrap up one box and hint that there's another waiting behind it.

Me thinks you'll likey. 

Today was quite enlightening.  It started out with a hearty debate about the merits of a New York Times review of our show -- which left some of us in stitches, and others a bit irate.  To quote one writer/producer, "She went to a lot of trouble to say what a guilty pleasure the show was, but only mentioned all the reasons the pleasure had to be guilty." 

I'm not linking to the review, but you can access it easily via that old thing, the World Wide Web.

Then the entire writing staff convened for something like 8 hours and drank 347 coffees.  Some of them are still here, trying to figure out what agonies and ecstasies to put our beloved Walker Family through.  Through my office wall, I can still hear David Marshall Grant yelling about it.

Just so you know, since the writing staff is working straight through the summer (and in fact through April 2009), I will continue to be here, and will likely have more time to post sweet nothings in your ears.  So keep checking back.

-- and I'll try and get that music guide updated for y'all.

Thanks for all the love and enjoy our finale,
Dan

Comments

[Lee]

Scotty & Kevin's wedding is a first for series regulars on a primetime network drama. The GLAAD website has a nice section about this episode that includes a historical timeline.

I am excited and delighted to see this on ABC. Thank you to all involved (especially Matthew and Luke) for making this the most endearing story of the season.

[Lee]

Thanks for the update, Dan.

[Tiffany]

Yeah, uh...Friends did a gay wedding in like their first or second season.

[Brian]

The best part of that article is that it describes Robbie Baitz as a "West Wing" writer. He wrote one episode out of 7 seasons! And it only got worse from there.

I don't really understand why you would watch a show that causes you nothing but pain. Don't get me wrong, I hate this Rebecca/Justin bull**** - I think you writers have done your show a great disservice - but Kevin and Scotty will keep me watching.

[Bethany]

Friends did a lesbian wedding, although I bet the wedding on B & S will be much more moving.

[Sara]

I am quite excited about tomorrow's episode. However, the picture with this blog post worries me. Hopefully it is a stock photo, but isn't that Lena standing next to Justin and behind Saul. Please don't say she is back. Otherwise, it has been a great season and I can't wait to see this final episode.

[enchantrezz]

I am really looking forward to the finale..You guys have made a brilliant choice of showing onscreen the Justin/Rebecca and Kevin/Scotty storylines. You can never go wrong when the chemistry is there no matter how dysfunctional the relationship is. Congratulations and thank you :)

[Enchantrezz]

To Monica,
I read your interview and please dont cry...Im sure there are lot of fans who are very happy with what you've done to Justin and Rebecca,some just choose to stay quiet and not be reactive by the negative comments. I appreciate the effort that you guys put to make this a wonderful show and I continue to be your avid viewer.

[Anna]

Hi! First of all I’d like to thank all the writers, actors and all the people involved in making this show. I love the show. For me it’s the best TV show ever. The Walkers represent all the things that make a family (family as a value). That’s my idea of family. They love, they fight but always stick together, accept and care so much about each other.
I love Kevin and Scotty story. I really like where they’re going. Congratulations for Luke MacFarlane and Matthew Rhys! They’ve given so great performances in the last episode “Moral hazard”. The proposal scene was so beautiful and romantic. After everything Kevin and Scotty have been through it seems to be the perfect ending. I love Kevin’s character and the way he’s been changing during the two seasons. Please congratulate Matthew Rhys. He’s such a talented actor.
Now I can’t wait for the next episode when Kevin and Scotty are actually going to make a commitment to be life partners. Showing a gay wedding on prime time – it’s really great of you. I’m Pole, I live in Poland (by the way sorry for my English, it’s not actually my first language) where our television emits the first season of the show at 1.00 am and I’m pretty sure that they won’t emit the second season at all when they get to know how gay friendly it is. It’s sad and I feel embarrassed for people from our television.
So congratulations again. You’re doing a great job! Thank you.
Anna
PS Thanks that you’re going to update the music guide.

[hello]

Friends has done a gay wedding (the marriage of Carol and Susan).

[Julien]

First, the show rewrites history and tries to make things nice and neat with the bullsh*t surrounding Justin and Rebecca and now we see them playing tonsil hockey with each other. Disgusting! And then to make matters worse, there is another Walker child. How low will this show go?

[Barb Peterson]

Be it right or wrong, I'm getting a little sick of all the "gayness" on television when it starts to get as explicit as yours and Greys Anatomy. We know it's out there, but do we ALL have to watch it? I will not be watching anymore of this show!

[drdr]

wow...that article is rediculous
I love this show. I think the writer of that article is missing the whole point of teh show - family values, or at leasst that's what I get from teh show, not a bunch of sex maniacs or whatever she called them. Them being predominantly around one another just shows the strength of their family; it is rediculou to call it anything else.

[will]

To, variously, Dan, David, Molly, Monica, Alison, Sherri, Jason, Ron & Matthew, at season'e end:

Who knows what season three will bring, but please keep the pace lively & kinetic. Snappy, smart dialogue (episodes that MOVE), act as an amphetamine to our system & keep our (the viewer's) adrenaline levels up & our responses quickened.

I'm suddenly interested in Ron Rifkin (who'd have thunk it?). "Moral Hazard" came at a time when I'd just watched Laurence Olivier in a couple William Wyler flicks and "The Entertainer" (via netflix), turning me into a raving Larry Olivier fan, and Ron was so damned heartbreaking and graceful in that scene where Kevin picks Saul up from jail that I immediately sensed the artist in Ron. In a way, I sort of dread Saul coming out & dating now. I can't imagine the B&S writers coming up with any scenario commensurate with his talent, and I envision painfully run-of-the-mill scenes like Justin & Lena or Nora & Isaac concocted for him. And I don't want to see Ron's talent frittered in service of ordinary fare.

But I'm not here to gibe past episodes. I look forward to an emotionally fuller "Brothers and Sisters", a RISKIER "Brothers and Sisters", a fizzier & snappier "Brothers and Sisters" (picture a bowl of Rice Krispies, snap, crackling & popping in cold milk).

Let Matthew and Dave use their bodies more in full frame as I suggested in previous posts. Matthew is a wonderful physical comedian and a little slapstick & physicality might go a long way in countering the slightly oppressive upper middle class mostly-caucasion dramaturgy you invite us to partake in week after week.

I love when you quicken my senses & leave me lighter on my feet. It's because of these good parts to B&S that I can slosh & slug my way through the ennervating Kitty scenes & charity balls & the latest Ojai going under crisis.

Monica & Alison: Thank you for that mildly lunatic phantasmagoria in the mexican restaurant that left Kevin slurring into his margarita & giving silly, dada-istic responses to Nora & Saul.

David & Molly: Thank you for that mini-roadtrip to San Diego in "An American Family" with Kitty, Kevin & Nora and all that gloriously snarky banter ricocheting around the minivan:

Nora: (to Kevin, in the driver's seat) Will you please drive faster? You're driving like somebody's grandmother.

Kevin: Somebody's HOT grandmother. Did you notice that mechanic back there was cruising me?

Nora: You guys never LOOK at each other. You're always cruising.

(It feels breezy & liberating when we get full doses of this brisk nonsense. It is more artful than a hundred "serious", worthy plotlines)

And thanks to Sherri & Jason for deepening the characters of and our understandings for Saul, Kevin & Scotty. The dialogue felt honest & managed to be both emotionally resonant & the freshest, novelest thing going on network TV.

Will

[amanda]

I'm expecting nothing but the best for the finale! Tell Emily Happy Birthday on Monday!

[Kate]

Cannot wait for the Season Finale--though am sad all the new epis will be over. Anyway--THANKS for updating the music guide. Much appreciated.

[BR]

About the first-gay-wedding-on-a-big-4-network-in-primetime thing: Didn't NBC have a lesbian wedding on "Friends" between Ross' ex-wife and her partner? I believe that was in the show's first season (94/95?). I know they weren't regular characters, but does that count? I think it should...not to take anything away from your achievement, Brothers & Sisters!!!

Just out of curiousity, why ARE the writers working straight through the summer, and not taking a break before starting work on the next season, like they normally would? Are any other tv shows doing this? Just wondering.

Thanks!!!

[JOpinionated]

I am looking forward to the season finale tonight, and have really enjoyed this recent batch of new episodes. Your Kevin & Scotty storyline is refreshing and admirable; bravo to the writers, actors and even the network for presenting a slice of reality that represents so many of our lives, and one that is rarely illustrated in such a positive light.

[Suzie]

I just want to say that I love this show!

[MJJ]

Just wanted to again extend a BIG GIGANTIC THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL SHOW!! I REALLY ENJOY TUNING INTO THE WALKER FAMILY. I have read the reviews and saw the segement on Entertainment tonight I am looking forward to the usual does of fun , entertaining drama filled hour, that this show brings. Kudos to creator , writers , directors and unbelieveable actors. Well Done! I am expecting Emmyss all the way through!!! BRING IT ON AGAIN FOR SEASON 3!!!

Thanks very much again for a great season (short unfortunately).

Love Brothers & Sister!!!! o:)

[Erica]

Who sang the song at the end of the episode?

[Dorene Emmons]

Who the "_ell" is Ryan?

[robinc/Chicago]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I am a 49 year old gay catholic and tonight you have created a miracle. I just got off the phone with my parents - they have been watching brothers and sisters- I've been out to them for years - but they wanted me to know they and my brother and sisters want me to know that they are there for me - they want me to know that their home is open to me and the man I want to make a commitment to - WOW - - the power of your script - - Mr. Berlanti - I was not sure where you were going - and I am not sure I am Kevin or Saul - but you assisted in a conversation that needs to happen in many families, I have overcome the ravages of leukemia and always wondered why I lived and yet tonight I think I saw a glimpse of the "why"- i got to live so that my parents can let me know that they would stand by me and my partner. I am sure there will be many of you that will be freaking out - but you have to know that for 49 years I have never seen myself in television - well maybe as a comic stereotype but never an example of what can/should be! Thank you - Thank and God bless all of you on your imagining of a new season!

[dw]

The first time I saw this show it was take it or leave it...another after hours soap opera. Over the years, Sally F. has moderated her over emotive character and the others have developed. So, here it is May 11 and I am looking forward to next season and wondering- who is Ryan and what could the long passed Tom Skerrit possibly happen to this clan that we have not seen already? This family, by the way, puts the fun in dysfunctional.

[Bill]

So what happened at the end of the show?????

WJLA-TV, ABC here in DC went out just after Kevin arrived at Sarah's place.

OMG

[Jackie]

Must of missed something who is Ryan? The baby picture?

I just wanted to know who was performing the song at the end of the show. I believe it was called "can't find my way home"

[GR]

Were the last ten minutes suppose to be a blank screen imitation of the Sopranos? Was this network wide or only on my Washington D.C. affiliate?

