And so the second season of this wonderful show draws to a close with another terrific episode. As always this was a hilarious episode with some truly emotional bits in there as well. I just watched the season 1 finale on DVD and whilst this finale wasn't as good as the last (mostly due to the questionable storylines of the s2 final) it still had plenty to enjoy.

I guess I should start of by saying that I don't think I really like the whole Rebecca turn around. Whilst it was handled well and gave plenty of drama and excitement to the episode- another sibling that could be William's?? It is hugely far fetched and the writers are going to have to do a lot of convincing writing next season for the whole storyline to make sense. And I mean going back through that past 38 episodes and seeing what was said about Rebecca, her paternity and William in general to paper over the cracks that this storyline has given us. I'm also not loving the twist between Rebecca and Justin, its still a little icky and could've been left till next season as lets face it Rebecca has enough to deal with at the moment without dating her ex-brother! I think that the damage that this storyline could inflict on the show was caused by the writers strike which mean that the writing team had to quickly plot together 4 episodes most of which weren't quite as good as the preceding 12 of this season. Hopefully the writers can come with some better storylines after the break.

The execution of both storylines however was rather good and up to the usual B&S high standards. The kiss between them was handled well however, the awkward moment after was nice and reminds the audience that even in this soap like storyline the show is not a soap as in a soap the music would've swelled and there would be no problem for the characters transitioning from siblings to lovers. I was a bit annoyed that the final scene was them however it really should have been Sarah, Kevin and Nora who lets face it have the much more important storyline. One thing I did like about the fact that Rebecca was revealed to not be a Walker is how they showed again what family is treating Rebecca as still part of the family which is really the meaning at the very heart of the show.
I have to say that whilst the Ryan reveal is a bit dubious, it was done so well, from the flashbacks which I loved, to Sarah's paranoia at the wedding, to Kevin's dramatic reveal to her on his wedding night to them telling Nora straight away. This shows that they truly have learnt from the mistake with Rebecca and telling Nora what little they knew straight away shows how much the family bonds have grown. The flashbacks were especially well done and didn't feel contrived at all, although they were mostly a way of finding out about Ryan they also contrasted between his parental relationships and Scotty's.

Speaking of Scotty the whole wedding was my favourite part of the episode. It was just some a sweet moment between the two and you can help but root for them. I really hope they make it. It was also nice to see the whole family as the children especially have been missing from the last few episodes. The road trip on Kevin's part beforehand was hilarious, scenes between the brothers are always great and although he didn't come back with Scotty's parents the fact that he went and came back with the cufflinks was enough.

Kitty and Robert find out again they are not pregnant and decide to give up and try the adoption route instead. Now while adoption saves us having to re-tread a storyline they have already done with Julia and Tommy it does seem like they have given up really quickly. Although I think it is a goof, Robert said its only been a month since they started trying and since so many couples try for years to get pregnant and they haven't been given any real reason why they can't get pregnant, it seems they have just given up prematurely which is strange for such an ambitious pair.

There were many other things to talk about in the episode but since this review is already long enough I'll just talk about Saul's hilarious coming out scene to the Walker siblings, in which he bluntly announces he's gay The siblings are unsurprisingly shocked but best is Justin's reaction when he says "This has been the gayest week of my life!"

Overall this was a great episode though I must admit some of the storylines were a little questionable. The execution of the storylines especially the acting was so great that it's hard to slate this episode completely especially when it got me excited and made me laugh so much. I can't ait for next season!

The highlight obviously has to be the proposal at the end which is one of the sweetest moments on B&S and one of the loveliest proposals on ever on TV. It was just so genuine and heartfelt that you can help but smile. I hope that these two make it as a couple. TV shows have the tendency to split couples up to generate storylines but I would rather see Kitty and Robert break-up than these two.
The fallout over Ojai was slightly harsh on Sarah, she did a deal and it went wrong but even if she had signed off on the deal herself it wasn't all her fault and I think the family was all a bit judgemental.

I wasn't really a fan of Kitty and Robert's storyline this week, it was amusing but it was so detached from the rest of the family that it felt out of place in the episode almost.

Justin feeling awkward around Rebecca was pretty funny even if I don't like where the story is going. I know the season had to be compacted a little due to the writers strike but the question over her paternity and Justin's attraction to her has sort of but shoved together. I think I would've preferred to see the paternity stuff now and a budding relationship between them develop later maybe next season when it was less ick. Kevin's reaction to Justin telling him was hilarious though.

