This Sunday- Episode 404 "From France With Love"

Written by Sarah Goldfinger and Michael Foley

Directed by Michael Morris

Kitty faces her first round of chemo and picks Sarah to be her “chemo buddy.”  Sarah distracts Kitty with stories of a man she met in France.  Nora, Holly, and Rebecca look at possible venues for Justin and Rebecca’s wedding.  Justin and his new lab partner struggle to work together. Meanwhile, Robert faces criticism when he announces he is staying in the gubernatorial race, despite Kitty’s cancer.

It's a quiet day here at Stage 6 today.  It's raining outside and all the writers are locked in their offices writing Episode 410 and 411.  A couple of the writers have suggested we title Episode 411 "Information."  But then, that begs the question of what we will title Episode 420.  Any suggestions?  I'm actually really excited for Sunday's episode.  Not only does it feature the handsome, charming Gilles Marini, but also director Michael Morris did a great job infusing Sarah's flashbacks with French New Wave flavor.  All in all, should be a pretty memorable episode of B&S.  To everyone in Los Angeles, stay dry!

Best,

Cole

Comments

[Jennifer]

Happy to make suggestions if you want to give us any hints as to plot details :)

Also, do we have any photos/info on the November episodes yet?

[maria]

i actually thought that robert would be announcing that he was no longer going to run for governor to be able to spend time with kitty....

[AtelierGal]

I had my suspicions when Robert agreed with Kitty, staying at Nora's house. He had been an ambitious man since he appeared on B&S, but seriously, can't he take a break?

He & Kitty are trying to repair their marriage, in addition to her cancerous news, yet he still have the heart to run for governor?

Like many fans, I don't really like the road Kevin's currently walking on. Maybe this election race will snap him out of this political bubble & quit. Because we all know Kevin values family first, not to mention we have Scotty doing "Baby Rehearsals" to drive him crazy.

Looking forward to another exciting episode.

AtelierGal
http://ateliergal.pixnet.net/blog

[Sally]

what about kevin and scotty? are there any scenes with them? come on, the inequality on the lovey-dovey scenes compared to heterosexuals are really annoying! don't wait till LGBT folks start protesting.

[Mary]

I just wanted to thank the writers for having Kitty diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and not breast cancer. The first of this year I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Chemo was hell, but things are looking good. It is just refreshing to see a character with a different type of cancer, especially a woman.

[S.L.]

I look forward to the Kitty and Sarah scenes. I have two sisters who have given me much support and love during the worst times in my life, and I know that these two will pull off the scenes wonderfully. I'm also looking forward to Justin's scenes in class/with his lab partner. (The wedding planning scenes? Not so much.)

I do NOT look forward to the GM subplot. I'm already sick and tired of everyone telling me how wonderfully talented and sexy he is. To each their own, I guess. His guest role can't be over soon enough for me.

And yes, AtelierGal - I live in hope that sometime soon PodKevin will snap out of it. Perhaps this will be the catalyst to help him realize that this particular career choice is NOT RIGHT for him.

[Charlie]

I am very happy with the way this season is shaping to be.
I do miss the funny-ness of Brothes & Sisters. I love that feeling when ever a phone tree happens, someone spills the beans about some debacle, when someone starts a food fight or something like when Kitty and Nora fight in the season finale of the first season over where the engagement party is. I want more of that and i'm sure many others could agree.
On another note, keep it coming! You guys are rockin the story lines!

[Diego Kiam ( São Paulo - Brazil )]

I really have to say that " Almost Normal" was one of the most touching and beautiful episodes so far. Putting Sara at the end of it was absolutely a great choice. Also we cannot forget that we are getting close to " breast cancer support" day and this episode can or could of course help people look again to a cause which, in many ways, tries to be forgotten, because people get terrified just by the thought of having cancer. So Thank you very much for making me and my friends, who watched and cried at this episode, remember that CANCER is not the end of the world and that life is always worthwhile!

XOXO

Diego Kiam

[BC]

If the plot for 4.10 revolves around the banishment of Ryan, I've got some title suggestions for you (in no particular order):
1. Good Riddance (to Bad Rubbish)
2. Gone & Forgotten
3. Hit the Road, Ryan
4. Ejecting the Reject
5. Cancer & Creeps, Not for Keeps

[S.L.]

Oh, and clearly, episode 420's title has to reflect Kitty's (medicinal, of course) use of marijuana. Or perhaps Nora's second attempt. Not Justin though! :D

[Jennifer]

There damn well better be a "High on Life" episode with all of the Walkers smoking Medicinal Marijuana...(except poor Justin)

[Kathi]

I'm sorry, but is it possible to show chemo realistically on TV? Chemo is not given into your arm. Ports are surgically placed in your chest so the chemo can go directly to your heart. The day I had my port put in was one of my worst days ever. One of the best was having it taken out. I know you can’t show everything on television but a little realism would be nice for the story.

