“Brothers & Sisters” Episode 201 Recap: “Home Front”

Cut to Kitty and Senator McAllister in the middle of an interview with Suzanne Somers. Or rather, a Suzanne Somers lookalike. The resemblance is uncanny. It’s like we’re watching Home Shopping Network and I’m expecting the woman to hand Kitty a Thighmaster to try out.

And what is up with the Senator’s tan? He’s darker than the naugahyde couch they are sitting on. Makes Kitty sitting next to him look ghostly pale. He’s supposed to be a candidate for President? Better hope that George Hamilton doesn’t run as an independent and split the sun worshipper vote.

Cut to later in McAllister’s hotel room. Kitty and Robert are on the bed. McAllister is kissing her and undoing her shirt – trying to hit the campaign trail. But Kitty’s having none of it. She’s always shutting him down in the bedroom department, isn’t she? Instead, she wants to watch their interview with the Suzanne Somers clone. Kitty is unhappy with how she’s coming across in the televised interview. Anemic? No, actually her gripe is that she’s expected to be a hard charging working woman and also a supportive fiancée. It’s hard to do both. Oh cry me a river. I think I could juggle.

McAllister tells her she can take some time off if she wants. I’m hoping it’s from the fiancée gig but alas, no, he means take some time off from the campaign.

A few days pass and we are back with Nora at the mansion. She is on the phone with Saul and really upset now because she hasn’t heard from Justin in 21 days. Saul tells her not to worry.

Saul: We all knew there would be times when he would be out of touch.

Hey, last season he was a junkie. He was out of touch a lot. She should be used to it by now. Nora gripes that Kitty has not done “one damn thing” to help find out if Justin is all right. All Kitty and Robert do is bring up Justin in interviews “as a way to get votes.”

Saul: To be fair, the reporter did ask.

And it’s hard to say no to Suzanne Somers. I mean, there’s a reason she’s a home shopping gazillionaire now. Off topic, but have you seen her show on HSN and the way she suggestive sells to her star struck call-in customers? “You’re in an iron lung, you say?” purrs Suzanne. “Well that’s no reason why you can’t accessorize!” That woman is the devil. But I digress.

Just then the doorbell rings. Nora gets all nervous because this could be the army come to tell her something happened to Justin. Saul promises to stay on the phone and Nora goes to answer the door. It is only Kitty. She was expecting a hero’s welcome, but Nora only gives her a perfunctory pat on the back and ushers her in.

Commercial break and we’re back at the mansion the next morning. Nora is reading the paper and Kevin and Rebecca are eating fruit and pouring themselves coffee. (I guess there are no hard feelings between these two over last year’s hair pulling incident.) Kevin asks what they are doing for Kitty’s birthday, and Rebecca suggests dinner out at some Mexican restaurant downtown.

Kevin: Hey, I love that place! I go there every time I see Wicked.

Okay, enough already with the Wicked references. We get it. Kevin is a musical theater fanatic. Nothing wrong with that, but it seriously crimps my sexual fantasies of the guy to think of him humming along to show tunes. Note to B&S writers: If Kevin has, say, the soundtrack to Starlight Express on his CD carousel, take my word for it that most gay male viewers DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

Nora tries to put the kibosh on the dinner idea, assuring Kevin and Rebecca that Kitty won’t want a fuss made. After all, last year Papa Bill died on Kitty’s birthday.

Kevin: If I were her, I’d be afraid to blow out my candles. Maybe there’s a Kitty curse.
Nora: The only thing she’s cursed with is her insane politics.
Kitty: I heard that.

Kitty pads in and she’s all grumpy because she had to sleep in the guest room. Rebecca, who has taken over Kitty’s old room, offers to switch but Kitty says “don’t bother.” She seems to have a bug up her butt about how chummy Rebecca has gotten with Nora.