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Before we can enjoy the screwball hijinks awaiting us at the Ojai ranch, we have one last scene at Walker Produce corporate headquarters. Sarah and Uncle Saul are meeting with the forensic accountant hired to try and find the 12 million that Bill Walker stole from the company pension fund. As you might recall from last week's episode, the money was traced to a secret bank account, but they still need to figure out the account password in order to access the money. Uncle Saul has given the accountant a list of family names and birthdates that Bill Walker might have used for a password, but the accountant...zzzzz.

Oh, sorry about that. Nodded off for a moment. Are you listening B&S writers? Anyway, the forensic accountant tells Saul that none of the passwords worked. The accountant leaves, and Sarah notices a name on the list that she doesn't recognize.

Sarah: Who is “Rebecca?”

We learned last week that Rebecca is Holly's daughter. Saul doesn't tell Sarah that Rebecca may be her half sister – instead he makes up some story about Rebecca being Bill Walker's high school sweetheart. Uh-oh. Saul's gonna have some ‘splaining to do later.

At last, we cut to the Ojai ranch house. Momma Nora and contractor Dave are first on the scene. It is raining hard when they arrive and both are drenched. What—they walked to the ranch? Had a water gun fight? Nora shows Dave the wooden panel in the kitchen that she's so desperate to keep. It is where, over the years, she marked off the heights of her children as they grew.

Nora suggests they throw their soaking wet clothes in the dryer and make mad, hot whoopie. Or at least that's what I think she's thinking. But David ducks into the bedroom to strip off his wet clothes. Moments later, who should burst in but Kitty and Warren! I am speechless!

Kitty and Nora sputter at one another. Nora tries to pretend it is all perfectly innocent, her being here up here with the contractor, but David pops out of the bedroom wearing a women's pink bathrobe. Apparently, Nora is now dating a transvestite.

If Kitty and Nora think things can't get any worse, they are sorely mistaken because Scotty and Kevin arrive on the scene, followed quickly by Sarah and Joe. This sudden mob prompts Momma Nora to exclaim…

Nora: Jesus, Joseph and Mary!

Um, didn't we learn earlier that Nora Walker is of Jewish extraction? In light of that, her new testament outburst seems a little odd. Are we going to find out later she's a member of Jews for Jesus?

Justin and boss/girlfriend Tyler are the last to arrive at the cabin. Everyone is assembled now and all I can say is thank goodness. Jesus bless her, but Sally Field's verklempt reaction shots at each new arrival were beginning to wear thin.

All that remains now is for the show to introduce a plot device which keeps everyone stuck together at the ranch. Usually, these sorts of plots have the characters getting “snowed in” but it's supposed to be summer in southern California, so a sudden winter storm would be stretching it. The writers of Brothers & Sisters instead make do with a freak rainstorm.

Nora: Well, there you have it. The roads are like rivers so I'm afraid we're all stuck here for the duration.

Yep. There you have it.

Cut to the next day around the breakfast table. The family is finishing up their pancakes and bacon and planning their day. Me personally, I'm hoping that Tucker Booth guy is going to show up to liven this episode up a little. Instead, Tommy wants to start the tractor to clear some brush. He asks Kevin to come out and help him. Kevin doesn't have a lot of enthusiasm for the project and tries to beg off. Justin pipes up that he'll help with the tractor, but Tommy rudely shoots him down.

Tommy: I didn't ask you. I asked Kevin.

Kevin groans and goes outside to help Tommy. Poor, rejected Justin looks like someone just hit him with a two by four.

Justin shakes off Tommy's rudeness and takes boss/girlfriend Tyler out to the infamous tree house . He's brought a joint with him and hopes to get high, but Tyler throws the joint out the window and they start to make out instead. This is brave of her because the tree house floor seems to be rotting out.

Back in the kitchen , David the contractor begins removing Nora's wood panel. Now that's not a euphemism for something else. It's nice to see David doing actual contractor-type work instead of his usual unfurling and tape measuring. He tells Nora he'll load the panel up in his truck and drop it off at her house. Nora invites him to stay for dinner. He hems and haws a bit, but finally agrees. Perhaps he can't bear to part with that pink bathrobe.

Outside the ranch , Warren and Kitty are touring the grounds.

Warren: You know, I gotta say your family seems pretty much to the left of a salad fork. How'd they go wrong with you?

Me, I'm thinking it was a package deal. Maybe CAA forced them to take Calista Flockhart in order to get Sally Field in on the project. Just a guess.

Kitty's explanation is even less plausible.

Kitty: When I discovered politics I decided I wanted to support the party that stood for those values: Home, family, America.

Okay, who's writing this episode? Karl Rove? Hallmark Cards? I guess Kitty never heard of Mark Foley. Or Ted Haggard. Or Tom DeLay. Or....okay, I'll stop.

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