Brothers and Sisters - Season 3 [DVD]

I am really enjoying this season but I am on disc 5 and it has stopped working! The second disc falls out of the case as it broke the day I got it. This disc clearly has scratches and is at a dramatic time of the series!! Not impressed Amazon!

Season Three of the amazing family-drama Brothers and Sisters manages to drop on the quality of programming seen in it's first two seasons; but it certainly remains one of the finest programmes on television and this box set makes for excellent viewing.

It remains to be excellent viewing- the plotlines in this season are as complex and twisting as in the show's first two seasons, and the humour is mixed perfectly with the heartache as the show manages to bring viewings from tears to laughter in every episode, and the chaos of the Walker family keeps me coming back for more and more- I never tire of this programme, and although I didn't love it as much as Seasons One and Two; I still did love it!

I think this seasons big disappointment; or the key item which lets it down, is the character Robert, who is beyond amazing in the debut seasons- strong, powerful, warm, loving and funny- this season he becomes cold and distant, which detracts from the enjoyment of this season- although this character development is essential to the plotlines of this- and future seasons.

Away from Robert, the relationships and characters are as great as ever- in particular Kevin and Scotty are truly wonderful viewing, and Justin and Rebecca become firm favourites as the most adorable couple on television. The relationship between Nora and Holly remains excellently executed, and whilst Sarah's storyline is not central to the development of the season, the character develops strongly during this season and becomes more and more wonderful throughout and remains to be a firm favourite of mine. Whilst I'm not a big fan of the character, Balthazar Getty does a fantastic job playing Tommy this season, and it's his story which drives this season from start to finish.

This season's highlight is the double-bill episode which is literally stunningly good! When they showed it on More4 they separated the two episodes out by a week and it was the worst cliff-hanger in the history of the world (or the best, depending on which way you look at it!). In that episode Rob Lowe and Calista Flockhart are outstanding in their roles of Robert and Kitty; the episode had me crying multiple times, literally incredible viewing.

I also have to take my hat off to Patricia Wettig, who I have always loved playing Holly- but this season she really comes into her own and rules that character- she's as evil as she is wonderful and she really helps bring some comedy and drama to this season and makes for wonderful viewing.

The season isn't a touch on seasons one and two- but it is still excellent viewing. The standards of this show continue to blow me away as the amazing characters and plots are executed with brilliant acting, direction and writing, and despite my quarrels about what- and where this season lacks, it remains to be my most favourite of all shows, excellent viewing and, in my humble opinion, an essential boxset for anyone who enjoys high-quality drama.

After two phenomenal previous series it was always going to be difficult for the script writers to come up with fresh and entertaining story lines. This third season was still very good viewing but perhaps lacked the intensity of the past two.

Some story lines lacked depth that left you rooted to your seat, but taking nothing away from the actors and actresses they were all on top form as ever. A new character arrives on the scene and I was most definitely not a fan of the performance but it must have been coming into the story after the rest of the cast have known one another for so long.

Nora Walker plays the pivotal role in this series again and has some wonderful scenes with her offspring. Justin is supposedly maturing into a clean man, but can it last? Kitty and Robert are going through the rigmaroll of political life again. Sarah is now a single Mum seeking a bit of fun back into her life, whilst finding a job. Kevin is enjoyed married life to Scotty, and Tommy is finding it difficult to fill his Father's shows. The smaller roles of Holly, Saul and Rebecca are all brilliantly interlinked into the story.

The series manages to ride over the bumps and it comes to a pleasing conclusion (although a fourth series is being filmed at the moment). It is hard to see where else the Walker family can go to, but I'm sure the scriptwriters will have a whale of a time thinking of new, weird and wonderful situations to put the Walker family into.

Although this series is nothing like as impressive as the previous two it still manages to make you crave the next episode time and again. If you enjoyed the first and secondd season this is a must buy. If you haven't seen it buy the first one because it is fantastic.