'Desperate Housewives' Guest Star Scott Bakula Teases Drama Beyond the Courtroom

Danny Feld/ABC

Scott Bakula on ABC's "Desperate Housewives."

It’s hard to ignore that while a courtroom drama was unfolding for the producers of Desperate Housewives in real life, one is beginning to unfold on the ABC dramedy’s final season. That timing isn’t lost on guest star Scott Bakula who’s playing Trip, Bree’s (Marcia Cross) defense attorney, on the series' final episodes.

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“[Creator Marc Cherry] didn’t say that to me specifically, but I don’t know how it could not have been a part of his psyche,” Bakula tells The Hollywood Reporter of how the Nicollette Sheridan trial may have influenced the series' court drama. “Most writers take stuff and they mix it up into what they’re writing. So, it seems it’s ironically twisted that we would be doing a court case while he was dealing with his court issues.”

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It remains to be seen how the court experience is translated on-screen and Bakula says that viewers will have plenty of time to dissect the proceedings as the show doesn’t just skimp on Bree’s murder trial.

“It’s pretty drawn out and pretty extensive,” he says. “There’s enough courtroom coming up that everybody that had to shoot it and be in it were sick of it."

”There’s only so many ways you can shoot courtroom stuff too,” he continues. “We got in there and did the best we could and made it as interesting as we could. And they wrote it in way that I think definitely keeps it moving. But, of course, it's Desperate Housewives, so there’s surprises in court, there’s reveals in court and there’s gasping moments in court -- all kinds of really great court stuff, as you can imagine that Desperate Housewives would end with.”

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The actor -- who has charmed sci-fi audiences with his starring roles on Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise -- had talked to Cherry about appearing on the show for years and he had just about given up after hearing this would be its last season. So not only was he thrilled to get the call to guest star, but also he was happy to see the role he would play.

“It wasn’t like I would have taken any part,” he says. “But the fact that it was such a nice part and I think Trip is well written and there were possibilities for humor and for some sexuality and some relationship stuff with Marcia that comes into play, that makes it fun.”

So, clearly viewers can expect the action between Trip and Bree to extend beyond the courtroom. “I think it’s fair to say that there’s some exploration there,” Bakula teases.

Watch Trip and Bree try to find some common ground in the preview video below.

Desperate Housewives airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro