Members Sylph Posted August 13, 2010 Members Share Posted August 13, 2010 Baitz: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/10/entertainment/la-et-jon-robin-baitz-20100810 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 I don't think anyone even cares, but what an awful premier--and here I was actually hopeful changes like getting away from Robert and the politics, etc, would be an improvement. Most telling to me was how lazy the writers were with just simple details, and how been there/done that the rest felt. I'm no big Tommy fan, but why did they even bring him back last season to have him gone now and no mention of him even sending flowers to Robert's funeral? Sara (poor Rachel G, one of the best actresses on primetime saddled with a character no one has any idea what to do with for the past three seasons) actually said at one point, about moving to France, "God knows I have absolutely nothing holding me back here". Umm yes you do--you share custody with two fairly young children... The walkers in general have become this completely self absorbed mess of a family who don't even seem to know that the outside world exists (which is fitting since they've completely forgotten about half sibling Ryan again now that he's saved Kitty). The kicker? Note ONE mention or appearance of Robert's "beloved" two children from his first marriage wahtsoever--when it came to decisions about getting him off life support, or at the funeral... Again it's lazy writing--just add some mention and you're good--and just makes the clan feel that much more self absorbed. I could easily go on and on... (and again, lazy, like how early it's been telegraphed that Kevin's gonna try to adopt that kid). I admit, out of my love for this show early on, and some loyalty to some of the actors, I'll prob watch till the end, but at this point I don't see any reason to even have a full season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sylph Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 This show was awful from the start, if you look at it in a way. Baitz has a lot of fault because it was him who wanted to politicize it. It was doomed the moment the senator was brought in. Awful, cliched, done a million times story. I just really can't escape the feeling of how undercooked to whole series was right from the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 I have to admit that the more I look back on it, the more I realize it never lived up to its potential. That said, there's no denying that Baitz's era was superior IMHO--even if I just randomly watch an episode the characters actually seem to, well, be characters--they're not just lost floundering. It feels almost like a different show. I do agree that Baitz' politics (which the plays of his I know aren't as heavy in) were a problem but he at least dealt with them in a more relatable way. Since he left we've been left with these very left with, Republicans (which makes it impossibel to have any interesting argument with them), the character of Robert which made the show even less relatable as a family drama due to it being about these lofty people who were this close to becoming President and his family, ABC shot down Baitz' attempt to actually have the Walkers deal with the fact that they're kinda hypocrites living such an extremely wealthy life with the rhetoric they spout--basically all the real potential conflict is removed from the situation and you're just left with a boring framework of politics. I dunno. I do agree with you that that was always a flaw--I don't think I realized it as much at the time because at least I could enjoy the show on an episode to episode basis. But it's just so far off the map now, there's really nothing to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 One thing I'm a bit surprised with, is according to Wiki, the year to year average ratings have actually stayed fairly consistent. I woulda assumed they'd be slipping... Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Brothers & Sisters on ABC: Season Timeslot (EDT) Season Premiere Season Finale TV Season Rank Viewers (in millions) 1 Sunday 10:00PM September 24, 2006 May 20, 2007 2006–2007 #37 11.0 2 Sunday 10:00PM September 30, 2007 May 11, 2008 2007–2008 #38 10.7 3 Sunday 10:00PM September 28, 2008 May 10, 2009 2008–2009 #33 10.7 4 Sunday 10:00PM September 27, 2009 May 16, 2010 2009–2010 #34 10.4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sheilaforever Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 This data is probably correct but during season 1 or even season 2, they still showed some reruns which were included in the ratings I guess. I didn't mind last season which after a messy start took off. But the finale felt so directionless that I'M still going to wait to begin with the current season. That the show never lived up to its expectations is however very much the truth. It's a good show, thanks to the actors and some storylines/scripts but the overall direction is very disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 Yeah that finale shoulda set me up for lower expectations than I had (not that I had particularly high ones). Totally agreed with your last comment. While I agree with Sylph that even the early season 1 had conceptual flaws (Baitz had never done tv before, to be fair--I loved reading how candid he was in his weekly blog), I still think the start of the end was early on when ABC didn't trust the writers and dictated things like less focus on Nora and the older crews, the whole bimbo blonde sleeping with the brothers plot (which is apparently largely why Baitz walked), etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JamesF Posted September 30, 2010 Members Share Posted September 30, 2010 Well. The premiere was utter shite. I've realised that B&S has a history of the same pattern every season. Starts out dull, grabs me in the middle and builds up to a great finale and then squanders every single remote story possibility in the proceeding season premiere. There were so many interesting aspects to the end of last year. The water at Narrow Lake throwing Holly into a new business with the Walkers without the Walker legacy attached, Saul's HIV, Rebecca and Justin's marriage shaking, Robert dying...yet none of these were picked up properly. It was like a group of completely different writers took over during hiatus. Kitty left Robert as a vegetable so they could do some sub-DOOL-face-hidden-by-a-variety-of-inanimate-objects hospital scenes? And then Justin talked her into letting Robert go? There'd have been more emotion in Kitty turning off a light switch. Sophie's Choice it wasn't. Scotty and Kevin adopt an ethnic stereotype. It almost makes me long for the IVF story and that's really saying something. Nora potters around a flower shop and has apparently "changed" except...there's no evidence of that at all. Sarah shears her hair off with a lawn mower and gets some ill advised highlights. Oh and incidentally she couldn't give two shits about anyone else in the family. Rebecca...why even bother writing an exit? And Holly. What the hell is the point? I know a lot of viewers can't stand the character but I've always found the conflict interesting as a contrast to the family tensions. Her relationship with Sarah is one of the most interesting which is why the water idea had so much potential. Instead she's now isolated from every character on the canvas unless Nora is bringing round a Meals on Wheels delivery. I cannot express my disappointment with this show enough. They just seem to accidentally write themselves into dramatic story possibilities, panic and go screaming in the opposite direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted October 1, 2010 Members Share Posted October 1, 2010 Word to all of that (and yeah--Sarah doesn't even care about the chilren she fought to get custody of)... And yet it's the same showrunner they've had since late Fall 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EastMA2 Posted October 4, 2010 Members Share Posted October 4, 2010 I noticed that Sally Field now gets an Executive Producer credit. I wonder if she'll actually have any say in the direction of the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricaKane70 Posted October 7, 2010 Members Share Posted October 7, 2010 I only watch because of sally, but I'm hanging on by a thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alwaysAMC Posted October 11, 2010 Members Share Posted October 11, 2010 While I agree the show's potential keeps getting squandered by backstage drama and changes.... I still love this show, the characters, and the dramatic/comedic style. I will be watching every week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricaKane70 Posted October 11, 2010 Members Share Posted October 11, 2010 I didn't even watch yesterday thats how bored I am with this show, I didn't even miss watching it. Its seems to me like this ship is sinking and people are starting to get off the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sheilaforever Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 B&S extended The current shortened season got extended by a +4 pick-up bringing it up to the usual 22 episodes (per Ausiello @ EW.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EricMontreal22 Posted October 16, 2010 Members Share Posted October 16, 2010 I had the exact same reaction. I knew it was on, almost went to turn the tv on and then just couldn't bother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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