They Did It
Written by Josh Reims And Liz Tigelaar
Directed by Michael Schultz
8.0
"Great"
Rebecca: "Did you know this whole time?"
David: "Know what?"
Rebecca: "That you're my father".
As a poster on TWOP cheekily said after this episode aired on ABC, "shark, here she be jumped". Personally I've come to hate the term 'jump the shark' because nowadays people use it too freely for even the most mundane of plots that might not sit well with them.
However in spite of that, while Brothers And Sisters for me hasn't necessarily jumped the shark, it has pulled out a plot that has rightfully fuelled a lot of anger with its core viewers, including myself.
Throughout Season One, we knew William Walker had six children and not five as we were lead to believe. We were also led to believe that the sixth child was Rebecca, the product of his 20 year affair with Holly. Thanks to this episode we've learnt that William did more than just Holly.
When David was introduced five episodes ago, there was the nagging suspicion that he was Rebecca's father. With the evasive way Holly's been behaving, it was right for Rebecca to have those fears and for the writers to explore them. Unfortunately we got the results that we didn't want. That being that Rebecca isn't a Walker after all.
It's the one thing that viewers didn't to see happen and I didn't want it to happen either. By revealing that David is her biological father, the writers have just gone and invalidated an entire season's worth of work. With a show as smart as this, only one question needs to be asked why do such a thing?
We had to spend all of last season with the Walkers discovering that Rebecca exists and for each of them to slowly build a relationship with the girl, only for it then to be revealed that she isn't their sister. I know it might sound immature but even I feel betrayed with this.
I can't exactly see how the writers thought this would be a good idea. Given that Greg Berlanti and company always seemed to be aware of how their audiences responded to storylines to do this was a fundamental error in judgement. I almost that it was ABC's fault because I'd be happy with executive being misguided rather than the writing staff themselves.
I just can't see what exactly can be gained from this doing this. To paraphrase Kevin from "The Other Walker", I really do hope for the show's sake that this plot doesn't destroy it alone because if it does, the writers have no else but themselves to blame. It's not that audiences are scared of risk; it's just that they loathe important storylines being retconned and you can't blame them.
If there is a positive in this whole mess, then it has to go to Emily Van Camp. She's a good actress and she really shines here as Rebecca breaks down in front of David. When she tells him that she fell in love with the Walkers, you just totally feel for her even as David makes a point of telling her that she wouldn't have been any better with him in her life.
As for Holly, well now we have proof that she's even more of a scheming **** than originally though. She knew damn well that the possibility of David being Rebecca's father was there and she repeatedly lied to the both of them. The sickening thing is that neither one of them lets her have it.
Instead David comes up with a lame excuse and leaves Holly right during the moment when she wants to go away with him. If I thought Holly was innocent in this I might have felt for her but I don't. Rebecca on the other hand can barely contain her anger, so by next week I'll imagine that she's calling Holly every name under the sun. After all, we know Rebecca's got a vicious tongue on her when riled.
If Rebecca not being a Walker wasn't bad enough, then how about the lusty vibe between her and Justin? All season long these two have spent way too much time with each other and now it looks like they might actually get it on. Is that why Rebecca is suddenly not a Walker, so she can sleep with Justin?
Kevin and Tommy even tease Justin about Rebecca being the closest thing to a girlfriend that he has right now. Then Justin looked visibly disappointed during the fundraiser when Rebecca lied about the DNA results. I really don't like the idea of Justin and Rebecca as a couple.
Even the last scene at the beach provides a yuck moment. Justin jokes to Rebecca during their surf lesson about her life being changed. By next week, he'll certainly know all about it as will the rest of the family. Thankfully this isn't the only plot that will be central in the last two episodes.
One plot I have no trouble getting behind is Kevin and Scotty taking the next few steps in their relationship. For me this is strange, because at the start of the season I wasn't into the idea of them getting back together but now I'm used to Scotty and there's something about their last two episodes together that has made me root for them as a couple.
When Scotty has a work related accident and lets slip that he has no medical insurance, Kevin has an inspired idea domestic partnership. Of course, let's take into the fact it was after a day out with Tommy and Justin that this light bulb moment came to Kevin.
To prove that Scotty has some common sense he declines Kevin's offer on the grounds of it not being what Kevin really wants right now. Kevin even admits that he isn't too anxious to get hitched for romantic reasons and Scotty accepts that. That's the really nice thing. Kevin and Scotty have a disagreement about an important issue without it resorting to nastiness.
