Bakersfield

Season 3, Episode 6, Aired

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9.1
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Nora tries to learn more about Ryan, so she can beat Holly; Kitty & Robert wait for a birth mother.
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  • Truth Not Be Told Written by Molly Newman And Peter Calloway Directed by Gloria Muzio

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By shawnlunn2002, Feb 15, 2009
    Nora (to Kitty): "Well the truth is overrated. Truth just broke George Lafferty's heart. The truth broke my heart. I'm swearing off of it."

    Yes, that's the not so fun thing about the truth it can break your heart. Honesty has been proven not always to be the best policy and not because of the need to spare other people's feelings. It's also pays to occasionally keep schtum as to inflict misery on another person.

    For Nora though, this is a lesson that's been learned too late. She might have gone through her entire without knowing that William fathered Ryan and it might not have been a bad thing. Because of the mix up with Rebecca's lineage, that little clanger had to have come out.

    It's also because of Holly that Nora was put in an awkward position. Holly made it clear at the end of the previous episode that she might tell the Lafferty family about William being Ryan's father if the mood struck her. While it was obvious that she wanted to make Nora squirm more than inflict carnage on another family, I can see why Nora couldn't take the risk.

    I could also see that as soon as she confided in someone other than Sarah or Kevin, she would've had been told to leave things alone. Was Saul right to tell her to leave things alone? From a moral perspective probably but given that every episode this season has done nothing but go on about Ryan, there was no way that Nora could have left it alone.

    One of the common complaints about this season has been the Ryan topic and the guy hasn't even shown up. This episode should've been the one to finally debut him but we're going to have to wait a lot longer for that to happen but at least something in the way of progress was being made with this episode.

    With Saul refusing to go to Bakersfield with Nora to talk to George Lafferty, it's Kitty who ended up getting duped by Nora into going with her. Kitty's response was typical when she realised that she had been played she got annoyed for a few seconds and then went along with it. Not much resolve in Kitty this week I guess.

    Meeting George himself was something of a good point. He had seemed blissfully unaware that Connie had cheated on him with William, never mind the fact that they knew each other. I'm still confused with how long William's affair with Connie was. Surely it wasn't a twenty year thing like it was with Holly?

    George's response to be assaulted with this information however is fantastic. He's quick to disbelieve Nora and it's hard not to blame him. If you had some random stranger telling you the things that Nora was telling George, you'd have a hard time believing them too.

    Realising that perhaps she overstepped the mark, Nora had one of her more spirited moments by screaming about how selfish William really was in the desert. I'm surprised we haven't had this kind of scene before but I suppose knowing that your husband didn't restrict himself to one mistress might have just earned it.

    It's a good acting moment for Sally Field and while Nora is in the wrong with certain things in this episode, it is however easy to understand her motives at every turn. She wasn't trying to be spiteful with her visit to George and the latter must have been aware of that if he sought her out at the end.

    So George does believe that Connie was sleeping with William, which is good. It wasn't much of a surprise then that he pieced the fact that Ryan might have been conceived during his affair. If the show had sense the next episode would be the one to introduce Ryan but sadly he's being pushed until later in the season to make his appearance.

    One of Nora's less well meaning moments though was her continued grudge with Robert. While Robert is annoying and too sanctimonious for his own good, that little dressing down he gave her in "Book Burning" was not that humiliating. It is rather one side that Nora seems to be maintaining this grudge while Robert himself has clearly forgotten about it.

    Nor was Nora in the right to make assumptions about Kitty and Robert's marriage. I know Robert does seem to heavily prioritise his career but that doesn't mean history will repeat itself with him and Kitty. That being said, he really didn't do himself much on the way of favours this week.

    Lying to Kitty about his trip was bad enough. Of course she would then have to find out that he was in the Middle East via a radio announcement. It's also natural that she would be suitably annoyed and then later admit to Nora that she feared he would put career ambitions over family.

