Baitz talked in the New Yorker about not liking the casting or writing for Jason who he felt was shown as too angelic because the network found it hard enough to have a gay minister, let alone one with any flaws--I think he was gone by the time we had Jason making out with Kevin in the pantry and all that, wasn't he?

Which men post Scotty were terrified of contact? I do agree that they seem believeable--I just wish they hadn't had the baby plot foisted on them so soon.

Yeah, when Baitz left I thought the gay storyline would be dropped entirely, I'm glad that didn't happen (in fact ABC, or whomever, did seem to realize most of the changes they pushed on Baitz were nothelping the show and ironically remedied some of them--Nora, for good and bad certainly was much more in the spotlight again). Agreed entirely on baby stories.

Poor Sarah indeed, I almost wonder why Rachel Griffiths stays with the show when surely she could find better material elsewhere. She was the actor, apparently, who fought the hardest to make Baitz stay even calling him and claiming she'd leave if he left and that she only joined the show cuz of his writing.

Jason Lewis and Eric Winter both seemed a bit off to me when they had intimate scenes with Kevin, although Chad and Kevin did have that very hot kiss right around the time they made up for a few episodes.

Baitz was still there during the pantry scenes, and the first episode or two of the next season, when Jason left for his mission trip or whatever.

I agree about the baby plot. I think there were many other stories for them. I wouldn't have minded seeing Kevin enter politics, but then, it happened in the way I'd least wanted to see...

Yeah I'll enjoy seeing Kevin no longer act as flunky to Robert...

I wish the entire original B&S pilot would leak--I'm now curious to see how different the show would feel with a much colder actress, Betty Buckley (and I don'tmean cold in a necesarily bad way) as the matriarch. Of course so much else about the show was diff (Kevin was a diff actor and had an ex wife and children, etc etc) it might be unfair to actually compare.

Yes I'd love to see it. One of the most interesting setups when the show started was the strained relationship between Kitty and Nora which has of course been completely forgotten because God forbid two Walkers have genuine ongoing issues with each other. I think Betty Buckley would have played this up a lot more although Sally Field was able to pull it off initially.

I don't have Sylph's level of reservation about her but she's sort of spiralled out of control and taken the character with her. An awful lot of hand wringing and affectation.

Baitz was right about Lena. And he was right about wanting more time for the older characters -- it was disappointing how the gay story for Saul was so edited down (although at least it still happened).

Yep. The story was incredibly moving but now it's forgotten/played for laughs.

Poor Sarah indeed, I almost wonder why Rachel Griffiths stays with the show when surely she could find better material elsewhere. She was the actor, apparently, who fought the hardest to make Baitz stay even calling him and claiming she'd leave if he left and that she only joined the show cuz of his writing.

I'd forgotten all the carry on surrounding Baitz leaving the show and I might look some of it up. You're right about Griffiths though. She looks bored out of her mind and has suffered the same character assasination/lobotomisation as everyone else. Why would a career driven woman turn into a suburban busybody who has stupid flings with a rotation of guest characters?

The same logic as to why exactly Holly went from failed actress/professional temp to Alexis Colby.

Part of the problem with the show is Ojai. TPTB just don't seem to be able to make up their minds as to how much prevalence it should have.

Yes I'd love to see it. One of the most interesting setups when the show started was the strained relationship between Kitty and Nora which has of course been completely forgotten because God forbid two Walkers have genuine ongoing issues with each other. I think Betty Buckley would have played this up a lot more although Sally Field was able to pull it off initially.

I don't have Sylph's level of reservation about her but she's sort of spiralled out of control and taken the character with her. An awful lot of hand wringing and affectation.

:)

Edited January 24, 201015 yr by Sylph

I think Sally Field is good at those types of neuroses -- she was in Steel Magnolias, where her character was a real pain in the backside underneath all the motherly love. She and Julia Roberts had that push me/pull you relationship throughout the film. I think a lot of that conflict got junked when they started bringing in the big names and grafting them onto the show. I guess it went for good when Baitz left -- when he was around there were still a few touches, like when Nora called up the radio show and started ragging on Kitty for being engaged to a conservative Republican.

Edited January 24, 201015 yr by CarlD2

I think Sally Field is good at those types of neuroses -- she was in Steel Magnolias, where her character was a real pain in the backside underneath all the motherly love. She and Julia Roberts had that push me/pull you relationship throughout the film. I think a lot of that conflict got junked when they started bringing in the big names and grafting them onto the show. I guess it went for good when Baitz left -- when he was around there were still a few touches, like when Nora called up the radio show and started ragging on Kitty for being engaged to a conservative Republican.

Yes. But not in this show. Here it is misplaced.

A stronger matriarch, someone not so... Melancholic in appearance would do much better.

Yes. But not in this show. Here it is misplaced.

A stronger matriarch, someone not so... Melancholic in appearance would do much better.

I think a stronger matriarch would have worked if the husband, William, had stayed alive. Nora would have been more controlled and distant, because he helped her cocoon herself away from everyone. Once he died, and she had to deal with her children, and all the lies from William, she fell apart.

Yes. But not in this show. Here it is misplaced.

A stronger matriarch, someone not so... Melancholic in appearance would do much better.

Which is, I assume, why they originally cast someone as strong as steel as Betty Buckley.

Yes. But not in this show. Here it is misplaced.

A stronger matriarch, someone not so... Melancholic in appearance would do much better.

Which is, I assume, why they originally cast someone as strong as steel as Betty Buckley.

Which is, I assume, why they originally cast someone as strong as steel as Betty Buckley.

I would find that version of Nora unwatchable.

I find Sally Field NOT AT ALL melancholic. Indeed, her core persona is "perky" (Flying Nun, Gidget). What Field does remarkably, though, is play this sweetness as a mask...for something much darker and more insecure beneath. She brings both of these layers to Nora.

Truly, Nora is the main reason I watch now.

I love others in the cast (especially Nora's daughters, and I guess Kevin), but the show has lost all of its bite and punch. The emotional hook that continues to draw me in is Field's Nora, who attracts me with her melodrama even when the storylines fail her.

I actually do like Field's Nora--though I wish they'd find something for her to do--this recent short story arc of her briefly being taken in by someone who wanted her money was ridiculously obvious from the start. I do agree that the bite of the show is gone (has been ever since Baitz left really but...)

Here's something about Calista Flockhart: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/01/26/is-brothers-sisters-losing-calista-flockhart/

I think the bite of the show left in midseason 1, as soon as Rebecca and Robert started showing up and they began moving away from the family.

I'm not too surprised Callista is making less appearances. She has been carrying big parts of the show for a long time now. If they knew how to write for Justin, Sarah, and Kevin, this wouldn't be an issue.

Edited January 27, 201015 yr by CarlD2

Justin and Sarah espcially--agreed. If Baitz is to be believed, that would be around when ABC started imposing changes (which I'm kinda confused about anyway--since the ratings were strong from the start, why did they interfere? I guess that's a silly question to ask a network)

From SOD.com:

Egglesfield Nabs BROTHERS & SISTERS Role

EOnline.com reports that Colin Egglesfield (Auggie, MELROSE; ex-Josh, AMC) has been cast as young William Walker in a two-hour flashback episode of BROTHERS & SISTERS to air April 11. Egglesfield replaces Daniel Cosgrove (Chris, ATWT), who had a scheduling conflict. Egglesfield plays the late senior Walker (played by Tom Skerritt in the series' first year) and Lauren Bittner will play Nora (Sally Field) in the 1973 and 1986 segments. Egglesfield's last airdate on MELROSE is March 9.