The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened
Encyclopedia
"The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" is the 100th episode of the ABC
television series Desperate Housewives
. It is the thirteenth episode of the show's fifth season and it aired on January 18, 2009.
The title of this episode is taken from the song 'Now You Know' from Stephen Sondheim
's musical Merrily We Roll Along
.
and suddenly dies. Once Bree, Gabrielle, Susan and Lynette meet up for poker and to discuss Eli's funeral, they start thinking through flashbacks how much he affected their lives. Gaby recalls how when she moved into the neighbourhood Carlos was working a lot and she found herself extremely bored. She recalls how Eli suggested she host the girl's weekly poker game in order to make friends. Gabrielle flaunts her wealth in front of the other women and makes a bad impression which Eli berates her for. Gabrielle realises how obnoxious she has been and apologizes to the other housewives, admitting that her life isn't all it cracked up to be. Back in the present day Bree suggests that she prepares food for the funeral. Whilst looking at Gabrielle's copy of her cookbook she recalls a brunch she held with her late husband Rex, a heavily pregnant Lynette and Tom. Complaining that she needs a new stove, Rex suggests that she gets a job. Taking him up on his suggestion Rex walks in on Bree preparing notes for a cookbook whilst Eli is fixing the sink. Rex teases Bree about her idea and her skills as a cook. Disheartened, Bree throws the papers away. After Rex's funeral Eli reveals to Bree that he kept the papers and that, when she feels up to it, someday she should go ahead and write her cookbook.
In the present day news reaches Dave and Edie that Eli has died. Edie is extremely upset and recalls the time that when she was having marital problems with her ex-husband Umberto Roswell. Feeling insecure about her appearance Eli reassures Edie and makes her feel better. After Umberto reveals he is gay and leaves Edie, Eli is there and a man-hungry and drunk Edie cheers herself up by having sex
with him. Back in the present day Lynette's daughter Penny shows up at Gabrielle's house, asking for her mother. Lynette recalls how when she was pregnant with Penny she planned on going back to work as soon as Penny is born. She finally realizes she is putting too much importance on getting her career back on track when she is distracted on the phone and leaves Penny in a hot car outside. Eli retrieves Penny and Lynette is moved to tears, disgusted with herself for putting work above caring for her daughter. Back at her house Susan opens a bottle of wine and looks at Eli's toolbox still on her kitchen table. She recalls how Eli changed the locks for her when Karl left her for Brandi and Mike left her after the car accident. Distraught at losing Mike, Eli comforts Susan by saying although he has little experience of love he is inspired by how Susan always manages to pick herself up again and move on after each failure with a man. Susan then recalls the day that Eli died, before he began working on her roof. Eli shows up with a spare set of keys he had cut for Jackson. Susan reveals that she has just broken up with Jackson but is remarkable calm about the situation. Eli then tells her that this is his last day as a handy man before he retires, so Susan's roof will be his last job. Susan rushes to the store to buy a bottle of wine so that she and Eli can toast to his retirement. When Susan returns, Eli has died. It is this wine that Susan is drinking and raises a glass in memory of Eli.
At Eli's funeral Mary Alice herself recalls how she changed Eli's life. She remembers how one morning before he had any steady work, he approached her and introduced himself. Initially commenting that she doesn't have any work for him Mary Alice changes her mind when she notices Eli is wearing worn shoes and had obviously fallen on hard times. She asks him if he will fix a vase she broke for her. Eli appreciates her sympathy and initially declines but Mary Alice is insistent. A few years later now that Eli has found steady work thanks to Mary Alice recommending him to the women of the neighbourhood, Eli walks in on Mary Alice reading a note. Mary Alice tries to be upbeat despite the fact that something is obviously troubling her, and offers Eli the vase that he fixed for her a few years ago. Eli gratefully accepts and leaves, worried about Mary Alice's fragile state but thinking it best to leave her alone. It is then revealed that the note Mary Alice was reading is the one she was blackmailed with and that day is the one that she killed herself. An ambulance arrives and the neighbourhood shows up in force to find out what happened to Mary Alice complete with Martha Huber (the blackmailer) gossiping with other women about Mary Alice's suicide. Eli watches from afar and regrets having done nothing to stop Mary Alice's suicide. From that day forward he makes a vow to not only fix people's belongings but their lives as much as he can as well. At his funeral the women gather around Eli's coffin and Bree fixes Eli's flower arrangement before the coffin is lowered, remarking that after all the fixing Eli did for them, she wanted to fix something for him.
