Desperate Housewives

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Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives Logo.svg
Genre <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Created by Marc Cherry
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Narrated by <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Theme music composer Danny Elfman
Composer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 8
No. of episodes 180 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Producer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Charles Skouras III
  • Stephanie Hagen
  • Alexandra Cunningham
  • Jamie Gorenberg
  • Kevin Etten
  • Tracey Stern
  • Patty Lin
  • Annie Weisman
Production location(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Editor(s) Karen Castañeda
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 43 minutes
Production company(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Distributor <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Release
Original network ABC
Original release October 3, 2004 (2004-10-03) –
May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13)
Chronology
Related shows <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Desperate Housewives is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a total of 180 episodes. Executive producer Marc Cherry served as showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season included Bob Daily, George W. Perkins, John Pardee, Joey Murphy, David Grossman, and Larry Shaw.

Set on Wisteria Lane, a street in the fictional town of Fairview in the fictional Eagle State, Desperate Housewives follows the lives of a group of women as seen through the eyes of their friend and neighbor who took her life by suicide in the pilot episode. The storyline covers fifteen years of the women's lives over eight seasons, set between the years 2004–2008, and later 2013–2018 (the storyline includes a five-year jump in time, as well as flashbacks and flashforwards ranging from the 1980s to the 2020s). They work through domestic struggles and family life, while facing the secrets, crimes, and mysteries hidden behind the doors of their—on the surface—beautiful and seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood.

The series features an ensemble cast, headed by Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van de Kamp, and Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis. The supporting cast included Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair, and Vanessa Williams as Renee Perry. Brenda Strong narrates the series as the late Mary Alice Young, appearing sporadically in flashbacks or dream sequences.[1]

Desperate Housewives was well received by viewers and critics alike, receiving many accolades. It won multiple Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. From the 2004–05 through the 2008–09 television seasons, its first five seasons were rated amongst the top ten most-watched series.[2] In 2007, it was reported to be the most popular show in its demographic worldwide, with an audience of approximately 120 million[3] and was also reported as the third-most-watched television series in a study of ratings in twenty countries.[4] In 2012, it remained the most-watched comedy series internationally based on data from Eurodata TV Worldwide, which measured ratings across five continents; it has held this position since 2006.[5][6] Moreover, it was the third-highest revenue-earning series for 2010, with $2.74 million per half an hour.[7] The show was ranked at number fifty-six on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list.[8]

In August 2011, it was confirmed that Desperate Housewives would be the eighth and final season; the series finale aired on May 13, 2012.[9][10][11] By the end of the series, it had surpassed Charmed with the most episodes in an hour-long television series featuring all female leads.

Premise

The first season premiered on October 3, 2004, and introduces the four central characters of the show: Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp and Gabrielle Solis, as well as their families and neighbors on Wisteria Lane. The main mystery of the season is the unexpected suicide of Mary Alice Young, and the involvement of her husband Paul Young (Mark Moses) and their son Zach (Cody Kasch) in the events leading up to it. Susan fights promiscuous neighbour Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan) for the affection of new neighbor Mike Delfino (James Denton), Lynette struggles to cope with her four demanding children, Bree fights to save her marriage to Rex Van de Kamp (Steven Culp) while dealing with her rebellious son Andrew Van de Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom), and Gabrielle tries to prevent her husband Carlos Solis (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) from discovering that she is having an affair with their gardener, John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe). The first season is also marked by mystery surrounding the murder of a neighbour and some secrets revealed about Zach, Mike, and Paul. At the end of the season both Paul and Zach go missing.

File:WisteriaLanePurpleHouse.jpg
The Applewhite house, focus of Desperate Housewives' season-long mystery from 2005 to 2006

The second season premiered on September 25, 2005, and its central mystery is that of new neighbor Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard), who moves onto Wisteria Lane with her son Matthew in the middle of the night. She keeps someone prisoner in her basement who tries to escape multiple times. Throughout the season, Bree tries to cope with being a widow, unknowingly begins dating the man who had poisoned her husband, fights alcoholism, and is unable to prevent the gap between her and her son Andrew from growing to extremes, and deals with her daughter Danielle's new romance with Matthew Applewhite. Susan's love life becomes even more complicated as she has serious conflicts with Mike, and her ex-husband Karl Mayer (Richard Burgi) who is engaged to Edie, also starts to lean towards Susan. Lynette goes back to her career in advertising while her husband Tom Scavo (Doug Savant) becomes a stay-at-home father, and Gabrielle decides to be faithful to Carlos, who is now in prison after being double-crossed by a business partner, and begins preparations to have a child. Paul is framed and sent to jail, not for the murder he committed in the previous season, but for a fake one. Paul's son Zack reconnects with his wealthy maternal grandfather.

The third season premiered on September 24, 2006. In the third season, Bree marries Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan), whose past and involvement with a recently discovered dead body becomes the main mystery of the season. Meanwhile, Lynette has to adjust to the arrival of Tom's previously unknown daughter and her mother to the family. The Scavos also experience tension as Tom wants to start a pizzeria. Gabrielle goes through a rough divorce, tries to get back into modelling, but finally finds new love in Fairview's new mayor, Victor Lang. After being run over by Orson in the previous season finale, Mike falls into a coma and suffers from amnesia when he wakes up. Edie sees her chance to make her move on Mike, and her family relations are explored throughout the season. Susan loses hope that Mike's memory will return and in the process moves on to a handsome Englishman whose wife is also in a coma, while her daughter Julie Mayer (Andrea Bowen) starts dating Edie's nephew, of which Susan disapproves. Elderly neighbor Karen McCluskey (Kathryn Joosten) hides something in her freezer. A shooting at the local grocery store leaves two characters dead and changes everyone's lives forever.

The fourth season premiered on September 30, 2007,[12] and its main mystery revolves around new neighbor Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany) and her family, who return to Wisteria Lane after twelve years away. Lynette battles cancer; the newlywed—but unhappy—Gabrielle starts an affair with her ex-husband Carlos; Susan and Mike enjoy life as a married couple and learn that they are expecting a child; Bree fakes a pregnancy and plans to raise her teenage daughter's illegitimate child as her own; and Edie schemes to hold on to her new love, Carlos, who has moved in with Mike as an interim arrangement. A gay couple from Chicago—Lee McDermott (Kevin Rahm) and Bob Hunter (Tuc Watkins)—become residents of Wisteria Lane. A tornado threatens to destroy everything, and everyone, that the housewives hold dear. In the closing minutes the characters and their story have flashed forward by five years.

The house of Katherine Mayfair on Wisteria Lane, as seen on Desperate Housewives from 2007 to 2010

The fifth season premiered on September 28, 2008, with the time period jumping forward five years after the previous season, with some flashbacks to events which happened between the two periods. The season mystery revolves around Edie's new husband, Dave Williams (Neal McDonough), who is looking for revenge on someone on Wisteria Lane (later revealed to be Mike because of a road accident Mike and Susan were involved in that killed Dave's wife and daughter). Susan and Mike are divorced due to the accident putting pressure on their marriage. Susan deals with being a single mother and having a new romance with her painter, while Mike starts dating Katherine. Lynette and Tom learn that their now teenage son Porter is having an affair with a married woman whose husband's nightclub burns down with all of Wisteria Lane's neighbors inside. Gabrielle struggles with Carlos' blindness, triggered in a injury during the tornado in season 4; two overweight young daughters; and a financial crisis. Bree and Orson have marriage problems because Bree had pressurized Orson into doing time in prison for running over Mike and he resents her. She has become too focused on her career as a successful cookbook writer and caterer, and her daughter Danielle had come to claim back her son while Orson was in prison. Edie dies of electrocution after a car crash, before she can expose Dave's motives moments after she discovers his secret.

The sixth season premiered on Sunday, September 27, 2009, at 9pm.[13] The main mystery of this season is surrounding new neighbor Angie Bolen (Drea de Matteo) and her family. The first half of the season consists of Julie being strangled by an unknown person, the conflict between Gabrielle and her niece Ana Solis (Maiara Walsh), Karen McCluskey finding new love, Lynette's attempts to sue her new boss Carlos for firing her for getting pregnant, Katherine's eventual mental breakdown at losing Mike to Susan, and Bree's affair with Karl, which ends tragically when Karl's hired plane crashes into a building with him and Orson inside, killing Karl and leaving Orson paraplegic. The second half of the season focuses on Katherine experimenting with her sexuality, Lynette unknownlingly inviting the Fairview strangler to stay with them before discovering the truth, the conflict between Bree and a son of Rex whom he had before meeting her, and the solving of the Bolen mystery.

The seventh season premiered on September 26, 2010,[14] and its main mystery is Paul's return to Wisteria Lane with a new wife and with plans of punishing the residents for shunning him during his incarceration, while an old nemesis of his still plans to get her own revenge on him. Lynette's best friend from college Renee Perry (Vanessa Williams) moves onto the lane and stirs things up among the other housewives. Gabrielle and Carlos learn an unsettling fact about their daughter Juanita Solis (Madison De La Garza) (who was switched at birth), which ultimately leads them back to Gabrielle's home town of Las Colinas. A now divorced Bree starts dating her contractor, and reveals the truth about the death of Carlos' mother Juanita at the hands of her son Andrew in the second season, consequently ending the friendship between the Solis family and Bree. Due to financial problems, Susan and her family have moved off the lane, and Susan is forced to earn money by doing pornography. Following a major riot on the lane, Susan is injured and put on the waiting list for a vital organ donation. Lynette persuades Tom to take an exciting new job, which leads to unprecedented problems in their marriage.

The eighth and final season premiered on Sunday, September 25, 2011.[15] The main mystery of the season is the death of Gabrielle's perverted stepfather Alejandro Perez (Tony Plana) at Carlos' hands, and its cover-up by the four housewives, which occurred in the previous season finale. After the murder, Bree receives a blackmail letter from an unknown person similar to the one Mary Alice had received in the first season. Due to her relationship with detective Chuck Vance (Jonathan Cake), Bree becomes the main character affected by the cover-up of Alejandro's murder, and is eventually accused of killing Alejandro herself. A new neighbor, Ben Faulkner (Charles Mesure), moves onto the lane, attracting Renee along the way. Ben is going through severe financial problems, and resorts to a dangerous and unruly loan shark to bail him out. Mike meddles in the business of Ben's loan shark in an attempt to protect Renee, but he is eventually shot dead by the loan shark. During the first half of the season, Susan struggles with the guilt of her involvement in the Alejandro case, and during the second half, she tries to deal with both Julie's unexpected pregnancy at the hands of Lynette's son Preston and Mike's death. Following the cover-up of Alejandro's murder, Carlos develops an alcohol problem, but Gabrielle persuades him to recover in rehab, which eventually results in Gabrielle and Carlos switching house roles. Tom moves out of the family home, and Lynette struggles to come to terms with how quickly Tom seems to have moved on, until she accepts that she is still in love with him, and decides she will try to win him back. Mrs. McCluskey receives worrying news about her health and decides to end it all, but Bree manages to convince her otherwise.

The two-hour series finale, which aired on Sunday, May 13, 2012, featured the conclusion of Bree's court case. To bring the series to a conclusion, there was a wedding, a birth, and a death, and the future of the four main housewives was revealed.

Cast and characters

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During its premiere season, the show featured thirteen starring actors, all credited in the opening sequence. For the show's second year, several actors, mainly child and teenage ones, who had guest starred during the first season, were promoted to series regulars without having their names included in the opening sequence. Instead, they were billed as "also starring" during the first minutes of each episode, together with episode guest stars. This practice continued for the rest of the season.

Actor Character Season
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Teri Hatcher Susan Mayer Main
Felicity Huffman Lynette Scavo Main
Marcia Cross Bree Van de Kamp Main
Eva Longoria Gabrielle Solis Main
Nicollette Sheridan Edie Britt Main Does not appear
Steven Culp Rex Van de Kamp Main Guest Does not appear Guest Does not appear Guest
Ricardo Antonio Chavira Carlos Solis Main
Mark Moses Paul Young Main Recurring Does not appear Guest Main Guest
Andrea Bowen Julie Mayer Main Guest Also starring Guest Recurring
Jesse Metcalfe John Rowland Main Guest Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Cody Kasch Zach Young Main Recurring Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Brenda Strong Mary Alice Young Main
James Denton Mike Delfino Main
Alfre Woodard Betty Applewhite Guest Main Does not appear
Doug Savant Tom Scavo Recurring Main
Richard Burgi Karl Mayer Recurring Main Guest Recurring Does not appear Guest
Kyle MacLachlan Orson Hodge Does not appear Recurring Main Guest Recurring
Dana Delany Katherine Mayfair Does not appear Main Does not appear Guest
Shawn Pyfrom Andrew Van de Kamp Recurring Also starring Main Recurring
Neal McDonough Dave Williams Does not appear Main Does not appear
Drea de Matteo Angie Bolen Does not appear Main Does not appear
Maiara Walsh Ana Solis Does not appear Guest Main Does not appear
Kathryn Joosten Karen McCluskey Guest Recurring Main[lower-alpha 1] Also starring
Vanessa Williams Renee Perry Does not appear Main
Kevin Rahm Lee McDermott Does not appear Recurring Main[lower-alpha 2] Also starring
Tuc Watkins Bob Hunter Does not appear Recurring Main[lower-alpha 3] Also starring
Jonathan Cake Chuck Vance Does not appear Recurring Main[lower-alpha 4]
Charles Mesure Ben Faulkner Does not appear Main[lower-alpha 5]
Madison De La Garza Juanita Solis Does not appear Recurring Also starring Main[lower-alpha 6]
Cast Notes
  1. Katheryn Joosten is credited as a series regular from 6x23 through 7x23. From 6x01 through 6x22 she is credited as also starring and only in the episodes she appears in.
  2. Kevin Rahm is only credited in the episodes he appears in.
  3. Tuc Watkins is only credited in the episodes he appears in.
  4. Jonathan Cake is credited as a series regular through 8x09. In 8x23 he makes an uncredited cameo.
  5. Charles Mesure is credited as a series regular from 8x11 through 8x23. From 8x01 through 8x10 he is credited as also starring and only in the episodes he appears in.
  6. Madison De La Garza is only credited in the episodes she appears in.

Production

The idea for the series was conceived as Marc Cherry and his mother were watching a news report on Andrea Yates.[16] Prior to Desperate Housewives, Cherry was best known for producing and writing episodes of Touchstone Television's hit comedy series The Golden Girls and its successor, The Golden Palace. In addition, he had created or co-created three sitcoms: The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, The Crew, and Some of My Best Friends, none of which lasted longer than a year. Cherry had difficulty getting any television network interested in his new series; HBO, CBS, NBC, Fox, Showtime, and Lifetime all turned the show down.[17] Finally, two new executives at ABC, Lloyd Braun and Susan Lyne, chose to greenlight it,[18] reportedly after The O.C. on Fox premiered in 2003 and showed that a soap opera could succeed in prime time.[19] Shortly thereafter, Disney had both Braun and Lyne fired, following their approval of another new drama series: Lost.[20]

The ABC executives were not initially satisfied with the name of the new show, suggesting Wisteria Lane and The Secret Lives of Housewives, instead.[21][22] However, on October 23, 2003, Desperate Housewives was announced by ABC, presented as a primetime soap opera created by Charles Pratt Jr., of Melrose Place fame, and Marc Cherry, who declared the new show to be a mix of Knots Landing and American Beauty (1999) with a little bit of Twin Peaks.[23] While Cherry continued his work on the show, Pratt was credited as executive producer for the pilot episode only, remaining linked to the show as a consulting producer during the first two seasons.

On May 18, 2004, ABC announced the 2004–2005 lineup, with Desperate Housewives in the Sunday at 9:00–10:00 p.m. ET slot,[24] which it held all through the run of the show. After only three episodes, on October 20, 2004, ABC announced that Desperate Housewives, along with Lost, had been picked up for a full season.[25] A couple of weeks later after Housewives premiered the owners of NBC called to see who had passed on the series due to its ratings success.

Desperate Housewives was produced by creator Marc Cherry (Cherry Productions), Austin Bagley and, since 2007, ABC Studios. From 2004 to 2007, Desperate Housewives was produced in association with Touchstone Television.[26]

Production crew

Cherry, Tom Spezialy, and Michael Edelstein served as executive producers for the show's first two seasons. Spezialy, who also served as a staff writer, left his previous position as writer and executive producer for Dead Like Me to join the Desperate Housewives crew. He had also worked as writer and co-executive producer on several shows, among them Ed, Jack and Jill, and Parker Lewis Can't Lose, while Edelstein had been the executive producer of Threat Matrix and Hope & Faith.

