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Desperate Housewives Season 2 Episode 4

My Heart Belongs To Daddy

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 10/16/05

Lynette becomes concerned that her son Parker is in need of maternal attention when she learns he has an imaginary friend who happens to be a Brittish nanny. Gabrielle hires an attorney named David Bradley (guest star Adrian Pasdar) to get Carlos out of jail sooner. Susan decides to help Mike in his quest to find Zach, and Bree desperately tries to get George and Andrew to get along, but none of them make it easy for her.moreless

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Fan Episode Reviews (24)

not bad

8.5

By danny7277, Oct 29, 2011

this was another ok episode of desperate housewives nothing spectactular but ok, i liked the lynette stuff with her sons imagniary friend thaat was pretty funny, the gaby stuff was ok but pretty much just filler, the susan stuff was pretty funny i thought her sending zach away was quite suprising when mike finds out he isnt gonna be very happy, overall an ok episode but still not up there with the standard the first season setmoreless
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Lynette falls over herself yet again trying to impress her misbehaving children

6.4

By Nomibelle, Feb 12, 2011

Lynette’s actions in this episode are making we want to stop watching this show. I find it appalling that she can be such a terrible parent as to reward her child with boundless attention for smacking his teacher with an umbrella. What happened to the strong, powerful maternal character this show used to emphasize? Watching Lynette show her children that they’re in charge and refusing to punish their misbehavior appropriately makes her seem pathetic and a terrible example of a female role-model. I know this season has made it seem like her superiors are terribly misguided for suggesting that she make work a priority but I think that watching this show’s only working woman go to the extent of pouring coffee on her boss to appease her son’s attention seeking performances provides a disgusting image of women in the workplace. I don’t believe a woman’s place is in the home, but I do think Lynette’s place is on the wrong end of a pink slipmoreless
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A good episode, but once again, it wasn't up to the usual standard.

7.0

By LoNELy_BAGeL, Feb 27, 2006

A good episode, but once again, it wasn't up to the usual standard. Nothing really major happened. Okay, so George returned and started seeing Bree, and Andrew got sent back to the centre for bad teenagers, Gabrielle started a prison riot, Lynette worried about her son's imaginary friend, Susan found Zach and paid him to disappear and Zach seemed to think he somehow still had a shot with Julie. I have started to dislike the character of Zach, he’s annoying, I wish he would get written out of the show. This season isn't nearly as good as season one. I found myself starting to get bored while watching this episode. So stuff did happen, but it wasn't dark, comedic and interesting like the first season which was a bit of a let down. The show seems to have taken a new tone already. I was also disappointed that we only saw Edie for a few minutes, and no Betty Applewhite. Hopefully Desperate Housewives will pick itself up again next week.moreless
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Problem Child Andrew - Part Two.

7.9

By untouchable57, Feb 17, 2006

Towards the midway point of the previous season of Desperate Housewives, Andrew totally went off the rails, running over Mama Solis, doing drugs, and just generally being a pain in the butt. Whether you like it or not, it's a side of Andrew that returns in this episode.

A delayed response from Rex's death and perhaps the end result of his mother back on the dating scene, this episode sees him furious and knarky with psyco-pharmer George (Who can blame him?). The best bits of this episode is undoubtedly their feuding, wether it be via dialogue or attacks, it's fun to watch, and it's great someone's finally taking George down a little. Sadly it ends here however, as by the end of the episode Andrew's back to military camp. It seems a dissapointing end to the rivalry, but i'm pretty certain we'll see him again by the end of the season. Plus, this also gives the writers a chance to focus on the other junior Van de Kamp Danielle, we can but hope.

Child issues is a central theme to this episode, and it's satisfying to see that Parker Scavo is getting fleshed out a little. An outcome of ex-stay-at-home mom returning to work, little Parker gets himself an imaginary friend in the form of a British Nanny. What's more she has an umbrella. She can probably fly, sing songs and make tidying up fun too, but since Disney already did that, the writers here are a little scarce on what makes this friend "fun", so let your imagination fill in the gaps. The storyline ends with her being ran over by a trash lorry, with some good old fashioned Lynette quirkyness in between.

