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THEIR MOTHERS!!! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! The mothers of Kevin, Michael and Bryan enter and give their sons big hugs. You can tell that the chefs are super excited to see their mothers. Kevin is crying and Bryan lets his mother button up his chef jacket.

It's interesting to see the effect that this visit has on each chef. Kevin has a heart-to-heart talk with his mom, and she tells him to "bring the real Kevin." You can tell afterwards that he's much more focused and centered. Bryan, too, I think is comforted by his meeting with his mother – I think it makes him feel better about competing so hard against his brother for this title. Michael, on the other hand, seems to just want to get this over with so that they can get into the kitchen.

When they arrive in Cyrus restaurant, they are stopped at the entrance by Tom. Again, the chefs' hackles rise. They know a twist is coming.

And indeed, one arrives. They now have to cook FOUR courses. The new first course has to be a dish dedicated to their mother and must be inspired by a childhood memory. This is very reminiscent of the final challenge of Top Chef Masters this past summer.

Back in the kitchen, the three chefs describe their dishes to us as they hurry to get everything done on time. At this point, I'm just luxuriating in fact that I get to see Jen cook one last time. She's totally on point for Bryan, seeming more focused than I've seen her at any point during this competition (save, perhaps, for the mission in the Army Base).

Service begins and the chefs begin to present their dishes. As the first course goes out, I make a mental note: at this point, I believe that Bryan has the edge (due to the involvement of Jen), I think that Kevin is second most likely to win, and that Michael is least likely due to the fact that he waited so long to decide on his Mystery Box dish.

In another surprise, the moms are all seated at the table, alongside the judges (Tom, Gail, Padma and Toby) plus a bunch of high-powered, super-respected restaurateurs. This is a huge opportunity for the chefs, as any one of the restaurateurs could decide to hire them.

But of course, the first course is all about moms. Kevin serves a southern fried chicken with liquid squash casserole. Bryan says that his mom was a queen of one-pot dishes and presents his play on a tuna casserole. Michael says that he was a picky eater who hated broccoli, and presents a cream of dehydrated broccoli, which was fried to taste like popcorn.

Tom loves Kevin's squash, saying that he keeps finding new flavors and nuances in it. Another diner says that Kevin's dish takes him straight back to the south and Padma agrees. Toby thinks that Bryan's dish lacks acid and is the least seasoned. Michael's prawn didn't seem to work, with some calling it undercooked.

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