Unfinished Business

Season 3, Episode 9, Aired

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Nora recruits the family to deconstruct her new charity money pit; Kitty & Robert take a huge & overwhelming step in adoption; Sarah takes a big risk with her new business partners by eating crows; Holly pushes Tommy to his limits when she does something in the winery without consulting him.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • Whistle While You Work Written by Nancy Won And Jason Wilborn Directed by Michael Morris

    7.0
    "Good"
    By shawnlunn2002, Mar 09, 2009
    Kevin: "I can't believe my spirit's broken. I don't even know why I'm here anymore."
    Nora: "You're here to help families with sick children. Think about that when you work."

    And to continue our much needed diversion from the topic of Ryan, Nora didn't waste much time in devoting her energies into getting her house prepared. By that, I mean dragging every member of her family in to help her.

    Needless to say, the majority of them were far from enthusiastic. It seemed that the Walker men are not the most hands on with manual labour and by that, I'm including Saul and Justin. Personally I'm glad that doesn't just extend to Kevin, even though I'm far from a manual labour expert myself.

    The entire Walker men do is groan at the prospect of having to tear the house apart and while there's an element of childishness to it, I have to admit that in spite of their whinging, they raise a valid point.

    Nora simply refused to call in people who actually knew what they were doing all because one of them tried to fleece her. Here's a tip, Nora find a contractor who won't instead of roping in family members who have absolutely no idea what they're doing.

    Still the plot is relatively fun and Kevin can certainly sulk with the best of them when he wants to. Of course Nora can't be arsed to listen to the moaning of her family and elected to remind them that they were doing this for a good cause. Funny thing is that I don't remember Nora actually doing all that much demolition work herself.

    Even Sarah and Kitty who came late to the party put in more actual work on the house than Nora herself. Watching Sarah go full throttle with a sledge hammer was utterly amusing as she found a constructive (pun intended) way to vent her rage this week. Maybe Sarah missed her true vocation in life, though to be fair, Kitty was also quite adept as well come to think of it.

    However I think the best person with this whole demolition had to have been Scotty. He's an awesome cook, great with changing light bulbs and better at DIY than any of the Walkers combined is there anything he can't do? I think it's probably make Robert sound less patronising or make Holly disappear of the face of the Earth but that's only because Scotty's not a miracle worker.

    Of course the only problem is that even with Scotty, there's still water damage and other disasters and that ended being enough to dispirit Nora. Surprisingly enough, even Kitty's rousing speech on Nora's relentlessness wasn't enough this week to snap Nora out of her funk.

    At the same time though, all it took was for the men to find a mosaic inside one of the walls to make Nora see that her house wasn't damaged beyond repairs. However in spite of all that, I bet Kevin's delighted that he elected not to move into the fixer upper mansion with Scotty after all.

    Speaking of glad, Kitty and Robert's baby woes are beginning to dissipate when Trish actually did the totally predictable thing and changed her mind. Okay, so maybe Kitty and Robert could've adopted or went the surrogacy route but Trish to suddenly put her baby back on the table for them was nice.

    It seemed that Kitty's neuroses are not enough to deem her a bad mother figure to a child. Robert had a point to raise some scepticism though. After all if Trish could change her mind before, what was to say that she wouldn't do it again? That being said, even the surrogacy route would have it's own complications as well.

    Although I still hate them working together, I have to admit that I did like the scenes with Kevin and Robert in this episode. Kevin made a point of asking Robert what it was that he wanted and it was enough to get Robert to actually come to a decent decision as well. Gotta love Kevin for that.

    In terms of Kevin and Scotty, well the episode featured the latter but all of their scenes were tied to Nora's house plot but still, at least they were fun and judging by previews for the next two episodes, it looks like we're getting some interesting stuff with the pair of them.

    Keeping with the business angle of the episode, Sarah's Greenatopia plot kept moving along. Despite the market potential, Greenatopia hasn't exactly been bombarded with hundreds of offers and when one did surface, of course it would have to draw up some complications.

