Distant Past (Desperate Housewives)

"Distant Past (Desperate Housewives)"

"Distant Past" is the 77th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It is the eighth episode of the show's fourth season and originally aired on November 25, 2007.

Cast

Guest Starring

• Nathan Fillion as Adam Mayfair
• Melora Walters as Sylvia Greene
• Armie Hammer as Barrett
• Patrick St. Esprit as Detective Berry
• Richard Chamberlain as Glen Wingfield
• Polly Bergen as Stella Wingfield
• John Slattery as Victor Lang

Co-Starring

• Bill Mayo as Detective Lyons
• John O'Brien as Dr. Wheeler
• Soledad St. Hilaire as Helena
• Sam Stefanski as Derek

Plot

Victor has been missing for two days and Carlos wants to tell the police what happened and plead self defense. Gabby convinces him to keep quiet since no one will suspect they were on the boat with him. The police find Victor's empty boat and question Gabby, who tries to plant the idea that Victor was despondent over her leaving him and possibly suicidal -- a tough sell since the complete lack of fingerprints on the boat points to foul play.

Edie reads that the mayor is missing and tips off the police that Gabrielle and Carlos were having an affair. Gabby denies it, claiming that Edie's just being spiteful because Carlos dumped her. Just then the police get a call: Victor's been found alive. They escort Gabby to the hospital, where she's relieved to find that Victor says he has no memory of his accident, not even of being on the boat. After the police leave, he grabs her by the throat and tells her he remembers everything.

Bree insists on having baby Ben share their bed, which means no sleep and no sex for a cranky Orson. Bree explains that she doesn't want to make the same mistakes she made with her first children, which Andrew overhears and takes as his cue to move out of the house so Bree won't be reminded of her past "mistakes." Bree brings a gourmet meal to his seedy new apartment and asks him to move back home. He says he wants to make it on his own. He points out that she hasn't noticed, since she's so preoccupied with her new husband and new baby, but he's turned into a responsible young adult, with his own job, car and health insurance. He thanks her for kicking him out two years ago and forcing him to grow up. She's astonished that he's forgiven her for that, but happy to see her son is no longer the angry teenager she remembered. Bree is also surprised when Andrew says to her "If you might use a coaster"

Bree asks Tom how he and Lynette dealt with the lack of sex when their kids were young and he explains how they got creative in finding other places to make love. Bree books an appointment with Orson as "Mrs. Zimmerman," and tells him she "has a cavity she needs filled," and drops her raincoat, revealing nothing underneath, to Orson's delight.

Lynette feels guilty about having run her mother off, so she's glad when her former stepfather, Glen, helps track down Stella. She refuses to come back to live with Lynette after she called her a bad mother. Lynette is prepared to list all the terrible things Stella did, starting with her cheating on Glen, the only stable parental figure Lynette ever knew, when Glen says it's time they tell Lynette the truth. He didn't leave Stella because she cheated on him, he left because he realized he's gay. This changes everything for Lynette, who now can understand her mother's drinking and all the men in her life. She asks her mother to come back once more, but Stella is sure she'll just mess things up again. Glen offers to let her stay with him, as he's lonely since his partner died and he has a free guest room. Stella is thrilled to accept and Lynette is pleased to have both parents back in her life.

Mike needs more pills, but his dealer, a student named Barrett, has raised the price. Barrett shows up at the house to collect and Susan, hearing he's a college pre-med student, decides he'd be a perfect match for Julie.

Sylvia, a woman from Adam's past, shows up and he angrily tells her she already ruined his life once. Mike is over fixing a leak, so she leaves, for now. Mike agrees not to tell Katherine, if Adam writes him a prescription for painkillers. Adam really can't, being a gynecologist, so he asks Orson to write one for him. Orson is reluctant and Mike says it's not just the stress and financial burden of being a "suburban dad," but continued pain from the time he was run over by an unknown driver. Orson, clearly feeling guilty, writes the prescription.

When Mike hears that Barrett was at the house, he calls and orders him to stay away, but doesn't realize Susan's already invited him back. Mike finds Barrett chatting happily with Julie and blurts out the truth: he's his drug dealer. Susan assures Julie that Mike's addiction is a thing of the past, but Julie isn't so sure: She saw Mike filling a prescription just that morning.

That evening, Mike sneaks out to his truck when Susan says she'll be in the shower, but she's really watching him out the window. As Mike sleeps, Susan inspects his truck and her worst suspicions are confirmed when she finds the bottle of pills -- and sees who prescribed them.

Title reference

• The episode title Distant Past is a song taken from a movie that Stephen Sondheim scored, Stavisky.

International Titles

• Polish: Odległa Przeszłość (Distant Past)
• Italian: Un Passato Lontano (A Distant Past)
• German: Treibgut (Flotsam)

References

• The scene when Bree books an appointment as Mrs. Zimmerman, is a reference to the John Katzenbach book "The Analyst" when a similar situation occurs at the beginning of the book

Note

• Although credited, Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany), Dylan Mayfair (Lyndsy Fonseca), Danielle Van De Kamp (Joy Lauren), Preston Scavo (Brent Kinsman), Porter Scavo (Shane Kinsman), Parker Scavo (Zane Huett) and Kayla Scavo (Rachel Fox) do not appear in this episode.