A surprising twist in Rebecca and Justin’s relationship, as well as the anticipated return of Gilles Marini, provide emotional impact in this Valentine’s Day episode, “A Valued Family.”
Now, why did the writers have to mess with Justin and Rebecca again? It was great that we were getting a break from the overload of drama from those two – at first I thought maybe with the wedding out of the way, there could finally have peace for a while. Then again, with Rebecca being pregnant, I probably should have known better. However, I’m still a little shocked that they actually had her lose the baby, as I thought for sure they would try to milk this pregnancy for all the drama it was worth. On the flip side, the not-so-cynical me is of course heartbroken for the young couple, though chances are they won’t get out of this without some emotional repercussions.
Meanwhile, we’re given yet another update on Sarah’s love life, which seems to be going for symbolism full-force through both the painting and her advice to Paige. While Roy (Jay Karnes) and Sarah had opposite opinions on Luc’s (Gilles Marini) painting, Sarah tells Paige that playing it safe in her love life is always best. Then, thankfully, Sarah throws all caution to the wind and gets back together with Luc. This happens after she and Roy break it off while exchanging Valentine’s Day gifts…not the best timing on Roy’s part, but he’s forgiven since his present leads to her reunion with Luc. Even though I’m not in love with the character, Luc is a million times better than forgettable, boring Roy. Funniest scene of the episode goes to when Sarah is in the chocolate shop on the phone with Kevin and Scotty, who aren’t shy about suggesting their favorite exotic chocolate flavors.
The Kitty campaign story also continues this episode when she hires Buffy McCreary (Cheryl Hines) as her campaign manager. While pushy and cynical, the character manages to be likeable – she’s not mean or annoying, even though she could have easily been portrayed that way. An added bonus is getting to see Kitty stand up to Robert, when she doesn’t fire Buffy for contacting the man Kitty sort of had an affair with, Alec Tyler (Matt Letscher).
However, my favorite plot of the episode is the Holly fiasco. To be honest, she has been growing on me – recently, I sympathized with her when the family wouldn’t press charges against Ryan (although it probably helped that I really do not like that kid…more on that later). At the hospital with Rebecca, Nora takes the opportunity to reach out to Holly and call her family. Holly is so touched by the sentiment that she cancels her deal with Dennis York and later tells Nora about him. This definitely qualifies as the “aw“-inducing moment of the episode, since it’s almost like watching the Grinch’s heart grow all over again…maybe a little corny, but heartwarming just the same. I’d expect this of Holly, who resented the Walker’s clique-like behavior during the Ryan incident.
Speaking of which, I was reflecting on how much enjoyed this episode…and then realized that this was because Ryan had been missing from it. This kid has been on my nerves from day one, not because he was portrayed as a villain, but because he was a weak, expendable character. After all the hype about him wanting revenge for his mother’s death, he’s done nothing but play evil henchman for Dennis, the real bad guy of the season. In my ideal Brothers & Sisters world, he would go back to college by the end of this season and never be heard from again. A fan can dream, right?
While this episode brought the much-needed reunion of Sarah and Luc, I’m most looking forward to Holly and the Walkers for once working together against a common enemy. However, given the trailer for next week, Sarah and Luc will take center stage first.