    It's also in this episode that Kitty and Robert finally got picked by a woman from Missouri to adopt her baby. It was nice to see Kitty allow herself to get excited by the news even if Nora had to coax it out of her. I think Robert was excited himself even if his response did feel a little too subdued for my liking.

    So with the prospect of them being parents, I would imagine that Kitty and Robert might have more problems ahead. Her fears about his career ambitions weren't resolved in this episode and Robert still didn't take into account that she was upset by him not telling her about the Middle East.

    One person who's a master of upset though is Kevin. He's also fantastic in maintaining a grudge but these aren't the character traits you would list on your CV. I'm pretty sure that Kevin would also keep them out of his own as well, even though he's lucky enough to have some employment.

    The reason why I mention him being so good with a grudge is that he's still furious with Tommy. I don't personally blame him but seeing as Rebecca told him to set aside his grudge for Justin's one year sobriety meeting, it's a little sad that he couldn't.

    On the other hand, it's also ridiculously funny that him and Tommy got into a scrap as well as they both tried to be there for Justin. The look of embarrassment on Justin's face was priceless as was Rebecca's. It's a good job that both Tommy and Kevin never joined the army then.

    Also their fisticuffs did see Nora and Kitty give them a lecture on their behaviour. I'm not sure if Justin's "fake it till you make it" idea is going to get Tommy and Kevin to set aside their differences but at some eventual point, they are going to have to hash things out and only grudges towards Holly can be maintained forever.

    One thing that might have actually helped would've been Tommy to have expressed a genuine apology for firing Kevin. Instead he made the stupid move to tell Kevin that he done him a favour, which justifiably rattled Kevin more than anything else.

    Justin on the other hand was quite the boy scout in this episode. Rebecca kept praising the fact that he was letting her in emotionally so she let him in physically by giving him a key to her place. Justin also made a point of thanking his lucky stars that he's been forgiven several times over for his many screw ups.

    Sarah meanwhile decided to go for that great job with Greenatopia, a website designed to tell everyone how healthy the produce is that they're eating. It makes sense that Sarah would end up vying for something organic food related but the story had some issues.

    First off all for someone as smart as Sarah, wouldn't she have done some research into Greenatopia prior to meeting wunderkids Kyle and Ethan? Both of them did look like they were bluffing when they were gloating about the website's success. Plus both men were quite different with Sarah.

    Ethan seemed a little hostile with Sarah when talking to her while Kyle was being blatantly flirty with her during the interview. It was also him who went to apologise to Sarah after she realised that they lived in a dank flat and their business was more of a fixer upper.

    Sarah taking the job regardless of being deceived by the wunderkids is a risky move. Having belief that Greenatopia could be a success is fine but given that Sarah has plenty of family and financial responsibilities, I'm just hoping for her sake that Kyle won't have to resort to selling his possessions to keep her on the payroll.

    Also in "Bakersfield"

    This episode didn't have a "Previously On" montage. First episode this season that hasn't happened.

    Rebecca: "I really can't take you seriously in that robe."
    Justin: "Well I guess I have no choice then. I'm going commando."
    Rebecca: "I don't know if that's gonna make it easier to talk to you."
    Justin: "We'll see."

    Nice bit of nudity this week from Dave Annable, all without seeing an explicit sex scene between Justin and Rebecca.

    Kitty (to Nora): "God I hate being at such loose ends. I'm unemployed. My book's glacially going through the publishing process. I'm missing Robert and I'm in baby limbo."

    Cooper: "You know a head hunter?"
    Sarah: "Yes and I'm gonna get him over here if you don't brush your teeth."

    Gloria Muzio who directed this episode also had her surname used as "Muzio's Farmer Market" while Kitty and Nora were in Bakersfield.

    Sarah: "How do I look?"
    Tommy: "Fine. Great!"
    Sarah: "You said fine."
    Tommy: "I know better than to have this conversation with you. Why do you care what I think anyway?"

