On October 14, 2008, Harold entered intensive care after a motorcycle accident. He sustained several injuries, including brain swelling and a fractured shoulder. While "Desperate Housewives" were required to rewrite one scene in the episode "City on Fire", Gale's absence did not delay production. Originally, the writers had planned to end the character's storyline around midseason, but Harold's accident forced them to push the storyline's resolution to the end of the season. Following the accident, Harold recorded dialogue for an offscreen speaking part in the January 2009 episode "Home is the Place". In April 2009, Harold returned to the series six months following the accident to continue his character's storyline. While reviewing the fifth season, "TV Guide" Matt Roush commented the introduction of Harold, as well as other new cast members, "make Wisteria Lane once again an irresistible place to revisit."