[S.L.]

Alas, I was not impressed. This episode was a big letdown after last week's. There should have been many more Sarah and Kitty or otherwise core-family-focused scenes. Once again, this felt entirely too much like The Robert and Rebecca Show.

I always immediately rewatch my favorite parts of the episode. This week, that took me all of five minutes, sadly. I don't care about Robert's campaign! I also don't care whether Rebecca dreamed of a wedding as a child. I certainly don't care about whatever Holly's working on over at Ojai (oh, but hi Saul! Nice to see you for 30 seconds!). Lastly, I found the France flashbacks simply...boring. Still not seeing the appeal of the guest star everyone's worked themselves up into a tizzy over.

Try as I might, I just can't understand Kevin's roller-coaster characterization, especially when you take into account last week's episode. But then, of course, I remember: that's because Kevin, especially in these Robert-centric episodes, no longer HAS a character. His sole purpose for existing is to serve as a prop, or - at best - a glorified extra in Robert's storyline, even if that means he has to behave entirely nonsensically AND change his mind 22 times an episode depending on how that storyline needs to be resolved. It's disgusting and heart-breaking to watch.
FREE! KEVIN!!!!

[will]

Oh, look. Kitty and Robert are passionately kissing on the bed 2 minutes in (in a way Kevin & Scotty never get to do).

What's up with Kevin's hair? Matthew is wearing too much lipstick as he stands by on the side at Robert's press conference. Kevin is totally diminished (and Matthew, too, as an actor). Too much of Matthew's fabulous outré talent is wasted as Robert's lackey. Half his screentime is spent doing almost nothing (dumbly standing aside Robert, giving the occasional facial tic). Just think if you were wasting Sally's talents like this.

Matthew is special. See, Rebecca is frequently wasted also, but nobody cares. Rebecca the character or Emily playing her don't spark the imagination. Matthew DOES. He makes us care. His storyline with Robert is a crime.

Ugh. Scene with the women looking at the house while actors start gearing up to shoot porn seemed totally fraudulent. Cheap sight gag. Reminded me of Kitty padding her breasts and butt that one season to yank gratuitous laughs.

Rebecca, Holly, and Nora aren't very interestingly written here. Nobody says anything halfway provocative or arresting. They're just three vapid wealthy chicks sitting around chatting (what would Tom Stoppard or David Hare make of them?).

Observation: Matthew and Calista are in the midst of a scene right now as I type. It's interesting immediately because these two actors have great intuitive chemistry with one another. They have a rapport and play well off each other. Even when the dialogue is not particularly striking, they're still engaging. They stimulate (as actors) in a way that Emily and Dave do not. I like Dave's chemistry with some of the others (he spars and bounces off of Sally and Matthew terrifically), but with Emily the chemistry flatlines.

I wish Kitty and Kevin were allowed to get a little sarcastic and snarky with each other, like old times. It could still work with the current dynamics. Give us a reminder of their shared past behavior.

Damn, Rob Lowe looks great for his age. Don't know what to think about Sarah's frenchman. -- Please. Please, give Rebecca the boot. Or at least get her away from Justin. Together, they're each so... what's the word? Commonplace? Bourgeois. They lack invention.

[BC]

Kevin would not in a million years refer to his sister's cancer as a "Kitty Issue". Just last episode, he was so caught up in his sister's illness to the point where he decided to put his own life plans on hold. What were you guys thinking? Oh that's right, you weren't. Once again, Kevin falls victim to being a mere prop for Robert's political storyline. Never mind the fact that Kevin's characterisation falls by the wayside in the process.

What a load of BS.

[Jennifer]

Not a bad episode, but last week's was better.

Best parts, as usual, are the family dynamics...Kitty/Sarah, Kitty/Nora, Kitty/Kevin (loved the beer/cancer snark -- hope for more)

Worst parts -- nothing horrible. Kevin/Robert could have been clearer that Kevin was arguing for Robert to stay in the race because it's what Kitty wants...otherwise it didn't make a lot of sense from a character perspective.

MORE Kitty/Sarah -- MORE Kitty/Sarah :)

Also -- I do hope that we get to see other siblings going to chemo with Kitty and entertaining her -- I vote for Justin for the horrible chest stent thing...

[maria]

I loved the episode "From France with love" the scene with kitty & robert at the hotel, I've missed this side of them, just them and the time after kitty's chemo when robert was rubbing her hand. I loved the kitty & nora moment so much love from a mother.... thanks..... Rob lowe so good looking....