    Tommy: "You. Food. It's a slam dunk."
    Sarah: "Right but the internet thing. These guys are like wunderkids. I'm afraid they're gonna look at me and see someone old enough to be-"
    Tommy: "-Their mother?"
    Sarah: "I was gonna say big sister."

    Notice how Ethan went out of his way to make Sarah not too comfortable during the interview. He wasn't too pleased with her Franklin Roosevelt answer either.

    Tommy: "Look, can we just bury the hatchet now please?"
    Kevin: "I think you're the one who did the hatchet job."

    Kitty: "So now we're getting to it. This is about that stupid fight you had with Robert."
    Nora: "It wasn't a fight. It was a dressing down of the most arrogant, aloof sort of way."

    Nice to see Kevin and Rebecca bond during a scene. This is the first episode I think we've ever seen her in his apartment.

    Nora: "I hate you William Walker. You're a selfish son of a ****
    Kitty: "Mom, Mom."
    Nora: "Don't stop me. You never loved anyone but yourself and your stupid penis Woah, that really took it out of me."

    Justin (to Tommy/Kevin): "It's not that easy. Baby steps. We have a saying in Narcotics Anominous "Fake It Till You Make It"."

    The episode was utterly devoid of Holly but we also got no Scotty or Julia either. The standout music in this episode would be Ryan Adams' "Magick".

    Sarah: "I have two kids, an ex-husband, siblings who don't have boundaries and a mother who treats me like I'm sixteen."
    Kyle: "Okay, that's cool."

    George: "What you came to tell me, it's about my son, isn't it? It's about Ryan."
    Nora: "George, won't you please come in?"

    Chronology: Exactly a year since "36 Hours".

    Aside from the continuous dragging out of the Ryan (and we've still got a way to go with that), "Bakersfield" kept up the slew of great episodes we've been having recently. Beyond that, I'm a happy reviewer.moreless

  • Nora and Kitty go on a road trip, to track down Williams other son

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By vicky24c, Nov 14, 2008
    In this episode of Brothers & Sisters, the following happens. Nora wants to go and see Ryan, and as she is heading out, Kitty turns up and offers to go with Nora when she says that she is going to run errands. Finally Nora tells Kitty where they are going and after a while Kitty agrees to go with her. Nora and Kitty arrive at Ryan's house, when Kitty gets a phone call from Robert. He told her that he was going to another state for a meeting, when really he has gone to the Middle East. Nora tells Kitty that no one is home and that they are going to wait. Sarah goes on her first job interview since she left school. In this episode Justin gets his one year chip from his AA meeting. While Kitty & Nora are arguing on the lawn of the Laffertys house, the owner Ryan's father turns up. They tell him that his wife had an affair, but he freaks out and throws both of them out. Kitty soon learns that a birth mother has picked her and Robert. Also Sarah accepts the job which she has been offered. George Lafferty turns up at Nora's house and asks her if there is more to it. He soon realises that she came to tell him about his son, Ryan.moreless

  • you have posted blatantly innacurate info for the 2nd time in the cast listing. we,the users deserve accuracy from you.eric mccormack does not appear on this show, yet you run his pic, bio,. will mccormack a really cool actor is a 'recurring cast member.moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By ryan5, Nov 07, 2008
    please read what i have written in the summary--it explains my frustration in trying to reach you by e-m
    i hope you take a little constructive criticism since i believe we are entitled to accuracy. also listing eric mccormack as a mamber of the cast changes all the dynamics due to his well known popularity from many other shows and movies.i can not speak for him, but i'm sure he would be happy to be on the show, but he isn't. will mccormack who is the cast member should receive recognition for his performances. i hope you will update this asap. thanks.moreless

