There's nothing like family...

Especially if you're a Walker or a Darling. That's right, I'm talking about two of my fave ABC shows, Brothers and Sisters and Dirty Sexy Money. (Both of which, by the way, house veterans of Aaron Sorkin shows. Winks.)

Brothers and Sisters begins their third season with the cheesiest of cheesiest visuals of the Walker family, courtesy of a letter written as part of Kitty and Robert's adoption procedures.The tongue-in-cheek sunny-tinted description was a hallmark card picture of the Walker family. And if you've watched the previous two excellent seasons, you'll know that "hallmark" is the last description anyone would use to describe the Walkers. Witty lines aside, tensions were raised that herald a shaky future for all the Walkers, including the yet-to-be-seen Ryan.

While B&S continues to maintain its standard for excellent drama and good writing, I can't help but wonder: what's gonna happen to all the poor spouses? Rob Lowe being reduced from Senator Robert Macallister to Kitty's Husband reminds me of the almost inevitable divorce of Sarah from her husband Joe in season one. Tommy's wife's story is so nonexistent that I can't even remember her character's name right now. Still, aside from this, I'm still looking forward to the rest of the season.

---

After being unfortunately cut short due to the writers' strike last year, leaving many hanging questions and one hell of a twist, Dirty Sexy Money returns with a smashing premiere, starting off at a woohoo shindig thrown by the Darling family for family lawyer Nick George. Within the first five minutes, questions are raised: How did Nick resolve the problems between Tripp and Patrick? What happened between Nick and Karen? What happened between Nick and Lisa? Why is Tripp giving Nick a yacht? And the biggest doozy of it all, the NYPD swoops down to arrest someone?

White flash and cut to 48 hours earlier. Throughout the episode, the questions are answered, one by one. The arrest question lingers at the back of your mind from the start, and halfway through, you think you've got it, you know who's getting arrested and why. But, of course, one should never presume to predict what happens on DSM. The opening sequence is repeated. Conversations and sidelong looks that were exchanged when first we saw them take on a whole new meaning.

Then the NYPD arrives all over again. And just when you think you know what's going to happen, the DSM writers throw in a new plot twist. And all you can think is, Oh. My. God.

Talk about family drama. Watching the Walkers and Darlings really makes one grateful for having a normal family.