Kuya’t Ate

Sally Field won the Emmy for Best Lead Actress/ Drama !!!! I don't know if she was possessed by her character when she accepted the trophy because she was perfectly annoying.  You would learn to love her if you guys watch the series. It's like loving your mom, given how maddening, infuriating and aggravating she is sometimes.

 Watching Brothers and Sisters is such a good therapy. I am not saying that it is a great series, but it's nothing less than good. Nauseous sometimes, but really good.

I was having bad days with my mom when I dived in for a series marathon and it helped me out to get through those days. Fred keeps on saying that the show was awesome and endlessly talked about it. I've got a copy stuck in my collection for several months, so I tried watching it when my mom is at silent mode, asleep that is ( I just hate it if she tries to compete with the TV and they end up in a horrible duet). Guess what, I caught myself addicted and frantically gasping to have a taste of the 2nd season.

 My mom talks a lot. She is the realization of the word "ANNOYING", in Bold letters, all caps!!!! My mom has that tendency to talk too much (to the point that I need to be redundant), she knows her way down restricted areas of my life,  repeat things a lot and overly react. She could be very sarcastic and could be very furious if she finds things being kept from her. A terrible liar, irritatingly sensitive and hilariously funny sometimes. All of those were perfectly mirrored in this series by Nora (Sally Field). Dealing with Nora's character is just like dealing with the daily agony that I face with my mom. I don't know, but I ended up appreciating all those traits my mom has. All of those, even the most bitter part of her existence. I hate her sometimes, but I definitely love her beyond measure.  She's been through a lot and she is the toughest woman I have ever met.

 Nora has 5 children and it's really cool finding yourself in one of them. Funny, because in my case, I found myself in all of her children. Eldest is Sarah, enduring a failing marriage and is trapped in her responsibilities to continue what her father left and keep the family in tact. Next is Kitty, a level headed woman, driven by ambition who suffers undying feuds with Nora. 3rd would be Tommy, insecure, confused about his role in the family and  just found out that he is incapable to reproduce. Everyone would love Kevin, 4th in line, the gay brother, a lawyer who is always on the brink of disastrous relationships.  Finally, we have Justin, a war veteran who is now living a wasted life.

To make things worst, when their father died, they found out that their family business is about to crash and that their father has a mistress who co-exists with them for 20 years. Also, to make it more chaotic, they have a 20 year old step-sister who then found herself making-out with Sarah's husband. We also have Kitty's boyfriend, Senator McCallister (Rob Lowe), and to bring things beyond borders, he is eventually running as President of United States!!!!

What a co-incidence because my father also has a mistress and we have 4 step-siblings. Sally Field gave voice to those things unspoken. My mom talks a lot, but she keeps things about my Dad's mistress somewhere unreachable. I admire her strength for that. 

There are some episodes that I wish to bang all their heads together. The show could really go crazy. Expect lots of riotous revelations, insane confrontations and lots and lots of humiliations. I never saw a show where siblings argue over sperm while having dinner. The writers did a good job in this series. The sub-plots could be confusing sometimes, but the sum of it all is not that bad. The humor really works and the drama is not that heavy but you would surely wet your hankies!

Kevin, the gay brother, was one of my favorite character. There were a lot of scenes here where gay kiss was openly shown on TV, but that is not my point. His character and how he handles relationships reflects those who are confused and those who knows what they want but keeps on getting something imperfect. 

 I also love Patricia Wettig, the feisty mistress!!!! It is nice to know how this extra-marital-affair people exist. How they hunger for time and attention and how they long-not-to-do-what-they-are-doing-but-keeps-on- doing-it-because-of-this-thing-called-LOVE !!!

But I don't feel the same way with my Dad's mistress, because in contrast, she took everything. I don't hate her because things were already done and those broken are now impossible to fix. On our side, right now, our lives are fabulously great. It was a holocaust during those years when their affair plagued our lives. But my mom, my sisters and I, though scarred, we survived  and we could say at every end of the day that we are happy.

Right now, pity would be the only feeling that I have for my Dad and his mistress ( I dont even know her name). I heard that her life with my dad has been miserable and they are going through hell right now. I feel bad for them especially for their kids who were also just victims of their  stupidity. Karma!? Maybe. 

Going back —-> You guys better grab yourselves a copy. This is not like any of those family drama. It is kinda soapy sometimes. but it is far from being 7th heaven like or "Pickety Fency-ish"!!! I tell you the 24 episodes were such nice trips.  This is one of the series that had one of my favorite finale. The final scene in their last episode for the 1st season was such a treat. Season 2 starts Sept. 30

Chow