'Desperate Housewives': Fire and Wayne

I guess Dylan was so desperate to know her father and to get answers about her mother that she lost all common sense. But I was really disappointed that she turned out to be so dimwitted. If a cop pulls you over when you know you haven't done anything wrong, then lies about a construction site you're sure doesn't exist, then randomly compliments your necklace and takes a long pause to gaze at you behind his shiny, sinister aviators, don’t get out of your car. May this be a lesson to all young girls. You ask the cop to call for backup. If the cop tracks you down in the park and asks to have a little chat, then inquires about your mom, that's when you bolt. I'm guessing Wayne Davis, if that's his real name, isn't really a cop. I'm not even sure he's Dylan's father. I wouldn't call the way he was eyeing Dylan in the diner very fatherly, that's for sure. Congrats to Gary Cole for his performance last night; Wayne was creepy, ambiguous, and off-putting, even if you took away the ominous swell of music so often used on Desperate Housewives to indicate that sinister forces are at work.

Dylan agreed to meet with Wayne in secret. He must have really sold her with ''I'm not the same jerk I used to be.'' Gosh, that's reassuring. I hope that Dylan at least lets Julie in on last night's latest development in the Mayfair mystery. I'd expect Julie to at least caution her friend: ''I'm no expert on fathers, but it's probably a bad idea to have covert meetings with a guy who used to beat your mom.'' Speaking of Katherine, it was unfortunate that Dylan was bonding with her mom under false pretenses. Katherine's not eeevil, no matter how much red she wears, or how much ''shameless emotional blackmail'' she pulls on Bree. More scenes with their catering service please! Their creative friction not only makes them a great team but also makes good television.

Mike was back last night, and though I'd been dreading his return, I found myself genuinely enjoying the plumber post-rehab. He confronted Orson about the hit-and-run and then, in a twist I never saw coming, flat out forgave Orson for trying to kill him. I guess some might argue it was anticlimactic, but I much preferred forgiveness to what could have become a long-drawn-out revenge plot. Forgiving Orson was also in character for Mike, unlike most of his actions this season. He acknowledged his own criminal past, reasoned that no one would benefit from sending Orson to prison, and even encouraged Susan to forgive and move on. Anything to stop Orson from crying. And right as I started to fear that Bree and Susan's relationship would suffer irrevocable damage, Susan cleared the air by letting Bree know she still loves her. I was thrilled at how this plotline was handled; that is, until I saw Orson emerge from the house with his bags packed.

Bree explained to Susan in the beginning of the episode that when things get too emotional, she likes to take that emotion, put it in a box, and put it in a closet. I had two thoughts: (1) Bree desperately needs therapy, and (2) that must be a very crowded closet. If she ever sorted through those boxes, Bree might remember that not so long ago, her own son was involved in a hit-and-run, one that she helped cover up. It seemed a little hypocritical of Bree to take the moral high road with Orson and kick him to the curb. Did you think her reaction was justified? Did Orson deserve the boot? Or should Mike have taken the hammer and given Orson another reason to cry?

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