To me it shows some good progress in their relationship. Had this been an issue in Season One, one of them would've reacted badly and the other would've made it worse. That being said, it doesn't take a genius to realise that Kevin and Scotty's arc for the last two episodes will be marriage. As long as it's for romantic reasons and both of them know what they're letting themselves in for, I'm cool with it.
Kevin and Scotty aren't the only relationship that's healthy as Kitty and Robert also seem to have a solid marriage too. Okay so she's not crazy about Robert's imminent Vice President offer and he's not too interested in embryo discussion but overall these two work as a team.
Taylor does however try his best to get in between Kitty and Robert. When he's not making personal remarks about her views on campaigning, he's playing Robert too and there is a few moments in the episode where Kitty and Robert do argue about the Vice Presidency offer.
Kitty isn't trying to stifle Robert's ambition and Robert has every right to be ambitious but at the same time from a viewer perspective, do we really need to see another campaign. Personally I'm done with them and I'd rather the political slant was punditry or something like "Red, White And Blue".
In the end Kitty and Robert do come across as a stronger couple. She wants him to be happy but she also doesn't want to lose him and Robert is thankfully mature enough to understand that fact too.
Of course while they may all have success, Sarah is experiencing the opposite of it. There was always going to be consequences for her getting Saul to make an important decision for her and they don't come anymore disastrous than Saul going behind her back with Graham to accept a deal.
Sarah is pretty furious and has it out with Saul, who behaves like a jerk in response. Saul knew Sarah was against the decision and still he went with it, even though he knew she'd be angry if he did it. Now maybe he had a point about Sarah undermining his abilities but I sided with her more than ever.
As for Graham, he also got a short shrift with Sarah. Sarah spent most of the fundraiser in a foul mood and even make an insensitive comment to a woman who's son has leukaemia. At least the ice cream moment with Nora gave her some perspective.
The ironic thing is that as soon as Sarah started apologising to both Graham and Saul, I just knew one of them was going to turn around and say something that would vindicate Sarah for letting rip on them. Both of them admitting to the fact that their deal has officially made Ojai on the verge on bankruptcy again more or less did the trick. And they say lightening doesn't strike twice.
Nora on the other hand spent most of the episode dealing with her break up from Isaac. However instead of using her interior designer pal Jamie to rip something else in the mansion apart, Nora decided to help cancer patients with a little oasis idea. Quite a nice thing for Nora to do as well.
Also in "Double Negative"
We got another moment in this episode with Kitty and Robert with their glasses on in bed. Oddly it's cute and I don't fancy either Rob Lowe or Calista Flockhart.
Kitty (re embryos): "What do you think?"
Robert: "I think they look like bubbles. Smart, cute, artistic little bubbles".
Along with pantry talks, Nora has a habit of rearranging the house during times of big news. Kevin's little story was hilarious.
Tommy: "We don't need a holiday to appreciate you Mom".
Nora: "Since when?"
Rebecca: "That's not a bad idea. Lose a sister, gain a ping pong table".
Justin: "Mom hates ping pong".
I've just noticed that we haven't seen either Paige or Cooper since "Holy Matrimony" and Julia's also missing again.
Taylor: "I think it's about time Robert and I buried the hatchet".
Kitty: "I can think of a few places to bury the hatchet".
Holly: "I enjoy sharing my good fortune with people I care about".
David: "So you care about me?"
With Rebecca not being the other Walker, who is "R" and when will we meet them? They have to be younger than Justin as well, right?
Rebecca (to David, regarding Holly): "She let me live in Nora's house. She let me believe that I was part of that family. I fell in love with that family".
Sarah: "I'm supposed to feel bad about that?"
Graham: "I'd never tell you what to do. Not that you'd listen".
Once again out of all the woman, Kitty really did look quite lovely at the fundraiser. Mainly because Calista Flockhart looks healthier these days.
Robert: "Are you happy that I lost?"
Kitty: "How can you even ask me that?"
Robert: "Well I guess I don't have to".
Rebecca (re David): "You said he was a flake".
Holly: "I thought he changed. I hoped he had. Maybe I just wanted him to".
Rebecca: "You don't always get what you want".
Standout music: There was two brilliant songs here with Counting Crows "When I Dream Of Michelangelo" and "The Whole Keeps Spinning" by Julia Fordham.
Kevin: "Are you upset?"
Scotty: "Kevin, we're boyfriend, not clones. We can agree to disagree".
Justin (to Rebecca): "You're gonna love this. You'll never be the same. Your life is gonna change forever".
Chronology: About a week or two since "Separation Anxiety".
"Double Negative" is not the kind of title you'd want to give an episode where viewers can definitely pick out the negatives so easily. With other plotting somewhat more interesting, the last two episodes of this season can't come soon enough.moreless
