Warning: SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

Episode Title: “Time After Time” (2-Hours) (Season 4, Episodes 18 and 19)

Original Airdate: April 11, 2010 at 9:00 PM

Synopsis: Nora Walker (Sally Field) tries to convince her children to sell their shares of Ojai stock due to Dennis York (Paul Gerety) having leverage over her. Also, Kitty (Calista Flockhart) goes to her first post-cancer screening.

Review: This two hour (advertised as “movie”) definitely was one of the strongest episodes since the first season. Every member of the cast in this episode brought their A-game blending humor and drama perfectly. The episode deals with Kevin (Matthew Rhys) learning that he is the cause of the late William Walker – and now Nora – paying off a family because of a fight between Kevin and a boy named Aaron, paralyzed. Through a series of flashbacks, we see the Walker children figure out this whole ordeal.

Later, Nora and Holly Harper (Patricia Wettig) try to figure out why Dennis York was so invested into Narrow Lake. While doing so they take a brief break at the old Ojai house that the Walker family used to own. While entering the house they interrupt the honeymoon Justin Walker (Dave Annable) and Rebecca Harper (Emily VanCamp), who just married at a courthouse. This scene alone makes the episode a classic. Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) and Tommy (Balthazar Getty) soon join as the family gathers to celebrate Justin and Rebecca’s wedding.

The episode ends with a traditional Walker dinner where Kitty reveals that she is in remission. Other small storylines in the episode include Nora and Holly getting arrested – along with Robert (Rob Lowe) showing pictures of the event – andKevin and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) going through with trying to have a child again.

It’s hard to describe how amazing this storyline is if you haven’t been following this season. With Ojai – the family business – seeming to sold soon, this could be the start of a new chapter in the Walker family. Nora said to Holly at the end of the episode that she believes the Narrow Lake land will be the start of their future…but who knows what this future is? Also, with Kitty clear of cancer, her campaign for senator looms in the future as well. Knowing that a main character dies and that Robert is leaving at the end of the year, there are many questions unanswered still with only a few weeks left.

My main question is: Where is Ryan? If you haven’t followed this season, stop reading here. Ryan Lafferty (Luke Grimes) is the real illegitimate son of William Walker (Tom Skeritt) after the Walker family found out that it wasn’t Rebecca. However, Ryan has been promoted to a series regular this season but has only appeared in a handful of episodes. So does this mean the Ryan saga is over? So many questions…so little time.

On a final note, from their acting in this episode, Sally Field and Matthew Rhys need to be nominated for Emmy awards for next year. Field has won an Emmy for this show before, but her dramatic abilities were portrayed brilliantly again in this episode. Double goes for Rhys who really pulled some raw emotion that we have never seen from Kevin before.

Final Grade: 10/10