Desperate Housewives - The Best Thing that Could Have Ever Happened

For the 100th episode, Desperate Housewives featured a guest starring appearance by Earl Hickey's Dad.

Okay, it was Beau Bridges playing handyman Eli Scruggs. At first it seemed cruel to introduce the kindly character just to kill him off in the first few minutes of the show, but it turns out Eli Scruggs was a plot device to revisit the past with the lusty ladies of Wisteria Lane as they each remembered times where the dependable Mr. Fix-it touched their lives.

And it seems that Eli Scruggs was handy with more than just hammer and wrench. He fixed Gabby up with the ladies when she first moved to Wisteria Lane. He also set her straight when she came off as a stuck-up bitch.

Eli turned out to be the inspiration for Bree continuing with her dream of writing a cookbook and was "the most consistent male relationship" in Susan's revolving door love life.

When Edie husband Umberto turned out to be gay, his support went above and beyond (or more accurately below and beyond) the call of duty.

The funniest memory came from Lynette, whose ambitions of returning to work were being derailed by her pregnancy with Penny. So obsessed that she's still negotiating her compensation package while in labor, Lynette single-minded focus causes issues with Tom. "You told me I could go back to work after the baby was born!" she whines. "After, Lynette--not DURING!" When Lynette squeals with glee after landing the job, Tom snarks "The baby's arm is sticking out. Why don't you high five it?"

Lynette is brought back to reality when she accidentally leaves the newborn Penny in the car while talking to her boss on her cell phone. The baby is rescued by the observant Eli and Lynette rethinks her career decision.

The writers even managed to bring back Mary Alice--who helped Eli get his start in the neighborhood. Apparently Eli's guilt over not preventing Mary Alice's suicide led him to vow to help others whenever he could. Nice tie-in, but Susan's breakup with Karl, Penny's birth, Gabby arrival to the neighborhood and Umberto all happened well before Mary Alice's suicide--which is how the show kicked off its inaugural season.

Still, it was a sweet and touching episode...and now I'm a bit sad that Carl Hickey--I mean Eli Scruggs--won't be around Wisteria Lane anymore.