[will]

Ok. I'm emerging from a temporary funk. I went with a friend this afternoon to see "Baby Mama" (I actually wanted to stay in and see a Bernardo Bertolucci film that arrived from Netflix). "Baby Mama" is a smashingly unfunny "comedy" starring SNL's Tina Fey and Amy Peohler. I'm not going to recount a plot, because these aren't characters and it just demeans you.

I will tell you that Amy Peohler, the surrogate for the infertile Tina Fey, pisses into a bathroom sink when she can't unloose the child-proof toilet latch; and you can tell that the filmmakers mean it to be delightfully silly... It's really depressing to hear people in the audience laughing at bottom of the barrel jokes. You lose faith in the american people. I felt spiritually numb leaving the theater. I also saw it at an ArcLight Theater and had to shell out $25.00 for 2 seats and $8.00 for 2 bottled waters.

That's my sordid backdrop to the B&S finale. About 8:30 pm PST here. An hour & a half to go.

[Jude]

I would love to know who sang the version of Cant Find My Way Home that played at the end of this episode. Can anyone help me?

[suzanne mckendrick]

Can someone please tell me the make and model car that Kevin Walker drives?(The convertible used in the pre-wedding road trip). Thanks.

[Andre - West Palm Beach, FL]

Thank you all for another fantastic season of Brother and Sisters. Also thank you for such a beautiful season finale, the wedding was so touching and gives me hope that we all will be able to marry legally in this country someday. Please thank all the cast and crew for an awesome show.

[SoCalMika]

hey, tonites episode was extremely good...i cannot believe the news about the new walker....
tell me u guys are up for another season?

[Pam DeVe2@aol.com]

What was the last song sang tonight on the last show...Pheobe snow singer? Thanks Pam Warren

[Jenn]

I just have to say that this show is one of the best on television. This is the only show that I look forward to every week. The writing for this show is brillant..keep up the good work. The finale tonight was perfect but of course frustrating because nobody likes to wait all summer for their favorite show!!! Again, fantastic job by the writers and actors. I only wish that Brothers & Sisters would have had a 2 hour finale like Desparate Housewives because it's such a better show.

[Michael]

What is the name and artists for the song played at the end of the season finale?

[will]

"Prior Commitments"

written by Greg Berlanti, Monica Owusu-Breen, and Alison Schapker

directed by Ken Olin
---------------------------

The family seems oddly casual about Rebecca not being a Walker anymore (Nora: "...nothing has really changed!"). One moment she is; the next she's not. It's all a day in the life....

I like how Kevin impulsively massages Scotty's shoulders.

Please. What a convoluted Rebecca storyline. Of course nobody's reaction approximates what might actually transpire in life. We're firmly steeped in garden-variety TV dramaturgy here as everybody seems to assimilate this new information within seconds, then they all just move on to the next thing (considering that "The Other Walker" was weighted down with heavy psychodrama about this same issue in reverse, this is curious).

Kitty's storyline holds zero surprises. Matthew can make "nothing" moments work by sheer force of weird, slurry, nuanced line deliveries, but Calista can't. Calista needs material. Kitty & Robert's scenes seem to drift into some nebulous limbo ether whenever they appear (the only thing I could firmly focus on was that they were both wearing glasses. Beyond that, I can't tell you what happened).

Scotty's "Did you smoke a bong and listen to Led Zepplin, too?" is a decent line. 10:27 pm... I looked at the clock. Kevin entering Scotty's parents house in Arizona and Justin and Tommy simultaneously easing down the car seats is a nice visual with that background music. We rarely get such authentically outdoorsy shots (B&S is all about interiors), and I like the open air. It's refreshing. A weird thing about formulas: I noticed in "Desperate Housewives" that the formulas no longer work so well for me. The wink-wink music, the omnisciently narrated endings. "Brothers and Sisters", too, has become fixed into a formulaic rut, and shots in the wide open air, like Justin & Tommy, jar me to think that there could be more than those damned oppressive interiors & forced banter were given (trust me, I LOVE banter. But not when it's canned).

I'm really sorry. Couldn't get worked up about Kev & Scotty's wedding. Emily VanCamp looks irradiant though. She shimmers. She underplays so refreshingly and she reinvents that old-school glamour in a modern way. She can light up the small screen (this from a very gay man. too).

Sarah's "What if there's another 'R'?" (a quasi-camp line); Saul's "I'm gay" which reminded me of a comedian bombing on stage. (I sensed a THUD; who's RESPONSIBLE for this mechanical dialogue? You're quickly spending all that great goodwill you accumulated for Saul last week).

The last scene with Kevin & his dad is wonderfully evocative. At least it feels STEEPED in something. It should have had more going on in it as it was so beautifully composed. Matthew really is an astonishing actor. We get new facets each week (on marginal material! just think what he might do with a first-rate script).

Kevin's "Ryan/Rebecca" revelation to Sarah is followed by a nice bluesy ballad, strategically placed, to goose us up for the Justin/Rebecca kiss (which Emily made work). Again, I felt expansive only in this last moment due to the authentic outdoors and Emily & Dave's delicate, relaxed line deliveries.

I wanted to like this thing a whole lot more. "Moral Hazard" was better scripted. Line for line, the dialogue felt fresher, had personality, held capacity for wonder. Very little of the "Prior Commitments" script felt assembled by human hands. It a computer could create an episode, it might resemble this. Character reactions and dialogue did not go the way life goes. And there was no fizz (crackle) here.

