For the Children

Season 1, Episode 6, Aired

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9.2
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The Walker family gets humiliated when their secrets are revealed in a public forum.
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Fan Episode Reviews (12)

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  • An episode with a little bit different family dinner.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Truffethedog, May 15, 2009
    It was a fine episode with great acting. Probably the most heartbreaking storyline this time was Tommy's who was upset to find out he's sterile. Fortunately Julia seemed to handle the situation pretty well instantly having the right thing to say. Them getting caught having sex was actually pretty funny. The Kitty-Warren-Amber storyline was once again kind of boring, I liked Amber dancing with Kevin(and showing another side of her) though. Also not that interesting this time was Saul and Holly's interaction. The chemistry that I saw them having in the previous episode had suddenly vanished.
    Kevin and Scotty were cute as always though their different opinions on things once again clashed. This time I personally was on Scotty's side but I also understand where Kevin was coming from. I liked how Kevin dealt with Scotty's boss. I wish Scotty would have seen it. And finally Sarah's interaction with Nora. In the end when Sarah had finally told her the truth about the situation in Ojai it was actually really beautiful. A real tearjerker scene was the one where Nora tells Sarah that she really respects her and thinks Sarah became the woman that Nora never was. And also when Sarah says she got it all from Nora. I think those two characters are actually more alike than we can usually see.moreless

  • incrible acting! and flawless writing.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By matt_oc, Mar 04, 2008
    incrible acting! and flawless writing.
    incrible acting! and flawless writing.

    let me say that ive prolly never cried so much in a tv episode. i was just a waterfall in the part where nora talked to sarah. it was soo sweet and i could just feel what they were feeling. this episode shows how amazing this programme is. never fails to be hilarious and sooo heart-warming at the same time.
    FLAWLESS. if you are a fan of the tv sshow, dont miss this episode.
    FLAWLESS. if you are a fan of the tv sshow, dont miss this episode.
    FLAWLESS. if you are a fan of the tv sshow, dont miss this episode.moreless

  • Finally some Sarah/Nora interaction - so moving. Kevin - just the cutest guy ever.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By anna16profiler, Dec 29, 2007
    I have to say this really was a very special episode for me.
    I enjoyed evry little bit of it and the ending with Nora and Sarah was just so revealing and touching.
    Of course Sarah gave in when Nora revealed her little Kennedy fantasy... I found that so funny in a way. Its so Sarah to wanna please her mom.
    I am convinced that the only reason Sarah never wanted to tell Nora the truth about Ohaj and later about Rebecca because she wants her mom to move on as happy as possible.
    Nora was awesome in this episode, how she talked Joe down and the final show down at the charity function.... yayy...
    I loved when Sarah said:
    I got that from you, mom. I watched you power through life.
    You had Kitty to fight with, Kevin to admire, Justin to baby, Tommy to lean on... what were you thinking about me all this time?
    I think Sarah does have a point. Nora never seems to particularly look out for Sarah like she does with the others, but maybe that is because she believes Sarah can handle things herself.

    Okay, about Kevin... the way he did his lawyer talk.... awww so cool. I enjoyed that hugely.

    But I really despise Amber, she just pisses me off. Im not saying she must be stupid (even though she seems to be-that little Freud-thing wasnt much) but the way she talks and annoys everyone with her jumping around like a 13- year old is repulsive.
    Warren certainly lost his good reputation with me ever since he dated that girl. yack.

    Awwww Julia and Tommy in the closer...... nice.moreless

  • Kids Written by Jon Robin Baitz And Jessica Mecklenburg Directed by Frederick E.O. Toye

    8.0
    "Great"
    By shawnlunn2002, Aug 26, 2007
    With an episode title like this, it doesn't take much of a stretch to guess what exactly is on the writers' mind this week as the very title brings up the usual connotations about children.

    Kids may be the future and while not they're something every couple necessarily wants, there's also the thing about children being manipulated by their parents and in turn their ability to cause the occasional moments of embarrassment no matter how old they are.

    First off there's Sarah who has two kids of her own and does her best to balance being a good mother to them as well as her not entirely successful efforts to save Ojai Foods from going down the toilet especially now that there's a secret bank account that could be the answer to Sarah's problem, if she only knew the password.

    Still there is an advantage to not having a lot of money and one of them happens to be that Ojai's bad financial status could be used as an incentive for the rest of Walker clan to get out of a charity ball that Nora has been forcing them to go every other. Its fun how Sarah rounds up the troops and decides to form a united front against going to this ball. You know that it isn't gonna take much for Nora to quash this front but it's at least seeing them deluding themselves that they could stand up to her. Although they could try telling Nora the truth and perhaps this entire meeting could be frivolous despite it being rather fun to watch.

