Brothers & Sisters Episode 5.08 The Rhapsody of the Flesh

Dr. Karl invites Nora over to his home to watch a Leonard Bernstein documentary on PBS. Sounds like a wild date, right? Or is it a date at all? Nora and Dr. Karl have been parked in the Friend Zone since they met. Is an evening of commercial-free TV enough to kick things to the next level? Stay tuned!

Luc's mother wants to come see him, but our favorite Frenchman has a less-than-stellar relationship with her. DING DONG! Who could that be at the door? If you guessed it's the woman who gave birth to the love of Sarah's life, you'd be right. Gabriela Laurent (guest star Sonia Braga) has journeyed from Paris to Pasadena. Sarah is thrilled. Luc…not so much.

Gabriela says she's come to town to repair the damaged relationship she has with her son. She also makes time to meddle in Nora's budding relationship with Dr. Karl. Nora returns the favor by inviting Sarah and Luc over for dinner. Gabriella will make her son's favorite Moroccan meal. Actually, Gabriella is the one who likes Moroccan food, not Luc. Oops.

Gabriella goes all out turning Nora's living room into what looks like the inside of a Bedouin tent. She wants to make it as romantic as possible. Why? Well, Dr. Karl called. His cable is out. So Gabriella invited him over for dinner, too. Nora is freaking. She says, "You can't mix Leonard Bernstein and the queen of the gypsies!" Good point.

When Dr. Karl arrives, he's stunned to be in the presence of THE Gabriela Laurent. He's a big fan. Apparently, she's a movie star. She was in a French film titled "The Rhapsody of the Flesh." Doesn't sound like something they'd ever show on PBS. Gabriela gets very upset when Sarah reveals that Luc isn't coming. Dr. Karl rushes to her side to comfort her, which is nice. We're just wondering who's going to comfort Nora.

Scotty catches new bartender Justin sucking face with waitress Kimberly. Kevin says his brother has also been getting kissy with Angie the sous chef. Apparently, the youngest Walker boy is giving off a vibe that the ladies seem to love. Kevin sees trouble on the horizon if his little brother keeps double-tonguing the help. Justin has it all under control since both women work at different times. But then Angie switches shifts. Uh oh.

Justin is shooed away from the restaurant before he can do more romantic damage. He shows up at Nora's place to catch Gabriela dancing on a table in front Dr. Karl. Sarah orders her brother to get the sexy French film star away from the advice-wielding radio host before it's too late for their lovesick mother. Good thing Justin's had a way with the ladies lately. Not even the French can resist him. Soon Gabriela and Justin are dancing atop that table together. Then they're caught kissing just as Luc arrives. Mon Dieu!

The commotion in the living room interrupts a near-miss kiss between Nora and Dr. Karl. And, as you may have guessed, Luc is extremely upset by what's happened with his mom. He says, "You could not give me a real family when I was growing up. And now that I finally found one, you come and tear it apart!" One of the things we've always loved about Luc is how unflappable he is. Nothing ever seems to get to this guy. Until now. Luc storms out of the house with Sarah close behind. The dinner party is over.

The next morning, Nora is surprised and happy to learn that Dr. Karl wants to be more than just friends. As for Luc, he's calmed down considerably. Sarah understands that Luc is angry with his mother but she doesn't get why he can't talk to her about it. Luc gives Sarah the full 411 about Gabriela's past antics. Sarah says, "She will never be the mother she should have been. It's up to you whether or not you want the mother you got."

Luc and his mom eventually make amends. They celebrate by watching a movie together. It's a French film called "The Rhapsody of the Flesh." Nora and Dr. Karl check out the same flick over at his place. Remember that near-miss kiss we mentioned earlier? Well, they don't miss this time. Perhaps the movie inspired them. Good thing they weren't watching Leonard Bernstein.