Shelley Long will be making a return to "Modern Family" this season. The sitcom veteran will reprise her role as Dede Pritchett, the grating ex-wife of Jay and mom to Claire and Mitchell.
Previously, Dede famously made a drunken scene at Jay's wedding to his hot tamale of a new wife, Gloria, and then picked a fight and nearly choked Gloria the next time she saw her. Now, with Gloria sporting a bun in the oven, how will this visit fly with the already-jealous Dede?
Executive producer Steve Levitan told TV Guide of Dede's return,"We have a very funny story for her…You will not be disappointed."
But the whole thing got us to thinking: How did the ex-wives on some other popular shows handle their jealousy?
Dr. Addison Montgomery -- "Grey's Anatomy"
When Meredith Grey first met McDreamy, there was one little detail he neglected to tell her; he had an ex. Or a wife. Or something. Sure, "Grey's Anatomy" doc Addison Montgomery cheated on her husband, Derek, with his steamy best friend, Mark, but that didn't stop her from claiming her turf at the end of Season 1. When Addison met Derek's new woman for the first time, she dropped this cliffhanger of a line to the clueless intern: "You must be the woman screwing my husband." Addison's later antics included tacking Mer's panties to the hospital bulletin board with a lost and found sign.Betty Draper -- "Mad Men"
He cheated, she cheated, and by the end of her emotionally draining marriage to ad man Don Draper, Betty Draper had a new hubby all lined up. Yes, there was some mad infidelity on "Mad Men," but Betty only really seemed to care when Don remarried 20-something Megan. Firmly settled in her new, constricted life with Henry Francis, Bets put on weight and looked on at Don's posh new Manhattan pad and his skinny actress wife. Amid her kids' homework papers, she even became privy to a little note Don wrote to the new Mrs. Draper: "I've gone out to buy a new light bulb, so I can see you better." So what did a green-eyed Betty do? She casually mentioned to her daughter, Sally, that Daddy had a secret first wife named Anna -- and she told Sally to ask her new stepmom all about it.Rachel Green -- "Friends"
They were only married for a nanosecond after a drunken night in Vegas, but on "Friends," Ross and Rachel's relationship went on and on -- even after their quickie divorce. When she became pregnant with his baby, the two didn't get back together, but when Ross met a pretty saleswoman at the baby furniture store and proceeded to go on a coffee date with her, Rachel fumed: "Here I am about to pop, and he's out picking up some shop girl at Sluts 'R' Us!" Rachel then demanded that Ross not date anyone and be at her "constant beck and call 24 hours a day" for the remainder of the pregnancy. He agreed -- because isn't that what "Friends" are for?More from this contributor:
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