    Six episodes in and the only other person seemingly in the dark about Ojai's bad finance is Kitty who manages to get a simple answer from Sarah by just plain and simply asking Sarah what's going on at the family business. If Sarah is able to tell Kitty and Saul/Kevin/Tommy are more than aware as I assume Justin is too then why on earth doesn't Nora know? Forget the ignorance isn't bliss thing, Sarah should consider the fact that things are likely to take a turn for the worst with the business and then Nora could end up on the street. In other words Sarah should keep taking Tommy's advice and stop stalling, like now.

    Of course Sarah still decides to keep Nora in the dark and it's Joe who accidentally lets slip to the matriarch about Ojai when he comes to pick up Paige and Cooper. Nora's threat of getting Joe to spill as much as he knows is only something that a parent can get away with and it makes for a truly funny scene.

    However even with this knowledge in tow, Nora ends up disappointing me because despite the company being in a dire financial state she's still insistent on going to this ball even though deep down she doesn't really want to. Plus I totally hated her Kennedy's allusion to get Sarah to relent. I thought Sarah was supposed to be more tougher than that.

    In fairness it seems Nora hasn't learned anything from the golf tournament debacle from "Family Portrait" but I'm more annoyed with Sarah who decides to take out her annoyance of being put into a situation she could've avoided by taking it out on Joe after Kitty slipped about him blabbing to Nora.

    Now what Joe said was merely innocent and therefore I view him as being blameless in this scenario. Sarah has had more than enough time to tell Nora the truth and she's baulked it because while she's opinionated, she's not necessarily big on confrontation and when Nora suggests that her and Tommy are responsible for Ojai's misfortune, she's quick into walking out.

    Normally if Nora followed her, I'd say leave it but thankfully this was one of those time when the woman's forceful nature proved worthy to the plot. Sarah finally let her mother in on the whole truth about Ojai Foods, including the fact that William wiped out the entire pension fund. I'd almost say better late than never but once again, Sarah had to have her hand forced rather than just making the decision to be honest with Nora. That's a characteristic that's gonna cause her more problems if she's not careful. Sarah's lack of assertive has been problematic so far with this series.

    One thing that can't be denied however is how incredible both Sally Field and Rachel Griffiths are together in a scene and the best bit of this episode is Sarah and Nora outside opening up to each other, especially when Nora gives her first born the confidence she really needs right now.

    In a lot of ways this episode really wasn't Nora's week. If her children weren't causing her some embarrassment then a lecherous old friend Harry and his quick to accuse wife Margaret were a good source of tedium for Nora and heck, even Saul and Holly's continuous relationship with each other provided another sour note. At one point Holly's even brave enough to ask Nora when she gets to be rude back to her. I'd say not for a very long time.

    Holly's actual point to the show is a weird thing. Given that Patricia Wettig wasn't originally supposed to be a regular (Prison Break might've played a part in that), it seems the writers are doing their bit to prolong what should really be a shorter stay for Holly. I mean they've hooked her up with Saul and that's caused a strain among the Walkers and the picture of her daughter also suggests that William left yet another legacy behind him.

    Speaking of legacies, seeing as kids are widely viewed as another way of extending them, it's only natural that the only other married Walker sibling Tommy and his monosyllabic wife Julia have got babies on the brain. In fact they opened up this episode doing tantric sex position in order to increase the chances of conception.

    A baby plot isn't exactly the most thrilling of the bunch but seeing how little Julia has factored so far, I have no problem letting that slide if it shows us how much of a good actress Sarah Jane Morris happens to be, even though the baby quest is now marred by Tommy being fertile.

    Showing us that Balthazar Getty is quite the actor is his own right, Tommy goes from delightfully wanting children to feeling like his world is coming apart when Nora puts him on the spot during the ball and Tommy is forced to admit he's infertile which to a lot of men is easily one of the most demoralising things to admit about themselves.

    Of course Julia reacts to the news in a more supportive manner by simply reminding Tommy that she loves him and you do genuinely think she's being as honest as possible. She might be disappointed about him being unable to father kids but she's certainly not going to leave him. Plus realistically there are other options that you just know are going to utilised sooner rather than later.

    Still despite the drama, at least Tommy and Julia get to have some fun and what's more than getting it on in a cloak room with someone you're insanely hot for? The only problem is getting caught by an irritating shrew like Margaret and getting a few evils from Nora but somehow I think Tommy and Julia can survive that.

    That's not the only survival tactic to contend with either as Kevin after bagging his guy last week nearly loses him this week when he tries to buy Scotty instead of just letting him get on with his cater waiter side gig which Scotty is more than determined to do. The odds of Scotty being the cater waiter for the very ball Kevin wants to bring him are incredibly high. There seems to be an affluent snobbery there that will inevitable cause problem with Kevin/Scotty if neither of them are careful. Remember there was a similar plot with Miranda/Steve back in Sex And The City, which this week's plot reminded me so much of.

