'Brothers & Sisters': Expiration dating

Time is ticking for our favorite Frenchman. Sunday night's "Brothers & Sisters" began with Sarah and Luc passionately entangled in bed, clearly showing they had no problems picking up where they left off. But before we could settle into seeing them as a couple once again, we were hit with a deadline: Luc's visa expires in four weeks.

You didn't expect Sarah and Luc's blessed reunion to go off without a hitch, did you? The couple may have gotten a second chance at love, but this time, there's no more dillydallying. Luc's art dealer offered to marry him until he received a green card, and initially, Sarah was game. It's a business transaction, she convinced herself. That's until she was hit with yet another deadline. If Luc wanted to seize this opportunity, he would have had to marry his dealer that day before she left for a lengthy trip to Mexico. Despite the last-minute timing, Sarah still supported the wedding, until Nora stepped in with her sentimental pep talks and kick-started a race to stop the wedding.

'Brothers & Sisters': Happy heartbreak

There was cause for celebration and for sadness on Sunday night's Valentine-themed "Brothers & Sisters." The first reason to cheer: Luc's back! Sarah's sexy French artist returned, and we finally got to see one of his pieces, an abstract painting that helped him earn his way back into Sarah's heart. Luc didn't get too much screen time in the episode, but we'll definitely see more of him -- Gilles Marini is on the show until the end of the season (and hopefully next).

Luc's return meant the end of Sarah and Roy, which was doomed from the start. They had few interests in common and little chemistry, but at least Sarah got a break from the drama. Ending a relationship isn't the ideal way to spend Valentine's Day, but the breakup was adult and relatively pain-free.

Cheryl Hines provided more reasons for glee. As Kitty's cunning and cynical friend and new campaign manager, Buffy, she injected the right amount of sass into the story line. Perhaps it was the Southern drawl or the fearlessness behind that well-coiffed hairdo, but Buffy charmed me despite her rocky start. She's the bulldog Kitty needs in her corner, but her brutal honesty certainly can lead to ruthlessness. Her "thoroughness" at vetting any kind of controversy prompted Robert to revisit Kitty's emotional affair with Alec and hinted at Buffy's tactics. However, I'm hoping that with Kitty's strong sense of self and Buffy's quirky brand of control-freak, the relationship between the two will be more comedic than dramatic.

'Brothers & Sisters': Gilles Marini to become a series regular?

"Brothers & Sisters" fans take note—your favorite Frenchman may be here to stay! Zap2it reportsthat Gilles Marini is in negotiations with ABC to become a show regular next season. Marini himself couldn't offer additional details, but it looks as though his character, Luc Laurent, will be romancing Sarah beyond his return on Feb.21. "I'm not in liberty [sic] to say anything. I'm pretty much doing the rest of the season," Marini wrote in a text message. "I am in such a beautiful place in my life. I'm so happy and honored to be part of this fantastic cast." With Rob Lowe's impending departure, Marini could definitely fill the void in the eye-candy department, so I (along with probably most of the show's female viewers) am keeping my fingers crossed. 

— Enid Portuguez

'Brothers & Sisters': One vote short

Was it me or was Sunday night's "Brothers & Sisters" just a tad bit boring? Shirtless scenes involving Rob Lowe and Luke MacFarlane only mildly distracted from the fact that the episode's pacing and storylines were tedious and lacked energy.

Kitty announced that she won't be running for Congress as initially planned. Instead, she decided to enter the race for Robert's vacated Senate seat. Naturally it was news she needed to break to the rest of the Walkers, who democratically took an anonymous vote on whether they supported the idea. The result? All were in favor except for one, whom Kitty automatically assumed was her perennial sparring partner Nora. The thought of her mother not supporting her decision to run perturbed Kitty for the rest of the night and inspired Robert to volunteer for Nora's and Scotty's charity cooking event in order to get to the bottom of her vote.

Lowe and Sally Field have proven that they can deliver a powerful scene together (their showdowns earlier this season after Kitty was diagnosed were the most memorable), but the two arguing over cumin and coriander just didn't do it for me. Nora, annoyed that Robert would question her faith in her daughter, admitted that she wasn't happy about Kitty running for Senate in light of the year's events but insisted that the 'no' vote didn't belong to her. 

Rob Lowe to leave 'Brothers & Sisters'

After four seasons as Sen. Robert McCallister, Rob Lowe is leaving "Brothers & Sisters." ABC confirmed the news, but neither the network nor Lowe's spokesman offered details on how many episodes he will have left to finish.