[Sylviane]

In all, not a bad episode.

First off: This is the second episode in which I really like Justecca. They are talking rather than fighting all the time. Refreshing.

And I was really baffled when Rebecca apologized... I didn't think she could.
(yes, I still have issues with season 3)

I loved Nora during the Holly/Rebecca argument. It reminded me of Kevin during the Robert/Kitty argument in 3.24. There was this 'like mother, like son'-feeling to it. And Sally is just as hilarous at being caught in the middle as Matthew was. Their facial expressions are so telling a story of their own.

I liked that Nora/Holly were 'friendly' to each other and it didn't turn into another 'competition' between the two of them, which is what I feared.

I was glad to see Kevin argue with Robert, who was passively giving up on his campaign. As Robert's communications director Kevin did what he had to do. About time he talked back to Robert instead of saying 'yes and amen' to everything Robert says/does.

But I'm sure that is just a 'once only' thing and next episode he'll be back to being Robert's receptionist and be his usual zombie-around-Robert-self. (sad sigh)

Sarah/Luc was sweet. It didn't require much acting from Mr Marini. I still don't think he's sexy, but that is maybe because I have French relatives and I'm not that impressed with his being either French or his French accent. (However Matthew's Welsh accent... but I'm going off-topic)

I loved Justin in this episode. He was as impulsive as ever, but I really like the talk from his teacher and I hope that Justin doesn't give up.

Minus point: no Scotty.

Plus point: Not that I missed him, but: NO RYAN!

[dixy]

Does anyone know the name of the movie that Kitty and Sarah said was Nora's favorite movie when they were growing up. It was set in France.

[Scott]

You had some lovely moments last night between Sarah/Kitty, and the Nora/Kitty scene in her bedroom was exquisite. Sarah/Luc was enjoyable enough, but whether it will be a good match remains to be seen.

The rest of the episode was a disappointment. Seriously, I don't know anyone who cares at all about Robert's political storyline. It's wasted screentime on something immaterial to this show's premise. (We're watching Brothers & Sisters, not Robert McCallister's Republican Adventures.)

And forgive me, but I HATED the way you wrote Kevin last night. Wait... that would presume you actually wrote for Kevin and gave a moment's thought to his emotional state. Which you clearly didn't.

Instead, you turned him into a Travis campaign drone without properly accommodating the fact that Kevin is Kitty's BROTHER and you should therefore change the dialogue accordingly (the "Kitty issue" exchange was awful and such an injustice to his character).

If you're going to keep Kevin in this ridiculous storyline working for Rober, the least you can do is WRITE for him so that he still behaves like Kevin.

Kevin was beside himself last episode over his sister's tragic diagnosis, as one would naturally expect him to be. And then this episode? If you just tuned in, you might know he's her brother given his "campaign! campaign! campaign!" mode. (What happened to his being so preoccupied about Kitty he decided to hold off on surrogacy?)

Terribly done. I really hope this was just an oversight because Kevin's character (and his fans) deserve so much better.

[Kie Zurie]

This was the worse episode ever. There was nothing "Walker" at all about this episode. The acting (minus Matthew Rhys) was the most horrible ever. Even Sarah lost her spark.

And what's with no Scotty-Kevin scenes? The only saving grace of the show was missing.

Are the writers sleeping on the job?

[Jane]

I don't understand why there has to be too many scenes with Kitty, Robert and Justin and Rebecca. Everyone know those are the most boring scenes ever. And the mistress running the company? Please, it is too unreal.

No Scotty scenes - WORSE decision ever.

No Kevin & Scotty scenes - NETWORK SUICIDE

Please give Kevin his lawyering job back. It's too unrealistic to have him be Robert's punching bag. It's totally wasting Rhys's amazing talent. Math, either demand a script change or threatened to quit the damm show already! you are too good for TV!

[QueasyViewer]

Please consider a viewer warning PRIOR to showing scenes with blood and corpses. Not all of your viewers have the stomach for that, and I stopped watching last night's episode as a result.

[ColleenWA]

I'm a bit confused. Am I the only one that saw Gilles Marini on "one" episode last season? He was working at the same place as Sarah. Like two cameo spots during one episode earlier last season. They made a quick eye contact with each other earlier in the day, attraction obvious, then later I believe that night she went back to the office, he came into her office, and few words spoken and they deeply embraced, and it faded away and you assume the rest. Then not a word said about that experience, and nothing said about that, then this season's last episode last night it's like she meets him for the first time in France! I'm totally baffled, like I guess we are to assume they just met last night, but they didn't. Go figure!

[FREE KEVIN!!!!]

Kitty Issue????? I HATE what you are doing with Kevin!!! FREE KEVIN FROM ROBERT!!!!!!!!!