    It's a good job that Graham isn't a massively disliked character because otherwise watching his scenes with Sarah in this episode would've been like having teeth pulled without the aid of Novocaine. Yes, he's back and of course it caused a fair amount of conflict with Sarah, Kyle and Ethan to boot.

    Graham made something of a point in casually dismissing Kyle and Ethan, the actual creators of Greenatopia because he was so desperate to get into Sarah's pants again. I know that Sarah had more experience but she should've insisted that Kyle and Ethan joined them for dinner instead of going alone with Graham.

    Sarah also probably should've fought a bit more for Kyle and Ethan when Graham made an offer that didn't include them. Even Sarah could see that what Graham was doing was wrong and I'm a little disappointed that she didn't try and fight for the two of them a bit more.

    I'm also disappointed that when she mentioned the offer to Kyle and Ethan that she didn't defend herself better. From the way Sarah conveyed what happened with her meeting with Graham to them, I didn't exactly blame Kyle and Ethan for assuming that Sarah sold them out.

    However I'm not sure if it was wise for Sarah to turn down the offer either, considering that what Graham was offering was the only one they had. I know that neither Kyle nor Ethan can't afford to be strapped for cash but Sarah especially can't afford to either.

    The scene where she brought pizza and beer to them felt a little silly though. It would've been much better had she just gone over to their apartment and explained everything better. Maybe even the three of them could've negotiated with Graham into giving Kyle and Ethan more deserving roles in their own company. Hopefully though an actual offer does come along for them soon enough.

    Of course, Sarah's not the only one with an ever changing career. In a matter of weeks, the relatively inexperienced Rebecca has gone from office temp to a manager position, all because Holly is determined to make Ojai a Walker free zone. The **** has managed to get Sarah, Saul and Kevin out of Ojai, so it looks like Tommy is next for the chop.

    I don't doubt that Rebecca does have the potential to be great in the role that Holly created for her but Tommy was right she should start from the bottom upwards. As much as I find Tommy to be a massive pain in the ass, I can understand his annoyance with Holly.

    Holly's bloody attitude as well is also irksome. The way she callously mentioned that Ojai was no longer a family business was a nice way of demonstrating that even Tommy isn't impervious to her nastiness. Tommy's plot with Saul to get her out of Ojai isn't likely to work. Tommy's just not that smart.

    As for Rebecca, a couple of weeks ago she had a hard time accepting her inheritance from Holly and now she's willing to accept a huge jump in the career ladder from her. Maybe she does want to see the good in her mother (because let's face, no-one else is going to) but even I'm a little surprised that she's not more wary about Holly's offer.

    It also didn't help that Justin put his foot in it once again. Last week we were free of arguments between the pair and this week Rebecca retaliated by bemoaning on Justin's lack of ambitions. If the writers really want viewers to care about this couple, then they're failing spectacularly with it.

    Even the little scene towards the end of the episode where they made up felt a little tacked on. This seems to be the thing with Justin and Rebecca in every episode they fight over something and then they make up. It also doesn't help that they don't interact enough with other characters as well. Also in "Unfinished Business"

    No "Previously On" bit this episode. Seeing as it wasn't overly dramatic, I don't think it was a bad thing.

    Saul (to Nora): "Basic demolition is what we do to each other after we've had copious amounts of wine."

    One episode in and Justin still hasn't revealed that Saul is dating someone. Who is Saul's mystery man?

    Sarah (re tie): "Where did you get that?"
    Ethan: "Thrift store."
    Sarah: "Looks like it. Lose it."

    Kyle (to Sarah, re Graham): "I'm uncomfortable that we have one investor and it's your ex-sugar daddy."

    I have to admit I found that comment pretty funny, given that there's not much of an age gap between Rachel Griffiths and Steven Weber.

    Kitty: "My mother can tell me I'm overbearing at times."
    Trish: "Kitty, you were fine. You just wanted to know everything and to be honest; I didn't want to think about how I'd feel once the baby was born."