The scene between Rebecca and Holly was good though, both brilliantly played by the 2 actresses. Holly was way too self-righteous though, Rebecca isn't a child and she should've been upfront with her a year ago- that said it was probably more a change in the writers room which has made Holly look like a complete gold-digger as opposed to a genuine character trait. She was far too harsh in throwing Rebecca out of her house though- out of all of this Rebecca is a victim and doesn't deserve to be treated that way

Saul's identity crisis was heartbreaking to watch but I felt it could've been given more time onscreen. It's such an interesting issue and it seems to be pushed to the side a little. It'll be interesting to see how this is played next season, there is a lot of scope to do with this story and will hopefully give Saul more screen time. However there are also issues raised as to whether he will stay on his the new merged business given how much he seemed to almost despise it here.

Overall a great penultimate episodes. Some of the storylines were a little rushed through as we lead up to the final episode and in all honesty I'm not totally sure I like the direction in which all the storylines are going but the execution of all the stories was up the usual B&S high standard.

With Justin's addiction rearing its ugly head again, its hardly surprising that a Walker intervention occurred this week and in such a forceful way. With the whole family being locked in the house together, secrets were bound to come out and it was mostly the male members of the family who had to deal with their emotional baggage.

The beginning of the episode was a little rushed, in my opinion though the rest of the episode was good enough to make up for it. Rebecca telling Holly about Justin's addiction and getting him to the house took place all before the titles rolled. However there was much to get through in the episode that this was a justified move.

The intervention scene was nicely done, with Tommy significantly being the only missing member. Dave Annable was brilliant in this scene, his pain and anger was so accurately played, he was easily the star of this episode. The others did a nice job too as Justin laid into each family member for their various emotional problems. In true Walker fashion, this for the most part was swept under the carpet as they prepared to deal with Justin's addiction.


It felt a little silly that Justin stayed at home to deal with the withdrawal but it made for a great plot device. Sarah, Kitty and even Nora hung back a bit whilst the brothers helped Justin through the first painful hours of withdrawal.
I loved this brother time on-screen. Its usually the 2 sisters bonding or the sisters with the various brothers but we so rarely get to see all 3 brothers bond. Their scenes were great together, only making me wish we had more of them. Kevin and Tommy dealt with their emotional issues through their mutual sparring leading to some revelations for the both of them. Kevin realised that he is playing a dangerous game with Scotty and acknowledged out loud that his relationship with Jason has hit the rocks somewhat. As for Tommy he has finally ended his affair with Lena which I am thoroughly happy about. However now Holly, Kevin and Saul all know about it, it can't be long before the true repercussions are felt.

Speaking of Saul, he has admitted to Nora in a very touching scene that he was in love with a man, and that is the true reason for his bachelor-hood. It's a shame that they didn't get to redux on this revelation but it's nice that it is finally in the open. The following scene with Kevin and Nora each pretending not to know anything was very funny!

With all the Walkers at the house, the B-plot fell to Robert who deals with his daughter and a dodgy financier. Whilst this dealt with some interesting issues for Robert especially his daughters feelings over new siblings which complement his own, it was rather dull. We so rarely get a storyline that doesn't deal with a Walker (Rebecca, Holly and Saul being honorary Walkers, Robert not just yet) it felt a little out of place. This whole presidency storyline is also starting to wear thin, and I would really like to see the writers take a break from it for at least one or two episodes.

Also…
• I really liked the scene with Nora telling her sons that they are better than they're adulterous father- not true but it was sweet anyway.
• Ditto for Justin's scene with Kitty, showing to her that she could be a good mother.
• Kitty and Robert are holding very different opinion on children, this is likely to cause major problems in the future. If they ever break up it will be because of this issue.
• Nora has decided that things need to change between her and Justin. I think this applies to all her children. For the last 7 episodes she has been squarely in 'mum; mode dealing with her children's problems (which to be fair she's needed to be, they're having a lot of problems at the moment!!) In the interest of her sanity and the show's development its looking like she will be breaking away from this role and getting (if you'll excuse the expression) a life; which in TV usually means a love interest. Whilst Sally Field does the mum stuff so well, it will be great to see her do something different.

Lots of storylines got finished (pretty much) in this episode, Justin's addiction, Nora as a mum, Kitty's miscarriage, Tommy's affair, and Saul's secret was revealed. This surely means a bit of a new chapter for the Walkers and I can't wait to see it.

Another emotional episode here closely following on from last week's episode concerning the youngest members of the Walker clan.