Both Scavo parents, or rather, the two that play them, namely Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant are superb. They're chemistry on screen is entertaining to watch, and at times, they genuinely feel like a married couple. As of late Tom's been given loads of character development, so it's great to see that this episode retains that policy, giving the actor a genuine chance to outshine some of the housewives (hello Teri Hatcher). Equally impressive is Felicity, who, despite given an entertaining, funny plot is still given a scene of her crying at the end over the most trivial of matters. What once seemed an innocent act of meddling soon transforms itself into a horrific act of crime due to her character's tears, and interestingly, it really makes you feel a little guilty at laughing at the story and her meddling.

The other problem child the show is renowned for, Zach Young also makes a welcome return. Mike worried about his wearabouts sends out missing posters, and along with Susan, go out searching for him. He's found, but after a "wacky Susan moment" and a dull and uninteresting scene he's gone again, off to Utah to search for his father, who i'm still hoping will return later on.

Elsewhere this week Edie retains her ankle injury, we're reminded of Gabrielle being pregnant (the only thing other than her visual appearance keeping her in the show?) and a community driven scene featuring three housewives, which I absolutely loved. No Applewhites this week, but with their secret still unresolved, those fireworks should be due any week now...

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An Ode To Fathers Written by John Pardee And Joey Murphy Directed by Robert Duncan McNeill

8.0

By shawnlunn2002, Jan 27, 2006

With so many episodes of Desperate Housewives centring on the pitfalls and trials of motherhood, the time has come for an episode in which the fathers get to play a role because aside from the men being the main breadwinners, fathers on this show have been something of an uncharted territory.

Before I talk about the Dads that are still living, Dead Rex’s passing is finally addressed in a more believable manner as Andrew shows pangs for his father. Whatever your stance is on the guy, it’s easy to see why he’s angry this time. Rex was probably the only one Andrew ever felt comfortable talking to, especially when it came to personal manner and although my love for Bree is still there, it’s incredibly easy to see why Andrew does think she’s a terrible mother.

From his perspective, Rex has barely been laid to rest and already his mother seems to be moving on by entering a relationship with an unstable loser all because a polygraph tests indicated she had deeper feelings for George. If George was a genuinely understanding guy and cared for Bree like he claims to do, then he’d back off instead of his stalker approach to thing. If he also wasn’t to wheedle his way into the Van De Kamp’s family, then in this episode I would have thought Andrew was being a jerk as per usual but he really wasn’t.

George went out of his way to goad Andrew when the latter told him to leave at the start of the hour and his outburst during dessert after Andrew’s smutty remarks just made him look like a fool. Normally I’d wish Andrew gagged or punched if he had said it to someone else but seeing as its George, I’m on his side with this one. Bree did remind George it wasn’t his place to discipline Andrew and I have to commend her there but I wished she had been more firm with her new lover on personal boundaries. George continued to harangue her at Andrew’s swim lesson and of course Andrew attacked but Bree sending Andrew back to Camp Hennessey was stupid.

First of all, that place wasn’t effective on him first time and secondly while Andrew may have been stupid to have pummelled George in full viewing, surely Bree isn’t dense enough to see why? She did after all have to fight George off her before Andrew’s intervention. If I was Danielle, I’d watch myself around the creep, although when it comes to George, as bad as he is, I blame Bree that bit more.

She talked to George about wanting to put her children’s feelings first, yet she virtually ignores Andrew’s and even blackmailed him into having dinner with her and George. She’s also refusing to acknowledge any grief and is letting George get the better of her. The old Bree would’ve never let this happen.

While I’m things that have never happened, Mike’s chances of playing Daddy aren’t looking good. Sure he issued Susan an ultimatum – accept Zach or else and she caved in rather instantly but how bleeding obvious was it that this particular condition would be broken so quickly it would feel like Susan never made it in the first place? Very obvious indeed! She may have been fine with putting up flyers and helping Mike search in hostels for Zach but Edie was right on the money that Susan was doing it for selfish reasons.

