Birthday girl Kitty (Calista Flockhart) had the beginnings of her own identity crisis this episode: Why can't the media see her as the same high-powered professional she was before she got engaged to the senator and presidential hopeful she's shtupping? Oh, Kitty, I think this show has let you off rather easy if the only paparazzo around you is one guy with a cell phone camera, no? (And didn't you love that they couldn't find any bridal gowns that actually fit Flockhart?)
Something I'd like to see footage of is what Rebecca (Emily VanCamp) actually does during the day. It is good that she's still living with Nora. It distracts Nora from thinking about Justin, and it keeps viewers from having to see Rebecca and Holly (Patricia Wettig) not talk to each other — another waste of screen time. If Holly has to be in our lives, let's make the most of it, as Nora did by getting in a couple of passive-aggressive jabs when they both showed up at William's grave. (Did anyone really think that Tom Skerritt could have landed that third woman? I wasn't worried.)
You may find it odd that I waited until the end of the TV Watch to get into Nora's story line, but I do have a reason: The discussion involves a SPOILER! If you don't already know what happens to Justin (Dave Annable) — who hadn't been heard from in 21 days and whose unit was hit by an IED — skip to the end of this paragraph. If you do know, perhaps from reading our fall TV feature on the show, did it affect how hard the episode hit you? I didn't read the piece until after watching the premiere, but now I'm wondering if I would've had to fight back tears when Nora begged Kitty to let her keep moving, and when Kevin dropped to his knees to pray, had I known for certain that Justin would be okay. I think this cast is good enough that the answer's yes. And truth be told, was there any way Annable wouldn't return to the show?
I've asked a lot of questions this week, but here are a few more for you to weigh in on below:
1. Would you fault a senator for using his connections to keep tabs on a loved one in a war zone?
2. What story lines do you want to see developed in season 2, and which ones are you hoping will fade gently into a good Sunday night?
3. Which Walker is the most entertaining when drunk? I would've said Kevin until he named his autobiography A Lifetime of Endless Disappointments. Lame. Now I'm leaning toward Sarah (''I'm starving already for alcohol'').
4. Is laughter through tears still your favorite emotion? Nora, to the restaurant patrons who refused to vacate the table that the Walkers had reserved in honor of Kitty's birthday: ''You know why [Justin's] not here to celebrate? Because he's off fighting in that stupid war. And one more thing that makes this day special: My cheating husband died a year ago today. So maybe if you could move your drunken asses out of these chairs, then perhaps my family could sit down and eat a damn burrito and end this miserable day.''
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