Second season conflicts arose among the executive producers. Subsequently, Edelstein left the show mid-season, and by the season's end, so did Spezialy.[27] For the third year, Cherry was joined by award-winning writer and producer Joe Keenan—of Frasier fame—and television movie producer George W. Perkins, who had been a crew member of Desperate Housewives since the show's conception. Although receiving praise for his work on the show, Keenan chose to leave Desperate Housewives after one season to pursue other projects.[28] Replacing him as executive producer for season 4 was Bob Daily, who had joined the crew as a writer and co-executive producer during season 3. Daily's previous work include writing for the animated series Rugrats, and for Frasier. Also joining Cherry, Perkins, and Daily for season 4 were John Pardee and Joey Murphy, who had been with the series since the beginning.[29] Both had also worked on Cherry's previous show, The Crew, in 1995, as well as on the sitcom Cybill.

In the first four seasons, Larry Shaw and David Grossman have been the most prolific directors, together directing more than half of the episodes.

Filming

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The residence of Mary Alice Young (as seen in the premiere episode of Desperate Housewives), on Wisteria Lane

Desperate Housewives was filmed on Panavision 35 mm cameras (except for the final season, which was shot digitally on the Arri Alexa).[30] It was broadcast in standard and widescreen high definition, though it was framed for the 4:3 aspect ratio[31] until the final season.

The set for Wisteria Lane, consisting mainly of facades but also of some actual houses, was located on the Universal Studios Hollywood back lot. It was referred to by film crews as Colonial Street, and has been used for several motion pictures and television shows since the mid-1940s.[32] Notable productions that were filmed here include: So Goes My Love, Leave it to Beaver, The 'Burbs, Providence, Deep Impact, Bedtime for Bonzo, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Gremlins, The Munsters, Psycho, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the Doris Day comedies The Thrill of It All and Send Me No Flowers.[32] For the second season of Desperate Housewives, the street underwent some significant changes. Among the most noticeable of these changes was the removal of a church facade and a mansion in order to make room for Edie's house and a park.[33][34]

Interior sets were built on sound stages at Universal Studios Hollywood, some of which were duplicated in some form on the Wisteria Lane back lot for filming when conditions required it.[35]

Filming for the series ended April 26, 2012.

Opening sequence

The initial idea for the show's opening sequence was Cherry's. After asking 16 companies to come up with suggestions for how best to realize it, the producers finally hired Hollywood-based yU+co to provide the final version.[36] According to the yU+co's official website, the idea behind the sequence is, "to evoke the show's quirky spirit and playful flouting of women's traditional role in society."[37] The images featured are taken from eight pieces of art, portraying domesticity and male–female relations through the ages.[38]

The music for the opening was composed by Danny Elfman, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design in 2005. It also has been awarded both a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music in 2005 and the BMI TV Music Award.[39] In 2005, it was included on the album Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives. In 2017, James Charisma of Paste ranked the show's opening sequence at the 29th position on a list of The 75 Best TV Title Sequences of All Time.[40] When an episode runs long, only the first sequence (the falling apple) is kept. From the fourth season onwards, a shortened synthesized version of the theme (arranged and performed by frequent series composer Steve Jablonsky) is heard, which underscores the falling apple scene, and the photograph of the four lead actresses, crediting Marc Cherry as creator.

Music

In addition to the theme composed by Danny Elfman, the first two episodes scored by Elfman's former Oingo Boingo bandmate Steve Bartek, and the third episode scored by ex-Police Stewart Copeland, the series underscore music, composed by Steve Jablonsky since the fourth episode of the first season, defines the overall sound of the show by creating a musical counterpoint to the writing style. The score is electronic-based, but every scoring session incorporates a live string ensemble. Jablonsky incorporates recurring themes for events and characters into the score.[41] Hollywood Records produced the first soundtrack album, Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives (2005), distributed by Universal Music Group. Several of those songs have been used in subsequent seasons.

Desperate Housewives' unique style combined with the heavy dialogue and a quick-fire writing style limits the amount of popular music used within the series. The series' music supervisor, David Sibley, works closely with the producers to integrate these musical needs into the show. In addition to featured performances by central characters such as Susan Mayer singing along with Rose Royce's "Car Wash" and Lynette's rendition of "Boogie Shoes", several characters have been accomplished musicians, such as Betty Applewhite (a concert pianist) and Dylan Mayfair (a prodigy cellist).

Later seasons

In August 2009, Marc Cherry said that Desperate Housewives would be on television for a few more years, stating that the series still "has a lot of life left in it." He told The Wrap: <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

Steve McPherson (ABC Entertainment president) and I agree that we shouldn't keep the show going for more than a couple [of] years past my seven-year initial contract. We don't want it to just fade away. We've been in negotiations. I expect to sign my new deal soon to set up a future scenario for the show. Someone else will run the show after season seven and I will serve as executive producer from a distance.

He went on to explain that he felt the program had been revitalized by the five-year leap forward for season five, saying: "Yes, I think it worked well. It was a way to start fresh and let everyone start from scratch in a way".[42]

In October 2009, Cherry signed a two-year deal with ABC that could keep Desperate Housewives on the air until 2013.[43] The stars of Desperate Housewives finalized new deals to make way for the eighth season and signed at the price of $12 million.[44][45][46]

Cherry hinted that Desperate Housewives would end in 2013,[47] and in April 2011, Eva Longoria confirmed that there would definitely be an eighth season and expressed hopes for a ninth.[48] Desperate Housewives was officially renewed by ABC on May 17, 2011, for an eighth season.[9]

Final season

In August 2011, it was confirmed that the eighth season of Desperate Housewives would be the final season.[10][11] Eva Longoria tweeted about the end of Desperate Housewives: <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

It's confirmed! We are filming our last season of Desperate Housewives! I am so grateful for what the show has given me! We always knew we wanted to end on top and I thank ABC for giving us our victory lap! And a special thanks to Marc Cherry who forever changed my life![49]

Cherry, the show's creator, made a cameo as a mover in the last scene of the final episode.

Episodes

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Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama-mystery which premiered on ABC on October 3, 2004, in the United States. The first season had a single special episode, while the second and third season each had two. Seasons one through eight have been released on DVD in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Desperate Housewives follows the lives of four women–Susan (Teri Hatcher), Lynette (Felicity Huffman), Bree (Marcia Cross) and Gabrielle (Eva Longoria)–through the eyes of Mary Alice (Brenda Strong), their deceased friend and neighbor.

The vast majority of the episodes are titled after lyrics by composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. A total of 180 episodes of Desperate Housewives were aired over eight seasons.

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 23 October 3, 2004 (2004-10-03) May 22, 2005 (2005-05-22)
2 24 September 25, 2005 (2005-09-25) May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21)
3 23 September 24, 2006 (2006-09-24) May 20, 2007 (2007-05-20)
4 17 September 30, 2007 (2007-09-30) May 18, 2008 (2008-05-18)
5 24 September 28, 2008 (2008-09-28) May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17)
6 23 September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27) May 16, 2010 (2010-05-16)
7 23 September 26, 2010 (2010-09-26) May 15, 2011 (2011-05-15)
8 23 September 25, 2011 (2011-09-25) May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13)

Episodes

Season 1 (2004–05)

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Season one premiered on October 3, 2004 and featured a total of 23 episodes and one clip show. The show opens with the mysterious suicide of housewife Mary Alice Young on a beautiful day in the suburbs, on a street called Wisteria Lane. Mary Alice, who narrates the show from the afterlife, had four friends: Bree Van de Kamp, the seemingly perfect mother of two teenagers struggling to save her marriage; Lynette Scavo, the mother of four whose husband is always away on business; Susan Mayer, the divorced mother in search of love who finds love in the form of her new neighbour Mike Delfino, who has a secret of his own; and Gabrielle Solis, the materialistic former runway model who cheats on her husband. While trying to be good wives and mothers, the four friends also try to find out why their friend committed suicide. The discovery of a blackmail note among Mary Alice's belongings, a therapy session tape in which she admits her real name was Angela, and her widowed husband's strange behavior all pique their interest in the mysterious suicide of their friend and neighbor.