Damn. I so wanted to end this review on a hopeful note.

[Kathleen]

For the life of me i cannot picture who Ryan is, am i missing something?

[JoAnne]

WOW!! WHAT A FINALE !

You guys are back on track.
I enjoyed every minute of it and I guess I forgive you for what you did to Rebecca...by next season all will be forgotten because it looks like there will be some really good and bad stuff happening.

going to be a long summer without my favorite show.

can't wait to see what everyone else has to say.

[ms_den]

So Uncle Saul "came out",does that mean that Michael Nouri will be back? Loove Michael Nouri!

[Judithal]

Best Finale of any show ever!!! I couldn't have asked for more and wouldn't have changed a thing. The actors did a marvelous job because they have the best writers on TV ever!. Looking forward to the next season if you can get it together before you drown in all that coffee you're drinking. How many bathrooms do you have on that floor? Just wondering....

[janet Jaszewski cole5412@msn.com]

I just loved your show, but it is now a GAY TV SERIES, I THINK YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR, we are christians, do you have to make everyone GAY ON THE SHOW AND SHOW IT EVERY WEEK, I think you have made a wonderful show very disgusting, its okay to have variety but you have gone too far and i think your sponsers should take an interest for what they are paying for for the general public and the general public does not want this in their face every week.DISGUSTING DISPLAY

[Erin]

I hate that your show got poor reviews. I absolutely love this show; I have been hooked since the very first episode--ever. It is so heartwarming to have a family that loves each other as much as the Walker family. Some shows annoy me when characters are faced with decisions and never pick a logical one--just one thats good for television. With Brothers and Sisters, everything makes sense. They seem like real people, with real problems, making real decisions. Keep up the good work-- don't go too hard on the Walkers ;)

God Bless-
Erin

[Norman]

I just have to say that last night's wedding episode was completely brilliant and beautifully written. As a gay man, I don't really ever expect to see a sweet honest storyline about a gay relationship on television, but you guys have delighted and surprised me (and I am sure a slew of other viewers) with the honestly and lovingly handled storyline of Kevin and Scotty culminating in last night's sparkling finale, truly the best hour of TV I have seen in a long, long time. Thank you so much!

[JACQUELINE]

I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!!

[Grant]

All in all, the finale was fantastic. Many scenes between characters that were absolutely perfect. That scene between Nora and Kevin, or Nora and Scotty, or Nora and Rebecca (Nora rocks, as you can tell) were incredible. As was Rebecca and Nora (now if only you could write all the scenes in this storyline as well, you'd be getting less backlash from it by now). And Scotty and Kevin, all episode, pre-post-and-during the ceremony were amazing. A lot of magic tonight and I thank you for that.

Yet two bizarre and wrong choices did taint all the great choices you guys made tonight. Not completely, but to an extent. Having Justin and Rebecca kiss so soon, even awkwardly, was just a bizarre choice. It's too soon. You know it's too soon. And ending your season on it? Knowing what the audience thinks about it? Knowing that the show is meant to be about family? Why? That was an awful choice when you had so many other choices that really hit the theme of family tonight to pick from. Left a bad taste.

And Ryan, well, if this turns out to be as amazing as Rebecca's introduction which we all invested in, I hope you stick with it this time, huh? :) I doubt you can top what you already did well and then ruined, but I'll wait to see. I'm not sure why we should invest in it knowing you've already done this and you're willing to go back on it, so I hope there's a DNA test right away so we can know this guy is legit, because we need to know that.

Thanks for overall a fantastic finale, and I truly hope for a better season next year. I don't know what happened this year, but c'mon guys, step it up, eh? You're better than this, you're better than retconning season one, forced scenes between Justin/Rebecca, repeating another Walker sibling, soap opera twists and altering the dynamics of the show. This is all daytime television stuff. You're better than this, so start acting like it. Please.

[JANE FROM N.J.]

I LOVE THIS SHOW & EVERY ACTOR DOES A GREAT & BELIEVABLE CHARACTER. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE NEXT "OPENED BOX" NEXT SEASON. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE RYAN, THE NEWEST WALKER!!!
THANKS FOR THE WALKER DRAMA... JANE, NJ.

[Colleen]

J/R or Not!So!Much! — that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of dumbfounding plotlines,
Or to write on against a sea of sharks,
And by ficwriting slay them?
— To stop, to watch no more;
and by quitting to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That fans are heir to, — 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To turn it off; —
To read, perchance to think.....

Dear PTB:

It's over. SOOO over.

There've been some great moments (Road Trip Sarah, Teaparty, Ranchero, and last night's wedding, to name a few). Please give Kevin and Scotty the spinoff they deserve, because I'd watch that. But I can't go on like this.

We obviously want such different things. You love soapsuds: bubble baths aggravate my eczema. Your favorite flavor is butterscotch: I'm all about the bittersweet with hot chilis. You love to talk Wicked: I want to hear the songs. (You couldn't borrow Kristen? Or Taye? Or get Randy? And that wacky incidental music: as my friend put it so well, is the musical equivalent of a laughtrack.) You need the thrill of surfing in shark-infested waters, while I wake up every day to "Lorenzo's Oil meets Groundhog Day." No shortage of drama there.

You've got lots of new friends, and you'll do just fine. And I'll find a guilty pleasure that suits me.

