My Review of Brothers And Sisters 4x14: "The Pasadena Primary"

Written by Michael Foley And Geoffrey Nauffts
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan

Kitty (re high school reunion): “So, we’re going?”
Kevin: “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?”

As much as I love my siblings, I think I can honestly say that there’s no way in hell I’d take one of them to my school reunion. Although come to think of it, my old school merged with another last year and I didn’t even attend that and that was more out of forgetfulness rather than deep seated issues with my school years.

Granted, when I do occasionally think of them, two thoughts do often enter my head – one being the desire to change certain things (like not taking construction or tech drawing past Junior Cert) and the other one being the desire not to dwell on it. It’s because of this; I actually understand where Kevin was coming from.

He wanted acceptance in a school from people who in the end weren’t worth bothering with in the first place. Everyone wants to be accepted in school, even if it is by obnoxious losers such as Brent, the very person that Kevin had hoped wouldn’t show up during the reunion when Kitty twisted his arm into going to.

There was a small part of me that was hoping a little that someone like Brent would’ve shown some actual growth from the person that Kevin knew him to be in high school. When he started talking to Kevin, the initial signs almost looked promising – a regret for past behaviour, sobriety and the happiness of being a father.

It was a happiness that made Kevin blurt out that him and Scotty were trying for a kid. Even now, Kevin still wanted to impress some dumb jock even though most viewers assumed that Kevin was the better person anyways. And besides, Brent did become proof that some people actually don’t grow up outside of high school.

He blurted out to everyone at that school reunion that Kevin was going to be a father and then he made an ass out of himself by trying to stop Kevin and Kitty from leaving. However calling Kevin a fag certainly crossed a line and in that moment, Kitty became even more brilliant than she ever was.

Maybe it’s not wise to threaten dumb, alcoholic jocks that you could have them killed but damn it, it made for a wonderful exchange and this was after Brent blurting that him and Kevin rigged her high school election so that she would lose. I thought as soon as this was revealed that we would get a Kitty/Kevin showdown.

I even thought that after Kevin was the one with the secret no vote that the siblings would bicker. The fact that they didn’t confused and delighted me. Confused because we’ve seen minor things all the time erupt into bigger arguments with Walkers and delighted because what we got instead was something more rewarding.

Kevin and Kitty really do have a brilliant rapport together and when it’s not them playfully snarking with each other, it’s moments like the two of them outside talking about the latter’s run for Robert’s seat. Kevin’s reasons behind his decision against Kitty’s political goals were certainly believable alright.

He knows that she’s good at the job but there was the concern of her health and his concern of being roped into her helping with her campaign. Kevin wants out of politics and I don’t blame him. Working with Robert for the past year and a half must have been enough to put anyone off politics for the rest of their lives.

But then there was also the fact that Michelle hadn’t fallen pregnant either. Both Kevin and Scotty were deflated by this but we only saw it hit Kevin harder, not that it didn’t affect Scotty at all. Once again, however, Scotty was more of a support system in this episode and that was during a time when he was facing a career crisis.

Scotty potentially losing his job would definitely a bad thing but Nora’s right – he’s talented enough to find more work even if the restaurant does go bust, right? At least here’s hoping. And then there was the decision on Scotty’s part to let Nora and Robert work alongside each other when they had an axe to grind.

I’m not gonna pretend I didn’t automatically assume that Nora was the one who was going to vote no during Kitty’s telling of her new political goal but even though it wasn’t her, she did believe as well that Kitty running for the Senate seat could’ve been a bad idea too. Still, the scenes with her and Robert were actually well done.

There was no overt nastiness, just some amusing sniping at each other and they were able to sit down and actually discuss the pros and cons of Kitty running without things getting personal. That’s surely a lot of progress for the both of them, isn’t it? There would’ve been a time on the show when that wouldn’t have happened. And also, fears aside, it was Kitty’s decision to run for office and she was doing her best to consider her family’s feelings which was something that Robert didn’t do in the previous season.

Speaking of considered feelings, I hope when Sarah ends her relationship with Roy, she lets him down gently. Damn Luc and his inappropriate texting. The problem with fantasy however is that doesn’t work so well in reality. We saw this earlier in the season with Luc’s refusal to get a job and whinging.

Roy might not be a passionate Frenchman but he does behave more like an adult and Sarah has had better chemistry with him than she had with Luc, so I’m actually sad to see that their first sex session did lack that fizzle, which Sarah later had to tell, Kitty. Sometimes I’m a little too amazed with the amount of personal details the Walker siblings share with each other in relation to their sex lives.

On a final note, here are some interesting words to try in the same sentence – Holly Harper, I actually felt sorry for you. Come on, she might be a pain in the arse nine times out of ten but that scene with York, no-one deserved that. And she was clearly shaken up after she left the hotel and returned to David.

David’s been harping on at her to get rid of Ojai and while he’s right, selling the business to York would be something that Holly would regret. She might want to get away from the Walker drama but York is definitely the last person to sell the business to. As for Holly accepting David’s proposal, I actually thought it was a nice scene especially after the menace that was York in this one.

Also in “The Pasadena Primary”

Two weeks in a row and still, Justin and Rebecca have nothing to do. At least they get to appear in the show, unlike Ryan.

Kitty: “Honey, how many dates did we have before we had sex?”
Robert: “Oh, I don’t know – one.”
Sarah: “Did he just say one?”

Technically their date in “Valentine’s Day Massacre” was supposed to be work related but thanks for reminding me of a great episode.

Robert: “I can handle your mother.”
Kitty: “That’s what Napoleon said on the way to Waterloo.”

Kitty (re high school): “Come on, it couldn’t have been that bad.”
Kevin: “I was fat and had no friends. Worst four years of my life.”

I notice that the more obstacles Kevin and Scotty seem to get with their quest for kids; we get more insight into Kevin’s issues with school.

Nora (to Robert, re kitchen knives): “Only a Republican would see these as weapons and not kitchen utensils.”

Kitty (to Brent): “I have one more thing to say to you. You ever again call my brother a fag, I will have you killed.”

Standout music: The Jetzons’s “Hard Times”.

York: “I’d like to relax first.”
Holly: “What do you mean, relax?”
York: “I’d like the same deal William got.”

Kevin: “I love you.”
Scotty: “I love you too.”

Chronology: A month since “Run Baby Run”, according the length of time that Sarah and Roy have been dating for.

“The Pasadena Primary” is definitely a lot better than the previous two episodes we’ve gotten with some great Walker moments and a wonderful array of surprising moments as well. Things are certainly getting interesting now.

Rating: 8 out of 10.