Kitty losing her baby was devastating and gave Calista Flockhart a chance to shine and that she did. I wasn't spoiled by the miscarriage as I had been spoiled by later spoilers but I was surprised to have it happen so soon. The final scene was heartbreaking.
Robert's reaction was interesting. He never seemed that bothered by the baby but I just assumed it was because of its timing. But to have him confess that he didn't really want the baby was a little shocking. Why wouldn't he want to start a new family with Kitty? This revelation could have some interesting consequences for the future.
Issac was an interesting character to introduce in this episode. He from what I could tell was a political spin-doctor whom Robert had great problems with. His methods were obviously dubious, but in politics were the concepts of good and bad are relative – one person can only looks good if another looks bad- they were perfectly justifiable. He and Nora really sparked in their little scene together and I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of him.
Speaking of Nora she was great planning the wedding and comforting another of her children, this time Kitty. I love Sally Field in this role as she does it so well

One of the youngest Walkers- Paige- got a little chance to shine here. Obviously troubled by her parents divorce, it was good to see her reaction, accurately portrayed here. I loved her interactions with Kitty, Nora and especially Justin in this episode, it was all very sweet.
Whilst I'm glad that Sarah got back her children (at least for part of the time here) it does lessen the impact of last week's episode when she lost them. This development probably could have waited a couple of weeks to really make full emotional impact.

Rebecca has left the Walker home after about 6 months on discovering Justin, not only high but kissing her best friend (NB between Holly, Rebecca and Lena, they have made their way through all the Walker men bar Kevin (for obvious reasons!) Robert better watch out, once he marries Kitty he'll be next!!) Although the reason she gives Justin is the drugs, an underlying reason surely has to be a jealousy of the sparks between Lena and Justin. I'm glad that she seems determined to get on with her own life now, she has long been defined by the Walker in this show, now its time for her to get her own storylines away from the family. Holly was good to call her up on it, they seem to be getting on better now.

Kevin was good to help out Scotty, these two are good as friends, as Scotty was good to help Kevin get over his depression over Jason.
Tommy is still being an idiot continuing his affair with Lena but his refusal to stay the night shows that he at least still knows that it is wrong.

A good episode this week, not quite as strong as the previous weeks but still pretty good.

A disappointing episode from the housewives this week probably my least favourite of the season so far. After a strong episode last week in which Lynnette, Bree's and Edie's storylines had come to a relative close, this week saw some slightly frivolous stories come into play. Whilst all the stories were entertaining enough to watch some of the conclusions were a little weak.

I enjoyed Bree's storyline, the debate over circumcision was interesting and I loved Bree's attempts to get what she wants. It was a little disappointing however that it took a sudden turn into the underlying reason being that this isn't actually Orson's child. Whilst this issue surely had to be addressed, I felt there could have been a better storyline to lead up to this.

Susan's discovery of Mike's addiction had me worried near the end that it was going to turn out that Mike wasn't addicted and that he was really actually doing this to earn money. The final scene with him trying to get the drugs from the drain (yuck!) was good though and makes for a much more interesting storyline

Now that Lynette's cancer has gone, it was time for her to have a lighter storyline. Now I have to say I don't always love Lynette's humorous plots. She is so much better suited to the drama, and her humorous stories always make her seem much more desperate and juvenile than the other housewives who seem to pull off the ridiculous a little better.
While I thought Lynnette's sisters were hilarious (why haven't we seen them before? It's a real shame) the fight over who should take their mother was played out completely childishly. First of all arguing in front of their mother was completely unnecessary and unfair. Secondly, Lynette is showing complete ingratitude in chucking her mother out. Her mother really looked after her these last few months and its unfair for Lynette to chuck her out now she's better (though I do understand her annoyance with her) When her sisters claim that they don't care for their mother enough to look after her, Lynnette's emotional act of bravery here rung little hollow. She has only been with her mother for a few months whereas her sisters had her for 1/2 years and therefore have more of a reason to not want to look after her.

Katherine's mystery is growing deeper and deeper. She is keeping up the story of her husband abusing her even to her daughter with a convincing display of emotion, so if he didn't abuse her, than what did the husband/Katherine do in their past?

Finally Gabby's story has to be the most ridiculous of all. This whole affair thing was funny for a while, but Gabby's to-ing and fro-ing was getting dull so it was good that he found out. Now I know they want Gabby and Carlos to get together and therefore they need to write Victor out but did they really need to do that faux killing?? Its ridiculous especially considering they'll hardly send one of their lead housewives to jail so its unlikely that he actually dead. The whole storyline is just stupid and hopefully it will get quickly resolved in the next episode.

Overall an average episode of the show, hopefully it will pick up with the next episode.