No. in
Series
No. in
Season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions)
1 1 "Pilot" Charles McDougall Marc Cherry October 3, 2004 (2004-10-03) 21.64[50]
One day in the suburb of Wisteria Lane, residents are shaken up by the sudden suicide of Mary Alice Young. At her wake, her four close friends and the main characters, Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp and Gabrielle Solis, are introduced. All of them lead seemingly perfect lives, trying to keep their problems from each other. Susan and Edie Britt fight over the new neighborhood resident and plumber Mike Delfino. Lynette's children cause a ruckus in the Youngs' pool, putting her in an embarrassing position. Gabrielle is having an affair with her teenage gardener John Rowland, because she is neglected and treated condescendingly by her busy husband, Carlos. Bree's husband Rex collapses from an allergic reaction at a diner, shortly after asking her for a divorce. Susan accidentally burns Edie's house down, after going over to see if she was with Mike. While the ladies put away Mary Alice's belongings, they discover a mysterious blackmail note addressed to her, leaving them to wonder what she had done.
2 2 "Ah, But Underneath" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry October 10, 2004 (2004-10-10) 20.03[51]
The ladies contemplate telling Mary Alice's husband Paul about the blackmail note, while he retrieves a mysterious toy chest from underneath his pool. Gabrielle suspects Carlos is catching onto her affair, and that John may be falling in love with her. Bree suggests to Rex that they should enroll in marriage counselling. While helping Edie salvage her belongings, Martha Huber finds a piece of evidence that might implicate Susan – her measuring cup. Edie and Susan continue to fight over Mike's affections as he invites both of them over for dinner, with his dog having to pay the price. Frustrated by her children's behavior, Lynette resorts to an extreme discipline technique, which ultimately backfires. Rex blames Bree for their marital problems in their first counselling session with Dr. Goldfine. Paul throws the toy chest into the town lake.
3 3 "Pretty Little Picture" Arlene Sanford Oliver Goldstick October 17, 2004 (2004-10-17) 20.87[52]
At Susan's urging, the ladies decide to throw a dinner party in Mary Alice's honor. A little girl catches Gabrielle kissing John and blackmails her into buying her gifts. Lynette's husband Tom volunteers to babysit the kids while she is at the party. Meanwhile, Mary Alice's son, Zach, finds the revolver his mother used to kill herself. Dr. Goldfine suggests private sessions for the Van de Kamps, at the reluctance of Bree. Susan calls her ex-husband Karl over to talk about their problems, which eventually results in her locking herself out of her house naked. At the party, Rex tells everyone about their marriage counselling sessions. In anger, Bree humiliates him in front of the others, causing Rex to move out on her. Susan tells Karl that she is over him, with his lover, Brandi apologizing to her about her involvement in ending their marriage. Bree raids Dr Goldfine's tapes to find out what Rex had said in his session, finding a tape with Mary Alice's name instead. Paul puts up the Youngs' house for sale.
4 4 "Who's That Woman?" Jeff Melman Marc Cherry & Tom Spezialy October 24, 2004 (2004-10-24) 21.49[53]
Lynette denies that her twins have attention deficit disorder, but proposes a solution by asking for them to be separated. The housewives listen to Mary Alice's session tape and find out about her real name. Edie attempts to arouse Mike by seductively washing her car, however Susan wins him over when he asks her out. Martha Huber uses Susan's measuring cup as her involvement in Edie's house fire to blackmail her, causing her to compromise her relationship with Mike. She gets her daughter, Julie, to sneak into Martha's house and retrieve the cup. Carlos becomes suspicious that Gabrielle is cheating on him, but goes after the wrong man. Bree struggles with her rebellious son, Andrew, who is angry about Rex moving out. After, the ladies finally tell Paul about the blackmail note, he hires a private investigator named Mr. Shaw to track down who sent it.
5 5 "Come In, Stranger" Arlene Sanford Alexandra Cunningham October 31, 2004 (2004-10-31) 22.14[54]
A break-in at Wisteria Lane causes distress among the neighbors. Susan is asked out on a date by a police officer, which she accepts after Mike acts coldly towards her. Gabrielle's mother-in-law, Juanita, arrives after being called by Carlos, who wanted her to help him find out if Gabrielle is cheating on him. Unknown to the residents, Mike is revealed to be the burglar, as he left his screwdriver behind. Lynette and Tom consider enrolling the twins into Barcliff Academy, a private school. Lynette tries to tire them out so that they will appear docile when they are brought in for observation. As Rex takes the children away for the weekend, Bree bonds with Zach after inviting him over for dinner, and he reveals to her that he may know why his mother killed herself.
6 6 "Running to Stand Still" Fred Gerber Tracey Stern November 7, 2004 (2004-11-07) 24.60[55]
The housewives discuss the sudden disappearance of Zach, who is later revealed to have been checked into a juvenile rehabilitation facility by Paul. Carlos, with his mother's help, becomes desperate to find out with whom Gabrielle is having affair. Lynette argues with another mother named Maisy Gibbons at Barcliff Academy about her decision to make a "politically correct" play about Little Red Riding Hood. Gabrielle worries that John may be losing interest in her when she sees him with Bree's daughter, Danielle. Susan investigates more into the mystery surrounding the Young family. Dr. Goldfine suggests that the Van de Kamps hire a "sex surrogate", much to Bree's disbelief. Gabrielle takes advantage of Juanita's gambling problem to spend more time with John. Lynette take some of the twins' ADD medication to help her prepare the costumes for the play. Julie helps Susan by breaking in to Zach's ward, where he mentions the name "Dana".
7 7 "Anything You Can Do" Larry Shaw John Pardee & Joey Murphy November 21, 2004 (2004-11-21) 24.21[56]
Susan tells the other housewives about the name "Dana". Juanita discovers that Gabrielle is seeing John and becomes more determined to catch them together. Paul suspects through that Edie might have sent the blackmail note to his wife. Lynette steadily becomes more dependent on the twin's medication. Rex reveals to Bree that he has filed for a divorce and tries to win over the children with gifts. Mike has an unexpected house guest named Kendra, causing him to cancel his date with Susan. Unknown to her, Kendra was sent by her father who has hired Mike to find her missing sister. Gabrielle offers Danielle a modeling job in New York City as an effort to get her away from John. Lynette sabotages Tom's promotion while under the influence of the medication. An intoxicated Andrew Van de Kamp runs over Juanita, moments after she photographed John and Gabrielle having sex.
8 8 "Guilty" Fred Gerber Kevin Murphy November 28, 2004 (2004-11-28) 27.24[57]
Bree discovers that Andrew's drunk driving has put Juanita in a coma, and she and Rex try to save him from prosecution by covering up the crime. But later, Bree is shocked when Andrew shows no remorse for what he has done. Meanwhile, John tells Gabrielle that he confessed their affair to a priest. Susan decides to find out the real reason Mike has moved to Wisteria Lane. Susan watches Mikes house while he is away and discovers a gun and a few wads of cash, but later gets stuck in his bathroom floor. When Mike finds her along with his things, he realizes Susan cannot trust him and breaks up with her. Lynette reaches the breaking point of her addiction to the A.D.D. pills and comes clean about it to Bree and Susan. After a confrontation with Edie, Mr. Shaw learns that Martha Huber was Mary Alice's blackmailer. Mike makes up with Susan and they have sex for the first time, while Paul confronts and strangles to death the remorseless Martha Huber for her involvement in his wife's suicide.
9 9 "Suspicious Minds" Larry Shaw Jenna Bans December 12, 2004 (2004-12-12) 21.56[58]
Gabrielle decides to hold a charity fashion show on the street. While looking for dresses, the women discuss the sudden disappearance of Martha Huber, while Paul buries her in a forest. Lynette uses her business skills to "poach" herself a nanny. Bree and Rex try to figure out the best way to punish their sociopath son Andrew when he continues to show no guilt after putting Juanita in a coma, and for finding marijuana in his room. Meanwhile, Susan confronts Gabrielle after finding out about her and John, forcing her to come clean. John's mother, Helen, also finds out that he is seeing a housewife. However, she assumes it is Susan. Paul is told that Zach has escaped from the mental institution, only to be found in Julie's room. After Susan is humiliated at the fashion show by Helen, Gabrielle finally tells her about the affair. Carlos is arrested, claiming he was "set up" by his business partner.
10 10 "Come Back to Me" Fred Gerber Patty Lin December 19, 2004 (2004-12-19) 22.34[59]
Maisy Gibbons returns, and her secret life of being the neighborhood prostitute intersects with Bree's, when she finds out Rex has been seeing her after he has a heart attack. Gabrielle has a financial downturn after Carlos is sentenced for importing goods manufactured by slave labor. Edie becomes suspicious of Martha Huber's whereabouts. A jealous Lynette videotapes her new nanny Claire, fearing that she is getting along too well with her kids. Susan and Mike discover that Zach is being taken care of by Julie, after they find him sneaking around the house. Gabrielle resorts to stashing her belongings in Bree's garage after her car is repossessed. Julie feels that Susan has betrayed her by sending Zach back to his father.
11 11 "Move On" John David Coles David Schulner January 9, 2005 (2005-01-09) 25.20[60]
Edie organizes a neighborhood search for Martha Huber, while her sinister sister Felicia Tillman comes to Wisteria Lane to investigate her disappearance. Now separated from Rex, Bree asks the local pharmacist George Williams out on a date, much to Rex's envy. Mike fears that Susan may be still in love with her ex-husband, Karl. Paul plants Martha's stolen jewelry in Mike's garage, fearing that the police may discover his secret. After accidentally seeing Claire sneaking around the house naked, Tom is aroused and has sex with Lynette. When she finds out about the incident, she fires Claire. Gabrielle, desperate for money, decides to return to modelling.
12 12 "Every Day a Little Death" David Grossman Chris Black January 16, 2005 (2005-01-16) 24.09[61]
The residents of Wisteria Lane finally discover Martha Huber's body. After finding out that she left behind a journal, Susan confesses to Edie about burning down her house as a last resort. When Bree and George go shooting, George attempts to kiss Bree, but ends shooting himself in the foot. Lynette enrolls in a yoga class, but has problems putting her children into the day care center. Carlos is released on bail, but to Gabrielle's discontent, he cannot resume working due to being under house arrest. Mike's reason is moving in is revealed when he meets with Noah Taylor, his employer, who wants him to find "Deirdre", who has been missing for more than 10 years.
13 13 "Your Fault" Arlene Sanford Kevin Etten January 23, 2005 (2005-01-23) 25.95[62]
When Lynette's father-in-law Rodney Scavo (Ryan O'Neal) visits, she learns that he has been cheating on his wife and that Tom has known about it. Susan dislikes Julie's growing romance towards Zach, and decides to chaperon the school dance to watch over them. Paul ensures that Susan does not know too much about the secret surrounding the Youngs. Bree ignores Rex's attempts to resolve things, while their divorce lawyers sort out their possession, claiming she wants "revenge" for cheating on her. Gabrielle is approached by John's parents, who ask her to convince him to go to college, as he is already eighteen. John, however, plans to leave home and proposes marriage to Gabrielle, which she declines, claiming she still loves Carlos.
14 14 "Love Is in the Air" Jeff Melman Tom Spezialy February 13, 2005 (2005-02-13) 22.30[63]
Susan looks forward to a romantic Valentine's Day with Mike. Mike, however, gets himself shot while breaking into a house searching for answers about "Deirdre". Bree reconciles her relationship with Rex, saying that she is ready to work on improving their marriage, but she is shocked when he reveals his sexual desires. Lynette's neighbor across the street, Mrs. McCluskey, complains that her boys have been stealing from her. Gabrielle continues to look for work as in the mattress store, as well as the cosmetics department. Felicia Tillman stumbles upon a clue to the Young family's past when she recognizes Mary Alice in a photo as a Utah hospital nurse by her real name, Angela. Lynette shows Susan a piece of Martha Huber's jewelry that her boys stole from Mike's garage, arousing Susan's suspicion that Mike might have killed her.
15 15 "Impossible" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry & Tom Spezialy February 20, 2005 (2005-02-20) 24.18[64]
Mike is arrested for the murder of Martha Huber. Susan bails him out by telling the police that they were together on the night of the murder, but is later heartbroken when she discovers his criminal record and soon breaks up with him. John's roommate Justin blackmails Gabrielle into having sex with him by becoming their new gardener. Tom has a promotion as vice president of his company, but Lynette discourages him from taking it, fearing that she will have to look after her wild children for longer hours. After finding a condom in the laundry, Bree discovers that Danielle is planning to lose her virginity to John, and persuades him to break up with her. While Zach is throwing a pool party for the neighborhood teenagers, Julie is disturbed by his sadistic mentality and ends their relationship. Susan discovers Andrew and Justin making out in the pool, forcing Andrew to claim that he is not gay.
16 16 "The Ladies Who Lunch" Arlene Sanford Alexandra Cunningham March 27, 2005 (2005-03-27) 24.08[65]
When Maisy Gibbons is arrested for solicitation, Bree attempts to bribe her to remove Rex's name from her book of clients, before it goes public. Gabrielle and Carlos face a sewage disaster but cannot afford to fix it. Lynette tries to defend her twins, when they are suspected for a head lice outbreak at Barcliff Academy. She discovers, however, that the outbreak was caused by another student and tries to get his mother to stop spreading rumors about her twins. Depressed over her break-up with Mike, Susan bonds with Edie. She confides in her grief with Edie and suggests to her they break into Paul's house to find evidence about his involvement in Martha Huber's murder.
17 17 "There Won't Be Trumpets" Jeff Melman John Pardee & Joey Murphy April 3, 2005 (2005-04-03) 24.61[66]
Juanita Solis finally awakens from her coma, but dies after falling down the stairs before she could reveal Gabrielle's affair with John to Carlos. The residents attend Juanita's funeral, where Gabrielle argues with Carlos about getting his mother a crypt. However, Gabrielle also finds out that the hospital was negligent of mother-in-law's death and in return, they offer her a seven-figure settlement. Lynette befriends a deaf woman named Alisa Stevens (Marlee Matlin) whose daughter attends Barcliff Academy with the twins, but is infuriated by her husband who takes advantage of her disability to insult her behind her back. After a series of violent outbursts by Andrew, Bree and Rex contemplate putting him in Camp Hennessy, a teenage rehabilitation camp. Susan finds herself attracted to Edie's new contractor, but Edie prevents her from dating him. Mike tries to explain his past by giving Susan a confession letter, which she hesitates to read.
18 18 "Children Will Listen" Larry Shaw Kevin Murphy April 10, 2005 (2005-04-10) 25.55[67]
Susan's eccentric mother, Sophie Bremmer, pays an unexpected visit after she and her boyfriend, Morty, break up. The police find the toy chest Paul threw into the lake, with the remains of a body inside it. When questioned about the chest, Zach defends his father. After finding out about the hospital settlement check, Carlos physically forces Gabrielle to sign a post-nuptial agreement as he prepares to serve his prison sentence. As a result, Gabrielle goes back to John. Lynette's close friendship with Bree is tested after Bree spanks Porter while babysitting Lynette's children. Rex and Bree visit Andrew at Camp Hennessy, where he reveals that he might be gay. Felicia Tillman tells Zach more sinister details about his family's past, and he discovers that "Dana" was his birth name.
19 19 "Live Alone and Like It" Arlene Sanford Jenna Bans April 17, 2005 (2005-04-17) 25.27[68]
Lynette befriends her cranky old neighbor Mrs. McCluskey, after saving her from a collapse. However, she starts to regret it when Mrs. McCluskey does not leave her alone. Bree struggles to cope with Andrew's sexual orientation as he comes home from Camp Hennessy. At his mother's request, Andrew consults with a priest, to whom he reveals his sadistic ideas to emotionally destroy his mother. Mike discovers from Noah Taylor that the remains inside Paul Young's toy chest were Deirdre's. Gabrielle resumes her affair with John after being financially declined by Carlos. Sophie decides to get dates for her and Susan, as an effort to help her daughter get over Mike, who gets beaten up by corrupt detective. Carlos finally decides to tear up the post-nup, and regains Gabrielle's respect.
20 20 "Fear No More" Jeff Melman Adam Barr May 1, 2005 (2005-05-01) 25.69[69]
Gabrielle plans a "farewell party" for Carlos, who is about to serve his eight-month jail sentence, but she later retaliates in rage after discovering that she is pregnant after he tampered with her birth control pills. George Williams returns and tries to steal Bree away from Rex. Bree is unaware that George has an ulterior motive. Lynette is jealous when an ex-girlfriend of Tom's is now working in his company and asks Edie for advice. Zach starts stalking Julie in order to resolve their relationship. Edie blames Susan when Paul questions her about breaking into his house, causing him to lie to Susan and fabricate a false history about Mary Alice, which she does not believe. When Susan's kitchen catches fire, she blames Paul as the arsonist. After finding out about the toy chest and who it belonged to, Mike decides to investigate Paul and tells the already suspicious Susan to stay away from him.
21 21 "Sunday in the Park with George" Larry Shaw Katie Ford May 8, 2005 (2005-05-08) 26.10[70]
Edie spies on Bree having dinner with George and confronts her about it, making her feel guilty about being intimate with him. Rex's health starts to depreciate after George tampers with his heart medication. Lynette tries to revitalize her sex life with Tom, whom she fears is losing interest due to his busy work schedule. Susan hires Mr. Shaw to investigate the Young family, unaware that he is already working for Paul. After confronting Noah Taylor, Susan learns that Mike shot a police officer in self-defense and decides to forgive him. When questioned about the birth control pills, Carlos lies to Gabrielle and claims that his mother tampered with them. Gabrielle tells John about her pregnancy, making him worry that he may be the father. Sophie's boyfriend Morty proposes marriage to her and asks her to move out, which relieves Susan from taking care of her. Felicia plots to drive Paul out of the neighborhood, to help Zach know the truth about his family.
22 22 "Goodbye for Now" David Grossman Josh Senter May 15, 2005 (2005-05-15) 25.28[71]
Edie is annoyed when Susan and Mike move in together, and tries to intervene via the other wives. Lynette tries to keep Tom's ex-girlfriend Annabel from coming between them, and her actions result in him losing his job. George lies to Bree about information he finds regarding her and Rex's sex life, and when Bree confronts Rex about it, he has another heart attack. Carlos' prison sentence is increased to eight years, after he beats up John's roommate Justin thinking that he is the one having an affair with his wife, while Gabrielle decides to leave Carlos after discovering he was really the one who tampered with her pills. Mike pursues Paul after Felicia gives him Martha Huber's journal detailing Mary Alice's past and about what happened to Deirdre, and Susan decides to follow him. Felicia takes Zach into her home, while Martha Huber's journal lands in the hands of Susan and Julie. Betty Applewhite moves in to Wisteria Lane with her adolescent son, Matthew in the middle of the night.
23 23 "One Wonderful Day" Larry Shaw John Pardee, Joey Murphy, Marc Cherry, Tom Spezialy & Kevin Murphy May 22, 2005 (2005-05-22) 30.62[72]
A series of flashbacks reveal Mary Alice's real history and her reason for suicide. The other housewives come to comfort Bree while she stays with Rex at the hospital. Tom finds out through his boss that Lynette tried to get him fired, and decides to be a stay-at-home dad, telling Lynette that it is now her turn to work for the family. When Carlos is being tried in court for assaulting Justin, John finally tells him that he was the one having an affair with Gabrielle. Edie welcomes the Applewhites to Wisteria Lane, who seem abrupt and stand-offish. Zach holds Susan at gunpoint, hoping to find Mike instead, while Mike brings Paul to a desert quarry and interrogates him about killing Deirdre. Rex begins to think that the reason for his deteriorating health is that Bree had poisoned him. He writes her a note saying that he understands and forgives her, and dies from a heart attack a few minutes later.

Season 2 (2005–06)

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Season two premiered on September 25, 2005 and featured a total of 24 episodes (including a two-hour season finale of two episodes) and two clip shows. After discovering Mary Alice's dark secret, the housewives continue to move on with their lives. Bree, whose husband Rex Van de Kamp has just died, is not coping well with being a widow and is unwittingly dating the man who poisoned her husband. Susan, still searching for love after breaking up with Mike, ends up in bed with her ex-husband Karl Mayer who is now dating the neighborhood hussy, Edie Britt. Lynette goes back to her career in advertising, as her husband Tom Scavo becomes a stay-at-home dad. Gabrielle, who is now pregnant, decides to be faithful to her husband Carlos Solis who is now in jail – but just as she starts accepting her upcoming motherhood, she suffers a miscarriage. While managing their busy lives, the women cannot help but notice something suspicious about the new neighbors, Betty Applewhite and her son, who moved in during the middle of the night and are keeping a prisoner held captive in their basement.