It was predictable that she wasn’t going to tell Mike she had spotted him and her second encounter with Zach did warrant a discussion worthy moment of whether or not she did the right thing in terms of giving him money to find Paul. If Zach hadn’t talked about Julie in such an obsessive and creepy manner, I would’ve hated Susan for this action but seeing as he did and Susan knowing first hand what he’s capable of, I did understand where she was coming from. Sadly though she didn’t tell Mike about Zach and that was selfish and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to bite her in the behind.

Speaking of behinds, Gabrielle certainly can be a pain in one but so far this season her wily ways haven’t had me swearing at the screen in disgust. This week’s attempts of getting a conjugal visit was a riot and the fact she was met with so much opposition raised questions. Why was Carlos so against it at first too? You’d think being locked up all the time that as a heterosexual man, he’s jump at the chance to have sex with his wife. The appearance of Adrian Pasdar as smug new lawyer David Bradley (hey, didn’t he have a similar role on Judging Amy?) was amusing enough. Pasdar certainly has a certain charm to him even he was fairly obvious in his desire for Gabrielle.

The biggest giveaway to that was more to do with the fact he essentially told her to divorce Carlos and less with the leering towards Gabby. I like the fact that the writers are trying to iron out Carlos and Gabrielle’s marriage rather than skim over things and the father link was used greatly with Carlos stroking Gabrielle’s tummy to communicate with their unborn child. Although subtlety isn’t a tack often used on the series, when it is used, it’s effective and never more than that particular moment.

However the best father on Wisteria Lane (and increasingly becoming one of my favourite characters) has got to be Tom, who is not only getting better at his stay at home Dad routine but also serves as a reminder that Lynette isn’t completely the worst parent on this chaotic neighbourhood. This time last year, we had gotten so much focus on the twins (who are back by the way), that the emphasis on Parker has been a nice change of pace. Parker is a good kid but like his brothers prone to assault. The results of Lynette’s absenteeism brings a Mary Poppins inspired imaginary friend and while it’s a plot that’s both silly and cheesy in equal measure, the underlying level of seriousness in Lynette’s ability to juggle the balance between career woman and mother is greatly put under the microscope.

Being replaced by someone who isn’t even real certainly took its toll on Lynette and her attempts of disposing of her non-entity rival ripened some fun bits for the ever talented Felicity Huffman, though it was Doug Savant who dominated this plot. Tom was the wonderful voice of reason, the great confidante, and the wise cracker. The only thing he wasn’t, was in his Speedos but even scruffy and this guy oozes a certain level of sex appeal.

Also in “My Heart Belongs To Daddy”

Housewife of the week: Gabrielle being leered at by the prisoners of Fairview County and then said prisoners turning on her lawyer before David. This woman certainly knows how to stir shit.

Gabrielle (re lawyer): “He called me a bitch”

Carlos: “Well, were you acting like one?”

Andrew: “Are you blackmailing me into coming to dinner?”

Bree: “You wouldn’t know how far I’d go for even seating”.

Question – how much longer is Bree going to wear black? I get that she’s a widow but it’s getting a bit redundant now.

Edie (re Zach/Mike): “Julie told Karl, Karl told me and I sent out a few emails”

Susan: “I appreciate your discretion”.

Julie told Karl about Mike and Zach being father and son – does that not feel out of character for her? Also when Lynette started balling in the principal’s office, I wonder who she pretended died to excuse Parker’s behaviour.

David: “Trying to keep the old marriage alive?”

Gabrielle: “Why is everyone against me having sex with my husband?”

Bree (re Andrew): “He’s even laughing at George’s jokes”

Danielle: “That’s why it’s freaky. They’re not even funny”.

Missing characters this week were Paul, Julie, Karl and surprisingly enough Betty and Matthew (plus hostage) were absent.

Andrew: “You know my parents had a great sex life. I heard them through the wall in my room once”

George: “Please shut up”.

Has anyone notice that every episode so far this season has been written by two writers and not one of them Marc Cherry?

Susan (to Zach): “I think you should go to him. He’ll want to take care of you, that’s what parents do”.

Tom: “What have you done with Mrs Mulberry?”

Lynette: “Until there’s evidence of a body there’s no crime”.

Chronology – nearly four weeks since “Next”.