Signs have slowly pointed toward a Lowe exit. Robert's heart attack last season had viewers speculating his impending death. Last week's announcement that Robert would not run for re-election left the fate and purpose of the character in question. Lowe's addition to the cast after guest-starring in the show's first season boosted ratings, and even though Lowe has excelled at meaty storylines and scenes with Calista Flockhart, Matthew Rhys and Sally Field, Robert has always remained a peripheral character.

In short, I'm not surprised he's leaving. However, it seems that although his run on "Brothers & Sisters" is over, his relationship with ABC is not. "We would like to keep Rob at ABC," said network president Steve McPherson in a statement. "We feel he should be anchoring his own franchise. We are in talks now."

With Robert's and Kitty's relationship stronger than ever after her illness, I don't see how else the show can write off the character other than killing him. We'll just have to wait and see how it develops, but feel free to comment on how you'd like to see Robert exit the show.

-- Enid Portuguez

Photo: Rob Lowe. Credit: ABC

'Brothers & Sisters': A trial run

After her sizzling romance with hot Frenchman Luc quickly fizzled, it was only a matter of time before Sarah Walker got back in the dating scene. It was also just a matter of time before she used her children's school as a meet market for other fellow single parents.

Her latest love interest is Roy, a divorcee who easily relates to Sarah's struggles with parenthood. She found his easygoing manner and good humor dreamy -- he's got to be too good to be true, right? The bubble burst at a PTA meeting, where they duked it out about whether the school had the right to search students' backpacks. Crestfallen that her new crush dared to take an opposing stance, Sarah wrote him off and declared herself destined for a spinster's life.

A little public spat didn't deter Roy, however. When he showed up at Sarah's dinner party with a bottle of wine and a friendly smile, I marked him a keeper. He certainly is no Luc Laurent in terms of physical attributes (we'll see more of Gilles Marini in upcoming episodes, thankfully!), but he had enough confidence to walk into a room full of Walkers and hold his own. My favorite scene was actually the one that took place in Sarah's living room. It was simple: a group of adults having pre-dinner drinks and getting to know a new guest.  But the group's chemistry was so natural and the rhythm of the conversation ebbed and flowed so well that I felt like I was sitting in the love seat next to Kitty. The subtle looks shared by Kitty and Sarah when Roy would say something impressive and even Saul's crabbiness toward Nora showed how seamlessly these actors work together.

When I wasn't contemplating the fate of Sarah's new relationship, I was wrapping my head around Kitty's potential political career (not to mention her unlimited supply of head scarves). Not only was I happy to see Cheryl Hines guest star as her gossipy girlfriend Buffy, but I also was pleasantly surprised they switched Kitty's and Robert's roles by not having him run for reelection. Galvanized by her experience with cancer, it's no shock that Kitty would want to take life by the horns and do something productive. Politics seemed like a natural progression after her career as an author and pundit. I'm mostly looking forward to how Kitty and Robert will work as a team when the spotlight is turned on her. They probably would be a dynamic duo, but I'm sure a few power struggles lie ahead. Too bad we can't realistically imagine which area of Southern California she'd represent -- the 54th congressional district doesn't exist.

The rest of the episode was dedicated to Kevin and Scotty's adventures in surrogacy. Now that the embryo has been implanted, they eagerly await the result and we must endure Kevin's maddening neuroses.

What are your thoughts on the episode? Do Sarah and Roy have a chance at love, or will Luc's impending return spoil it? Do you think Kitty has a future in politics?

-- Enid Portuguez

Photo: Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Walker and her new love interest, Roy, played by Jay Karnes. Credit: ABC

'Brothers & Sisters': When life hands you lemons

A lying boyfriend and a sixth-grade science project? Not exactly riveting, but after last week's emotional "Brothers & Sisters" episode, the Walkers deserved a break from the intensity. I was expecting the next few episodes to be transitional anyway, because a couple of things need to be resolved.

First, Nora's and Simon's relationship begged to be addressed. He had been MIA since ditching her on the day of Justin's and Rebecca's wedding, but last night, we learned his cockamamie excuse for his six-week absence. Apparently, bone break fever from a Guatemalan mosquito bite was to blame. Riiight. Nora's loneliness prompted her to believe him for a second, but the good graces of Google finally convinced her that Simon was a liar and opportunist. She channeled her inner James Bond to brilliantly trap him, but at the end, the last laugh seemed to be on Nora. She had yet another failed relationship under her belt and the weariness from all the disappointment is beginning to show.

'Brothers & Sisters': Two marrow is another day

"Brothers & Sisters" returned from a monthlong hiatus with a bang of an episode that took me on a roller coaster of emotions.