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Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
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24 1 "Next" Larry Shaw Jenna Bans & Kevin Murphy September 25, 2005 (2005-09-25) 28.36[73]
Zach runs away after holding Susan hostage and unsuccessfully attempting to kill Mike. Mike confesses that Zach is his biological son, forcing Susan to end their relationship, as she cannot be around Zach. In the wake of Rex's death, Bree Van de Kamp must suffer through the company of her disrespectful mother-in-law, Phyllis. While in jail, Carlos refuses to forgive Gabrielle for her infidelity, despite her insisting that he is the father of her baby. Lynette secures a job at an advertising agency and immediately learns how difficult it will be to balance work and motherhood. Betty Applewhite and her son, Matthew, do their best to keep up appearances while they are secretly keeping a prisoner in their basement.
25 2 "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" David Grossman Chris Black & Alexandra Cunningham October 2, 2005 (2005-10-02) 27.11[74]
Susan is dismayed to see that her ex-husband, Karl, has moved in with Edie Britt. Meanwhile, she and Mike continue their relationship on a casual basis. When Phyllis sees Bree seeking comfort in George Williams, she implies to the insurance company that Bree had a motive to kill Rex. Fed up with having to bring bills to Carlos in jail, Gabrielle demands control over their finances. Lynette releases a rat in her house to urge Tom to clean while she is at work. Betty slips sleeping pills into the food of her secret prisoner to keep him quiet.
26 3 "You'll Never Get Away from Me" Arlene Sanford Tom Spezialy & Ellie Herman October 9, 2005 (2005-10-09) 26.06[75]
Bree takes a polygraph test to clear herself of suspicion of killing Rex. She urges George, her suspected accomplice, to take one as well; both pass. Susan is jealous when she learns that Edie and Julie are entering the church family talent show. Betty deals with her secret prisoner's near-escape while Matthew tells her to be nicer to the neighbors. Lynette is unable to get the morning off from work to accompany Parker on his first day of school, so she joins him via live video chat. Gabrielle finally lets go of John when she sees him with another woman. She apologizes to Carlos for having an affair, wholeheartedly for the first time.
27 4 "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" Robert Duncan McNeill John Pardee & Joey Murphy October 16, 2005 (2005-10-16) 25.78[76]
Susan reconnects with Mike and agrees to help search for Zach. She finds him but sends him to search for his father in Utah when he begins to ask about Julie. Gabrielle hires a successful lawyer, the handsome David Bradley, to help him get her husband out of jail. Andrew acts out when Bree tries to incorporate George into their lives, prompting her to send him back to a youth detention camp. Lynette sees the toll her long hours have taken when her son, Parker, creates an imaginary friend who is somewhat of a surrogate mother.
28 5 "They Asked Me Why I Believe in You" David Grossman Alan Cross October 23, 2005 (2005-10-23) 25.22[77]
Susan learns that her agent and longtime friend, Lonny, has been embezzling her money. Hoping to make working with her boss, Nina, easier, Lynette takes her out drinking. However, Nina soon begs Lynette to go to the bar every night. Carlos only agrees to hire Bradley as his lawyer after Bradley threatens to pursue Gabrielle if he opts otherwise. Bree is horrified to learn that Rex died believing she had poisoned him. Chicago police arrest a man in the Melanie Foster murder case, prompting Betty to write an anonymous letter explaining that they have arrested the wrong man. This angers Matthew, who thinks that she is turning Caleb in.
29 6 "I Wish I Could Forget You" Larry Shaw Kevin Etten & Josh Senter November 6, 2005 (2005-11-06) 23.93[78]
Paul Young returns to Wisteria Lane and questions Susan about Zach's whereabouts. Susan tells him that she sent him to Utah. Paul later mentions this to Mike, who breaks up with Susan over the betrayal. Bree and George consummate their relationship. Lynette buys a new suit after finding out that she is the butt of jokes around the office. After being shot at the courthouse, David believes that he is in love with Gabrielle, but she discredits this claim.
30 7 "Color and Light" David Grossman Marc Cherry November 13, 2005 (2005-11-13) 25.93[79]
Lynette arranges a weekly play date between her and another couples' children so she and Tom can have some downtime. They soon discover, however, that the other children's parents have a secret hobby of making sex tapes. Bree accepts George's marriage proposal. Later, George attacks Bree's psychiatrist, Dr. Goldfine, who had convinced Bree to reconsider the proposal. Susan and Karl sleep together in a drunken mistake after he and Edie break up. The next morning, Edie tells Susan that she and Karl are back together. Betty and Matthew discover that Caleb has escaped. After entertaining her model friends from New York, Gabrielle finds Caleb in her house. She tries to run away, but falls down a flight of stairs.
31 8 "The Sun Won't Set" Stephen Cragg Jenna Bans November 20, 2005 (2005-11-20) 25.92[80]
Gabrielle suffers a miscarriage after her fall and represses her grief. Susan's mother admits that Susan's biological father is a local businessman, not a deceased war veteran. Lynette worries that her children will not react safely when approached by a stranger. Bree breaks off her engagement from George after he proves to be jealous and possessive. Matthew continues searching for Caleb but is sidetracked by a blossoming relationship with Danielle. Caleb is found one night and arrested. Gabrielle identifies him as the intruder and Betty silently warns him to stay quiet.
32 9 "That's Good, That's Bad" Larry Shaw Kevin Murphy November 27, 2005 (2005-11-27) 25.89[81]
Susan begins to build a relationship with her reluctant father, Addison Prudy. Carlos receives early parole with the help of Sister Mary Bernard, who poses a threat for Gabrielle's marriage. Lynette is promoted after Nina is fired. The police tell Bree that George was most likely responsible for her husband's death. George attempts suicide, hoping to win her back after she broke off their engagement.
33 10 "Coming Home" Arlene Sanford Chris Black December 4, 2005 (2005-12-04) 25.52[82]
Gabrielle thwarts Carlos's attempts to do charity work with Sister Mary. Andrew returns home and Bree confesses to him that she watched as George committed suicide. Addison's wife sees him and Susan together and thinks he is having an affair, forcing Susan to tell her that she is his daughter. Lynette fights for office daycare so she can see her children more often. Zach returns home and reunites with Paul. Betty and Matthew successfully sneak Caleb out of the mental hospital, but not without the attention of a private investigator.
34 11 "One More Kiss" Wendey Stanzler Joey Murphy & John Pardee January 8, 2006 (2006-01-08) 23.72[83]
Lynette is upset when Gabrielle kisses Tom at a neighborhood party. Gabrielle insists that it was only a joke. After Bree voices her disapproval of Andrew's homosexual relationship, Andrew threatens to tell the police about Bree's role in George's suicide. Betty and Matthew find that a private investigator hired by the Fosters has broken into their home, fell through their stars, and accidentally shot himself. They plan to dispose of his body and car but accidentally lock the keys inside the car and the body in the trunk. Susan and Julie help Mike connect with Zach without Paul's knowledge. When Paul finds out, he confronts Mike and they have an altercation. Susan drives by and accidentally crashes into the private detective's car. The trunk door pops open, the body is discovered, and the neighborhood begins to find the Applewhites suspicious.
35 12 "We're Gonna Be All Right" David Grossman Alexandra Cunningham January 15, 2006 (2006-01-15) 22.52[84]
Susan fakes medical symptoms so she can see Dr. Ron McCready and ask him on a date. When she comes clean, he is angry because he could not figure out what her ailment was; however, he did find that she has a wandering spleen. Lynette learns that Tom has thought about having a second wife and family if she were to die. Gabrielle finds out that an ex-boyfriend has posted nude pictures of her on the internet. Bree is arrested for a DUI and must walk home from jail. Betty sees her and offers her a ride home. Bree denies being drunk, but Betty does not seem to believe her. Bree furiously mentions the several controversies surrounding Betty's family, which prompts her to put the house up for sale.
36 13 "There's Something About a War" Larry Shaw Kevin Etten January 22, 2006 (2006-01-22) 25.33[85]
Gabrielle tells Father Crowley that Sister Mary and Carlos have had sex, which, much to Gabrielle's pleasure, leads to Sister Mary being transferred to Alaska. Tom is given a job at Lynette's firm despite her reluctance. Bree finds out about Matthew and Danielle's relationship. Later, she sees Caleb in the window of Betty's house and recognizes him as the intruder. To help protect the Applewhites, Danielle tells Matthew about Andrew's hit-and-run, which resulted in Carlos's mother's death. Betty threatens to tell the police about it if she tells anyone about Caleb. Susan is nervous about being Dr. Ron's first splenectomy patient.
37 14 "Silly People" Robert Duncan McNeill Tom Spezialy February 12, 2006 (2006-02-12) 23.47[86]
Carlos and Gabrielle take in Xiao-Mei, a former slave who is faced with deportation, as their maid. Susan finds out that she does not have health insurance. Karl agrees to remarry her so she can use his benefits, but they both agree to keep Dr. Ron and Edie in the dark. Bree sneaks into Betty's home to talk to Caleb. Later, Betty explains to Bree how Caleb murdered Melanie Foster. Lynette is dismayed when she sees Ed taking advantage of Tom during a series of office hi-jinks. Noah Taylor, Zach's biological grandfather on his mother's side, demands that Mike bring him to see him.
38 15 "Thank You So Much" David Grossman Dahvi Waller February 19, 2006 (2006-02-19) 23.41[87]
Bree babysits Lynette's children and passes out drunk, leading Lynette to conclude that she has a drinking problem. Gabrielle's mother, Lucia, shows up unexpectedly. She offers to be their surrogate mother, as Gabrielle can no longer conceive children. Gabrielle, still angry at her mother for not protecting her against her sexually aggressive stepfather, kicks her mother out. Edie is hurt and disappointed when Karl does not propose like she thought he would. Mike tells Paul and Zach to leave town before Noah can track them down.
39 16 "There Is No Other Way" Randy Zisk Bruce Zimmerman March 12, 2006 (2006-03-12) 22.20[88]
Paul is arrested and almost killed by Noah's hired thugs. Andrew, seeking emancipation and an early trust fund, accuses Bree of hitting him while she was drunk. Bree joins an alcoholics anonymous program, not willing to let Andrew win. Gabrielle and Carlos's visit to an adoption clinic goes awry. Tom struggles for power in his marriage. Dr. Ron finds out about Susan's marriage to Karl immediately after she professes her love for Mike while under anesthesia. Felicia Tillman returns to Wisteria Lane.
40 17 "Could I Leave You?" Pam Thomas Scott Sanford Tobis March 26, 2006 (2006-03-26) 21.41[89]
Dr. Ron breaks up with Susan after he finds out that she lied about being in love with Mike. Gabrielle and Carlos find an attractive mother to adopt from; however, the woman, Libby, has not yet told the father that she is giving the baby up. After Andrew tells Bree that he will tell the judge she sexually abused him, she gets drunk and passes out in a department store. Her AA sponsor, Peter McMillan, comes to her aid. Lynette takes issue with a woman in her office who is still breast-feeding her five-year-old son. Caleb expresses an interest in Danielle.
41 18 "Everybody Says Don't" Tom Cherones Teleplay by: Jenna Bans & Alexandra Cunningham
Story by: Jim Lincoln
April 2, 2006 (2006-04-02) 21.82[90]
Bree takes an interest in Peter, who is also a recovering sex addict. Lynette is compelled to give a deposition in Andrew's emancipation. After discovering that Andrew lied about being abused by his mother, Lynette protects Bree and testifies in her favor. Dr. Ron tells Edie about Susan and Karl's sham marriage and punishes them. At Edie and Karl's engagement party, Felicia Tillman publicly accuses Paul of killing her sister. Libby goes into labor and when the baby's father expresses an interest in keeping it, Gabrielle and Carlos flee the hospital with the baby.
42 19 "Don't Look at Me" David Grossman Josh Senter April 16, 2006 (2006-04-16) 20.02[91]
Bree's parents show up on her court date with Andrew and have it postponed. They offer to take Andrew back to Rhode Island, but back out upon finding out that Andrew is gay. Gabrielle adjusts to motherhood after she and Carlos are granted temporary custody of Lily, the newborn baby. Parker begins to ask about sex. Susan sleeps with Karl again, thinking that he and Edie have broken up. However, Karl lied and Susan is furious that he made her the other woman. Felicia continues to antagonize Paul.
43 20 "It Wasn't Meant to Happen" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry & Tom Spezialy April 30, 2006 (2006-04-30) 21.30[92]
Gabrielle and Carlos obtain full custody of Lily, but Libby changes her mind and takes her back. Bree offers to be Peter's sex addiction sponsor, hoping to build a relationship. Ed has Lynette send dirty instant messages to his wife to save their sex life. When his wife finds out, she demands that he fire whoever is responsible. He blames Tom, as Lynette is too valuable to lose. Karl leaves Edie, claiming there is another woman. Edie hires a private detective to find out who Karl's other woman is. Betty sells the house without Matthew's knowledge. He and Danielle stage Danielle's near-rape at the hands of Caleb. Bree demands that Betty do something about Caleb.
44 21 "I Know Things Now" Wendey Stanzler Kevin Etten & Bruce Zimmerman May 7, 2006 (2006-05-07) 21.33[93]
Gabrielle and Carlos ask Xiao-Mei to be their surrogate so she can avoid deportation. Ed hires a forensic accountant, who uncovers evidence in Tom's expenses that he may be having an affair in Atlantic City. Betty discovers that Matthew set Caleb up before she poisons him. She locks Matthew in Caleb's old cell as punishment for making her almost murder her son. Edie learns that Susan is Karl's other woman and sets her house on fire. Andrew, still thirsty for revenge, seduces Peter and lures Bree to the scene. The next morning, Bree leaves Andrew on the side of the road.
45 22 "No One Is Alone" David Grossman Kevin Murphy & Chris Black May 14, 2006 (2006-05-14) 21.03[94]
Susan tries to get Edie's confession to burning down her house on tape. Edie catches on and chases Susan, but falls and is attacked by a swarm of yellowjackets. Danielle rescues Matthew and they run away together. Bree admits herself to a mental health facility for psychiatric observation. Lynette follows Tom to Atlantic City and sees him with another woman. When Tom returns to Fairview, he finds that Lynette has taken the kids and left. Gabrielle worries that Carlos is putting Xiao-Mei's needs ahead of hers, only a few days into the pregnancy. In a final act of revenge, Felicia frames Paul for her murder, even severing her own fingers, and leaves town.
46 23 "Remember (Part 1)" Larry Shaw Teleplay by: Marc Cherry & Jenna Bans
Story by: Alexandra Cunningham & Tom Spezialy
May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21) 24.23[95]
Lynette learns that the woman she saw Tom with is Nora Huntington, his one-night stand from eleven years ago. She had a child and only recently contacted Tom about her. Lynette and Nora clash from the start and Nora announces she is moving to Fairview. Gabrielle begins to suspect Carlos and Xiao-Mei are having an affair. When she catches them in the act, she kicks Carlos out and tells Xiao-Mei she cannot leave as long as she is still pregnant. Betty discovers that it was Matthew who murdered Melanie Foster, not Caleb.
47 24 "Remember (Part 2)" Larry Shaw Teleplay by: Marc Cherry & Jenna Bans
Story by: Alexandra Cunningham & Tom Spezialy
May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21) 24.23[95]

While in the mental health facility, Bree meets a visitor named Orson. Betty calls Bree to tell her about her new discovery, and Bree escapes. She confronts Danielle and Matthew at her home. Matthew pulls out a gun but is shot and killed by the police, who were called by Betty. Betty and Caleb move away to start fresh. Susan rejects Karl's gift, a house, and rekindles her romance with Mike. They plan dinner, but Mike is deliberately hit by Orson in his car and left for dead. The next morning, Orson visits Bree.

Final Appearance of: Betty & Caleb Applewhite

Season 3 (2006–07)

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Season three premiered on September 24, 2006 and features a total of 23 episodes and two clip shows. It has been six months since Orson Hodge deliberately ran Mike over with his car. Gabrielle, who found out Carlos cheated on her with their surrogate maid, refused to take him back, and now they're getting divorced, but both want to raise the newborn child. Bree, who has finally put Rex's death behind her, marries Orson. A mysterious woman (played by Laurie Metcalf) accused him of killing his wife at their engagement party, and Bree cannot help but wonder if that is true. Lynette, meanwhile, tries to adjust to having another child around the house. Ultimately she quits her job at the advertising agency to start a pizzeria with Tom. Susan, who has been waiting for Mike to wake up from his coma is shocked when she finds out her nemesis Edie has been posing as his girlfriend, since he has amnesia. And Edie has her nephew move to Wisteria Lane after she finds him trying to break into her house.