Take care,

Wild Irish Mama
*leaves the building, singing "Won't Get Fooled Again"*

[JM]

JANET, GET A LIFE!!! THIS IS THE REAL WORLD. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE STORYLINE, WATCH SOMETHIG ELSE. SOME OF THE STORYLINE IS HARD TO SWALLOW, BUT THIS IS OUR WORLD NOW, IT'S CALLED A CHOICE.WATCH OR DON'T WATCH. I LOVE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH JUSTIN AND REBECCA (SINCE SHE'S NOT A WALKER) THEY HAVE A GREAT CONNECTION ON SCREEN. PLEASE FIND SOMEONE THAT LOOKS ALOT LIKE JUSTIN TO PLAY NEWCOMER RYAN. IT WOULD BE EXCITING FOR RYAN TO LOOK LIKE AT LEAST ONE OF THE WALKERS. IT'S GREAT FOR UNCLE SAUL TO BE GAY, PLEASE NO ON SCREEN KISSING FOR UNCLE SAUL. I LOVE ALL OF YOUR WALKERS. THANKS WRITERS & PRODUCERS FOR A WONDERFUL SHOW. PLEASE COME BACK FOR MANY SEASONS AND ALL PRESENTS CHARACTERS, ROB LOWE FOR STARTERS!!!

[Rich]

I am not a huge fan of the show, (but my wife loves it), anyway I did appreciate the music choice of Ellen McIlwaine's Can't find My Way Home.... nice choice. Great Song!

[Sabina]

Wich actor will performe the role of Ryan ? Thanks!

[Scott]

Briefly...

That was an absolutely beautiful K/S wedding, and everyone should be proud for such a groundbreaking storyline that sent the message that getting married is a *human* desire, not gay or straight. I can't wait to see Kevin and Scotty navigate life as a married couple (in spirit, if not yet by law).

There were many deeply moving scenes, but the one that touched me the most was Nora telling Kevin he had the right to a night as memorable and romantic as anyone else. Just exquisite. (Matthew and Sally were simply terrific here.)

I'm ambivalent about the Ryan twist. It's clear this was done as a means to "fix" the gaping hole that de-Walkering Rebecca left in the narrative, but it has the potential to be a boring retread. Hopefully the writers will be able to differentiate this storyline from the Rebecca storyline in Season 1, to make this worthwhile and relevant. (And oh yeah, could you actually KEEP this child a Walker this time?)

Justin/Rebecca...sigh. I would have been fine with ending at Rebecca's speech, but did you really need to cross the physical line so soon? It strains belief they would be kissing so recently after learning of the DNA results. I'm still quite uncomfortable with this storyline, but I do know the only way I could learn to accept it is if it's taken SLOWLY. Please be mindful of the segment of the audience that isn't onboard yet.

And if/when the rest of the Walkers find out about the J/R romance, please let them react realistically. That is to say, weirded out and unsure how to digest the info.

Also, wrong choice to end with that scene. It was an overall satisfying, emotionally rich episode, and should have ended on a note more consistent with the family theme of the show.

[Barbara]

To help counteract the fundamentalists out there, I am putting on the record that I am a Christian and I love the Kevin and Scotty storyline. Thanks ABC! I'm still not sure about the Justin and Rebecca hookup though. I think once individuals know themselves as brother and sister, they should maintain that kind of relationship. Even if DNA is not involved. It still seems gross and gratuitous to me. Please break them up & keep Rebecca as an honorary Walker sister!

[Hannah]

What an awesome finale. Loved the J&R kiss, such a sweet way to end their story for this season. You have all told this story so well, and it's been delt with with such grace. You should be proud. So please don't be put off by any negativity, I would hate to get invested in this relationship, just to see it end because of some fans opinions. I say some, because they do have alot of support too. Keep up the great work, can't wait for season 3!

[Marlena]

That was a GREAT finale!! Everyone was so good and the storylines were great and well done and you should give the three brothers more scenes together cos they are hilarious. Their brother dynamic is fantastic!!

Love this show so much!

[spinitch]

i loved the ending song too. i just downloaded it. its called "can't find my way home" by Ellen McIlwaine, Album is Up From the Skies: The Polydor Years. And yes, great episode!

[Robin]

Our station channel 7 went out the last 9 minutes of the show. What happened?????????????????????????????????????????????

[Jack]

What was the violin song played at Kevin and Scotty's wedding ceremony?

[will]

Part of what I seem to be rebelling against is a lack of dramatic dissonance in this group of characters (you see? I think of them as my characters too!).

I would suggest (for starters) that you take one of our favorite characters - Kevin or Nora or Sarah - and inject some moral ambiguity into their plotlines. I am just mulling out loud here. But have Sarah embezzle money from Walker Landing Winery. Or let Kevin defend a child rapist in court, a client he grows to feel empathy for (I feel embarrassed to admit it, but I can't remember what type of lawyer Kevin is. He represented Justin in season one & Scotty in season two. Does he have experience in criminal law?). Maybe Nora or Tommy could be attracted to a religious cult (is Scientology still considered a cult?), and a whole world could be explored.

My point is: I am looking at a screenful of NICE people. Too much nice is not the best vehicle for drama. I read three novels by the great 19th-century novelist Henry James last summer ("Portrait of a Lady", "The Bostonians", "Washington Square"), and moral ambiguity is central to various characters in his fiction. And he brings the whole thing amazingly ALIVE (even though I'm reading the material 100+ years after the fact). Explore one or two B&S character's ambiguous or dubious actions. Take on a morally freighted subject. This absolutely means that a soapier approach to character & plot will have to be back-burnered for a future time.

