My Review of Brothers And Sisters 4x17: "FreeLuc.Com"

Written by Molly Newman And Brian Studler
Directed by Bethany Rooney

Sarah: “Is this what you douchebags do for a living or is harassing private citizens your idea of fun? It’s people like you who give this country a bad name.”
Journalist: “Thank you, Sarah. Have a nice day.”

Ah, the paparazzi really are a mean bunch of SOB’s. The problem with having a sister that’s running for a seat is that you find your own life under horrid scrutiny. Sarah had to suffer that humiliation in this episode all because a bunch of xenophobic conservatives have issues with Luc being in their country.

It’s discrimination like this that’s pretty worldwide nowadays. People complain about foreigners entering the country and working and yet if they were on the dole, they’d also complain. If the writers actually wanted me to feel bad for Luc in this episode, then I give in – I felt bad for him.

The weird part of this episode is that Luc didn’t have to suffer any racial/bigoted view directly in his face. I know the internet went crazy with every rumour left, right and centre about him but more than anything, it was Sarah and Kitty who had to endure public scrutiny. That doesn’t mean that I’m trying to downplay his visa being revoked; I’m just highlighting how it affected the Walker women.

For one thing, it pissed off Kitty’s target voters. Kitty’s a pretty reasonable enough conservative but sadly every rime we seem to encounter one that isn’t her or Robert, they’re usually nuts. Here we had a few of them gatecrash a conference by spouting out bile about America for America. Don’t these losers have anything better to do?

Naturally fallout like this didn’t look good for Kitty’s campaign but it also engineered conflict between her and Sarah and while we’ve seen bigger spats with the women over more trivial stuff, it was annoying having the pair of them largely at each other’s throats and no, I am not going to blame Luc for this one.

While Kitty got an unfavourable comparison to a long dead Fuhrer, Sarah got painted as a cougar. A cougar? For Christ’s sake, Luc isn’t that much younger than her – both physically and in actual age. Still, some of the internet rumours did make me laugh and I definitely enjoyed the little confrontation that Sarah had with one particularly snarky journalist.

As for the rumours – just typical. Luc would have some involvement in a brothel and it would turn out to be something completely innocent. I guess he really going to be whiter than whiter if he’s going to be the one for Sarah but as manipulative as the writing has been with Luc, I did actually feel bad for him.

He became legally allowed to stay in the country and that got taken away from him all because of a bunch of conservative morons with nothing else to do. He was even willing to head back to France because he didn’t want conflict between Sarah and Kitty. I’m not rooting for him and Sarah just yet but it’s hard to knock him on these alone.

Also I did like the fact that Kitty and Kevin were able to turn this pathetic excuse for a scandal to their favour. Luc got to stay in the country and both Kevin and Kitty made the most hilarious viral entry in quite a while. Plus it’s bloody appropriate that Kevin would point out that family loyalty comes above conflicting political beliefs. Isn’t that one of the reason why a lot of us viewers like the Walkers? Anyone?

Speaking of Walkers, seventeen episodes in the season and Tommy had to make an appearance. I’m almost tempted to say that it’s a low key one but technically it’s not. It might be not be because of Kitty’s health or failed nuptials this time around but I did think that Tommy’s appearance in this episode was a strong one.

He certainly seemed to enough of awareness about Dennis York when Nora mentioned him and he definitely wasn’t all that pleased when she suggested that Tommy should try and persuade the rest of the family to help sell Ojai. This worries me because this would the point where Nora would be devising something to hold tight to Ojai, not sell it.

It also doesn’t help that Dennis’s presence around Nora has a sinister overtone to it. She clearly had a hard time even being in the same hotel as him and yet again, there were more hints that the two of them had a history of some kind. Nora has castigated Saul in the past from keeping things from her so perhaps it’s time that she revealed something herself.

Even Holly could tell that something was up with Nora, despite not directly confronting on it, which for Holly is definitely unusual. Hopefully the start of next week’s two parter will actually delve into whatever Nora is keeping from the Walkers and Holly about Dennis. Ojai might be a sinking ship but I still don’t want to see Dennis sink his claws into it either.

In slightly less dramatic storytelling, how apt was it that Kevin’s only skills in the world are law and politics and he’s fallen out of favour with both? Probably as unsurprising as both Kitty and Sarah dragging him into a legal/political situation with Luc but for all his protesting, I don’t think Kevin would be satisfied in a lower job.

He probably should stay out of the political field for a bit but I don’t see why he can’t just work for a law firm where he wouldn’t have to hide his sexuality? He could also work for himself if needs be and given that he was encouraging Scotty to open up a restaurant, I don’t see why not.

As for Scotty losing his job, poor guy but them are the breaks sadly. I did like that the bad news only resulted in Kevin being encouraging to Scotty but at the same time with a baby on the way, both of them don’t have the luxury of resting on the laurels too long to figure/realise their dreams.

Also in “FreeLuc.Com”

I have to admit as episode titles go, this is a bad one and ABC missed a marketing opportunity as well.

Luc: “Stop calculating. I’ve promised to live in the present.”
Sarah: “I am, I am and right now, I’m upset that my government to whom I pay taxes to by the way is lurking in my bedroom, waiting to ruin my life.”

Again, the cougar issue has to be addressed. Giles Marini is only eight years younger than Rachel Griffiths. I actually thought he was older than her.

Kitty: “I know I have staff. I hate my staff but I promise you won’t have to do anything. I just need someone with a sense of humour to hang out with me.”
Kevin: “Okay, what about Sarah? She makes you laugh. Hang on, Sarah, make Kitty laugh.”

Dennis: “You seem tougher, colder but you’ve been through a lot in the last couple of years.”
Nora: “Oh really, do you think cleaning up after William might have changed me?”

Rebecca noticed the files from 1975, which is partly how she got to the bottom of Holly’s financial woes but Nora being hesitant about giving her back her money wasn’t smart.

Kitty (re Luc): “Why would they put him in a beard?”
Robert: “Because he’s Fidel Castro’s illegitimate son.”
Kevin: “They really have no shame.”

Holly: “Nora, Rebecca and I have never had an easy relationship.”
Nora: “Then how the hell does this help your relationship?”

Hi-Kitler? Another image of Calista Flockhart from the third season promos, only defaced with a certain moustache. And Sarah’s an oversexed housewife. Well, this was another episode that opened up with her and Luc post coital.

Kevin: “Kitty, would you please apologise to Sarah?”
Kitty: “Why, that’s not my website?”
Kevin: “Just do it.”

Tommy: “Okay, I guess it’s time for me to go home.”
Nora: “Yeah.”

Tommy and Julia still seem to be at loggerheads with each other so I guess we can assume that they won’t be patching things up anytime soon.

Kitty: “Kevin?”
Kevin: “Yeah?”
Kitty: “Get the douchebag for me.”
Kevin: “Okay, those are four words I never want to hear again from my sister.”

Kevin (to journalist): “This is what’s so great about our family. We can despise each other’s political beliefs but we don’t despise each other.”

Standout music: Amos Lee’s “Shout Out Loud” and it’s been five days since “Leap Of Faith”.

“FreeLuc.Com” may have the worst title for a television episode but it is thankfully not a dodgy episode, just not a classic one either. Still looking forward to the next two-part story however.

Rating: 7 out of 10.