At it again: Kevin Walker and the Shrinking Episodes

I think I am going to institute a weekly B&S-watch.

Last night's episode of Brothers and Sisters clocked in at 48 minutes, advertisements included. Guess whose story-line was cut?

At the top of the episode, we saw Jason Lewis among the list of guest stars' names flashing on the screen. 48 minutes later, end credits rolling, we had not seen so much as a hair of Chad's (the character that Jason Lewis plays on the show).

The "outing" of Kevin to his grandmother (bonus outing of Rob Lowe's brother included at no cost!) was aired in its entirety. It was the same old thing - okay to be gay, okay to talk about being gay, but not okay to show people in gay relationships.

You know what? I want to see this Kevin - Chad relationship. It explores an interesting subject: the dilemma of the closeted gay celebrity who cannot afford to be outed because of his career. It says something about celebrity worship, the ephemera of public image, self and identity in an industry where visibility is currency. B&S is not high art, but it is cleverly written and beneath its soap-opera conventions, it has a very real take on life as lived in upper-middle class suburbia (certainly more real than anything dished out in Desperate Housewives).

Are we going to really go through the whole season without ever seeing Kevin Walker and his romantic relationships and entanglements? Come on, Mediacorp, something has to give.