Like I said, thinking off the cuff here & have not given adequate thought to a workable, rational storyarc. But sometimes looking at what's worked best over a period of one or two hundred years of classic literature (& not just looking at the past couple seasons of TV), and re-fashioning these old storylines for modern audiences is a worthwhile project.

More later.

[Scott]

"There's more to family than just DNA." ~ Nora Walker, "Prior Commitments"

EXACTLY, Nora. I wish the writers would look at their own words and come to understand why there is a significant number of fans who are definitely not onboard with the J/R storyline.

Why is that? Because the fact that they were retroactively made unrelated does NOT strip the union instantaneously of any ickiness. Justin and Rebecca had already begun the psychological and emotional process of regarding each other as siblings. People don't just "flip a switch" from sister to lover overnight. It just doesn't happen.

And, yes, I realize they didn't grow up together. But that doesn't change the fact that they knew each other as siblings for a full year -- and that was the *only* context in which they knew each other.

So, if you're going to get people to at least tolerate this storyline (I don't know if I'll ever come to "like" it, frankly), I really think it is imperative you develop it *slowly* and attend to the inherent awkwardness and complications of the situation. That includes how the Walkers react to the news of any romance/romantic inclinations between J/R.

If you do that, there is a chance people can stop feeling really uncomfortable with the storyline. BUT...if you go full speed ahead, and treat this like any other romance, then you will aggravate a lot of people. If the Walkers just shrug it off as "Oh how cute", it'll play very badly. That wouldn't feel credible or grounded in emotional truth.

I'm hoping the nervous laughter after the kiss last night is indicative of taking things slowly. That's the ONLY way it could work.

(Of course, I would much rather Rebecca remain an honorary Walker sister, which would mean no sex with Justin...but I'm not naive enough to think you're not going to pursue a romance.)

[Cindy]

Love this show!!!
Reminds me of my family - somewhat....
Little confused by the ending... Who is RYAN??

[Angelaaaa]

OMG. I can't wait for fall for the new episode!
I want to know more about Ryan! & the walkers & Kitty's & McCallister's adoption.
I wonder if Kevin & Scotty are going to start a family..
Whats going to happen with Becca & Justin.
Sarah said she wanted to sue Holly.
wow! so much drama & i love it!!

[Angelaa]

Oh & i think the picture is from Kitty's wedding.

[Sylviane]

Thank you SO very much for the lovely ceremony for Kevin and Scotty. Matthew and Luke did a great job. I liked Kitty's speech, I would have loved some better vows for K/S, but this was good too.

Too bad we had to see the same old 'oops, forgot the weddingrings'-thing. But fortunately Luke and Matthew found it as embarrasing as I did, that made it believable.

Loved how Robert and Tommy stepped up with their rings, but Scotty should really give Robert his ring back. He was still wearing it when Kevin undid the cufflinks. ;-)

To bad we didn't get to see a glimpse of the weddingnight.

Just hoping that Scotty's words "Our first time home as a married couple and suddenly I'm not in the mood' were a JOKE and not some fore-shadowing that we don't get to see the boys kiss anymore. Because there are already so little 'explicit' scenes between them. I don't know which show the other posters were looking at, by I sure didn't see them. :-) I can only repeat my hope that in season 3 we get to see more 'romantic' interaction between Kevin and Scotty. I hope their relationship can also have some fun and not only be plagued by disasters and Walker misery.

Thanks also for the lovely Kevin/William scene. Matthew was so good in showing those feelings of resentment for his father's behaviour towards him. Tom Skerritt, as usual, was great too.
"You can past this and accept my apology." "I'm not sure I can." Well written lines. Well acted as well.

[Joey]

I actually enjoyed this finale. Of course, it is not perfect - heaven forbid that it becomes that (sometimes, perfect can be boring, too.)
I liked the family scenes - and I don't think that the banter was forced at all. We just need to see them (the B&S plus mom) interact more often.

The wedding was touching - most everyone agreed to that. (So, I won't add my praises to it)

It's just the J/R angle that seems to be getting a lot of debate.
I must say that I am looking forward to how it develops. It actually is pretty clever. I saw that this has been brewing for some time now- regardless of actors' chemistry - I believe that the writers had something in store for these two characters. R's reaction to that Lena incident and i have a vague memory of the walk J/R took with R's camera? Those episodes got me thinking that there was some undercurrent there. But of course, I didn't explore it because, hey, they were siblings! But now that that detail was tied up - R's speech makes more sense. (Maybe, they really were just meant to meet.)
Kudos to the writers and producers for thinking that up. Anyway, I agree with someone who said that it is best to take it slowly, though. I'd like to see J find purpose in his life first, and R to reconcile with Holly and David.

Finally - I am most curious about this Ryan angle that they introduced.

I read somewhere that family is not all about sharing the same genetic makeup. This path that the show is taking - it might actaully shed light to the real, stronger ties that bind, like love, trust and all that.

Can't wait for the next season! Which will start when, again?

I'm sick of the folks who are crying for the writers to ignore those who have issue with the Justecca storyline. Basically they jumped the shark with this whole rewrite and everyone's just supposed to be happy about it? I think not! And now the writers are saying that they intended to pair them up all along. Ridiculous! I don't believe that for one second.

[Betsy]

That was by far one of the best shows I've seen in years. He writing; the acting, the story lines omg.... I dont think I can wait until the fall.