    Graham: "Are we gonna keep flirting or are we gonna talk about Greenatopia?"
    Sarah: "I wasn't flirting; you were and yes, yes, let's talk about Greenatopia."

    Both Kyle and Ethan seemed jealous of Graham in this episode. Ethan even seems to fancy Sarah as well.

    Kitty (to Nora): "We're not nay saying the house."
    Robert: "Though we're not not nay saying it either."

    Ethan (to Sarah): "We know that you essentially sold us out for a million dollars."
    Kyle: "And a retirement plan."
    Ethan: "Yes and a retirement plan."

    Scotty mentioned working briefly in construction when he was younger. That was something that seemed to generate a smile on Kevin's face.

    Nora: "We're here to fix up this house, not to dismember it."
    Kitty: "Well, I can multi-task."

    Kitty: "Come on, Kevin, you love complicated. Why did you go work for Robert?"
    Scotty: "Because he didn't make partner."
    Kevin: "What? No! Because I wanted to make a difference."

    Standout music in this episode was Los Lobos' "Tears Of God". There wasn't a lot of music in this episode come to think of it.

    Kitty (to Nora): "No, no buts. You're not allowed to give up. You're not allowed to give up because you believe in your gut that this is right and besides, we've all inherited this absurd drive to make things that yes seem complicated and messy but we can turn them into something great."

    Sarah: "There's a reason we didn't work."
    Graham: "I'm not asking for your hand in marriage."
    Sarah: "I know that too."

    Chronology: A short space of time since "Going Once, Going Twice" as well as about six months since "Moral Hazard".

    "Unfinished Business" is a strange episode because in all fairness, we really didn't need to see a return of Graham or even a resolution to him and Sarah as a whole. It's not a bad episode though but we've had better ones.moreless

  • An old face returns

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By vicky24c, Dec 20, 2008
    In this episode of Brothers and Sisters, the following happens. Nora asks the family to keep her out with the decoration and demolishment within the new centre house she has bought. Robert suggests to Kitty that they look into surrogacy. Kitty gets a phone call from Trish, the birth mother from the last episode, and they arrange to meet. When they met Trish tells Kitty that she has changed her mind and now wants Kitty and Robert to adopt the baby. The centre has everyone in the family working on it, but soon damage is done and Nora gets upset at the fact that she could have killed one of her children and so she walks out. Soon Nora come round and they convince her to get professionals into finish the job. At the end of the episode we see Kitty, Robert and Trish at a scan for the baby.moreless

  • Anohervgreat installment.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By hrgaffney, Dec 04, 2008
    This was a really good episode, particularly the scenes in the old house Nora is doing up. I loved the fact that Trish also changed her mind about letting Kitty and Robert adopt her baby.

    The evil Holly Harper also over-stepped the mark by appointing rebecca to an exec position without even bothering to consult Tommy. I just can't wait to see what he and Saul will do to ty and get her out.

    The scenes with Sarah, Kyle and Ethan were also quite touching a times and I was so glad they didn't sell out.

    Overall, a strong episode this week.moreless

  • Nora recruits the family to help with her new Charity house. Holly oversteps her boundary at Ojai, Sarah has decision's to make regarding Greenotopia, and Kitty and Robert finally get their baby!moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By TvGalPal1026, Dec 03, 2008
    I really enjoyed watching this episode, because it gave a break to the whole Ryan drama. Don't get me wrong, I'm getting really excited to see how everything with Ryan plays out, but for one episode it was really nice break to not hear about him. Also I liked the dilemma they put Sarah in with Graham and her new business partners and I think she made the right choice in the end frankly because I think the only thing Graham was interested in was getting Sarah into bed with him. Also, I liked when Robert confided in Kevin about what was going on with him and Kitty, it's showing more and more that even though they don't get along they can still trust each other. The whole Trish changing her mind was probably my favorite part in the whole episode because Kitty and Robert really deserve to have a baby, I was really sad for them when Kitty had a miscarriage. I highly disliked Holly before, but I was slowly starting to like her until she totally under minded Tommy and everything his father worked for, which included starting every single worker, including himself and Sarah at the bottom and having to work their way to the top. I liked how they gave Justin and Rebecca a break from their normal "Hot and Heavy" relationship, don't get me wrong I like them as a couple, but it's also taking some time to get use to the fact they aren't related. But all in all this episode was really awesome, and I also liked how it concentrated mostly on Nora, instead of her kids. Sally Field is an amazing actress and I feel they haven't given Nora enough of her own plot line, and having Nora open up this non-profit organization will be amazing, not just for Nora, but the entire Walker family as well.moreless