First, I was crestfallen. After collapsing at Justin and Rebecca's beach wedding, Kitty landed in the hospital with a chemo-induced clot in her lung and a bleak outlook on her situation. Bald and confined to tubes and machines, it was the first time we'd seen Kitty look so sick, and a tiny part of me feared the show would actually take her down this morbid path. Thankfully, it did not. Kitty was given one viable but risky option: a bone marrow transplant. The result could literally be life or death, so after a moving speech about being present for her son's life moments, Kitty placed all her chips on the chance to live. 

'Brothers & Sisters': The wedding that wasn't

From the very start of last night's episode of "Brothers & Sisters," Justin's and Rebecca's wedding looked destined for doom. Its original location, Hawaii, was in danger of being ravaged by a hurricane, forcing plans to be readjusted and postponed. Even when Rebecca decided to hold the ceremony on a beach in Malibu instead, their union was threatened by Justin's cold feet. However, the event that actually sent the whole thing crashing down -- Kitty's collapse -- took me by surprise.

The bulk of the episode focused on Justin's reluctance to walk down the aisle. His shortcomings at school plus his overall fears of being a suitable husband and father had placed an interminable frown on Justin's face for most of the hour, and David's presence during his AA confession didn't make things easier. Despite all this, I was never convinced that Justin wouldn't follow through with the wedding. Even when he finally admitted his doubts to Rebecca and then failed to appear at the rehearsal dinner, I knew that the reason for his absence would be justified and even become the catalyst for him to step up and be the man Rebecca needed him to be. If there's anything we've learned about Justin's character so far, it is that he's a resilient fighter. He gets knocked down fairly easily, but he manages to get back up when he's got the right support outside the ring.

'Brothers & Sisters': Justin's baby blues

After harboring the news of her pregnancy for two episodes, Rebecca finally told Justin that they're going to be parents.

Of course, the news couldn't have come at a worse time, what with the wedding on the horizon and Justin's medical school dreams almost dashed by his failing grades. His reaction was shock followed by anger at Rebecca's secrecy and then fear as he confronted his readiness for fatherhood. On top of that, he had taken his first sip of alcohol in months -- surely not a good sign for a recovering addict. Justin has tried so hard to undo his image as the family screw-up that as the problems piled up and his confidence toppled, you couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. No one is ever really ready to be a parent, but Justin really isn't ready. 

'Brothers & Sisters': Nora gets her groove back

Nora Walker got back in the saddle again on Sunday night's "Brothers & Sisters" -- and with a younger man to boot. However, one would think that she'd act more swept off her feet by Simon, the handsome, motorcycle-riding oncologist who volunteers at her cancer center, but the age difference was still an issue for her.

To be honest, I was relieved that it was an issue for Nora. In the age of "Cougar Town" and the various "Real Housewives," which depict mothers of a certain age proudly prowling for younger men, it was refreshing to see the insecurities behind such a pairing more realistically explored. Granted, Nora is a decade or so older than the women on those shows, which would justify her pause even more. As she mentions, she has five grown children and four grandchildren -- she's not trying to be one of those women attempting to squeeze into skinny jeans.

Nora's hesitation to flaunt her relationship in public did seem a tad irrational at first. Simon isn't a twentysomething loafing around looking for a sugar mama. He's 47, successful, worldly and quite the looker. After he finagled an invitation from her to the wine festival, he set some tongues wagging, particularly with Ojai's new board chair. Nora felt empowered initially and gave a rousing retort that made me say "Ahh snap!" But her confidence was quickly deflated when a photographer mistook Simon for her son during a photo op. Oops! By then, Simon's frustrations were apparent and he blamed Nora's fear of adventure and spontaneity on her sheltered life. I'm glad she later proved him wrong.

'Brothers & Sisters': Forging ahead

Sunday night's "Brothers & Sisters" was anything but uneventful. The episode offered some big reveals, but the focus on stories involving only the immediate Walker family members gave it a more intimate feel. One-on-one conversations -- notably those featuring Robert and Kevin and Nora and Sarah -- were shot close-up, with the camera vacillating between the two before holding still at one character while the other continued to talk. Those moments felt even more real and private, and they gave viewers a chance to really focus on the characters' subtle reactions. The episode also maintained a steady momentum, which had me looking forward to what the next few weeks will bring.

Now on to the revelations, starting with the biggest. Rebecca is pregnant! When the promos showed Justin confronting Rebecca about being pregnant, I figured it would be a tease, so I'm glad that they followed through with it. This piece of news will finally shake things up with Justin and Rebecca, who've been so uninteresting since they announced their engagement, by adding another layer to their mounting responsibilities. Plus, it means there'll be another big birth to look forward to at the end of the season. If you haven't let go of the creepiness factor that first haunted Justin and Rebecca's relationship, you should do so now.