I thought brothers and sisters episode today on e4 round the table celebrating H!
Question: it was so lovely.
what did you think of it
Answers: it was so lovely.
what did you think of it
Im sorry that I missed it but here is a great article about it\\\
Brothers and Sisters: Light the Lights
Posted Dec 11th 2006 7:41AM by Jen Creer
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, ABC, Brothers and Sisters
(S01E10) As obligatory holiday episodes go, can I just say Thank God for a Jewish family? For crying out loud, it's such a relief not to have a Christmas miracle on this show. I have studied Judaism in depth and observe most Jewish holidays with friends. I have seriously considered converting. So, even though I am not Jewish, having studied and talked about it so intimately, it was a pleasure to watch this episode.
If I hadn't studied Judaism, Nora's carefree attitude toward her heritage and taking up the mantle of Hanukkah to satisfy Paige would have offended me. Some of her rhetoric did make me a little crazy. My husband teaches Judaism and has his PhD in religious studies, so one of the things we have discussed, and one of the things that is accurate about this episode, is that you can pretty much celebrate Judaism however you want to, provided you are not Orthodox (if you are, then you will probably want to practice Judaism in a very traditional way). The rabbi I studied with was quick to point out that even I, as a non-Jew, can observe traditions and holidays without taking on the covenant.
So, even though Nora did not teach her children about their heritage, and they did not observe the holidays, it's perfectly okay to pick it up again, and to make modifications to their traditions. If you study the diaspora, you will find that one of the things that kept Judaism alive for centuries was strict adherence to the traditions, but in modern times, there are many ways to embrace it.
Nora can sure be a little intense. Whew! She certainly does throw herself into things full throttle. A kid expresses an interest in Judaism, and suddenly Nora throws a catered party with waiters for Hanukkah. Which is not one of the major Jewish holidays, by the way. But I have to admit that I might have done the same thing for one of my kids-- so maybe it's just a manic mother thing.
I loved the fact that Saul said the prayers in Hebrew and then sang them. And I equally loved the fact that they didn't pretend that anybody else in the family magically knew Hebrew. And that Sarah was realistic about Paige's diabetes. I used to write for our sister blog The Diabetes Blog, and I was cringing at how upset Paige was about the diabetes. No, it's no picnic, but lots of people live with it. I bet there were a bunch of people out there with diabetes who were not very happy about that. But maybe I am wrong.
I am surprised that Warren didn't find out that Kitty had been offered such a sweet deal when she was hedging. Some friend she is: If she had this great offer from the Senator, then why didn't she offer the same loyalty to Warren? To walk if he got canned? Well, the obvious reason is that she and the Senator are going to get together. I also don't buy that Ms.Uptight Kitty is the type continually to mess around with men on the job. But it's television, so hey, it's all good.
Patricia Wettig is such a fine actress. She could be a little shrill as Nancy on Thirtysomething, but just as the years have softened the lines of her still-lovely face, she has mellowed onscreen. Brenda Rachel Griffiths could take a page from Wettig's book about toning down the shrill. I know that Sarah is pissed about her father's affair, but the way she is constantly rude and constantly going after Holly is just as grating as Cooper's singing at the beginning of the episode. I kept waiting for that "Aha!" TV moment to happen when Sarah tells Paige that her heart has more love than either of them will ever need.
At least Nora has had the epiphany that William has had enough love for both him and Holly. Do you think that's crazy? I think she was right to forgive Holly. And I don't think Holly was crazy at all to want a share of William's company. She is grieving William more actively than Nora and the kids are. My sister-in-law lost her father very suddenly, and while you can't compare grief, six months later, they are still suffering so fiercely as they try to navigate their days. I'd like to see a bit more of the suddenness of grief, the tears in the kitchen for no reason, the stark reality of just missing him so much. After all, supposedly the show is built around his death.
Blah blah blah Justin and Kevin, yech. That storyline was just stupid and gross. I swear, does this show have separate writers for each character? And could the writers for Holly, Saul, and Nora get together with the writers for Kevin, Justin, and Sarah and give them some pointers? Or do the more experienced actors just pull off the writing better? The most convincing theory I heard in that courtroom was that being in the army and that discipline was what got Justin off the drugs. If I were the judge, I would have shipped him back pronto, just like she did. I cannot believe he got a six month reprieve. I know the actor has a contract, but I wanted to butt my head against my laptop during that scene. Ick, ew, bah. They better write him a damn good storyline to justify that move.
Mazel tov.
Tags: adultery, Christmas, diabetes, drug abuse', DrugAbuse', families, Hanukah, Hebrew, Iraq, Judaism, military
Was it a repeat or has the new series started and I don't know about it?