  • The Walkers work together to help Nora fix the house for her charity.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Writer2000, Dec 01, 2008
    Let me just start off by saying that I absolutely loved this episode. All of the story lines were great, especially the whole story line with the Walkers working together to help Nora to fix her house. It was so great seeing all of the Walkers together in this episode. Sally Field was so great in this episode. She is such a great actress. I absolutely loved Kevin and Scotty in this episode. The lack of Justin and Rebecca interaction in this episode was great too since I hate them as a couple. I'm so glad that Trish changed her mind about not giving Kitty and Robert her baby. Sarah's story line was great too. I absolutely hate Holly, especially after this episode. In closing, I thought that this was an extremely well written, well acted and well made episode of Brothers & Sisters from everyone involved, and I can't wait to see the next episode of Brothers & Sisters.moreless
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    • (Saul, Justin, Kevin and Scotty just dragged Nora into a room, refusing to let her say anything.) Nora: Do I at least get a cigarette and a chance to say my last words?

    • Kitty: No, no. No 'Buts'. You're not allowed to give up. You're not allowed to give up because you believe in your gut that this is right. And besides, we've all inherited this absurd drive to make things that, that yes, they seem complicated and they're messy, but we can turn them into something great.

    • Kitty: No, come on, Kevin, you love complicated. You-- why did you go to work for Robert? Scotty: Well, because he didn't make partner. Kevin: What? No, I wanted to make a difference.

    • Nora: We're here to fix up this house, not to dismember your significant other. Kitty: Yeah, well I can multitask.

    • Kitty: We're not nay-saying the house, mother. Robert: (looking around) Oh, although we're not not nay-saying it either.

    • Kevin: Kitty, I am in the ninth circle of hell, okay? Mom has us all down at the center doing demolition, she has lost her mind. Believe me, this is a disaster of herculean proportion.

    • Sarah: Okay, stop it with the negativity, both of you. You have to be confident. Business is like dating. Ethan: Oh no.

    • Nora: This will be the heart and soul of the center-- the Great Room. Kevin: If this is the Great Room, I'd hate to see the Good Room.

    • Ethan: So you really turned down the million dollars? Sarah: Well yeah, a million dollars, an actual salary, expense account, benefits and an ongoing sex life. Ethan: I can help you with that one Sarah: I'm good for now.

    • Nora: This is so great, you and I being together, getting our hands dirty. Kitty: Yeah, this is good. Pulling out walls is much better than banging my head against the one that is my husband.

    • Scotty: I used to work for a carpenter every summer when I was in high school. I can chisel, drill and plane. Kevin: That is hot!

    • Kevin: (to Robert): I am your brother. We just have an "in" and a "law" attached.

    • Kitty: (regarding Sarah kissing Graham): Wow, that must have been a dozy of a kiss if you got a million dollars out of it.

    • Saul: "Basic demolition" is what we do to each other at dinner. After we've had copious amounts of wine. Justin: You can't mix that with power tools!

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    • Graham: Well then this better be because you got a better offer. It doesn't have to do with uh, you know, Mutt and Jeff. Mutt and Jeff is an American newspaper comic strip created by Bud Fisher in 1907. The eponymous characters are Augustus Mutt, a dimwitted, fanatic horse-race gambler motivated by greed, and Jeff, an inmate of an insane asylum, who shares the passion for horse racing. The strip later on concentrated on Mutt's other get-rich-quick schemes, with Jeff as a sometimes unwilling partner.

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