This Sunday: Episode 303 -- “Tug of War”

Written by Supervising Producer Liz Tigelaar & Consulting Producer Josh Reims. 
Directed by Gloria Muzio.

The talented Gloria Muzio returns for her sixth episode.  She has previously directed “Separation Anxiety” (Ep. 213), “Two Places” (Ep. 206), “Favorite Son” (Ep. 124), “An American Family” (Ep. 202), and “The Other Walker” (Ep. 118).

What can we expect in this episode???

Rebecca experiences emotional distance in her relationship with Justin, as Justin reconnects with a fellow soldier and his family. At work, Kevin discovers that being married doesn't necessarily translate into being “out and proud.”

And Ojai Foods?  According to Liz Tigelaar, "This is the episode where the tension that has been brewing at Ojai finally comes to a boil.  Be prepared for characters to make some big life changes."

Tune in Sunday.

WRITERS’ OFFICE STATUS
Breaking 315
Writing/Prepping 314
Shooting 313
Posting 312

Once again returning to Stage 6,
Cole Fowler

Comments

[Ziggy]

OMG Justin and Rebecca! You just got together, don't break up yet!

And Kevin, be proud of who you are and everyone will love you!

[Jay]

Everything that has been said in the last two posts is stuff we could easily find out with google. Tell us something interesting!

[Sylviane]

I saw the promotional pics and I'm looking forward to the Kevin/Scotty-scene(s).
Those are going to be intesting.

[Sara]

Am I the only one who misses the writer's room?

[Angie]

I fell in love with all the artwork on the walls in house in the last episode (Oct 5th). Does anyone know how to find out whose artwork it was and how to get prints?

[Di$$aPOiNTeD]

I wish ABC just gets rid of Holly already! She doesn't belong in the show, let along within the family company! The shows called "BROTHERS & SISTERS" not B&S and HOMEWRECKERS!!! They're deviating from the title.

[Andi W]

I absolutely HATE the Holly character. She drives me out of my mind... insane! what good writing. Whoever created her character is a genius. If you wanted the viewers to hate this character, then the writers succeeded. I just HATE her. Her character is such a greedy, conniving B.

[judy]

please fix ur station channel.have pink screen only.hate it.in columbia,maryland.went out last night also missed all of race!!!!!!!!

[Lance]

No Sara you are not the only one who misses it!

I wish they would tell us if it's coming back or not...a simple yes or no will do.

[emerson]

What was the song playing when Justin took off from the party?

[karyn]

When can I watch tonights episode on line please ?

[Aylin]

I love the developing relationship between Kevin and Robert. It was so natural, so believable, and so great.

I had actually read a spoiler (in a moment of weakness) about the clip shown in the preview for next week--Robert offering Kevin the position of Communication Director. So, I knew that was coming and regretted it afterwards because I love the "not knowing." After this episode, I realized that it didn't really matter. Watching the two characters come together in this episode just felt so real...it was so organic and seeing it unfold, being "a part" of that experience, was much more interesting and gratifying than knowing that one "future fact."

I look forward to being surprised with beautifully crafted moments like the ones from this episode....especially the ones involving Kevin/Scotty!

Thanks for a great episode!

[will]

"Tug of War"

I wish somebody would explain the hierarchy of who's in charge at Ojai Foods, who gets to make what decisions. I don't care one way or the other, but Holly, Sarah and Tommy are so busy pulling the rug out from under each other so often it's getting to be a bit of a schtick. Jockeying for position, secretly concocting new company deals. A mess. Is there a clear-cut pecking order as to who outranks whom?

A bit part for an african-american military officer! Woo hoo. (Collins). He has no personality of course. The guilt-ridden writer's preference for whiteness (in recurring roles) is fighting itself through the inclusion of ethnic bit players. Planted diversity (this seems sort of like guilt penance: Kevin's primary boyfriends have been Luke MacFarlane, Jason Lewis, Eric Winter. Can't get more caucasian than that! Missed opportunities). But he sticks out like the kvetching jew at the gentile table in a Woody Allen film.

Justin's Baghdad buddy, Anthony, pops in, and for a quick second I wish he and Justin could engage in some hot, fast anonymous sex. Jazz up his storyline! But, alas, I suppose the series is gay enough.

Ok. Maybe I shouldn't type every single word that pops into my head.

Sally and Ron play well together. Easy-going, informal back and forth. They're a comfortable brother and sister. They almost seem like they have an authentic history together with the intimate conversations. But the music underneath the scene keeps insistently reminding us we are in "serious touching family drama" territory. Screw the freaking music. Humbug. Sinks their interplay.

Luke is very understated and...yeah? should I?...natural! He's natural! I'm sorry for all the months of mean things I've said. (....) Whoops. As I type, Scotty just spouted a homily. Ok, I take it all back. I hate when Scotty spouts homilies. I want Scotty to be individual, pleasantly eccentric, his own guy, which for me, apparently, does not include spouting cliches.

I must say, I don't know at this point what the undercurrent of Justin's story is, why he's getting crazy with the combat allusions, but I LIKE him walking into a dark hole-in-the-wall bar and ordering beer ("whatever you got on tap"). He NEEDS to be boozing and drugging. Let him relapse! Give him something to play! Stone sober and talking to Rebecca has become a chore to watch. No dramatic friction.