  • Nora and Kitty go on a road trip to visit Ryan's family.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Writer2000, Nov 03, 2008
    All in all, I absolutely loved this episode. The highlight of this episode for me was definitely Nora and Kitty's road trip to visit Ryan's family. I always love the interactions between Nora and Kitty, and I thought that they were really great in this episode. I loved Nora's outburst about William on the side of the road. Sally Field's acting in that scene was absolutely brilliant. Although, Sally Field's acting was absolutely amazing throughout the entire episode. I also loved the whole Kevin and Tommy fight and the "intervention" that Justin held for them at the end of the episode. The only things that I didn't like about this episode were the Justin and Rebecca bedroom scenes and the fact that Scotty wasn't even in this episode. I just can't get used to the idea of Justin and Rebecca being a couple. In closing, I thought that this was an extremely well written, well acted and well made episode Brothers & Sisters from everyone involved, and I can't wait to see the next episode of Brothers & Sisters.moreless
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  • QUOTES (10)

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    • Rebecca: I know you're a bigger man than this. Kevin: I'm actually not. I'm very small and petty.

    • Nora: Well the truth is overrated. Truth just broke George Lafferty's heart; the truth broke my heart. I'm swearing off of it. Kitty: Oh come on mom, you didn't tell me anything that I don't already know. Robert's ambition? That's been a thing between us since the election, and I know that he wants to run for President again and he knows I don't want to slog through another national campaign. I mean especially if... if we ever have kids. You know the truth that breaks my heart is I'm afraid if he ever had to choose, he... he wouldn't choose me.

    • Nora: Kitty, with Robert family will always run a very distant second place to his ambition. Kitty: You are such a piece of work mother. Why are you suddenly... Nora: I care about you, you're my daughter. I know what it's like to be married to a powerful man. Kitty: You don't know what it's like to be married to Robert. You don't know anything about my relationship. I am not you. And Robert is definitely, definitely not dad.

    • Tommy: Look, can we just bury the hatchet now please? Kevin: I think you're the one who did the hatchet job. Tommy: Maybe me firing you wasn't the worst thing that'd ever happen. I mean, if you think about it, your new career... Kevin: I'm sorry, you want me to thank you for firing me? You have a personality disorder, you know that? Tommy: Oh stop being such a drama queen. Kevin: Can you get out of the way so I can be with the brother I actually like?

    • (Nora and Kitty pull up in front of the Lafferty's house.) Nora: That's the house. Kitty: Well, hmm, it's pretty. I mean, nothing to signal crazy serial killer inside.

    • Kevin: I'm sorry, why the hard sell? What... (Rebecca looks guilty.) Kevin: Oh you're inviting Tommy. Rebecca: Come on, Justin misses hanging out with you two, together. I mean, it would be amazing if you guys both went. Kevin: Can I just buy him a watch? Rebecca: Kevin! Kevin: Look, I'm really sorry but there's just a lot of murky, polluted water under the fraternal bridge right now.

    • Sarah: My headhunter told me that I would be able to set my own schedule. Cooper: You know a headhunter? (probably thinking it's someone who hunts for heads) Sarah: Yeah, and I'm going to get him over here if you don't go brush your teeth. (Both Cooper and Paige runs off.)

    • Kitty: This is really unbelievable. Nora: You said that already. Kitty: Well mom, how on earth are we even going to tell them? I mean, what are we possibly going to say? Nora: Does this mean you'll go with me? (Kitty gestures at their surroundings with her hand.) Kitty: Look around mother, I'm in the middle of nowhere, what, what am I supposed to do?

    • Nora: Holly threatened me. Kitty: We're running away from Holly?

    • Justin, talking to Kevin and Tommy, saying they need to be at Bitches Anonymous: "Hi, my name is Kevin, I'm a bitch and I am powerless over my anger!"

  • NOTES (3)

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    • International Episode Titles: Czech Republic - Třetí žena (Third Woman)

    • Original International Air Dates: Australia: Monday, March 9, 2009 on Channel 7 Norway: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 on TV2 Latin America: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 on Universal Channel Czech Republic: Sunday, April 17, 2011 on Universal Channel

    • Music: Little Twig by Neal Halstead Don't You Evah by Spoon Magick by Ryan Adams

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