"Brothers & Sisters" Episode 202 Recap: “An American Family”

Cut to later. Justin is propped up on the couch looking at pictures of baby cabbage on Tommy’s cell phone.

Justin: I think you emailed me these like two weeks ago.

Oh yeah? If you had access to email two weeks ago, why didn’t you touch base with your mom? She was frantic.

They bring Justin a big plate of food, but he has trouble eating. Paige and Cooper just stare at him like dogs begging for food and the rest of the family hovers around incessantly.

Justin: I don’t think I’m going to be able to eat with everyone staring.

See, I totally don’t get Justin’s inner conflict or whatever it is. Me, I like to be the center of attention. I think I would make the perfect invalid. Give me a Rascal and everyone’s devoted interest and I’d be in hog heaven. Justin acts like it's some sort of burden. Inevitably, he butts heads with Nora.

Nora: Sweetheart, you’re home now. You have to admit you’re hurt. Let me take care of you.
Justin: You wanna take care of me? Then back off Mom!

Nora wanders into the kitchen. She’s all dejected because everything she does to try and help seems to infuriate Justin.

Nora: God, I was afraid this was going to happen. He’s not the same boy I said goodbye to four months ago.
Kitty: He couldn’t be. It’s not possible. You’ll just have to be patient.

Suddenly there’s pounding on the back door. It’s Senator McAllister. Kitty gets all scared because she hasn’t done anything about that Luther Reeves public relations fiasco. But what exactly is she going to do? Put out a contract on the man?

McAllister enters the kitchen, but before he can get a word out Kitty is making excuses for not yet having resolved the Luther Reeves “imbroglio.”

Justin wheels in to explain that he was the one that invited McAllister.

Cut to later. Justin is having a private chat with McAllister.

McAllister: How’s the leg? You’re in pain.
Justin: Not right now. I wish I were. Might distract me. I just feel like I’m crawling out of my skin.

Justin asks if McAllister is still marrying his sister. McAllister assures him the wedding is still on.

Justin: I know Kitty’s kinda stoked about being a McAllister, but I’m kinda glad you’re gonna become a Walker.

Aww, seems like the beginning of a budding “bromance”

Cut to the next morning in the kitchen. McAllister is still there. (His tanning appointment is not until 12:30, apparently.) In walks Kitty. She’s booked him on the Luther Reeves show later today. This is her attempt to resolve the “imbroglio?” With fiancées like these, who needs enemies?

Both McAllister and Nora think going on the radio talk show is a bad idea. McAllister thinks they should be trying to get off Luther Reeve’s radar – not finding ways to stay on it. Kitty explains that Luther has started a movement to have angry conservative voters throw Lincoln pennies at the McAllister campaign bus as it passes by. Oh, if only they’d said Ben Franklin was gay. He’s on the hundred, right?

McAllister reluctantly agrees to the radio interview.

Cut to Holly’s house. Looks like Rebecca has moved back in. Couldn’t take the heat over at the Walker mansion now that Sarah is giving her the stink eye.

Holly enters and asks her despondent daughter what’s eating her.

Rebecca: I let everyone believe Joe was a lecherous old man. I got what I deserved.
Holly: Oh, please, that marriage was already beyond repair.
Rebecca: Mom, why do you do that? Why do you let me off the hook like that?
Holly: Because who am I to judge you.?

That’s right, Holly. People in gunnysacks shouldn’t throw stones. Who dresses you? First the periwinkle breast cozy, and now this ill fitting sack cloth dress? Holly’s two for two this week.

Cut to the Luther Reeves show. We are live, and Luther is interviewing the Senator.

Luther: Were you as shocked as I was when your fiancée accused honest Abe of being a gay?
McAllister: I was shocked by a lot of things that were said that day. If you think that I came on here today to distance myself from Kitty or her liberal mother, or her gay brother or my gay brother for that matter, well Luther you have got to be nuts.