An interesting and slightly more unusual episode, “My Heart Belongs To Daddy” continues a trend of great episodes but again something’s missing. Although the opening and ending narrations from Mary Alice are the best we’ve had so far this season and our men of Wisteria Lane got some much needed focus, something just wasn’t there. However the episode did move nicely so the lack of Applewhites was fine by me.

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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Marcia Cross	Bree Van De Kamp
Teri Hatcher	Susan Mayer
Eva Longoria	Gabrielle Solis
Felicity Huffman	Lynette Scavo
Nicollette Sheridan	Edie Britt
Alfre Woodard	Betty Applewhite

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Adrian Pasdar	David Bradley	Guest Star
Kevin Will	Ice Cream Vendor	Guest Star
Aaliyah Franks	Patty	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (4)
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- Goof: The position of Mrs. Mulberry's umbrella, after being run over by the garbage truck, changes between shots.
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- Goof: When George is talking to Andrew at the dinner table, he tells a story about taking a picture of the sunset off the Golden Gate Bridge. The problem is that the west side of the bridge is generally prohibited to pedestrians. The pedestrian side of the bridge faces east. So George leaning over the railing to take a picture would not be really accurate.
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- Goof: When we see Danielle standing with her mother in the kitchen there is clearly a long wall behind Danielle without a passageway. But when the shot changes to Andrew and George, we can see Danielle in the background.
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- In the scene where Susan is telling the ladies about Zach, Gabrielle's wine glass only has a sliver of wine at the bottom, and then in the next shot, it is almost half full.
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QUOTES (16)
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- Mary Alice: The residents of the Fairview County Jail looked forward to every Tuesday. That was the day that Gabrielle Solis came to visit her husband. The inmates went out of their way to give her compliments whether she wanted them to or not. With each visit, these accolades became increasingly inventive. Still Gabrielle was not flattered. In fact, Gabrielle started to dread this special attention.
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- Lynette: I couldn't find Mrs. Mulberry's umbrella, so I brought her her sun hat instead, all right? And, here we go.
  Parker: It's in the shower.
  Lynette: What?
  Parker: Mrs. Mulberry said she left it in the shower.
  Lynette: Well, why didn't Mrs. Mulberry volunteer that information before I turned your room upside down looking for it, hmm?
  Parker: (Pauses) So are you gonna go get it?
  Lynette: No, I'm not going to get the damn umbrella!
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- Bree: Honey, the feelings that you're having are perfectly normal, but George isn't trying to take your father's place. He's, well, he's just a friend.
  Andrew: Really? Just a friend? So you're not planning on getting more serious with this guy in the future?
  Bree: You know, I haven't even thought about it.
  Andrew: You're so transparent, it's pathetic. You're worried about a ripped T-shirt humiliating this family? Wait 'till people see that you're dating the town nerd less than a month after your husband's funeral.
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- Bree: Andrew, don't you have a meet at the swim club?
  Andrew: Yeah. So?
  Bree: Doesn't it require a large entrance fee? One that you can't afford by yourself?
  Andrew: Are you blackmailing me into coming into dinner?
  Bree: Oh, you don't know the lengths I'd go to for even seating.
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- Guard: Conjugal visit rules are you got forty-five minutes. We call every fifteen minutes to make sure you're still here. You understand?
  Gabrielle: Yes, we got it. Uh, we interrupt our lovemaking to answer the phone or you call out the dogs.
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- Andrew: Have you ever actually been with a woman?
  George: Excuse me?
  Andrew: Well, let's be honest. I think it's obvious by the way that you talk and act that you're not a player. So, I was just curious to find out if you had ever actually gotten in the game.
  George: My experience with women is none of your business.
  Andrew: I think it is. I mean, you're dating my mom. And we both know that at your age, dating's a little more than just holding hands.
  George: We're not dating, exactly.
  Andrew: Well, sure you are. And you know what? I think it's great, but I want to make sure my mom's happy, you know and it would really set my mind at ease to know she's with a guy who knows how to please a lady.
  George: This is inappropriate.