    Kevin decides to handle being totally wrong in this week's obstacle by getting pissed and snogging Scotty and then ensuring that his boyfriend's jackass of a boss doesn't fire the lad. Even when sloshed, Kevin is a pretty convincing lawyer.

    Matthew Rhys plays Kevin's drunken state to great effect, though Scotty could've had Kevin grovel a little more. Either way these two won't work out if they keep playing on their insecurities like Kevin's sexual prowess and Scotty's financial background and as a viewer I want more fun between these along with good drama. Still at least we got another hot snog between the two of them.

    One couple however that seemed to know where they stand is Justin and Tyler. Theirs is the most simplistic relationship of the week they're hot for each other and don't bother mincing it. The only source we got was Tyler worried that she was dressed inappropriately and beyond that not much else.

    As far as I can see, Justin was more or less the most level headed member of his family this week and while under any other circumstances, dating his boss would be a bad idea, Tyler clearly seems to be such a good influence on him that perhaps, he's on the right track with this girl.

    Last but not least in our love fiasco, there's Kitty, Warren and Amber. Warren annoys Kitty this week by refusing to be her date for the ball by taking Amber instead and Kitty retaliates by highlighting the age difference between Warren and the intern with a good few funny remarks.

    Still though Kitty shouldn't worry too much as Warren spent most of his time with her rather than his actual date. Amber on the other hand proves that being blonde and bubbly doesn't equal being thick when she's quick to explain to Kevin how badly he handled the Scotty thing. Then again, Tyler said the same thing but it was Amber who Kevin actually took more seriously. Surely the writers can find a better use for Amber than being a romantic foil for Kitty and Warren?

    Also in "For The Children"

    I took it this week that Kevin was being a little ironic when he mentioned his love for musicals. I like them too, especially Rocky Horror Picture Show and Buffy's "Once More With Feeling".

    Kevin (to everyone else): "I was kind of looking forward to it this year. You know the theme is 'Back To Broadway' and who doesn't love a musical?"

    This is the first episode in which a large gathering of Walkers have been in Sarah's house. That still has yet to happen with Kevin and Justin's places.

    Sarah (re Harry): "Are you sure, maybe he just grazed you"
    Nora: "Why does everyone think I'm a psychosexual hysteric?"

    Kitty: "I'm not going, no-one is going"
    Nora: "All your brothers and sisters have confirmed".

    There was another Six Feet Under guest star this week with Robert Foxworthy playing Harry the letch. Too bad he didn't get any scenes with Rachel Griffiths.

    Nora (to Joe): "Whatever you're afraid of Sarah doing to you, remember I'm her mother. Stands to reason I taught her how".

    Kitty (to Warren, re Amber): "Oh you know they just opened the kids buffet".

    Out of all the women dressed up for this episode, I think both Sarah and Tyler looked the most stunning. There was something about Tyler's emerald dress that screamed Wizard Of Oz.

    Kevin: "Wow do people underestimate you a lot?"
    Amber: "It goes with the hair".

    Warren: "I think we should try something"
    Kitty: "Oh and what would that be, a mnage?"

    The Walkers got to be the musical Wicked. Is it me or do a lot of ABC series tend to endorse musicals nowadays? Just look at Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty if you don't believe me. Julia (to Tommy): "Having children with you would make me the happiest woman in the world but I don't care how we have them".

    Does anyone else think Warren looks like a male escort in a tuxedo? His boyish chat up lines don't help either.

    Kevin: "Could you please forgive me so I can stop getting drunk? I promise I'll never offer to pay for anything again. Not a dinner or a movie, not even a parking meter"
    Scotty: "Okay, enough. I forgive you".

    Standout music: "Slipping" by Tony Lightman and "World Unseen" by Roseanne Cash.

    Saul: "Who is that? Is that your daughter? What's her name?"
    Holly: "Becky".

    Nora: "I think I've shared enough with you already"
    Holly: "I don't know what the etiquette is in our situation but at what point am I allowed to be rude back?"

    Chronology: A few days since "Date Night".

    "For The Children" may lay on too thickly about the necessity of kids but like anything else on this show, the mature writing and powerhouse acting save the plot from mediocrity. It also helps that a vital clue about William is also thrown into the mix and the ending is one of the strangest yet for the show.moreless

  • HUGE EPISODE

    10
    "Perfect"
    By benji010203, Apr 02, 2007
    I had loved this episode again. It's a fantabulous episode. I don't say that all the day but Brothers and sisters are amazing. The dialogues are impressionnant, sarcastic and I love it. All the characters are good. Finally, JULIA talk , lol. Nora knows about the agency and it's good that the story " avance ". I just want to say thaht I have loved the benefit night. It's a very good. Like the five first in reality. Calista Flockhart is incroyable, she is amazing, David Annable still so hot, the music still so good, the series enormous. I LOVE Brothers & Sisters.moreless
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