A million thank you's from a huge fan!!!

[grandbibbi]

I confess, I can't tolerate more than 10 minutes of anything on network TV. BUT, when I finally surfed back to B&S I didn't have a clue about the "something" they had to tell Sally Field. Where can I get a cliff-notes version of this show?

[Caroline]

Will someone PLEASE tell me who the hell is RYAN!!!!

[BigFan]

Loved the Finale!!! I disagree with the many fans who dislike the Justin/Rebecca storyline. I think there is an amazing chemistry there and I was hoping she would not be a Walker (any other resolution would have had an inherent ickiness to it!) They did not grow up as siblings and part of the year that they believed they were was spent with Justin in Iraq. No lines were crossed before the DNA results were in and by the intense reaction that Justin had within himself he would not have crossed that line if things worked out differently.
I'm looking forward to next season with so many new storylines to play out it should be fun and interesting. Keep up the good work!!

[jack]

No but seriously - I have asked all of my friends and family about this song. What is the violin song played when Kevin and Scotty get married? It's driving me and everyone I know up a wall! if anyone has ANY information please let me know!!

[tom]

Dont burst my bubble....

It was pretty obvious that J was falling for R, even way back when he was injured and she was the careing little sister...too caring...but it's all ok now.

What I'm fearing now, is that Scotty is somehow the missing Walker...Why else would K go running out to the nest on his wedding night...are they really going to throw a terrible spanner into this healthy, sane man to man relationshiP? I hoep not, but I fear something bad is about to happen....why else would K be so wigged out????

[Suzy]

Love the show, have from the beginning. I was confused about the Ryan person and after reading this message board, see a lot of other viewers were too. Which means it was not well-written for such a monumentous twist.

Wasn't there a gay wedding on Roseanne? Between two guys, Martin Mull and his s.o. Roseanne was always way ahead of the pack in a lot of topics, the All in the Family of her generation.

[Renee from NY]

Please hold a contest to meet the cast. I love Dave. I really do.

I love the show as well.

BUT I REALLY LOVE DAVE!!!!!!!!!

[Peggy]

It amazes me that people are so excited and so on board with the gay marriage, yet are disgusted with Justin & Rebecca?
I started watching the show when I saw Rebecca and Justin interacting. I had no clue for a long time that they were siblings. I seriously thought they were "friends" that one day would get together. It was not believable that they were related. They were "siblings" for only a year. I'm sure when they had feelings for each other, they were wishing they weren't sibings, but decided not to cross the moral line. But....who decides what is moral? With all the gay characters on the show, and they're being moral about 2 people that aren't even related? I was just glad the kiss was kind of a "Let's just get this out of the way because we've been wanting this a long time." At least they didn't make out and end up in bed. "like Tommy and the secretary when he was separated only a week or 2"

I also watched Gray's anatomy this week and I am so SICK of all the gay stories on ABC. There are 2 gay story lines on both shows. Seriously, it's getting way too political for me. I love both the shows, but I won't go out of my way to watch them anymore. I stopped watching ER, too, when it became too political. I'm SO TIRED of it.

[JoAnne]

To all of you who are confused about "Ryan" what did you see that I didn't.

I saw a baby picture.that sarah thought was Rebecca
Sarah found out from Becca that it was not her.

Kevin at first did not know who it was. After thinking back to a trip with his father he realized that his dad had the picture and said the child belonged to a friend who had died. He said the childs name was Ryan.

Kevin went to tell Sarah that he remembered seeing the baby picture years ago in his father's posession.

They realized the password name could be "Ryan" not "Rebecca" So they thought that the child "Ryan" was William"s child born to another mistress.

So what confused so Many of you who want to know who "Ryan" is. What did I
Miss?

[LisaR]

I too LOVE this show. I can't wait for next season.

Kevin is my favorite Walker. Will someone please let him grow his hair out!!! I love the picture of Matthew in this weeks People magazine. (The one with Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon on the cover)

Was it just me? Or did Scotty's parents (especially his Mom) seem a little young?

Anyway, thanks again for a great show!!

[Kong Chang]

I haven't chimed in my opinions for B&S for awhile, but this post isn't for my critique or rant.

I'm here to campaign for another wedding for Kevin & Scotty since California just legalized same sex marriage/weddings. Now, Scotty & Kevin deserve a real chance of a real marriage and I think, an episode dedicated to a real judge/priest officiating with real vows should be in order. Yeah, you may say they already had a "commitment ceremony" but a CC =/= Legal Wedding, and it wasn't a real wedding anyway (though certain people may have said so).

Let's get a real wedding for these two lovebirds. A formal one with tuxes and the whole nine yards.

I think they deserve it now that California officially recognizes same sex couples.

KC
Maintainer of Luke MacFarlane Online

[Maria]

Now that gays can get married in California, please let Kevin and Scotty get married for real! They deserve it!

[portshhofn]

ei!

So NOW GAY WEDDINGS ARE LEGAL!!

so, lets enjoy in a new episode where Luke and Scotty do something about it!! and a VERY LEGAL way!!

(even now scottys mother can go, now she cant say it is not)

[Nick]

Now that same-sex marriages are legal in California, I think Kevin & Scotty are more than entitled to a proper wedding!!

[Rebecca]

Oh please do acknowledge the change in the law in California next season. How wonderful! I loved Kevin and Scotty’s first ceremony, so I don’t need to see a big fancy wedding or anything (it’s not really Kevin and Scotty, and not what makes it legal anyways) but we as viewers need to know that they are now legally MARRIED, we need to feel the happiness that they must feel, and I think we need some kind of celebration, perhaps a classic Walker family dinner.