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48 1 "Listen to the Rain on the Roof" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry & Jeff Greenstein September 24, 2006 (2006-09-24) 24.09[96]
Flashbacks of Alma Hodge, Orson Hodge's presently ex-wife are shown right before she disappeared after she tried to leave her husband. Six months have passed since Orson Hodge deliberately injured Mike in a hit and run accident. Mike Delfino has been in a coma since. Susan Mayer takes care of Mike while he is in the hospital and befriends Ian Hainsworth, whose wife Jane is in a coma. Ian asks Susan out but she feels she might hurt Mike if she agrees to Ian's proposal. Bree Van De Kamp gets romantically involved with Orson Hodge and Orson later asks her to marry him. Lynette Scavo tries to stop Nora Huntington from forcing her way into the Scavo family while trying to keep Kayla Huntington, Tom's illegitimate daughter, close. Gabrielle Solis threatens to send her surrogate, Xiao-Mei, off to China to work as a slave. Later, at Bree's engagement party, Carolyn Bigsby, Hodge's neighbor accuses Orson of murdering his wife. A body is shown buried in clay in the new club house construction site.
49 2 "It Takes Two" David Grossman Kevin Murphy & Jenna Bans October 1, 2006 (2006-10-01) 21.42[97]
The police discover the unidentified female body buried in clay and learn that all of her teeth were extracted, thereby preventing identification through dental records. Bree marries Orson despite collective opposition from her friends, especially Susan who tries to contact Carolyn Bigsby at her office. Susan's date with Ian becomes awkward when his in-laws show up at the restaurant and believe her to be a doctor. Lynette and Tom try to set Nora up with one of the bachelors and ultimately use Carlos, much to Gabrielle's dismay. Gabrielle and Carlos rush Xiao-Mei to the hospital after her water breaks, but are shocked when they meet the baby. Edie Britt allows her nephew, Austin to stay with her when she catches him breaking into her house. Later, Austin ends up meeting Julie. Afterwards, the police call in Orson and Bree to identify the body as that of Alma but Orson denies this. He hides the fact that he knows her by the name, Monique.
50 3 "A Weekend in the Country" Wendey Stanzler Bob Daily October 8, 2006 (2006-10-08) 20.96[98]
Bree cancels her honeymoon much to Orson's dismay when she learns that a reporter is covering a story of Andrew's life as a homeless teenager after he was abandoned by his alcoholic mother. Orson persuades Andrew to return home and not to hurt his Mom anymore. Lynette's plans for a relaxing spa-weekend with Gabrielle are interrupted when she is forced to take an eight-hour drive with Nora to help Tom handle her kids. Lynette and Nora start fighting with each other, causing Nora to take a lift. Later, Lynette promises Tom that she will support him irrespective of the job he opts for. Gabrielle meets John Rowland during her spa vacation and has sex with him. Soon she realizes that the tables have turned, as now she has to hide from his fiancée. Susan and Ian plan a weekend away in a cottage where they begin arguing frequently but eventually end up having sex. Edie Britt warns Julie to stay away from Austin after she asks him to help her fix the fuse box. Edie visits Mike to take back her CD player and finds Mike awake from his coma.
51 4 "Like It Was" Larry Shaw John Pardee & Joey Murphy October 15, 2006 (2006-10-15) 20.64[99]
Gabrielle's attempt to prevent Carlos from moving back into the house during the divorce proceedings ultimate results in her being arrested. Lynette bribes the pitcher and eventually the coach of Parker's baseball team to prevent him from quitting. Bree tries to cover the fact that Andrew was living on the streets by lying that he went to "drama camp". Orson eventually learns that Andrew had resorted to prostitution for money. Bree finds out that Danielle is sleeping with her history teacher, Mr. Faladi. The word of Mike's recovery spreads on Wisteria Lane, but Susan does not find out as she is in a mountain cabin with Ian, away from cellphone reception. Edie tries to steal Mike from Susan by lying about their relationship when she finds out he is suffering from temporary amnesia.
52 5 "Nice She Ain't" David Warren Alexandra Cunningham & Susan Nirah Jaffee October 22, 2006 (2006-10-22) 19.71[100]
Susan kidnaps Mike when Edie continues to lie about his relationship with her but Mike still does not trust her. Danielle attempts suicide with a spoon after Bree tries to sabotage her affair with Mr. Faladi. Gabrielle tries to hurt Carlos by faking "sex" with her new date. Tom tells Lynette of his plans to open a pizzeria, much to Lynette's shock. Nora plots to sabotage Tom and Lynette's relationship to her advantage. Austin fools Julie into writing his English homework while he makes out with her friend, Sarah. Detective Ridley finds a phone number written on the corpse's hand which leads them to Mike Delfino Plumbing Services.
53 6 "Sweetheart, I Have to Confess" David Grossman Dahvi Waller & Josh Senter October 29, 2006 (2006-10-29) 21.24[101]
Susan gets back with Ian when she learns Edie had sex with Mike. Nora kisses Tom to fool him into leaving Lynette as she does not support his "pizza parlor" dream, but her plan backfires when Lynette threatens her. Gabrielle pushes Carlos out a window after he fools her into having sex with her for financial gains after the divorce. Bree arranges a couples dinner with the Bigsby's leading Bree to learn about Orson's past of domestic violence and Orson to find out about Harvey Bigsby's affair with Monique Polier. Later, Orson informs the police about Harvey's affair. Detective Ridley questions Mike about Monique's murder but Mike tells them he does not remember her. Later, Mike gets flashbacks of Monique, indicating he knew her.
54 7 "Bang" Larry Shaw Joe Keenan November 5, 2006 (2006-11-05) 22.65[102]
Orson explains his motive of domestic violence to Bree. Carolyn Bigsby holds her husband, Harvey, hostage in his supermarket along with Julie, Austin, Edie, Lynette, Nora and a few others after Bree tells her about Harvey's affair with Monique Polier. Carolyn kills Nora and shoots Lynette before Austin wrestles her to the ground, leaving one of the hostages the opportunity to kill Carolyn. Meanwhile, Susan tries to exchange places with Julie. Gabrielle and Carlos promise to keep their differences aside and live happily if not together.
55 8 "Children and Art" Wendey Stanzler Kevin Etten & Jenna Bans November 12, 2006 (2006-11-12) 22.27[103]
Detective Ridley is eager to search Mike's home when he is discharged from the hospital but does not find a toolbox in his premises. Lynette bakes a "Thank You" cake for the new neighbor, Art Shepherd for saving her life, but soon finds out that he may be a pedophile. Bree tries to contact Orson's mother, Gloria Hodge, and allows her to move in despite Orson's resistance. Gloria threatens to reveal Orson's secret if he tries to send her back to the nursing home. Gabrielle returns to modeling, but doesn't last long. Susan seeks Karl's help to set boundaries for Julie and Austin who start dating after the supermarket incident.
56 9 "Beautiful Girls" David Grossman Dahvi Waller & Susan Nirah Jaffee November 19, 2006 (2006-11-19) 21.63[104]
Gabrielle begins coaching young girls for a beauty pageant but causes controversy with their parents after teaching the girls ill weight loss methods. Susan tries to befriend Ian's butler, Rupert Cavanaugh, to vain after she moves some of her stuff in his house. Carlos moves in with Mike. Lynette unsuccessfully tries to turn Art in to the police as a pedophile. Gloria steals liquor with help from Andrew and eventually reveals to Bree that Monique Polier was having a double affair with Orson and Harvey while Orson was married. Bree feels shocked and betrayed and asks Orson to move out of her house. Mike tries to hide the acquired toolbox only to find Detective Ridley waiting for him in the shadows.
57 10 "The Miracle Song" Larry Shaw Bob Daily November 26, 2006 (2006-11-26) 21.43[105]
Susan asks Bree to prepare a homecooked meal for Ian's parents but Bree refuses after she and Susan fight over Orson's innocence. Edie splits up with Mike when he is sent to jail for Monique's murder. Susan tries to help Mike by breaking into Orson's office and finds crucial evidence that might prove Orson is hiding something. Orson reveals some of the facts about his affair to Bree which causes her to take him back and throw Gloria out. Gabrielle destroys a friendship between two girls in order to date Bill, one of their fathers. Lynette ignites a "No pedophile" strike against Art which causes his sister to die of cardiac arrest. Art later threatens to resort to his pedophilia emotions now that his sister is dead. Gloria plans a late-night meeting with Alma.
58 11 "No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds" Sanaa Hamri Alexandra Cunningham & Josh Senter January 7, 2007 (2007-01-07) 18.71[106]
Alma buys a house from Edie on Wisteria Lane, meets Bree and reveals the mystery surrounding her disappearance. Susan meets Mike one last time to tell him that Ian won't allow her to see him again. Mike meets Paul Young in prison but he doesn't remember him. Gabrielle receives an anonymous bouquet while on a date with Bill and thinks the mystery guy is Carlos. Lynette tries to mend her relationship with Kayla but finds out she blames her for Nora's death. Bree tries to shame Susan by inviting her to see Alma at a dinner party indicating that Susan's suspicion about Orson was wrong. Things get even messier when Susan calls Detective Ridley and tells him about Orson's affair with Monique causing Bree to break her friendship with Susan. Julie decides whether to let Austin go for "third base" while he has an affair with Danielle.
59 12 "Not While I'm Around" David Grossman Kevin Murphy & Kevin Etten January 14, 2007 (2007-01-14) 16.76[107]
Tom and Lynette clash over decision making for the pizzeria which results in Lynette finding out about a number of problems the pizzeria is facing. After receiving more gifts, Gabrielle learns that her secret admirer, or stalker, is none other than Zach Young. Susan's butts heads with Edie because she provided contraceptive pills to Julie and Austin so that they can have sex. Both of them later catch Austin and Danielle making out. Paul Young provides a helping hand when Mike gets attacked by a couple of prisoners. Bree tells Orson to "make" Alma move from Wisteria Lane but instead Alma threatens to reveal to Bree what Orson did to Monique. Bree later finds a photo of Orson and Monique and a bag full of teeth under one of Alma's floorboards.
60 13 "Come Play Wiz Me" Larry Shaw Valerie Ahern & Christian McLaughlin January 21, 2007 (2007-01-21) 17.14[108]
Susan visits Jane in the hospital when Ian is away on business only to watch her die. Susan also learns about Jane's affair and decides to stay away from Mike to protect her relationship with Ian. Lynette initially tries to stall from returning to her workplace but eventually quits when she feels she wants to work with Tom in the pizzeria. Mike clashes with Paul which results in Paul asking him to bring Zach to come and talk to him. Zach meets Paul but refuses to help him. Gabrielle spends time with Zach in return for money to bail Mike out of jail on Susan's behalf but soon learns Zach is just lonely and uses money to make friends. Gloria who intends to have a grandchild asks Alma to rape Orson when he is drugged but Bree finds him naked with her.
61 14 "I Remember That" David Warren John Pardee & Joey Murphy February 11, 2007 (2007-02-11) 18.10[109]
Ian proposes to Susan at Jane's funeral but she postpones the offer. Tom and Lynette face further problems in decision making when Edie begs Tom to let Austin work at the pizzeria. Orson explains the truth about Monique's death to Bree and Bree asks him to confess to the police. Later, Bree gets injured in a mysterious accident which makes Andrew believe Orson is responsible. Gloria locks Alma in a room. Annoyed by Gabrielle's disinterest in him, Zach threatens Gabrielle's boyfriend to dump her. Mike's memories return when he visits a hypnotherapist and finds out that he didn't kill Monique but had instead met Orson at her house the day she died. He confronts Orson which results in a fight causing Orson to fall off the hospital's roof.
62 15 "The Little Things You Do Together" David Grossman Marc Cherry & Joe Keenan February 18, 2007 (2007-02-18) 18.51[110]
It is revealed that Gloria killed Monique and removed her teeth before burying her body with Orson's help, much to Orson's reluctance. Bree and Susan reconcile. Lynette's in trouble with Tom when they don't have enough chairs for the pizzeria's grand opening. Ian proposes to Susan at the grand opening when he finds out Mike had an engraved ring for Susan the night of the accident. Zach tries to convince Gabrielle they had sex when she was drunk but she doesn't remember. Gabrielle asks Carlos to threaten Zach but he ends up finding out that they did not have sex. Andrew asks Danielle to babysit Bree but she runs off to the opening with her friends asking Gloria to stay and take care of her instead. Gloria intends to poison and then murder Bree to make it look like a suicide but Orson walks in when she is about to commit the crime. Orson permanently paralyzes Gloria when he finds out she killed his father. Alma falls from her roof and dies while escaping.
63 16 "My Husband, the Pig" Larry Shaw Brian A. Alexander March 4, 2007 (2007-03-04) 18.31[111]
Steven Culp narrates this episode as the late Rex Van de Kamp. Bree and Orson are about to leave for their honeymoon as Danielle tells them she is pregnant with Austin's child. Austin apologizes to Julie who gives him a second chance but he is forced by Andrew to leave Fairview after he learns about the pregnancy. Ian presents Susan a ring which she takes to get resized and runs into Mike who is selling "his" ring. Mike and Orson make a deal to keep each other's secrets safe. Tom tries to make a nice romantic gesture for Lynette on their ninth anniversary, but fails miserably. Victor Lang, a candidate running for Mayor of Fairview flirts with Gabrielle. Carlos gets distracted on his date when he finds Edie's son Travers on the road. Mike and Ian bet on Susan at a game of poker but Ian wins preventing Mike from seeing her again.
64 17 "Dress Big" Matthew Diamond Kevin Etten & Susan Nirah Jaffee April 8, 2007 (2007-04-08) 15.93[112]
Susan clashes with Ian's parents when they ask her to sign a prenuptial agreement stating she will not get hold of the estate and money if she divorces Ian in the future but she refuses. Susan later learns Graham, Ian's father has a habit of dressing up like a woman and she uses this to blackmail him into not letting her sign the pre-nup. Lynette is devastated when she finds an unconscious Tom on the floor in the pizzeria and finds out he will be unable to work for minimum three months because of a ruptured disc. Gabrielle "borrows" some of Victor's ex-wife's clothes after her closet is ruined but runs into his ex-wife at a party who demands her clothes back. Edie tries to seduce Carlos but he gets angry at her for not being a committing mother or woman but later he has sex with her when she agrees to change.
65 18 "Liaisons" David Grossman Jenna Bans & Alexandra Cunningham April 15, 2007 (2007-04-15) 16.35[113]
Tom's crankiness takes a toll on Lynette for hiring a former drug addict and sous-chef, Rick Colleti to work at the pizzeria as well as Mrs. McCluskey who quits her babysitting job. Edie and Carlos have sex again to prove they are not "bad in bed" and plan to take their relationship to the "family" level. Victor confesses he's in love with Gabrielle when she tries to make him jealous. Susan and Ian contemplate moving permanently to London after Ian thinks Mike will always be around them in Fairview. Mike quits his hypnotherapy sessions because he feels it reminds him of his love for Susan and comes to Susan and Ian's rescue when their car falls into a lake. Later, he kisses her when she gives him a "thank you" gift causing Susan to doubt her loyalty for Ian. Tom calls to apologize to Mrs. McCluskey who later reveals she has frozen her husband, Gilbert's, body in the basement freezer.
66 19 "God, That's Good" Larry Shaw Dahvi Waller & Josh Senter April 22, 2007 (2007-04-22) 15.91[114]
Susan tries to set up Mike with her wedding designer to prevent awkwardness from the kiss but he bails on her plan. Susan, Mike and Ian get in an argument, which results in Susan calling off the wedding when she finds out both men bet on her in a poker game. Lynette decides to add some of Rick's delicacies to the menu, much to Tom's dismay. Later, she listens to Rick's advice over Tom's. Victor gets blackmailed when he is caught having sex with Gabrielle on camera, which causes him to lose points in the polls. Seeing this, Gabrielle tells the media that they are engaged. Edie and Carlos hide their relationship from people, but Edie discovers that Carlos is doing this because he is still in love with Gabrielle. Mrs. McCluskey swears Parker into secrecy when he discovers Gilbert's body, but she is sent to prison when Ida also comes across it.
67 20 "Gossip" Wendey Stanzler John Pardee & Joey Murphy April 29, 2007 (2007-04-29) 17.17[115]
Gabrielle is unhappy when she learns about Edie's relationship with Carlos and asks Susan and Lynette to give her the cold shoulder but realizes that Carlos is still in love with her and is not serious about Edie. Susan is forced to pour out her feelings to a court-ordered therapist over her choice between Mike and Ian but she gets rejected by both of them who leave for a hot-spring hike and England, respectively. Mrs. McCluskey reveals that she froze Gilbert's dead body so that she could cash in his pension checks, which would otherwise have gone to his first wife after his death. Lynette lies to Tom to spend time with Rick at the pizzeria late one night, but causes a rift when Kayla tells Tom that maybe Lynette "likes likes" Rick.
68 21 "Into the Woods" David Grossman Alexandra Cunningham May 6, 2007 (2007-05-06) 17.16[116]
Susan gets lost in the woods when she tries to follow Mike to the hot springs by hiking with a rude and demeaning guide but Mike finds her. After a robbery, during which Rick and Lynette were locked in the pizzeria freezer, Tom tries to force Rick to quit so that he doesn't spoil his marriage, but Rick refuses. Lynette, however, fires him when he tells her that he has feelings for her. Edie decides to fight for joint custody for Travers to force Carlos to be around her but lets it go when Carlos reminds her that Travers needs a stable life. Gabrielle decides to teach a cop a lesson when he calls her a "bitch" but it backfires when she gets arrested. Victor blames her for humiliating him, but later sends two goons to attack the cop when he finds out he twisted Gabrielle's wrist.
69 22 "What Would We Do Without You?" Larry Shaw Bob Daily May 13, 2007 (2007-05-13) 16.13[117]
Tom tries to make Lynette talk to a marriage counselor without her knowledge but they get into a fight when Tom suspects Lynette has feelings for Rick. A CAT scan shows Lynette has swollen lymph nodes, which could be lymphoma/cancer. Susan's plans for having the wedding with a different groom go horribly wrong when she finds out Gabrielle stole all her wedding ideas. They get into a fight and resolve it by deciding to have a double wedding. Victor refuses by saying he doesn't want an ex-convict like Mike to be at his wedding. Edie talks to Mrs. Lily Sims, Mike's ex-landlord and now Carlos's, and asks her to not give Carlos the lease so that he moves in with her, but finds out Carlos wants kids. She later decides to have a baby with Carlos but secretly consumes birth control pills.
70 23 "Getting Married Today" David Grossman Joe Keenan & Kevin Murphy May 20, 2007 (2007-05-20) 18.82[118]
Gabrielle finds out Victor married her to cash in on the Latino vote in the gubernatorial campaign and makes out with an upset Carlos, who broke up with Edie when he found out about the birth control pills. Bree returns with Orson and pretends to be pregnant with Danielle's baby, while a pregnant Danielle attends the Sisters Of Hope Convent. Lynette's estranged mother, Stella, returns to help her get through her lymphoma treatment but Lynette refuses to take her money or help. Susan and Mike get married privately in the woods to cut back on expenses. Edie, upset over the breakup, tries to commit suicide.

Season 4 (2007–08)

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Season four premiered on September 30, 2007 and was supposed to feature a total of 23 episodes, but due to the Writers Guild of America strike it only featured a total of 17 episodes including a two-hour season finale, making season 4 the shortest season of the series.[119] In season 4, Susan and Mike settle down into a married life and Susan finds out she's pregnant. Lynette is battling Hodgkin's lymphoma and having problems with her recently discovered stepdaughter. Bree is pretending to be pregnant with her daughter's baby so she can adopt the baby and pass it off as her own. Gabrielle is in an unhappy marriage with Fairview's mayor and is continuing her secret affair with Carlos, and after faking a suicide attempt, Edie tries to keep her relationship with Carlos intact by blackmailing him. New neighbor Katherine Mayfair moves to Wisteria Lane with a dark secret of her own. Season 4 also saw the destruction of Wisteria Lane when a tornado ripped through the neighborhood and ultimately changed the lives of everyone. By the end of the season, a 5-year time jump takes place.