  Andrew: You know, my parents had a great sex life. Yeah, I heard 'em through the wall in my bedroom once.
  George: Please shut up.
  Andrew: You should have heard my mom, too. She had this, this weird moan. It was kinda like "ummm, uh!" Isn't that bizarre? That's the sound my mom makes when she climaxes.
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- Edie: I don't think Mike would do that to his own son.
  Susan: You know?
  Edie: That Mike's Zach's real father? Yes. Julie told Karl, Karl told me and I sent out a few e-mails.
  Susan: Well, thanks for your discretion.
  Edie: Boy. You would do anything to get Mike Delfino to love you. So what's gonna happen to little creepy when he gets here? Are you gonna be tucking him in at night? Making him breakfast in the morning? Careful to bob and weave as he tries to blow your head off?
  Susan: You know, Edie, could you just back off? I mean the truth is we're probably never gonna find Zach, anyway. It's a needle in a haystack.
  Edie: Oh, I see, and then you'll still come off as little Miss Perfect self-sacrificing girlfriend. Putting his needs ahead of yours. Oh, why you conniving little shrew. I don't know why we're not closer.
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- Mary Alice:(narrating) The world is filled with good fathers. How do we recongnize them? They are the ones who are missed so terribly, everything falls apart in their absence. (Shot of Andrew and Bree packing his suitcase, placing a photo of Rex inside last.) They are the ones who love us, long before we even arrive. (Shot of Carlos smiling as he rubs Gabrielle's stomach.) They are the ones who come looking for us, when we can't find our way home. (Shot of Mike walking Bongo as he looks at a flyer of Zach's) Yes, the world is filled with good fathers. And the best are the ones who make the women in their lives feel like good mothers (Shot of Tom comforting Lynette as she cries)
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- Tom: Hey, what's wrong?
  Lynette: (Crying) Because of me, my son's imaginary friend got crushed by a garbage truck. I am the worst person in the world.
  Tom: Honey, he is gonna get over this in no time. Trust me. And one day, when he is all grown up, you and Parker are gonna laugh hysterically about this.
  Lynette: You really think so? Really?
  Tom: I promise.
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- Tom: What have you done to Mrs. Mulburry?
  Lynette: Until there's a body, there's no evidence of a crime.
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- Parker: Daddy! I can't find Mrs. Mulberry's umbrella! Where is it?
  Tom: Well, I don't know, sport. Honey, have you seen the umbrella?
  Lynette: No... can't say that I have...
  Tom: OK, listen, don't worry about it. I'm sure Mrs. Mulberry's here somewhere.
  Lynette: Or... huh... Maybe she's not. She could have... left. You know... maybe she had some other little boy she needed to help.
  Parker: Like who?
  Lynette: I don't know. It could be.... huh... a little boy in... England. Named Spencer.
  Tom: Lynette...?
  Lynette: I mean... it is possible that someone like little Spencer needed Mrs. Mulberry more, 'cause... he doesn't have a daddy and a mommy, who love him. Yeah, that's it. He's an orphan!... with no hands!
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- Lynette: Tom, he attacked a teacher with an umbrella!
  Tom: It was a poke, he poked her.
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- Susan: …So I threw the ice cream at him and ran. (Pauses) Somebody say something.
  Gabrielle: Thank God you were wearing flats.
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- Gabrielle: Are you hitting on me?
  David: What would you say if I was?
  Gabrielle: I'd say I'm pregnant.
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- Edie: (To Susan about Zach) So what's going to happen to little creepy when he gets here?
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- Gabrielle: (to another inmate) Don't judge me, you're not in here because you were caught helping the poor.
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NOTES (1)
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- Although credited, Alfre Woodard (Betty Applewhite), Mark Moses (Paul Young), Andrea Bowen (Julie Mayer), Richard Burgi (Karl Mayer), Mehcad Brooks (Matthew Applewhite) and Shane Kinsman (Porter Scavo) are absent from this episode.
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ALLUSIONS (2)
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- Episode Title: The episode title, "My Heart Belongs To Daddy", refers to the Cole Porter song of the same name.
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- Parker's imaginary friend Mrs. Mulberry is a British nanny with an umbrella, just like Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins is an imaginary character from the homonym musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dike. It is based on the Mary Poppins books from P. L. Travers.
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