Why Matthew Rhys’s Brothers & Sisters Is Still a Perfect Weekend Binge
If Matthew Rhys’s recent work in Widow’s Bay has sent you looking for something else starring the Welsh actor, there is a five-season family drama that deserves another look.
Long before The Americans and Perry Mason, Rhys became part of one of television’s most complicated families in ABC’s Brothers & Sisters. The series premiered in 2006 and ran for five seasons through 2011, surrounding its characters with family secrets, romantic complications, political disagreements, affairs, addiction and financial trouble.
At the centre of it all is the Walker family, an affluent Los Angeles clan whose carefully constructed world begins to crack after the sudden death of patriarch William Walker.
Nearly two decades after its debut, the series still has plenty to offer viewers who enjoy character-driven dramas with large ensembles and plenty of emotional conflict. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the show at 79% from critics and 84% from audiences.
A Family Held Together by Secrets
Brothers & Sisters follows Nora Walker and her five adult children as they struggle with the consequences of William’s death.
William’s passing does more than leave the family grieving. It begins to expose secrets that Nora and her children had never known about, forcing them to reconsider their father, their relationships and the family they thought they understood.
From there, the series develops into a sprawling portrait of a family constantly being tested by circumstances both personal and political.
Infidelity, addiction, financial problems, romantic entanglements and disagreements over politics all become part of the Walkers’ lives. Family gatherings can quickly turn into confrontations, while relationships that initially seem stable are repeatedly pushed to their limits.
Rather than building the entire series around one central mystery, the drama finds its momentum in the characters themselves. Every new revelation changes the dynamics between the siblings, their partners and their parents.
That approach is a major reason the show can be so easy to keep watching.
Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker
Matthew Rhys plays Kevin Walker, one of Nora’s three sons and a successful lawyer.
The role came before Rhys’s international breakthrough as Philip Jennings in The Americans. According to the Television Academy, Rhys moved to Santa Monica after being cast as Kevin and remained with Brothers & Sisters for its entire five-season run, which ended in 2011.
Kevin’s personal story becomes increasingly important as the series progresses, particularly through his relationship with Scotty Wandell, played by Luke Macfarlane.
Their romance becomes one of the show’s central relationships, bringing another emotional dimension to an already complicated family story.
Rhys’s performance also gives viewers an early opportunity to see the qualities that would later make him widely recognised on American television.
The Ensemble Is One of the Show’s Biggest Strengths
Sally Field leads the cast as Nora Walker, the mother at the centre of the Walker family.
Calista Flockhart plays Kitty Walker, the politically engaged daughter, while Rachel Griffiths portrays eldest daughter Sarah Walker. Balthazar Getty plays businessman Tommy Walker, and Dave Annable takes the role of the youngest sibling, Justin Walker.
Rhys completes the five Walker children as Kevin.
The supporting cast is equally notable. Rob Lowe appears as politician Robert McCallister, Ron Rifkin plays Nora’s brother Saul, and Patricia Wettig portrays Holly Harper.
Emily VanCamp also joins the series as Rebecca Harper as the story develops.
The full cast includes a remarkable number of familiar faces, with Rotten Tomatoes also listing Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell among the show’s principal performers.
That ensemble gives the series a large dramatic canvas. Different characters can take centre stage from one storyline to the next, while the Walker family remains the connective tissue holding everything together.
Critics Responded to the Walker Family
The series reportedly took some time to establish itself, but its mixture of melodrama and recognisable family dynamics eventually attracted considerable critical attention.
The strength of the ensemble became one of the show’s defining features. Even when the Walker family finds itself dealing with unusually dramatic circumstances, the relationships between the characters provide a grounded emotional centre.
The series also received significant industry recognition.
The Television Academy records a Primetime Emmy win for Sally Field’s performance as Nora Walker in 2007, with further nominations for the actress in 2008 and 2009. Brothers & Sisters itself received eight Emmy nominations and one win or honor listed by the Academy.
The show also received repeated recognition from the GLAAD Media Awards, including wins for Outstanding Drama Series in several consecutive years.
Rotten Tomatoes currently records a 79% critics’ score and an 84% audience score for the series.
Five Seasons of Walker Family Drama
For anyone discovering Brothers & Sisters for the first time, one of its biggest advantages is simply the amount of story available.
The series consists of five seasons, with 23 episodes in the first season, 16 in the second, 24 in the third, 24 in the fourth and 22 in the fifth.
That gives viewers plenty of time to become invested in the Walker family and watch its relationships change.
Romances become more complicated. Long-hidden information comes to light. Political disagreements spill into family life. Characters make decisions that affect everyone around them.
Yet the show’s central idea remains remarkably consistent: whatever happens, the Walkers continue to find themselves drawn back into one another’s lives.
That sense of family is what separates Brothers & Sisters from a drama built around a single twist or mystery. The real source of tension is the changing relationship between people who know each other better than anyone else.
Where Can You Watch Brothers & Sisters?
For viewers in the United Kingdom, all five seasons of Brothers & Sisters are currently available to stream on Disney+, according to streaming information checked on September 21, 2026.
That makes the series particularly convenient for anyone looking for a substantial weekend watch.
And for fans who have recently discovered Matthew Rhys through his newer projects, Brothers & Sisters offers a chance to revisit an earlier chapter of his career, when he was playing Kevin Walker years before The Americans established him as an internationally recognised leading actor.
With five seasons, a large ensemble and storylines built around family secrets, complicated relationships and personal conflict, Brothers & Sisters has plenty of material for a long binge.
For Matthew Rhys fans in particular, it is also a useful reminder of just how long Kevin Walker came before the roles that would eventually make Rhys a household name.