) is seen in this episode for the first and only time in the fifth season. This is her 7th appearance on the show since the first season, having appeared in three episodes during the second season, one during the third and two during the fourth season. This is the 99th episode narrated by Mary Alice, due to Bree's deceased husband Rex Van de Kamp (Steven Culp
), who also makes an appearance in this episode, narrating the third season episode, "My Husband, The Pig."
For this 100th episode, Christine Estabrook
and Lucille Soong
reprise their respective roles as Martha Huber and Yao Lin for the first time since the first season. Despite being rumored to appear, Paul & Zach Young did not appear, neither did Ida Greenberg or John Rowland. Although credited, Andrew Van de Kamp
(Shawn Pyfrom
), Porter Scavo (Charlie Carver
), Preston Scavo (Max Carver
) and Parker Scavo (Joshua Logan Moore
) do not appear in this episode.
Out of the main cast Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany
), Mike Delfino (James Denton
) and Orson Hodge (Kyle McLachlan) appear briefly at Eli's funeral but have no speaking lines in this episode.
This isn't Marcia Cross' hundredth episode with Desperate Housewives due to her maternity leave during Season 3. She doesn't make her hundredth appearance as Bree until Rose's Turn, seven episodes later.
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
. It is the thirteenth episode of the show's fifth season and it aired on January 18, 2009.
The title of this episode is taken from the song 'Now You Know' from Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's musical Merrily We Roll Along
Merrily We Roll Along
Merrily We Roll Along is a play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It concerns a man who has lost the idealistic values of his youth. Its innovative structure presents the story in reverse order, with the character regressing from a mournful adult to a young man whose future is filled with...
.
Plot
Eli Scruggs, the neighborhood handy man, is at Susan Mayer's house when he is approached by an angry Karen McCluskey. McCluskey is annoyed that Eli has sent out cards to everyone in the neighbourhood announcing his retirement. While fixing the shingle on Susan Mayer's house, he suffers a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and suddenly dies. Once Bree, Gabrielle, Susan and Lynette meet up for poker and to discuss Eli's funeral, they start thinking through flashbacks how much he affected their lives. Gaby recalls how when she moved into the neighbourhood Carlos was working a lot and she found herself extremely bored. She recalls how Eli suggested she host the girl's weekly poker game in order to make friends. Gabrielle flaunts her wealth in front of the other women and makes a bad impression which Eli berates her for. Gabrielle realises how obnoxious she has been and apologizes to the other housewives, admitting that her life isn't all it cracked up to be. Back in the present day Bree suggests that she prepares food for the funeral. Whilst looking at Gabrielle's copy of her cookbook she recalls a brunch she held with her late husband Rex, a heavily pregnant Lynette and Tom. Complaining that she needs a new stove, Rex suggests that she gets a job. Taking him up on his suggestion Rex walks in on Bree preparing notes for a cookbook whilst Eli is fixing the sink. Rex teases Bree about her idea and her skills as a cook. Disheartened, Bree throws the papers away. After Rex's funeral Eli reveals to Bree that he kept the papers and that, when she feels up to it, someday she should go ahead and write her cookbook.
