In the throes of chemotherapy, Kitty is thrilled when a surprise visitor comes to town. Tommy who was last seen in the third season finale refusing his family's help to come back to the United States, is making a return on the November 1 episode of "Brothers & Sisters" titled "Zen & the Art of Making Mole". Meanwhile, Sarah finally realizes that she has to tell her kids about Luc (guest star Gilles Marini). With Ryan and Rebecca's help, Holly finds a way to keep her financial future from unraveling, and Kevin and Scotty finally agree on a possible surrogate (guest star Roxy Olin).
The decision to eliminate Balthazar Getty as a regular on the show is rooting from the thought that there was nothing else to be done with his character Tommy. He was absent from several episodes in season 3 only to return for the finale in May. Executive Producer Alison Schapker once said that "Tommy is in no way permanently gone" and that there is a "logical end to this year's story" which will bring him back in a different way.