"Brothers and Sisters"

[bluescribbler]

Is anyone else uncomfortable with the portrayal of a wounded vet in this show? He's a drug addict who managed to get himself cleaned up in time to be sent back to the meat-grinder. Now that he's been wounded by an IED, he's falling back into the hole, popping pills which were prescribed for another vet. And on top of that, he's telling war stories to some bimbo he just met in a bar.x(

[atreides1]

1. I've never seen the show

Besides can you say definitely that it's not reality based portrayal? Why are you uncomfortable with it?

[NYVet]

2. Cliche...

For the most part, Hollywood doesn't have the brains to do an original angle on the veteran as a character on a "dramatic series". They have 3 or 4 set stereotypes for veterans.

The Rambo movie series is one good example that comes to mind immediately. The "crazed psychopath" who comes back from the war with anti- social personality and snaps when confronted by authority.

Then you have the "worldly thief" from the 3 Kings type movies who uses their knowledge to rob and steal the population blind.

You also have the "Relentless Martinet" who demands strict obedience to the rules, no matter what argument is made. James Gandolphini (sp) in "The Last Castle" is an example of this stereotype.



Women are not left out either. You have the "traumatized damaged goods" veteran like the Ltc (the name of the character escapes me at this time) in Army Wives on Lifetime.

[babylonsister]

3. I'm not a vet but I love the show!

I taped last night's episode, so don't know exactly what you're talking about. As for the portrayal of an addicted person getting readdicted after a grave, excruciating injury, I can see that happening easily. Don't know about the bimbo part yet, but don't people like to tell stories to charm or impress the opposite sex?

[emilyg]

4. Love the show.

[babylonsister]

5. Ha! I thought I was the only DUer who watched it! I love the

politics, the whole crazy family, the dynamics. I think it's well done.

[Longhorn]

6. We're not caught up to Season 2 yet.

We're watching Season 1 on DVD from Netflix so it will be a few more weeks before we can watch the Season 2 episodes we have recorded on the DVR.

But let's face it -- no one's family goes through everything that that family has gone through! My husband and I were groaning out loud when it looked like Justin immediately turned to drugs after he found out about his half-sister, but they got us -- he met with his sponsor instead!