In the present day news reaches Dave and Edie that Eli has died. Edie is extremely upset and recalls the time that when she was having marital problems with her ex-husband Umberto Roswell. Feeling insecure about her appearance Eli reassures Edie and makes her feel better. After Umberto reveals he is gay and leaves Edie, Eli is there and a man-hungry and drunk Edie cheers herself up by having sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with him. Back in the present day Lynette's daughter Penny shows up at Gabrielle's house, asking for her mother. Lynette recalls how when she was pregnant with Penny she planned on going back to work as soon as Penny is born. She finally realizes she is putting too much importance on getting her career back on track when she is distracted on the phone and leaves Penny in a hot car outside. Eli retrieves Penny and Lynette is moved to tears, disgusted with herself for putting work above caring for her daughter. Back at her house Susan opens a bottle of wine and looks at Eli's toolbox still on her kitchen table. She recalls how Eli changed the locks for her when Karl left her for Brandi and Mike left her after the car accident. Distraught at losing Mike, Eli comforts Susan by saying although he has little experience of love he is inspired by how Susan always manages to pick herself up again and move on after each failure with a man. Susan then recalls the day that Eli died, before he began working on her roof. Eli shows up with a spare set of keys he had cut for Jackson. Susan reveals that she has just broken up with Jackson but is remarkable calm about the situation. Eli then tells her that this is his last day as a handy man before he retires, so Susan's roof will be his last job. Susan rushes to the store to buy a bottle of wine so that she and Eli can toast to his retirement. When Susan returns, Eli has died. It is this wine that Susan is drinking and raises a glass in memory of Eli.
At Eli's funeral Mary Alice herself recalls how she changed Eli's life. She remembers how one morning before he had any steady work, he approached her and introduced himself. Initially commenting that she doesn't have any work for him Mary Alice changes her mind when she notices Eli is wearing worn shoes and had obviously fallen on hard times. She asks him if he will fix a vase she broke for her. Eli appreciates her sympathy and initially declines but Mary Alice is insistent. A few years later now that Eli has found steady work thanks to Mary Alice recommending him to the women of the neighbourhood, Eli walks in on Mary Alice reading a note. Mary Alice tries to be upbeat despite the fact that something is obviously troubling her, and offers Eli the vase that he fixed for her a few years ago. Eli gratefully accepts and leaves, worried about Mary Alice's fragile state but thinking it best to leave her alone. It is then revealed that the note Mary Alice was reading is the one she was blackmailed with and that day is the one that she killed herself. An ambulance arrives and the neighbourhood shows up in force to find out what happened to Mary Alice complete with Martha Huber (the blackmailer) gossiping with other women about Mary Alice's suicide. Eli watches from afar and regrets having done nothing to stop Mary Alice's suicide. From that day forward he makes a vow to not only fix people's belongings but their lives as much as he can as well. At his funeral the women gather around Eli's coffin and Bree fixes Eli's flower arrangement before the coffin is lowered, remarking that after all the fixing Eli did for them, she wanted to fix something for him.
Casting
Mary Alice Young (Brenda StrongBrenda Strong
Brenda Lee Strong is an American actress and yoga instructor, known for her roles as as Capt. Deladier in the 1997 hit movie Starship Troopers and Mary Alice Young on the television show Desperate Housewives....
) is seen in this episode for the first and only time in the fifth season. This is her 7th appearance on the show since the first season, having appeared in three episodes during the second season, one during the third and two during the fourth season. This is the 99th episode narrated by Mary Alice, due to Bree's deceased husband Rex Van de Kamp (Steven Culp
Steven Culp
Steven Bradford Culp is an American film and television actor, best known for his roles as Rex Van de Kamp in the television series Desperate Housewives and CIA Agent Clayton Webb in JAG.-Early life:...
), who also makes an appearance in this episode, narrating the third season episode, "My Husband, The Pig."
For this 100th episode, Christine Estabrook
Christine Estabrook
Christine Estabrook is an American television and film actress. She has been featured in several motion pictures mostly in supporting roles...
and Lucille Soong
Lucille Soong
Lucille Soong is a Chinese American film and television actress. She has guest starred on several present-day television series which include a recurring role on the ABC primetime soap Desperate Housewives as Gabrielle Solis' former maid, Yao Lin...
reprise their respective roles as Martha Huber and Yao Lin for the first time since the first season. Despite being rumored to appear, Paul & Zach Young did not appear, neither did Ida Greenberg or John Rowland. Although credited, Andrew Van de Kamp
Andrew Van De Kamp
Andrew Van de Kamp is a fictional character in the ABC television series Desperate Housewives played by Shawn Pyfrom, and is the son of Bree Van de Kamp and the late Rex Van de Kamp....
