TVSquad

The recap posted on ABC gave it away: it seems that the prisoner in the Applewhite's basement is the man of the house. And he's making a terrible racket. He's being punished - for what? And why does Betty think she needs to punish herself? Alfre Woodard has never been more deliciously bewildering. She plays the fake heartbroken widow to the absolute limit. But there will be more questions about Mr. A before the night is out.

And in the meantime, I have another question. Why does Gabrielle still love her husband? After all, he's an ass, he loved his mother more than her, he's got a terrible temper, and he tricked her into getting pregnant. This relationship seems so... shallow. I guess that's why she cheated on him to begin with. And I find it interesting, especially so given that I know she's not jazzed about donning a pregnant belly, that the writers are not doing anything with her pregnancy - no symptoms, no talk about naming the baby, she's not even getting bigger breasts.

Despite the awkwardness of the I love you but I hate you scenes between the Solises, I especially adore Gabrielle's crooked heart of gold, which is played tonight to mastery as she goes to pay off Carlos' cellmate's girlfriend, so poor Carlos won't get beat up, or raped ("but you went to school on an athletic scholarship!" exclaimes Gabrielle. "It was for GOLF" he retorts. Hahaha!). This is the second time in two episodes that she's used her charm with another woman - it's nice to see her spending some time using her wiles without having to use sex.

The other storyline that has been foreshadowed since mid-last season was that of Rex' death. We knew that his heart problem was exacerbated by George switching his heart medicine with ... what? A placebo? Did they ever come out and say that he did it, or was it just suggested? I couldn't find it in the recaps on the website. Anyhoo, the doctor suspects something is up because of the note Rex left for Bree, which said, "I understand and I forgive you." He was either talking about the earlier episode when she fed him onions - or maybe he really thought she was trying to kill him. Either way, it means Bree won't be getting that life insurance check anytime soon.

Of course, she wasn't trying to kill him at all, she's cold-mannered, but that's just 'cause she has a problem displaying her emotions (as those hilarious scenes between her and her mother-in-law portray). She's not at all cold-hearted. She just likes her bed neat and her silver polished. The previews for the next show show Rex' grave exhumed, and the insurance adjuster is taking pictures of Bree chatting intimately with George as the credits role. It's clear that Bree is fast becoming a suspect - and George's role can't be far from discovery. The question: how will she clear her own good name?

By far the least compassion I feel for any character: Susan. My God. Can she please stop making up stupid rules that limit her own happiness? If she would just get over herself and be with Mike already! And forget about her husband. It would certainly help her insurance bill, which has got to be huge after running over Edie's leg. And the whining... oh the whining... when she squeaks, "This was supposed to be my time!" I want to slap her.

I DO have compassion for poor Lynette - she's working so hard, and she comes home to a dirty house. What to do? A late-night argument over the spit-up on the sheets prompts her epiphany: she'll show just how messy he is with the help of a rodent.  a little furry creature died for her control over the cleanliness of her household. At least she delivers one of the best lines in episode, "That thing with the shovel? Neither of us could have seen that coming. But you saved my marriage - that's a lot for one rat's lifetime."

I thought maybe the exchange between Betty and the therapist was supposed to be revealing, but it turns out it's just a tease meant to confuse us. So... Betty was abused? Or was it just her son? And did he really die - were there two? Or is she making it all up just to get sleeping pills to stop the late-night clanging (and the nosy neighbors)?

OK, enough questions for one night. It's time for Grey's Anatomy...