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71 1 "Now You Know" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry September 30, 2007 (2007-09-30) 19.32[120]
Katherine Mayfair, an ex-neighbor and old friend of Susan, moves into her old house, which used to be Mike's house, with her second husband, Adam, a gynecologist, and her teenage daughter, Dylan, who all have secrets of their own. It is revealed that Edie staged her suicide to make Carlos stay with her, unaware of the fact that Carlos was having a secret affair with Gabrielle and planned to run away with her. Edie complicates things when she finds out about Carlos's illegal offshore bank account in the Cayman Islands. Lynette tells her friends about her cancer. Bree tries to hide her fake pregnancy from the neighbors. Susan worries she might be in menopause, but finds out she is pregnant, much to Mike's delight.
72 2 "Smiles of a Summer Night" David Grossman Bob Daily & Matt Berry October 7, 2007 (2007-10-07) 17.82[121]
Susan tries to involve Mike as a parent in her house, which includes decision making, but causes a problem with Julie. Lynette bans Tom from her chemotherapy sessions and asks Gabrielle to accompany her, but finds out she hates the prospect of visiting Lynette because her father died of cancer too. Bree is infuriated when Katherine refuses to give her secret lemon meringue pie recipe to her and decides to sneak into her house and take it, but is shocked when she overhears Katherine slapping Dylan for questioning about her birth father. Edie blackmails Carlos with the Cayman Islands account and forces him to get engaged to her.
73 3 "The Game" Bethany Rooney Joey Murphy & John Pardee October 14, 2007 (2007-10-14) 18.89[122]
Julie and Dylan break into Dylan's old room where they find Dylan's old toys, but Katherine catches them and forbids Dylan to ever meet Julie again. Susan and Mike have a charades party at their house, which turns into a total disaster due to the following reasons: 1) Stella drugs Lynette's brownies, with Andrew's help, causing her to dance around like a maniac at the party; 2) Gabrielle is unhappy when she hears about Carlos and Edie's engagement and tries to flirt with Adam which makes Carlos furious; 3) Katherine accuses Gabrielle of flirting with her husband and brings up the John Rowland news again, upsetting Victor; 4) Gabrielle in turn reveals that Bree heard Katherine slap Dylan, which causes Katherine to reveal that her first husband tried to "do the worst thing to their daughter"; 5) Susan and Bree get into a fight when Bree tells her to go to a gynecologist who lives in a bad neighborhood, which makes Susan suspicious about Bree's pregnancy; and 6) Victor scares Carlos when he hints that he would murder the man who would have an affair with his wife.
74 4 "If There's Anything I Can't Stand" Larry Shaw Alexandra Cunningham & Lori Kirkland Baker October 21, 2007 (2007-10-21) 18.21[123]
Susan tries to get along with Bob and Lee, the new gay couple on the block, but fails miserably when she ruins Bob's coat for which Mike has to pay $2000. Lynette tries to buy a new set of wigs to spice up her sex life when she finds out Tom gets turned off when she is bald from the chemo. Edie gets diagnosed with crabs, a sexually transmitted infection, which gets transferred to Carlos, Gabrielle and ultimately Victor. Bree is thrown a surprise shower and meets Phyllis, who finds out about her fake pregnancy. Phyllis takes Danielle from the convent and decides to care for the baby herself. Aunt Lily Sims tries to talk to Dylan about the "incident" that happened during her childhood, but Katherine prevents her from doing so. Aunt Lily writes Dylan a secret note and dies.
75 5 "Art Isn't Easy" David Grossman Jason Ganzel October 28, 2007 (2007-10-28) 18.28[124]
Lynette runs against Katherine for president of Wisteria Lane's homeowners' association because she wants to protect her children's tree house, while Katherine wants to remove Bob and Lee's noisy fountain, which doesn't let anyone sleep at night. Susan votes for Katherine, giving her the win, but Katherine decides to not remove the tree house when Adam asks her to be friendly with the neighbors. Bob and Lee refuse to remove the fountain and threaten Katherine by revealing that they know about her husband's secret with the help of a few contacts. Bree convinces Danielle to raise the baby on her own and invites Phyllis to babysit on weekends. Gabrielle is confronted by John, who is in a rough marriage and wants to resume the affair, but she refuses, causing Carlos to discover that he is the "new John". Edie gets suspicious and hires a man who catches Gabrielle and Carlos making out just before ending their affair.
76 6 "Now I Know, Don't Be Scared" Larry Shaw Susan Nirah Jaffee & Dahvi Waller November 4, 2007 (2007-11-04) 18.58[125]
Susan finds out that Mike's father, Nick, whom he claimed was dead, is actually in prison for murder. Susan meets Nick, who shows no remorse or guilt and tells her that Mike was always unhappy when he got arrested. Lynette tries to hunt down an opossum in her garden when she finds out she has been cured of cancer. Danielle gives birth to a baby boy, named Benjamin Tyson Hodge, and Bree is asked to take care of him when Danielle leaves for college. Gabrielle decides to leave Victor, but is bribed by his father, Milton Lang, to stay married to him for 13 more months. Carlos tells Gabrielle to marry him and they could use the Cayman Islands money, which makes her even more upset. Carlos dumps Edie for good and she decides to take revenge by telling Victor about the affair between Gabrielle and Carlos.
77 7 "You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover" David Warren Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano November 11, 2007 (2007-11-11) 18.63[126]
Bree discovers that Mike may be doing drugs by regularly consuming pain relief pills and tells Susan about it, who finds a big packet of the pills hidden in his flashlight. Mike explains to her that he was taking pills to relieve stress and flushes them down the drain, but secretly removes them when Susan is asleep. Katherine tries to keep Dylan from the truth about her father. Stella leaves after learning none of her daughters want her to live with them. Bree gets her grandson, Benjamin, circumcised despite Orson's objections because she feels it's her "blood". Gabrielle knocks Victor overboard when they are in a boat because she thinks he is planning on murdering her for having an affair with Carlos. when she finds out otherwise, she tries to find his body, but fails.
78 8 "Distant Past" Jay Torres Joe Keenan November 25, 2007 (2007-11-25) 18.64[127]
Adam is haunted by Sylvia, an ex-patient with whom he might have had an affair. Susan tries to set up Julie with Barrett, unaware that he is Mike's drug dealer. Mike tries to obtain pills with a prescription from Adam or Orson, to which Orson agrees when he finds out that Mike is having pain because of the hit and run he caused, but Susan discovers the pills hidden in the car. Lynette tries to find Stella and receives help from her stepfather, Glen, only to discover that Glen left Stella because he is gay. The police question Gabrielle about Victor and find his body washed ashore. Victor pretends that he has suffered memory loss but instead hints to Gabrielle that he will take revenge. Bree makes Benjamin sleep on the bed with her and Orson, disrupting Orson's sex drive. Andrew moves out into a apartment where he decides to lead a new life.
79 9 "Something's Coming" David Grossman Joey Murphy & John Pardee December 2, 2007 (2007-12-02) 20.65[128]
The residents of Wisteria Lane prepare to protect themselves from the oncoming tornado. Susan and Mike get into a fight about his intake of pills, causing Susan to fall down a flight of stairs. Susan threatens to leave Mike if he doesn't attend rehab, to which he agrees. Lynette and Karen hold themselves off in a bathtub when Tom, Ida and the kids get buried in Karen's basement. Bree invites Sylvia inside for a cup of tea when Katherine spits on her and finds out about Adam's supposed affair. Sylvia barricades herself in Bree's bathroom, causing Katherine, Adam, Bree, Orson and Benjamin to be trapped in a closet, where Katherine discovers from Bree that the affair is true. Edie and Gabrielle fight for the single copy of the Cayman Islands file but lose it because of the tornado and get stuck together in a crawl-space. Victor pursues Carlos with a gun, but dies when he is impaled by a flying fence post and Carlos suffers a serious injury from flying debris.
80 10 "Welcome to Kanagawa" Larry Shaw Jamie Gorenberg & Jordon Nardino January 6, 2008 (2008-01-06) 19.78[129]
Lynette finds out that Ida Greenberg sacrificed her life to save her children and Tom and tries to pay her back by scattering her ashes on the baseball field where she used to play, but gets caught by the police. Adam leaves Katherine when he finds out that she had been hiding the truth about her ex-husband as much as he had been hiding about the affair with Sylvia who is found dead. Bree who intends to repair her roof tries to secure the services of a gay contractor by "pimping out" her son Andrew while staying with Susan, who schemes to make Bree stay longer in her house because she adores her housekeeping skills. Gabrielle discovers she will not inherit a dime from Victor's will because Milton owns all of it and refuses to give her anything because she had an affair. However, she decides to remarry Carlos who hides from her that he may permanently lose his eyesight. Dylan finds Aunt Sims half-burned note which contains the words "Your father was murdered".
81 11 "Sunday" David Grossman Alexandra Cunningham & Lori Kirkland Baker April 13, 2008 (2008-04-13) 16.37[130]
Two weeks after the tornado, Mike is about to finish rehab. Gabrielle learns from Edie that Carlos's blindness is permanent and decides to punish him for thinking that she would leave him because he is broke and blind. Susan's hunky male cousin has sex with Katherine and reveals he had sex with her once 12 years ago but left abruptly when he saw Katherine hit her ex-husband with a candlestick when they got into a fight. Dylan talks to Julie about the note and asks Adam, who lies to her to prevent Katherine from going to jail for murder. Lynette decides to attend church under Bree's guidance who tells her she should not question faith. Later, Bree finds out she is wrong when the pastor tells her that faith is strengthened when you question it.
82 12 "In Buddy's Eyes" Larry Shaw Jeff Greenstein April 20, 2008 (2008-04-20) 15.75[131]
Orson starts sleepwalking because of feeling guilty about running over Mike and blurts out the truth in front of Julie. Bree and Katherine join forces for the Founder's Ball, but Bree starts to feel that Katherine is trying to steal the spotlight and tries to poison her. Gabrielle takes advantage of a blind husband by parking in handicapped spaces. Rick Colleti opens a pizzeria across the street from the Scavos', which angers Tom who throws a brick through his window. Lynette finds out about a fire at Rick's restaurant and thinks that Tom is responsible for it. Julie convinces Dylan to come to the Founder's Ball to enjoy and stop thinking about her father. A suspicious stranger intends to find Dylan when he sees her photo in the newspaper.
83 13 "Hello, Little Girl" Bethany Rooney Susan Nirah Jaffee & Jamie Gorenberg April 27, 2008 (2008-04-27) 16.35[132]
Bree and Katherine decide to start a catering business together. Lynette and Tom have trust issues over the fire and Rick's feelings for Lynette, causing a fight between Tom and Rick at the pizzeria. Mike and Susan learn the truth about the hit and run, causing Susan to forbid Orson from coming near her family and Bree to throw him out of her house. Carlos feels bad that he is demanding a lot from Gabrielle so he adopts a female dog guide called Roxy who causes issues for Gabrielle and she decides to get rid of her. Wayne Davis, Katherine's ex-husband catches up to Dylan and Dylan starts meeting secretly with him.
84 14 "Opening Doors" David Grossman Dahvi Waller & Jordon Nardino May 4, 2008 (2008-05-04) 16.76[133]
Lynette finds out who was responsible for starting the fire at Rick's restaurant: the twins, Porter and Preston, but learns that Kayla was the one who inspired them to do so. She decides to take Kayla to a therapist to sort out her troubles, but Kayla threatens to go to the police and tell them who committed the crime. Bree gives Orson an ultimatum to turn himself in for running over Mike but he refuses and moves in with Edie who kisses him during a drunk act and Bree sees them through a window. Susan meets Karl at a Lamaze class. Karl is now married to Marisa, a law professor, and tries to show off until Mike declares that he went to rehab. Gabrielle joins forces with Bob and Lee to catch her new renter, Ellie, in the act when she starts suspecting that she is a hooker. Ellie later confesses to Gabrielle that she is using her room as a tattoo parlor, but is shown hiding drugs in her drawer. Katherine finds out that Dylan is secretly meeting Wayne and gets ready for a confrontation.
85 15 "Mother Said" David Warren Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano May 11, 2008 (2008-05-11) 15.43[134]
Adele Delfino, Susan's overbearing Southern mother-in-law, arrives for a visit and continuously insults Susan for not being a "complete" housewife. Susan asks Mike to make Adele apologize and goes into labor, delivering a beautiful baby boy. Carlos and Gaby find out their tenant, Ellie, has a dark secret of selling drugs, and worse still, the police want them to pretend everything's fine so they can get to her dealer; in return Carlos's probation would end. Bree tries to sabotage Edie's real estate business to get revenge on her for kissing Orson. Edie finds out the truth about Benjamin and blackmails Bree, causing Bree to tell her friends the truth. Susan, Gabrielle, Lynette and Bree decide to never talk to Edie, causing her to go and live with Travers on Mother's Day. Tom persuades Lynette to give Kayla a second chance, but Kayla threatens Lynette, forcing Lynette to slap her. Kayla gets back at Lynette by lying to their therapist about being physically abused. Wayne finds out that Dylan is not his biological child and may not be the girl he raised.
86 16 "The Gun Song" Bethany Rooney Bob Daily & Matt Berry May 18, 2008 (2008-05-18) 16.84[135]
The ladies of Wisteria Lane meet Susan and Mike's new baby, who Mike names Maynard after his dead grandfather whom he really loved. Susan despises the name and secretly tries to change it to Connor, but decides to keep Maynard when she finds out what a wonderful person Mike's grandfather was. Gabrielle forms a strong bond of friendship with Ellie and saves her from the police by telling her to leave when she finds out Ellie resorted to drug dealing due to a bad childhood. Lynette is arrested by Child Protection Services for abusing Kayla who aggravates the situation by faking a burn. Tom forces Kayla to confess, leading her to move away to live with her grandparents. Bree tries to fake that she is dating Reverend Green so that Orson stops stalking her for forgiveness, but gets injured when he gets into a fight with Reverend Green who tries to publicly humiliate Bree for "leading him on for a kiss". Wayne kidnaps Adam to find out the truth about Dylan's biological father.
87 17 "Free" David Grossman Jeff Greenstein May 18, 2008 (2008-05-18) 16.84[135]
Susan finds it difficult to let Julie go for a summer internship before college because she depends on her for almost everything. Wayne brutally injures Adam and goes after Katherine and holds her hostage with her gun until she tells him the whereabouts of his daughter. Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Carlos come across Ellie's money in her teddy bear and decide to hide it from her. Ellie comes to retrieve it, but gets tailed by the police. She takes cover in Katherine's house, where she is shot dead by Wayne to provide him an alibi after he murders Katherine. Lynette and Tom understand how strong their marriage is when they give advice to Bob and Lee Hunter before their engagement party. Bree tries to take over the work of the party, catering it all herself when Katherine bails on her, but Orson helps her out and tells her he would keep doing so to earn her forgiveness. Bree tries to look for Katherine but Wayne takes her as a hostage while Adam comes in the nick of time to save both of them. Katherine reveals the dark secret about Dylan and shoots Wayne when he threatens to ruin her life, but is not arrested when her friends give false information as witnesses to protect her. Some great surprises are revealed in a 5-year-later flash.

Season 5 (2008–09)

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The fifth season premiered on September 28, 2008, with the time period jumping five years after the previous season. Cherry had stated that flashbacks would be used infrequently to advance or illustrate a current plotline of the new season following the five-year leap.[136] The season mystery revolves around Edie's new husband, Dave Williams, who is looking for revenge on someone on Wisteria Lane (later revealed to be Mike). Susan deals with being a single mother and having a new romance with her painter, while Mike starts dating Katherine. Lynette and Tom learn that their son is having an affair with a married woman whose husband's nightclub burns down with all of Wisteria Lane's neighbors inside. Gabrielle struggles with their two daughters and with a financial crisis, as Carlos' sight returns. Bree and Orson have marriage problems, because Bree has become too focused on her career, and Orson begins to steal from neighbors as a coping mechanism. Edie dies of electrocution after a car crash, before she can expose Dave moments after she discovers his secret.

The fifth season featured the show's one-hundredth episode, revolving around Eli Scruggs (Beau Bridges), a handyman who had an important role in all of the ladies' lives. This episode features flashbacks and returning characters, including Mary Alice, Rex, and Martha Huber (Christine Estabrook). The episode was broadcast on ABC on Sunday, January 18, 2009.

