Kitty Walker is reunited with mother Nora after three years of estrangement. It is a cold and formal meeting and a source of tension for the whole family. During the course of the first episode we discover that Nora blames Kitty for her extreme right wing views and the fact that her youngest child Justin fought the war in Afghanistan. Nora describes her daughter as a “young Margaret Thatcher”.

She is offered a TV show in LA, where the Walker family reside. But she is also proposed to by boyfriend Jonathan in New York. She is at a crossroads where she believes she can positively affect the lives of people by doing the show, but Jonathan says she would just be an “11.30 smartass on TV.”

Kitty constantly has to justify her way of thinking to her siblings. She informs them that the views that she expresses on her conservative radio show are not just to shock people but arise from genuine belief.

She is offered a TV show in LA, where the Walker family reside. But she is also proposed to by boyfriend Jonathan in New York. She is at a crossroads where she believes she can positively affect the lives of people by doing the show, but Jonathan says she would just be an “11.30 smartass on TV.”

Eldest sibling Sarah is having problems with her marriage and is in counselling with husband Joe. It becomes evident there is something going on between her and a co-worker and he may be the reason she left her old job- not because she wanted more time with her family as she tells everyone.

Justin the youngest sibling has a problem with drug use, to the chagrin of the family, and is a serial womaniser. Justin sees his father having an intense conversation with a woman at work and suspects they may be having an affair. He broaches the topic with older sibling Tommy who works for the family company, Ojai Foods.

The company appears to be experiencing serious cash flow problems, which is stopping Sarah from doing her job effectively. She does a little investigating and suspects Uncle Saul the company accountant is hiding something.

The family, along with their significant others, gather for a family meal to celebrate Kitty’s birthday. After the meal, William is relaxing by the pool with his granddaughter when he has a heart attack and falls headlong into the pool. The episode ends with his sons trying to get him out of the water.

The pilot episode of Brothers and Sisters sets up a number of themes that will continue throughout the series. Firstly, is the political angle with Kitty’s extreme conservative views. The attacks on the World Trade Centre are mentioned, as well as the war in Afghanistan. Her views her juxtaposed with Nora’s views. Secondly, Kitty’s strained relationship with her mother as a result of things that have happened in the past. Thirdly, the co-dependence of the siblings is highly evident. They don’t hold back when expressing their opinions to each other. And nothing is private- when one of them knows something, they all do.