[Sylviane]

Well, I can only add my voice to the others and hope that Kevin and Scotty can have their marriage now. And this time with some beautiful vows and the right rings.

[It's now legal in California...Kevin and Scotty should get married]

With yesterday's California Supreme Court decision that for now is making same-sex marriage legal in California...I ask the writers of Brothers and Sisters to write Kevin and Scotty's LEGAL wedding into an episode early next season.

PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE

[Emily]

Ok, i haven't seen the finale yet, but i will watch it soon.

What i am concerned about is that my sister just told me that this show got cancelled???!!! PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!! i LOVE this show, and i will cry if it is!! i love the family dynamic, the story, everything! i was an "everwood" fan too and greg berlanti is amazing and i could not stand it if i lost this show too. i will protest!!

[Yorkie]

Give them the "real" wedding that they deserve. Or at least a real wedding party.

[Philip]

I have to agree with alot of comments.

Marriage is now legal. Kevin and Scotty should get married, with vows and their own rings :)

[Andrew]

To all of you who have problem with the "gayness" show of affection in this show...funny how I got the same disgusted feeling when I watch William/Nora, Nora/Isaac, Tommy/Julia, Tommy/Lena, Lena/Justin, Justin/Rebecca, Sarah/Joe, Sarah/Graham, Kitty/Robert, Kitty/Jonathan, Holly/David kiss. I mean it's just revolting...right???

Get a life, you narrow minded so called "christian" people.

On another note,
Dear writers, please do not start next writing meeting session with "wouldn't it be funny if...?" like you did when writing Justin/Rebecca storyline.

[Jos]

suzanne mckendrick,

Kevin drives a Saab 9-3 convertible.

There is a continuity error, though. In the penultimate episode, Kevin drives a late model. In the last episode, while on the road trip with his bros, they're in the newly refreshened model. But when Kevin goes to see Nora to give her the bad news about Ryan, he's back to driving the old model.

Maybe his new car is in the shop? Or repossessed?

[Barty]

We want to see a real wedding for our beloved characters! Luke deserves a real fake wedding and not some fake commitment ceremony! I want to see a real wedding between Kevin & Scotty, with a real judge or priest officiating the ceremony, and real wedding rings, with real tuxes, and basically the whole nine yards of a real ceremony equal to that of their straigth counterparts. Kevin & Scotty deserve more.
Please!!!!!!!!

[enchantrezz]

Okay, I have nothing against Kevin/Scotty and Justin/Rebecca..but you guys are in danger of turning Brothers and Sisters into a teen drama or a gay show. Lets stick to the original plot, shall we?

[Alfred]

Thanks to all the crew & cast of B&S to bring us such a wonderful season of B&S. If anything I remember from this season is how sweet Kevin & Scotty’s storyline has been.

The California Supreme Court has passed with a 4-3 vote that the current ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. California has basically legalized same-sex wedding.

Due to the above, could you guys develop some storyline in the future that we can see that this couple take advantage of the new law and become legally married?

Somehow I believe with the current setting, that the wedding was only held at the mansion, we have an opportunity to make it bigger - with a judge officiating and with real rings and tux.

[Sarah]

Let's have an episode with a real wedding between Scotty and Kevin. It's what they deserve!

[Trinity Yanson]

i love your show since day one and i love kevin and scotty since day one too! i think they are the best couple ever,well,next to burke and cristina of GA but shonda rhimes ruined it.anyway,that's a different story. hope you will not separate them anytime soon coz i'd really be disappointed. i never thought i'd love a gay couple since i was raised in a very conservative Baptist family,but you changed my mind and broaden my perspective.more power to your show and more kevin/scotty scenes in the future please...

[Adil]

I believe that it was already brave of them to show a gay commitment ceremony but it would be even better for them to show a real wedding so that no one feels Scotty and Kevin are being discriminated. Also the show ratings will further improve.

[Mariam]

Wonderful finale (make next years 2 hours!!!!)

I really love the Justin/Rebecca thing and was so happy for Scotty and Kevin.

But most importantly I can NOT WAIT to find out about this Ryan person!!!! Wonderful job, I really like where it went.

[Holly Smith]

I just started watching this show recently but it has really grown on me. Ecspecially since i missed the first whole entire season but i am excited for the finally and cannot wait for next season

[jenny]

hey love your blog! i was just wondering if you could add episode 208 to the music guide. i've been looking for the song played when kevin & scotty kiss after eating lobster for forever! thanks! =]

[Lynn Levine]

I missed the finale- is there any way to see it online or will there be a scheduled repeat?

[Jos]

Jack,

I believe the song played right after Kevin & Scotty's ceremony is the Hawaiian version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

[Megan]

The song is Can't Find My Way Home by Ellen Mcllwaine, it's on itunes!

[Jodie]

I was never a huge Friends fan but I do remember a wedding ceremony between Ross' 1st wife and her girlfriend, that's pretty prime time, isn't it?

[Danielle - bignimoy@aol.com]

I am also looking for the name of the violin composition played during Kevin and Scotty's Wedding, could you please add that to the music link??? I want to have it at my wedding! It was so beautiful!! Somebody help!

[Danielle]

The did play the Hawaiian "somewhere over the raibow," after, but at the beginning they played a classical composition with a string quartet and I'm dying to know what it was.