Special Coverage Pop Culture Classics (The EW 1000)Sound BitesSummer TVBox Office Game
Page 2 of 3

Kevin's flashbacks to William were, I thought, cleverly worked into the episode. Scotty's parents wouldn't come to the wedding, which naturally made Kevin think of his relationship with his dad. It took years for William to accept Kevin, and in the first flashback, we saw William asking Kevin about his personal life — and telling him about the female acquaintance that had just died and left a husband and three children. Remembering how hurt he was when William didn't make him feel as loved as Sarah, Kitty, Tommy, and Justin, Kevin decided he'd contact Scotty's parents. And because Justin hadn't realized that Friday was lesbian night at the gay bar he and Tommy had planned to take Kevin to for his bachelor party, they decided they'd all road trip to Scotty's parents in Phoenix. Now, I know that that trip was necessary, because otherwise Kevin never would have gotten the cuff links from Scotty's dad, which made Scotty feel that his father was attempting to bond, which made Kevin flash back to the plane ride with William during which they reconnected and William identified the photo of Ryan. Still, I would have loved to have seen the Walker boys celebrate Kevin's holy ''mantrimony'' at an upscale gay bar with hot dudes, no nudity, and off-street parking. You know Justin and Tommy would have gotten competitive over who was being hit on more (cough, Justin).

Kevin's visit with Scotty's parents was noble but frustrating. I'm not sure how much more dialogue he would've realistically had with two total strangers, but I so wanted him to give a great closing argument — something you could imagine Alan Shore (James Spader) delivering on Boston Legal. Instead, he just caved when Scotty's young-looking mother (guest star Jayne Brook) said she loved her son but couldn't be asked to sit through a ''contrived event'' that she'd find ''too painful'' and ''insulting.'' I can imagine why she'd use the word ''painful'': When a friend of mine came out to her mother in college, the thing her mother seemed most upset about was the idea that she'd never be able to throw her daughter a ''real'' wedding. But I wish Kevin would have asked her what about it was ''insulting.'' The scene seemed rushed.

What was played to perfection was Nora's support of — and interference with — the ceremony. (Wouldn't it be wonderful if a mother of a gay child watched Nora thank Scotty for making Kevin happy and finally began to get it?) As fun as it was to watch Kevin shut down Nora every time she tried to be her usual loving-but-intrusive self, it gave me chills when she told him why she went against his wishes and made the living room look like a flower shop: because he and Scotty deserved an evening just as romantic and memorable as anyone else's. (Considering they had to borrow Robert's and Tommy's rings because they'd forgotten to buy their own, it was a bit like their weddings.) Saul called the ceremony the bravest act he's ever witnessed, which was moving. But it was Kitty's words as officiant that got me (and Sarah, you might have noticed) weepy. She told the story of Kevin's first wedding — to her, when they were younger. Kitty said she got to wear Nora's white nightgown (even though Kevin wanted to), and be the mother of the five children they had after Mr. McBear pronounced them man and wife, because that's the only situation they knew. But when you let go of what you thought would be, you can experience the joy of what is. For Kevin, that's being carried over the threshold by a man who adores him; for Kitty, that's realizing that the life you create for a child is more important than how the child was created. Translation: She's ready to adopt.

NEXT: Justin and Rebecca kiss


Page 2 of 3