Where to begin? Well, Nate and Sophie did it again. You can always tell when they're going to do it, because they take a half-step towards behaving sociably with each other while announcing that they're not gonna do it again. The rest of the time, they never seem to remember even that they've ever wanted to do it together. I don't mind these occasional forays into the bedroom, but I'm just not sure why the show bothers with them at all. Maybe the thinking is that the sexual tension between Timothy Hutton and Gina Bellman is so uncontrollably smoking hot that they have to constantly defuse it or else it'll build into something that'll induce fatal coronaries in half the viewing audience. I myself have never detected any sexual tension or even much chemistry between the two of them, but maybe that just shows how brilliantly the plan is working. (There was a much greater risk of steaminess back in season two, when Jeri Ryan filled in for Bellman for a spell.) 

And Parker finally got to do some fancy thieving in the climax, executing a basic-cable version of that thing where she, like Catherine Zeta-Jones in Entrapment and God knows who else I'm forgetting, got to do a gymnastics-ballet number in a room full of motion detector lasers. The sequence ended with her sliding on her knees out the door just as the room exploded behind her in a fireball. If Beth Riesgraf had even an inkling of just how sorry-looking the special effects surrounding her exertions would turn out to be, she deserves the Trouper of the Millennium Award.

Bookended between these twin non-events, there was a lot of fun stuff. The episode opened on what looked like the front lawn of the producer's country home, though subsequent dialogue revealed that it was supposed to be a farm. Two bald guys in suits appeared and menaced the young woman living there: "You have something that belongs to us," one of them said in an unearthly monotone. I thought that I'd hit the wrong button on my remote and was catching up on Fringe by mistake. The threatened woman, a "crop science major", sought help from Nate and explained that, in her zeal to feed a hungry planet, she had dared to go where Oliver Wendell Douglas never dared and produced "a potato that has extra nutrients inside." She called it her "super-tuber", and was both alarmed and appalled that anyone could see it principally as a vehicle for making money–or a threat to their bottom line–in a world where "there are families that are living on less than a dollar a day." Impressed by both her skills and her argument, Hardison praised her as "a certified stone cold plant hacker" and assured his colleagues that "The super-tuber is no joke." Apparently his message failed to get through to the music department, which kept punching up whimsical-sounding melodies every time the Promethean spud was mentioned or sighted.

The villain of the piece was an evil corporation called Verd Agra. I misheard that as "Big Agra" the first couple of times, which was probably the idea, unless I was supposed to mishear it as "Viagra" and giggle like Beavis and/or Butthead. The CEO of Verd Agra was played by Mitch Pileggi, which I'll admit got the X-Files geek in me pretty excited. Part of the excitement came from my deciding that his presence here was a sly acknowledgement that the most baroque elements of paranoid fantasy in the episode, such as the weird skinhead  goons and the handsome Pulp Fiction-style briefcase in which they carefully placed the stolen tater were intended as a deliberate parody of the corporate-comspiracy sci-fi genre. If I'm wrong about that, I'd advise anyone working on the show who reads this to just pretend that I nailed it. It'll make both me and them look a little smarter. 

In order to infiltrate Big Agra, Sophie, thinking on her feet, jumped in and presented herself as a corporate sleuth with a peculiar accent. ("I'm not blond," she said at one point, which, though true, confused me as to its relevance. Then I figured out that what she had really meant to convey was that there was nothing wrong with her eyesight.) Apparently she was trying to sound as if she was imitating Christian Kane as Eliot, which was a funny idea even though she didn't. (With Sophie playing his part, Eliot was reduced to mugging a nerd and stealing his clothes so he could play Sophie's accountant. The whole point of this was, of course, to arrange it so that Eliot could whale on some guys while wearing what looked like the same pink shirt that once got Homer Simpson locked up with Michael Jackson.) There was also a winning, funny performance by Bhama Roget as the outwardly self-assured, inwardly insecure executive who Sophie played like a harp, a corporate iron lady with a soft caramel center.

At the end, there was a faint hint that we may not have seen the last of Roget's character, and seeing her again would be fine with me. There was also the suggestion that this had something to do with the larger conspiracy that, the series keeps hinting this season, is taking shape behind the scenes. Based on what we've seen of it so far, that subplot doesn't even deserve to be called vaporous, even though we're already halfway through the season. On the other hand, it seems to be set in concrete that the schedule this season calls for one entertaining episode to be followed by a complete dud, then repeat. Does this mean that we can count on next week's episode to be a lethal snooze-fest? I hate to say that I kind of hope so, but then, if I liked surprises, I'd probably be watching a different show.

Stray observations:

"So the diamond is in the potato?"

"The Hot Potato Job"

Few shows attracted Irish viewers as much as Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy did in recent years. But with both shows facing into their eighth season, there are doubts about their future.

For starters, there's an interesting situation at Grey's, especially given that the remaining original cast members are now all out of long-term (and relatively low-paid) contracts, and may well look for massive pay increases given the show's success. That's nearly always a recipe for major change, a loss of focus and a rapid decline. Patrick Dempsey was recently quoted as claiming that he was leaving and then announced that he was misquoted. Consider that the first shot in a war that could generate much coverage (and bloodshed) over the coming months.

