Tommy (Balthazar Getty) and Julia (Sarah Jane Morris) are William and Nora all over again. Tommy is aware that he is making the same mistakes as his father, yet he is embracing his father's legacy. Opening the vineyard with Holly was a slap in the face to his mother, yet Tommy is intrigued by the woman who stole his father from his family. Tommy's alienation from his wife leads him to cheat on her, yet Julia is still very much physically in his world, though emotionally she has escaped from him.

Dealing with the death of their child William II, Julia becomes aware that she is in fact part of a cycle the Walker family doesn't seem able to break. Julia doesn't leave to spend time with her parents, however. She forms a bond with Nora, which becomes about Julia learning how Nora survived not only the death of a loved one, but also after the loss of a husband. Tension grows between Julia and Sarah when the latter sees her mother's affection going towards someone Sarah sees as an outsider. Rebecca "takes" her husband, and now Julia is "taking" her mother. Julia becomes a catalyst for battle lines being drawn in the Walker family.

Kevin Walker (Matthew Ryhs) is alone. When he is with his family or with a boyfriend he is alone. This is explored throughout the season with Kevin's desire to be in a relationship, but he fears what that means. He holds on to Jason (Eric Winter), who is miles away, and sees this as a perfect situation. He is able to put on the guise of having the perfect romantic situation while he is still comfortable by the boundaries he has set up in his life.

It is with Jason's return that Kevin truly feels alone. He is simply not comfortable with himself in the way Jason is. Their break-up comes along when Kevin realizes that truly committing himself to anyone will leave him utterly defenseless. Scotty (Luke MacFarlane) was right when he pointed out Kevin's internal homophobia. Kevin seeks Scottie out as a way to understand himself, and yet fails to realize that Scottie has no intentions of being used. In order for Kevin to move forward in his life he will need to come to grips with why he feels such shame and in this he finds solace with Uncle Saul (Ron Rifkin). Kevin finds a father figure in Saul, a father who understands him in a way William would not, could not. The journey is slow, but it moves in a positive direction.

Kitty (Calista Flockhart) and Robert's (Rob Lowe) relationship hits a snag not when Kitty gets pregnant, but when Robert is forced to withdraw his candidacy for president. Kitty and Robert have similar political ideals, but their approach to them are worlds apart. Robert is an optimist, and he tries to see the best in people. His politics are about compromise and for that he is torn apart, not merely during debates but at home with his fiancé.

Kitty is stubborn but intelligent. She sees Robert for what he can be and tries to change him to be that man. Her past relationships have been about her making sacrifices, and she sees where those sacrifices lead her and refuses to repeat the pattern. Her original escape to New York was to break free of her family and the people she loved and respected but simply did not want to be trapped with. Now that she is in constant contact with the Walker clan her sense of control is lost, and she overcompensates with her control on her professional and love life. Kitty won't stop being the outspoken Republican she wants to be and Robert has to make a decision to be the man behind his wife or follow his own goals. There doesn't seem to be room for both.

There you have it, my views on the course of season two. In writing this I realized a truly great show isn't about each episode telling a specific story or a funny series of events. "Brothers & Sisters" is about portraying a family with all their many scars. It is sad to know that a driving force behind the Walkers is gone, but perhaps those who replace Baitz will understand that there is nothing the Walkers can't handle.

Story by Dan Chruscinski Starpulse contributing writer