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions)
88 1 "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry September 28, 2008 (2008-09-28) 18.68[137]
Set five years after the season four finale, drastic changes in the lives of the housewives are revealed: Bree and Katherine now own a successful catering company and Andrew works for them. Bree is about to publish her own cookbook, but Katherine feels she gives her less credit than she deserves. Danielle had forcefully taken Benjamin from Bree years ago when she got married to a man named Leo, an environmental lawyer. Lynette is having trouble controlling her now teenage twins, who have new tricks up their sleeves and Gabrielle's daughter, Juanita, may have a weight problem, which forces her to reflect on how her own appearance has changed over the years. A tragic car accident forced Mike and Susan apart when Susan's car crashed into Lila Dash's car killing her and her daughter Paige Dash. This resulted in Susan and Mike's divorce, after which Susan has custody of Maynard aka M.J. Susan finds herself in the arms of a new lover, Jackson Braddock, who she refuses to commit to because she feels she is not ready for another relationship that might not turn out well. Edie moves back to the lane with a new husband, Dave, a man with a dark secret involving anger management.
89 2 "We're So Happy You're So Happy" David Grossman Alexandra Cunningham October 5, 2008 (2008-10-05) 15.69[138]
Lynette pretends to be a teenager on a social networking site in order to reconnect with Porter, but fails miserably when he falls in love with her alias and eventually discovers the truth. Susan doesn't like how fast Mike and Jackson are becoming friends and feels Jackson may start observing her from Mike's point of view. Gabrielle goes to drastic lengths to protect her social standing when she is uninvited from a party because Carlos massages the guests at the country club but eventually discovers that happiness is right there with her. As Bree's career as a caterer skyrockets, her marriage to Orson suffers when she chooses her catering over dealing with crucial marital tensions that are unresolved since Orson returned home after turning himself in for the hit and run. Mrs. McCluskey asks for Katherine's help when she starts suspecting Dave of stealing Ida's cat, Toby, so that he could get her to apologize to Edie for insulting her.
90 3 "Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else" Bethany Rooney Joe Keenan October 12, 2008 (2008-10-12) 15.51[139]
Bree is reunited with her grandson, Benjamin, after three years, only to find herself repulsed with Danielle's parenting techniques, such as raising Benjamin as a vegetarian. To prevent this, Bree secretly asks him to eat two hot dogs but Danielle finds out and leaves her. Orson gets angry at Bree for ruining Danielle's visit and blames her for Benjamin's departure. Susan and Gabrielle get into a brawl over their children when Susan discovers M.J. is being bullied by Juanita Solis. Gabrielle and Carlos sell their car and buy an old one from Andrew but find out that the car has a broken radiator and intend to get their money back from Andrew. Dave and Tom begin a garage band, despite Lynette's objections. Katherine and Mrs. McCluskey begin to dig deeper into Dave's past and decide to question Edie, but find out that Dave did not attend college because of an alcoholic father. Dave finds out about Mrs. McCluskey's determination to know about his background.
91 4 "Back in Business" Scott Ellis John Pardee & Joey Murphy October 19, 2008 (2008-10-19) 15.49[140]
Bree's new cookbook makes Lynette jealous and she decides to help her with the ad campaign, but Bree refuses and decides to go with the original campaign designed by Stu, an ad exec of Lynette's when she was working at Parcher & Murphy. Bree finds out that Orson lost his job three weeks earlier due to his criminal record and he asks her if he could join the catering company, but Katherine refuses to have him as a partner. However, Bree gives him the job when he gets sad and moves into the guest bedroom. Mike starts to think he plays a minimal role in M.J.'s life when he finds out Jackson taught him to ride his bike. Dave tries to control his rage by taking pills while he plots to make Mike join the garage band and eventually rents him the Young house after buying it from the Hudsons, thanks to Edie. Gabrielle and Carlos tell Juanita all about the birds and the bees after she caught them having sex. Juanita passes this on to Bethany, causing Bethany's mom to cancel all future playdates.
92 5 "Mirror, Mirror" David Grossman Jeff Greenstein October 26, 2008 (2008-10-26) 15.95[141]
On the night of Mrs. McCluskey's 70th birthday party, the wives reflect on crucial events that have occurred over the last five years and led them to where they are today: Gabrielle had two "miracle" babies and asked Carlos to get a vasectomy because she decided not to have any more kids, but finds out Carlos did not have the vasectomy because he wants a son; Bree's alcoholism reared its ugly head again the night Orson left for prison but Katherine helped her to move past it. Orson asks her to tell Katherine about his wanting to become a partner but she refuses because she doesn't want to hurt Katherine's feelings. However, Orson tells Katherine who decides to accept him as a partner in time; Tom had a near-death experience that fueled a midlife crisis and his need to add a tinge of excitement and adventure to his life, which includes the pizzeria dream, but Lynette objects; Susan finalized her divorce with Mike and found herself in bed with her house painter, Jackson, and agreed to keep the relationship "physical and casual", but Jackson wanted more in the relationship; Susan refuses, leading to a break-up. Dave attempts to get rid of Mrs. McCluskey and her nosiness and tries to prove she is demented so that he can unleash the plans for his real agenda which are finally revealed.
93 6 "There's Always a Woman" Matthew Diamond John Paul Bullock III November 2, 2008 (2008-11-02) 15.93[142]
Susan and Jackson decide to start over after their brief break-up. Bree decides to set Katherine up with one of their clients, Peter Hickey, but finds out he was Orson's inmate and did time for organ trafficking. Katherine, upset over her date, ponders moving to Maryland with Dylan, but finds a friend in Mike. Mrs. McCluskey decides to find out what Dave is really up to and gets help from her sister, Roberta, who pulls a few records from her company, Teleshore. Mrs. Virginia Hildebrand bribes Carlos and Gabrielle to go to Paris with her along with their daughters for two months so that Carlos can be her personal massage therapist because he gives her orgasms unintentionally when he rubs her back. Lynette starts suspecting that Tom is having an affair with Anne Schilling, Porter's friend, and Kirby's mother, but it is actually Porter who is sleeping with his friend's mother.
94 7 "What More Do I Need?" Larry Shaw Matt Berry November 9, 2008 (2008-11-09) 15.85[143]
Lynette and Tom discover that Porter is having an affair with Anne, who is supposedly married to a husband who abuses her and ask their son to end the affair. However, Porter discovers that Anne is pregnant and decides to run away with her without telling his parents. Gabrielle thinks Virginia Hildebrand, Carlos's client, is becoming too close for comfort and asks her to stop all the weekend visits, which angers Mrs. Hildebrand, who uses her contacts to make Carlos lose his job for inappropriate physical contact. Roberta and Mrs. McCluskey find out that Dave receives psychiatric treatment from Dr.Heller, who specializes in treating the criminally insane. They call him for information only to arouse his suspicions. Bree and Orson fire one of their employees, Charlie, for stealing money to buy pot. They later have sex in the kitchen, but discover that Charlie stole the surveillance tape to blackmail them. Andrew gets his hands on the tape and the Hodge family discovers that the tape showed Katherine and Mike having sex. Susan and Jackson start dating again, intending to not have sex until the fourth date. They change their minds on the third date when Susan finds out Jackson really loves her.
95 8 "City on Fire" David Grossman Bob Daily November 16, 2008 (2008-11-16) 16.84[144]
Everyone gathers at the White Horse Club to attend the "Battle Of The Bands" where the band is performing. Julie visits Susan with her much older boyfriend who has been divorced twice, and when he proposes to her, Julie refuses which makes Susan learn that her daughter does not believe in marriage because of the consequences of her own mother's marriages. A reporter tries to dig up the dirt on Bree include it in a review of Bree's cookbook. Virginia Hildebrand gives Carlos his job back and adds both Carlos and Gabrielle to her will, making them sole heirs of her fortune, Gabrielle refuses because she becomes sick of Virginia pushing herself into their lives. Lynette talks to Anne about the baby, but protects her when she witnesses her husband, Warren, beat her until she bleeds. Porter blames Lynette for Anne's condition, and steals a gun to shoot Warren for hurting Anne. Dr. Heller comes to Fairview seeking answers from Dave and reveals that Dave has something to do with Mike. Dave murders Dr. Heller and starts a fire, but locks Jackson in the bathroom when he witnesses him coming out of the storage room. Jackson escapes and Mike falls into the loop unconscious. Dave saves Mike for ulterior motives and is branded a hero, while Warren blames Porter for starting the fire. Carlos and Orson get badly injured along with Mike and are sent to the hospital.
96 9 "Me and My Town" David Warren Lori Kirkland Baker November 30, 2008 (2008-11-30) 15.81[145]
Gabrielle starts thinking that Carlos may not find her beautiful anymore and takes drastic measures to regain her figure, when she finds out Carlos can gain back his sight thanks to the injuries he suffered in the stampede of the nightclub. Susan decides to let go of Mike when she learns of Katherine and Mike's relationship. Bree asks Orson to undergo a surgery of his injured septum which causes him to snore loudly, but Orson decides to drug Bree with sleeping pills, which causes her to almost miss her cooking demonstration where she pulls off a dramatic scene. Lynette uses the emergency fund to bribe Anne into leaving town and never be in contact with Porter again, leading her to discover that she faked the pregnancy. Dave starts feeling guilty about the seven deaths caused by the fire he started and decides to pin the blame on Porter, who was already under suspicion by the police because Porter had threatened to kill Warren at the nightclub. It is revealed that Andrew is in a live-in relationship with Orson's plastic surgeon, Alex.
97 10 "A Vision's Just a Vision" Larry Shaw David Flebotte December 7, 2008 (2008-12-07) 16.09[146]
When Porter gets arrested, Lynette hires Bob as Porter's lawyer and finds out that Porter stole the gun from Edie. Lynette secretly returns the gun secretly after removing Porter's fingerprints, hiding from Tom the fact that she used up his emergency fund. Porter skips town after his bail is posted when he is threatened by Warren, causing Preston to take his place in court. Carlos realizes the extent of Gabrielle's sacrifices for their family once his sight returns and decides to make it up to her for the rest of his life. Bree finds out Andrew is dating Alex and invites them to a dinner where she discovers that Bob and Lee recognize Alex from a gay porn movie. Bree confronts Andrew with the truth, but is happy to find out that Andrew already knows about it and still wants marry Alex. M.J. starts to attack Katherine when he thinks that Katherine may be getting in the way of his parents getting back together. This causes Susan and Mike to realize that they may never get back together. Dave starts to lose his grip on reality and sees visions of his first wife and daughter, who were Lila and Paige Dash, and he swears to take revenge on Mike for "killing" them.
98 11 "Home Is the Place" David Grossman Jamie Gorenberg January 4, 2009 (2009-01-04) 14.39[147]
Bree and Alex's mother, Melina, compete for Alex and Andrew's affections, and when Bree feels that Melina is plotting to make them move to Oakdale, she buys the boys a nice house from Edie on Wisteria Lane to keep them nearby. Gabrielle urges Carlos to take a six-figure job to support the family, even though it means spending more time away from home, but he wants to take a job at the community center to help the blind. Susan turns to Lee for company while Jackson is away and Lee makes her realize that she may not be ready to move in with Jackson and commit to him. Bob finds out that Porter has run away and gives Lynette and Tom two days to find him before he reports to the district attorney. Lynette finds out that Preston had been secretly talking to Porter and she tries to convince him to come back. They could lose their pizzeria if they have to forfeit his bail, They are unaware that he is staying with Stella. Edie grows weary of Dave, whose strange behavior hasn't abated; she catches him mumbling to the ghosts of Lila and Paige. She throws him out of the house when she finds out he lied to her about his first marriage. Mrs. McCluskey and Roberta contact Dr. Heller's office again to find out about Dave but discover that Dr. Heller hasn't returned for a week while Dave also contacts his office to get medicines delivered to Wisteria Lane and reveals that his real name is David Dash.
99 12 "Connect! Connect!" Ken Whittingham Jordon Nardino January 11, 2009 (2009-01-11) 13.79[148]
Alex objects to the way Bree criticizes her family and decides to give back the house she bought for him and Andrew but re-accepts it when Bree tells him about how she has become insensitive to others since her business flourished and she wouldn't mind if he corrected her. Gabrielle takes desperate measures to control her children when they stop listening to her while Carlos is busy at his new workplace. Lynette discovers that Stella is hiding Porter to get back at Lynette for leaving her in a nursery home three years earlier, but convinces Porter to return. Lynette also decides to visit her mother on a regular basis to rekindle their relationship. Susan and Edie are forced to spend time alone together when they accidentally lock themselves in a basement. Susan makes Edie realize that she commits to brief relationships with men because of how her father betrayed her during her childhood, while Edie does the same by making Susan feel that she is always in need of men so that she can depend on them. This causes both of them to make important decisions — Susan decides to become independent and refuses to move in with Jackson, while Edie asks Dave, who had moved in with Mike, and had come one step closer to exacting revenge, to come back.
100 13 "The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry & Bob Daily January 18, 2009 (2009-01-18) 13.08[149]
When neighborhood handyman, Eli Scruggs, passes away, the residents of Wisteria Lane come to realize just how much he affected their lives. Gabrielle recalls how Eli helped her make new friends when she moved in. Lynette remembers how he came to her aid when she was overwhelmed to get a new job and neglected Penny. Susan reflects on how he was always there for her as a shoulder to cry on each time a man walked out of her life. Edie looks back on the special bond they formed after her second husband, Umberto, left her for a man. Bree thinks fondly of how a small gesture he once made inspired her to write a cookbook and get her to where she is today. Mary Alice narrates how she had inspired Eli to help others by helping him in his time of need, the day she committed suicide.
101 14 "Mama Spent Money When She Had None" David Warren Jason Ganzel February 8, 2009 (2009-02-08) 13.82[150]
Susan is envious when she discovers Mike has bought Katherine new pearls yet says he can't afford to pay for M.J.'s private school, Oakridge Academy. She steals Katherine's pearls which Mike confesses to both of them are fake as he couldn't afford them. To pay for M.J.'s education, Susan gets a job at Oakridge to get a 50% discount on tuition. Bree reaps the rewards of her book by buying a car and giving Lynette and Tom $20,000 to help with their financial troubles after posting Porter's bail. Lynette and Tom have a fire sale for their pizzeria as they are planning on selling it and also to thank Bree for her generosity but discover that Bree may never let them forget how "generous" she has been, which causes a rift in their friendship. Bob, Porter's lawyer tells Lee about Dave being the one who pinned Porter for the fire, who in turn tells Tom, causing Tom and Dave to fight, ruining their friendship. Prompted to lose weight, both Gabrielle and Edie attend a fitness boot camp, but Gabrielle leaves it only to be reminded by Edie that she is turning into the self-centered obnoxious woman she used to be, inspiring her to change for the better.
102 15 "In a World Where the Kings Are Employers" David Grossman Lori Kirkland Baker February 15, 2009 (2009-02-15) 14.01[151]
Because of Susan's new job at Oakridge, Mike has to take care of M.J., but he drops him off at Katherine's, whose delicious recipes and care start making M.J. feel that Katherine's house is more fun than Susan's. When Susan discovers this, she confronts Katherine and tells her to stay away from her son. Katherine she points out the fact that Mike is moving in with her and hence, she will be seeing more of M.J.. Lynette tells Tom they have to sell when Scavo Pizzeria continues to suffer economically and due to Porter's bail, but Tom comes up with a plan to replace his employees with his kids. They refuse to appreciate his work, causing him to pour out his anger over not being able to live his pizza dream. Carlos's boss, Bradley Scott, gives Carlos a huge bonus when Gabrielle sees Bradley having an affair, but Gabrielle starts feeling guilty over not telling Bradley's wife, Maria, who names her and Carlos as their unborn child's godparents/ When Orson learns Bree has given Andrew a raise twice as much as his own salary so that he can afford a new life with Alex, he feels jealous and unappreciated and steals Andrew's Montblanc pen. It is revealed that Dave had stolen Dr. Heller's phone to message his suspicious secretary about the "leave" while he plans a camping trip with Mike and Katherine where he could murder Mike.
103 16 "Crime Doesn't Pay" Larry Shaw Jamie Gorenberg March 8, 2009 (2009-03-08) 13.65[152]
In a gesture of friendship, Bree tells Lynette she'll help Tom secure a new job from an advertising executive named Bruce as they have sold their restaurant, but the tension heats up when Lynette and Tom compete over the new job, leading none of them to get it. Orson starts behaving like a kleptomaniac, stealing from people who are rude to him, first Tom when he rejects his help, then Bruce who behaves rudely to him and then Bree who catches him stealing and tells him to stop. Gabrielle finds herself in a precarious position when Carlos's adulterous boss begins using her to cover for him as he continues to cheat on his wife, leading her to threaten to reveal his secret to Maria. Bradley decides to fire Carlos and tell Maria himself, but she stabs him in the back, leading to her arrest. When Mike moves in with Katherine, she hides Susan's beach painting, which was a honeymoon gift to Mike, so that she is not reminded of Mike's relationship with her. Edie starts digging up Dave's past by catching up with a priest who is an acquaintance of his and finds out his real name was David Dash.
104 17 "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" Bethany Rooney Jordon Nardino March 15, 2009 (2009-03-15) 14.60[153]
Susan tries to be friendly with Jessie, her boss at Oakridge so that she gets a good evaluation, but freaks out when her friendliness gets translated into romance by Jessie, who is a lesbian. Edie looks for information in the newspaper on the people who died in Mike's car accident and discovers that it was Lila and Paige Dash, Dave's wife and daughter. Edie confirms that Paige really was his daughter when she asks Dave if he wants a child but he refuses. Dave convinces Katherine to join them camping because he wants to exact revenge on anyone whom Mike loves. Bree secretly returns everything Orson stole from his neighbors, but forces him to talk to a psychiatrist when she feels Orson's kleptomania has some link to her. Orson confesses he likes stealing because that is something Bree cannot control. Carlos gets a promotion, which will lead to him working with Lucy, an overweight woman in her late 30s who is Carlos's ex-girlfriend, forcing Gabrielle to provide Lynette a job at Carlos's company so that she can spy on him.
105 18 "A Spark. To Pierce the Dark." David Grossman Alexandra Cunningham March 22, 2009 (2009-03-22) 14.75[154]
Lynette is threatened by her new boss, Lucy, when she makes her work permanently on Friday nights, preventing her from coaching Penny's basketball team. Gabrielle takes desperate measures to prevent the same mistakes made by the "old Carlos and Gaby" and finally strikes a chord when Carlos fires Lucy after realizing that she is a rude and demeaning woman. Bree finds out that Orson is committing theft to hurt her and she is unintentionally emasculating him by being the breadwinner of the house. She plans on selling her company, but decides not to when Andrew makes her realize that she should make herself happy by continuing her business. Susan discovers that Karl's son, Evan, who attends Oakridge has some psychological issues because his mother, Marisa, left Karl after the birth. Dave's plans are to kill Katherine with a hunting rifle during Mike and Katherine's romantic hike so that Mike mourns her loss forever, but his plans fail when Edie finds out about why he had moved to Wisteria Lane with her when the newspaper faxes her an article claiming Mike was the one who killed Dave's family in the accident. Edie confronts Dave and runs away in her car when he tries to strangle her for trying to tell Mike the truth, but steers her car when she sees Orson on the road who is running away from a neighbor, Rose Kemper, after trying to steal again, causing Edie's car to crash into an electric pole, resulting in an electric shock that kills her.
106 19 "Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know" Larry Shaw Matt Berry April 19, 2009 (2009-04-19) 13.85[155]
As the wives take a road trip to give Edie's ashes to Travers and inform him of her death, they reminisce about the special times they shared with her: Susan recalled how Edie and she had started as friends while sniping at each other when Edie discovered Karl was cheating on her with Brandy; Lynette remembers how Edie helped inspire her to battle cancer and not be weak and mourn; Bree reflects on how Edie taught her a valuable moral lesson when she told her to support Orson while he was in jail irrespective of how humiliating it might be, and Gabrielle recounts a friendly competition she had with Edie at a bar over finding out who was sexier but Edie lost, resulting in her confessing to Gaby how she always will miss her youth when she dies. Travers refuses to take Edie's ashes by noting she was not a good mother as she gave him away to his father but is told by Mrs. McCluskey a tale of how Edie had told her that she gave Travers away only to provide him with the best. The wives distribute Edie's ashes all over Wisteria Lane. This episode is narrated by Nicollette Sheridan as the late Edie Britt.
107 20 "Rose's Turn" David Warren Dave Flebotte April 26, 2009 (2009-04-26) 13.64[156]
Susan tries to console Dave after Edie's death by telling him about her and Mike's car accident in which she was driving the car, and not Mike, and felt incredibly guilty after killing Lila and Paige. When Dave realizes he is targeting the wrong resident, he plans on killing M.J. to hurt Susan. Orson tries to hide the crime he committed in Rose Kemper's house by telling the hospital authorities that she has dementia, but Bree finds out from Katherine about the theft, and asks Andrew for help. Katherine desperately tries to hide her need of commitment from Mike who starts feeling that everything can vanish in a moment after Edie's death. Tom, Gabrielle, Lynette and Carlos have a friendly argument when Gabrielle catches Tom hanging out with Patty Rizzo, the slut, even though she told him not to. Carlos sees Lynette naked when she falls in her bathtub and loses consciousness, but he saves her, resulting in insecurity issues from Tom.
108 21 "Bargaining" David Grossman David Schladweiler May 3, 2009 (2009-05-03) 13.49[157]
Juanita starts wearing make-up, which prompts Gabrielle to teach her a lesson about inner beauty, but Gabrielle breaks the boundaries herself when she desires make-up at an event involving the mayor of Fairview. Gabrielle promises Juanita that she can beautify her outer self when she is done beautifying her "inner gooey center". Bree decides to divorce Orson, but her search for a divorce lawyer that can help her keep her cookbook company safe from Orson's hands after divorce leads to none other than Karl, who promises to help her if she can get M.J. to invite his son, Evan, for a sleepover party that Mike and Katherine are planning. Katherine tries to trick Mike into committing to her because she is scared he may walk out of her life anytime, but discovers that Mike may not be ready for a complicated decision about his future. Dave plans on taking Susan and M.J. on a boat trip where he intends to drown M.J. and decides to hurry up when the police identify the burn victim in the nightclub as Dr. Heller. Susan, however, delays Dave's plans when she plans to get married to Jackson to help him get a green card. Lynette and Tom make a pact to have sex on 30 consecutive days, but Lynette breaks the streak due to stress at work and ends up discovering that Tom is unhappy because he has no aim in his life.
109 22 "Marry Me a Little" Larry Shaw Jason Ganzel May 10, 2009 (2009-05-10) 12.29[158]
Gabrielle wants Juanita to volunteer for the church soup kitchen when she appears to be ungrateful and acts like a spoiled brat.There Gabrielle runs into an old housewife, Fran, who is now poor because of her husband's death, forcing Gabrielle to realize that she may again face financial troubles. Susan cancels her and M.J. boating and fishing plans with Dave, much to Dave's dismay. Mike asks Katherine to marry him when he sees Susan and Jackson getting ready to plan their fake marriage. Susan tells Katherine why she is marrying Jackson and that she would still be needing the alimony from Mike, but Katherine hides this from Mike because she is worried he may not feel like marrying her if Susan's wedding is canceled. Dave overhears this conversation and calls an immigration agent who arrests Jackson for being an illegal immigrant from Canada. Bree and Karl decide to hide her assets from Orson to prevent him from claiming it after divorce by doing some creative accounting, open secret bank accounts and stage a robbery in Bree's house to hide her personal belongings, but things go horribly wrong when Orson comes across the storage unit where Bree is hiding her "stolen" belongings.
110 23 "Everybody Says Don't" Bethany Rooney John Pardee & Joey Murphy May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) 13.96[159]
Gabrielle is upset when she and the kids visit Carlos's family and are asked by his Aunt Connie to take in her troubled and secretive niece,Ana Solis, because she has been diagnosed with a weak heart. Lynette seeks to foil Tom's plans to learn Chinese by returning to college, only to learn too late that he wanted to learn to Chinese advertising to earn more. Bree comes clean to Orson about wanting a divorce when he restores the "stolen" belongings from the storage unit. Orson threatens to blackmail Bree by reporting her for insurance fraud if she goes through with the divorce because he had already claimed insurance on the robbed stuff that apparently Bree had stolen. Jackson suspects Mike for sending the anonymous tip that got him detained, while detectives question him and learn that he saw Dave Williams coming out of the storage room on the night of the fire in the club. The detectives inform Dr. Heller's receptionist, Claire, about the identification of his dead body in the nightclub while Claire in turn contacts Roberta. Roberta and Mrs. McCluskey plan on breaking into Dave's house to obtain evidence. Dave learns that the police are planning on trapping him by using Dr. Heller's phone against him and plans on killing M.J. at once after experiencing visions of Edie, his wife and daughter and Dr. Heller. Susan agrees to go with him after learning that Katherine never informed Mike about Susan's marriage being a fake one because she felt he still hasn't gotten over her and that may ruin her own marriage in Vegas.
111 24 "If It's Only In Your Head" David Grossman Jeffrey Richman May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) 13.96[159]
While Tom is excited about getting admitted to college again for a major in Chinese, Lynette is not at all excited to discover that she is pregnant and there is a high chance she may give birth to twins again causing a major disruption in both Tom and Lynette's careers. Carlos's teenaged niece, Ana, moves into the Solis home and immediately goes head to head with Gabrielle when she criticizes her habit of making boys do all the work for her. Bree finds out that Karl sent a man to assault Orson for threatening her with blackmail, but when Bree confronts Karl, they end up making love. Mike discovers the crime Dave plans on committing and leaves Katherine alone at the airport to save his son and first wife. Meanwhile, Susan and M.J. try to run away from Dave when they are informed by Mike but Dave catches them and explains to Susan how M.J. will be killed in a "poetic" way when Mike will crash into Dave's car, killing M.J. on the same road where his daughter and wife died. However, as Mike's car approaches, Dave looks back at innocent M.J. and sees the face of his daughter. Mike crashes into Dave's car, but M.J. is standing out on the curb, unharmed. Mrs. McCluskey and Roberta are caught by the detectives in Dave's house and together they crack the case when they find out about Dave's first name, David Dash. Dave is admitted to Boston Ridgegate Mental Hospital. In the episode's final moments, a wedding between Mike Delfino and a mystery woman takes place two months later.