Writers: Humor me please. Throw odd, incongruous bits of plot in for me. Make them add up later. Why do I never get the thrill of the unexpected? Damn it. Scotty's doing the wise-man-moralizing thing again. I just saw Paul Newman in "Hud" this weekend on Turner Classic Movies. Hud is completely amoral and a heel and Newman is great fun to watch. Hud's father, however, is moral and noble and spouts homilies, too, just like Scotty, and I couldn't wait for the action to move on whenever the old man appeared.

I wanted Justin sloshing home sloppy stinking drunk. I get restless with the non-dramatic dramatic inertia. Justin and Rebecca talking has become a snoozefest. In "Hud", not much happened either, but I got the FEELING stuff was happening. It moved. The characters spilled over. Here, I get the feeling that all these characters have their little soap opera problems, and Nora is home with the coffee on, just in case. I need the electricity of compelling & compulsory action, mesmeric undercurrents that inexplicably lead somewhere, however illusory. Justin and Rebecca are speaking with an ersatz tinkling-piano version of Coldplay's "Lost" beneath it. I guess this is the big warm-hearted/feel-good ballad finish. This ballad-at-the-end formula is so hardened and petrified at this point - all pieces fitting properly into place - that the pieces don't fit anymore, as James Morrison would say.

[will]

Hey Dan & Cole:

The blogs you guys have written up lately seem to indicate that this site is now an inconvenience.

Why bother to post here any longer? It's clear from your bare-bones output in the past few weeks (and throughout the summer) that the writers are put out having to work up a column to keep this thing going.

[terri]

could someone help please. at the end of season two didn't kitty and nora rush off to the airport to say goodbye to Justin? Now we're in season 3 and justin is home. what happened between the airport and the first episode in season 3?

[Jeri]

Wondering the name of the song that was playing when Justin left the soldiers house and went to the bar?

[Sylviane]

My thoughts as to 3.03. A good episode.

As usual Matthew gave us some good acting on his part. I EVEN liked the scene with him and Robert, also because for a moment Robert was actually human, instead of mr Perfect.

I liked that they talked about Jason, at least he's not as easily forgotten as others like Tyler, Warren, Jonathon, David (the constructor) etc. And I liked that Kevin was still a bit bitter about Jason. Good.

I absolutely loved Scotty in this. It was good of him to remind Kevin that he deserves his job, but that he also deserves to be honest about himself. And it was also good that he didn't shove HIS choice of what Kevin should do on Kevin, but let Kevin decide for himself. And how human it is, for Kevin not to follow through with telling his boss what he he exactly thought.

I already knew from the spoilers that Saul and Sarah would quit. And I've applauded that decision from the start. And it played out better than I thought. Even if it was somewhat melodramatic.

I do wonder how well the company will do under Tommy leadership. If those plans are really HIS plans, he made some weird decisions.

Nora was terrific throughout the episode.

There was little Kitty/Robert... And I didn't really miss them.

Justecca. I am glad they are trying to salvage their friendship in this episode. Justin's story was good. And I do hope you will give us more insight into his life as a soldier/medic and that we will not have to sit through a few weeks of will he/won't he start to use alcohol and/or drugs again or will they/won't they have sex. I don't really care about either.

[Karen]

just a nitpick - why was Justin worried about Rebecca seeing the "real" him? She was there during the worst of his falling into drugs again.

[jolande]

little bit more Kitty and Robert.. please and not aout having baby's but more political stuff!!!!! i loved their episodes in which they "argue" about political business. And i love to see more of them together...

[Karma]

Hey Will - I don't understand the reasoning behind ultimately trying to tick off the writers and people who run this blog. Being rude will never get you want you want and it sure as heck won't get you a job as a writer anywhere in this town (since it seems like that's what you're going for). How about a little respect for the people who bring you insider info that you wouldn't get otherwise. Be grateful!

[Trinity Yanson]

as usual,i love the kevin/scotty scenes but i agree that B&S writers seem to cut short or lessen their intimate scenes which i really find odd cause they are married now,they should have some sort of connection like the ones we've seen before. i used to love all the dialogues in this show but i noticed that there's some dialogue that are cliche and repetitive and not so original. please, to all the writers of this show, make it good cause i'm an avid fan of your show and i don't want to lose you all. keep the conversations alive and thought provoking again...

[Carrie]

OMG!!!! Last nights' epsisode was soooooo unbelivable. Justin and Rebecca deff are going to fall in love. I hate watching the "on next weeks episode" because it makes me mad and want to see it or it just ruins it. But I watched it last night and with Rebecca confrounting Justin about cheating on her!!! Ahh i dont think Justin would do that unless he slipped and drank/smoked up!!!! And then with Robert offering Kevin the position of Communication Director. I was like OMG. After all the difficulties with the family I never saw that coming from Robert. But its true that Kevin would make a good communications director. And how the hell can Nora sell all of her husbands possessions!!?!?!?!?!? It is a part of him, memories, that can never be replaced. Yes he did mess up with the affair but i believe that he loved Nora very much and that she was just afraid to admit that to herself and that she is really hurt since he died. They couldn't even make up the affair. It sucks!!!! Ahh cant wait till next weeks episode.!

[lisa]

more Rachel griffiths ,outstanding actress
and better lines for her talent