(Shawn Pyfrom
Shawn Pyfrom
Shawn Caminiti Pyfrom is an American actor who has appeared in several television series and movies, and is best known for his portrayal of Andrew Van de Kamp on ABC's Desperate Housewives-Life and career:...
), Porter Scavo (Charlie Carver
Charlie Carver
Charles 'Charlie' Carver is an American actor and twin brother of actor Max Carver. He is best known for his role as Porter Scavo in Desperate Housewives....
), Preston Scavo (Max Carver
Max Carver
Max Carver is an American actor and twin brother of actor Charlie Carver. He is best known for his role as Preston Scavo in Desperate Housewives.- Filmography :- External links :* http://carvertwins.com...
) and Parker Scavo (Joshua Logan Moore
Joshua Logan Moore
Joshua Logan Moore is an American actor best known for playing Parker Scavo in the popular American series Desperate Housewives.Parker Scavo is the youngest son of Lynette and Tom Scavo. He has two brothers, Preston and Porter, who are twins. and two sisters, Penny, and Paige...
) do not appear in this episode.
Out of the main cast Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany is an American film, stage, and television actress, producer, host and health activist.After various roles in the early career, Delany garnered her first leading role in 1987 in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sweet Surrender and achieved wider fame in 1988–1991 as Colleen McMurphy...
), Mike Delfino (James Denton
James Denton
James "Jamie" Thomas Denton, Jr. is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Mike Delfino in the television series Desperate Housewives.-Early life:...
) and Orson Hodge (Kyle McLachlan) appear briefly at Eli's funeral but have no speaking lines in this episode.
This isn't Marcia Cross' hundredth episode with Desperate Housewives due to her maternity leave during Season 3. She doesn't make her hundredth appearance as Bree until Rose's Turn, seven episodes later.
International titles
- French: Le meilleur d'entre nous (The best man between us)
- German: Der beste Handwerker aller Zeiten (The best workman ever)
- Hebrew: הדבר הטוב ביותר שיכול היה לקרות (HaDavar HaTov Be'yoter SheHaya Yachol Likrot; The Best Thing That Could Have Happened)
- Hungarian: Egy ügyes kezű ezermester (A Handy Handyman)
- Italian: Tutto si può riparare (Everything can be fixed)
Goofs
Although care was taken to redress sets and change costumes for the flashback sequences there are several errors:- Although most of Mary Alice's house was re-painted to its original color the side nearest Bree's house remains green from its new look in season five.
- Susan gets Eli to change the locks after Karl leaves her, but in episode "Everybody Says Don't" he lets himself in and tells Julie that he still has his key. Although it was possible he got a set of Susan or Julie's keys and copied them.
- Though not updated until Season 5, some of Lynette's walls are painted blue in flashbacks prior to the show's present time.
- When Gabrielle shows up at Lynette's front door it shows Bree's garage which has been altered after season 5 to accommodate the chef's kitchen and also Lynette has a picket fence in the flashback even though it was only installed several years into the show.
- In the pilot, Mike's front door was wooden with 3 small windows, but in the flashbacks it is the same as present day.
- Lynettes interior was painted pink and the layout was completely different in the pilot but in the flashbacks it is again the same as present day.
- Lynette has a treehouse in her garden in the flashback where she forgets Penny even though it wasn't added until much later.
- Another possible goof is that Eli Scruggs helped several of the ladies at a time long before Mary Alice's suicide. At the time of Mary Alice's death, Gabrielle was already friends with the rest of the gang, and Lynette had already given birth to Penny and given up her plans of going back to work.