Things are somewhat clearer at Desperate Housewives, as it's generally accepted that the show will end after either season eight or nine. Sure, Susan and the girls are still hugely popular, but creator Marc Cherry has said on more than one occasion that he would rather end on a high than drag it on to an undignified conclusion.

So what's next from America? We've seen some great shows over the last couple of years but, for one reason or another, none have captured the imagination as much as Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives. Here are a dozen new shows that may produce a new ratings-topper.

Body of ProofGenre DramaStarring Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) and Sonja Sohn (The Wire)

Plot Dana Delany decided to leave Wisteria Lane when she was offered the lead role in this new procedural drama about a neurosurgeon who, after a motor accident, loses dexterity in her hands and becomes a medical examiner, using her medical know-how to solve murders. Think House meets CSI

A Gifted ManGenre DramaStarring Patrick Wilson (The A-Team), Julie Benz (Desperate Housewives), Jennifer Ehle (Pride & Prejudice)

Plot Former Law & Order: SVU executive producer Neal Baer will run this high-concept medical drama, which stars Patrick Wilson as a competitive surgeon who learns the true meaning of life – and here's the twist – from his recently deceased ex-wife (Ehle). Benz plays the doctor's sister, an overwhelmed single mother with a big heart. Think A haunted ER

How To Be a GentlemanGenre ComedyStarring Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Kevin Dillon (Entourage), David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Rhys Darby (The Flight of The Conchords).

Plot This male-buddy comedy follows an uptight magazine columnist (Hornsby), who is learning to live life to the full with the help of his unlikely, young-at-heart pal (Dillon), a personal trainer who used to torment him in school. Rajskub is Alan's no-nonsense sister, while Darby plays her husband. Think A modern twist on The Odd Couple

I Hate My Teenage DaughterGenre ComedyStarring Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Katie Finneran (Wonderfalls), Chad Coleman (The Wire), and Kevin Rahm (Desperate Housewives)

Plot Pressly and Finneran are two mothers who have inadvertently raised their teenage daughters to become the kind of brats who drove them crazy when they were in school. The show promises a "relatable hook, with a strong female appeal at its core". And there'll be romantic subplots to keep it all rolling along. Think Family Ties with a Heathers' complex

Last Man StandingGenre ComedyStarring Tim Allen (Home Improvement), Nancy Travis (Three Men and a Baby) and Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope)

Plot In a return to the TV sitcom world Tim Allen stars as Tim Fitzgerald, the only man in a house full of females: his wife Vanessa (Travis), and three daughters. Even at work there's no escape as his retiring boss has chosen his granddaughter Nikki to replace him at the head of his company. Think Buzz Lightyear as Man About the House

Once Upon a TimeGenre DramaStarring Jennifer Morrison (House), Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love), Lana Parrilla (Swingtown), Robert Carlyle (Stargate Universe)

Plot Lost producers Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz take on this fantasy drama (one of many on the way), where Snow White (Goodwin) and the Evil Queen (Parrilla) actually exist, and Morrison's Anna holds the key to making sure everyone who deserves it gets to live happily ever after. Think Disney meets Desperate Housewives

Pan AmGenre DramaStarring Christina Ricci (Monster), Michael Mosley (Generation Kill), Kelli Garner (The Aviator), Jonah Lotan (CSI: NY)

Plot The Mad Men influence is clear in this sexy, jet-setting soap, which follows the 1960s' pilots and flight attendants working for the iconic Pan Am Airlines. Also on the way is the similarly-veined The Playboy Club, which tells the story of the 1960s' rise and fall of the first Playboy bunnies. Think Mad Men with wings

Person of InterestGenre DramaStarring Michael Emerson (Lost), James Caviezel (The Prisoner), Taraji P Henson (Boston Legal) and Kevin Chapman (Mystic River)

Plot Exec-produced by JJ Abrams (Lost/Fringe) and written by Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight), this crime drama concerns a presumed dead ex-CIA agent (Caviezel) who teams up with a mysterious billionaire (Emerson) to prevent violent crimes in New York City. Think The Spirit sponsored by Bruce Wayne

Prime SuspectGenre DramaStarring Maria Bello (ER), Aidan Quinn (Michael Collins) and Kirk Acevedo (Fringe)

Plot This US version of the hugely popular British series that starred Helen Mirren has Maria Bello taking her role as Jane Timoney, irreverent female detective struggling to make her mark in a male-dominated New York precinct. Think An American Prime Suspect!

RevengeGenre DramaStarring Emily Van Camp (Brothers & Sisters), Connor Paolo (Gossip Girl), Nick Wechsler (Roswell) and Josh Bowman (Make It or Break It)

Plot In this modern-day, female perspective telling of literary classic The Count of Monte Cristo, Emily Van Camp stars as a mysterious woman who travels to the Hamptons to exact revenge on the people who destroyed her family. Think Old story. New York.

UnforgettableGenre DramaStarring Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace), Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck), Kevin Rankin (Justified) and others

Plot More crime-solving for Montgomery, who stars as a former NYPD detective who possesses the special ability to remember everything: great when you're trying to solve crimes, but maybe not so good in her personal life – as her boss (Walsh) is also her ex-boyfriend. Think A female Sherlock Holmes. And Watson's her boss and former beau.

Six shows that could've been HUGESome are still running, but none scaled the heights Of Housewives or Grey's in viewing terms despite offering superb entertainment.

The Good WifeIrish fans are still waiting for season two to start on RT