Gale Harold Joins Desperate Housewives

Brian Kinney's back! Former "Queer as Folk" star Gale Harold, who most recently guest starred on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and fronted FOX's failed abduction thriller "Vanished" in the fall of 2006, joins "Desperate Housewives" in the May 18 finale. Unfortunately, he won't be playing Andrew Van De Kamp's new sugar daddy. Bummer.

According to a TV Guide report, Harold will play a "quick-witted, charming and buttoned-down suburbanite" along the lines of a young Jack Lemmon who "could return next season in a recurring capacity."

Last week, Kristin of E!Online wrote that "we'll meet a new character by the name of Ken in the finale. He'll initially come off as the perfect, straight-laced husband type. However, he'll have something to do with next year's big mystery."

According to casting sides, in the second half of the May 18 finale (simply titled "Free"), Ken approaches his overprotective wife Linda standing in the schoolyard, leaning against a play structure, watching their son MJ.

Ken was called to the scene by the school principal to calm Linda down and get her to go home. Linda is filled with fear on her son's first day of school, but Ken's loving and confident manner gives her the strength to let her son out of her sight.

Would the mystery have something to do with why Linda became so overprotective? Or, if the show shifts five years into the future - as it has been rumored - will we find this family in a very different situation and wonder how they got there?

In any event, I applaud the casting of Gale Harold who has a very loyal fanbase and may bring additional viewers to Wisteria Lane, but I also cautiously hope DH doesn't turn into "Lost" laced with flashbacks of the 5 years gone by.