Season 6 (2009–10)

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The sixth season premiered on Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 9pm.[160] The main mystery of this season is surrounding new neighbor Angie Bolen and her family. The first half of the season consists of Susan's daughter Julie Mayer being strangled by an unknown person, the conflict between Gabrielle and her niece Ana Solis, Lynette's attempt to sue her new boss Carlos, Katherine's eventual breakdown at losing Mike to Susan, and Bree's affair with Karl, which ends tragically when Karl's hired plane crashes into a building with the two of them and Orson inside. The second half of the season focuses on Katherine experimenting with her sexuality, Lynette inviting the Fairview strangler to stay with them before discovering the truth, the conflict between Bree and a son of Rex whom he had before meeting Bree, and the solving of the Bolen mystery.

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112 1 "Nice Is Different Than Good" Larry Shaw Marc Cherry September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27) 13.64[161]
Mike Delfino's bride is finally revealed, and while one woman of Wisteria Lane is struck by happiness, another woman's world falls apart. In the meantime, Lynette tries to cope with her new pregnancy, and develops some unexpected and horrifying feelings towards her unborn babies. Bree begins an affair with Karl Mayer, and Gabrielle has to deal with raising a rebellious teenage girl. Meanwhile, a new family with a dark past, headed by new housewife, Angie Bolen, moves to the street.
113 2 "Being Alive" David Grossman Matt Berry October 4, 2009 (2009-10-04) 14.64[162]
Bree continues her affair with Karl despite the fact it may jeopardize her friendship with Susan. Everybody tries to figure out why Julie was attacked and Gabrielle discovers Ana is lying for Danny over his whereabouts at the time of the attack, Lynette struggles to decide whether to abort her unborn babies or not and Mrs. McCluskey's boyfriend Roy is introduced.
114 3 "Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover" Andrew Doerfer Bob Daily October 11, 2009 (2009-10-11) 13.42[163]
After a chance encounter with John Rowland, Carlos begins to suspect that his wife still has the hots for him, and allows his niece Ana to be hired by John to test Gabrielle. In the meantime, the Scavos tell their kids they are expecting twins, and Lynette hides her pregnancy from Carlos in order to get a big promotion. Bree realizes Karl is more serious about their affair, but she doesn't want to put much effort into something she does with a man she does not love... or does she? The intensity between Susan and Angie grows as the latter tries to defend her son, but Susan is determined to warn everyone that Danny Bolen is a dangerous kid.
115 4 "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" David Warren Alexandra Cunningham October 18, 2009 (2009-10-18) 13.68[164]
Susan discovers Julie was seeing a married man before she was attacked, Bree worries about Katherine when her denial over Mike and Susan's marriage worsens and begins to interfere with her work, Gabrielle becomes furious over John and Ana getting close and as Lynette's breasts get bigger during her pregnancy, Carlos and her colleagues believe she's had a boob job.
116 5 "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" Larry Shaw Jamie Gorenberg October 25, 2009 (2009-10-25) 14.18[165]
Gabrielle is deemed a bad mother during her daughter Juanita's playdate, and she tries desperately to prove to others that she is a responsible parent, the Bolens find themselves in trouble when Danny lends Julie their gun in case her attacker returns and Susan accidentally shoots and grazes a spying Katherine, Bree gets angry over a motel cleaner who judges her for having an affair with Karl and Lynette begins to dislike her and Tom's new handyman, Mrs. McCluskey's boyfriend Roy.
117 6 "Don't Walk on the Grass" David Grossman Marco Pennette November 1, 2009 (2009-11-01) 14.08[166]
When Bree begins to fall for Karl, she decides it is time to break things up before they get way too serious. However, Karl isn't willing to let her go that easily, and makes her a proposition. In the meantime, Juanita says a bad word during a school play and Gabrielle is attacked by the school's principal, which leads her to respond and ultimately get her daughter out of the school, whereas Lynette learns her husband is cheating during mid-term. Katherine pretends to be on Susan's side to get to Mike, and Angie hides some secrets regarding her mother.
118 7 "Careful the Things You Say" Bethany Rooney Peter Lefcourt November 8, 2009 (2009-11-08) 13.80[167]
Susan is in desperate need of help to figure out if Katherine was responsible for strangling her daughter, and the detective who agrees to help her, Denise Lapera, shares some history with her that they both would rather forget. In the meantime, Lynette learns about Julie's past affair with Nick Bolen, which leads her to have her own theory as to who may have strangled her. The Hodges are invited over for dinner by the Bolens, and Nick proposes to Bree that she hire Angie to work for her at the catering company. Meanwhile, Gabrielle takes advantage of her housekeeper by making her play the role of Juanita's tutor.
119 8 "The Coffee Cup" Larry Shaw Dave Flebotte November 15, 2009 (2009-11-15) 14.72[168]
Susan and Katherine are both sentenced to community service by picking up trash, and in the meantime Katherine finds a way to let Susan know she and Mike once had sex five times in a day, which annoys Susan, as her sexual ratio with Mike was never that high, leading her to believe he was closer to Katherine. Meanwhile, Gabrielle goes out of her way to get her daughter into Catholic school, and the only way to do so is by having Carlos send one of his employees, and Lynette's trainee, to Florida, much to Lynette's dismay, as she was training him to cover for her during her soon-to-come maternity leave. Angie refuses to make small talk with Julie, and Orson lets on that he is suspicious his wife might be cheating on him.
120 9 "Would I Think of Suicide?" Ken Whittingham Jason Ganzel November 29, 2009 (2009-11-29) 12.78[169]
In the wake of another unexpected attack, Nick decides the time has come for him and his family to move away from Wisteria Lane. In the meantime, Susan and Bree clash over the latter's affair with Karl Mayer, whereas Gabrielle and Lynette clash over the latter's pregnancy. Meanwhile, Katherine's crazy schemes have brought Mike to a point where he can no longer put up with her, and a heated argument between the two of them has shocking results.
121 10 "Boom Crunch" David Grossman John Pardee & Joey Murphy December 6, 2009 (2009-12-06) 14.86[170]
Susan and Dylan are forced to get Katherine help when her breakdown gets worse, Angie continues to be blackmailed by neighbor Mona, Gabrielle and Lynette continue to feud over Lynette's lies to Carlos about being pregnant, Orson discovers Bree's and Karl's affair and whilst the residents are enjoying their annual Christmas party a small plane crashes onto the lane, changing the lives of the residents forever.
122 11 "If..." Larry Shaw Jamie Gorenberg January 3, 2010 15.35[171]
After the horrific plane crash of Wisteria Lane, the housewives think of their lives different ways. If Susan had stayed married to Karl and gotten fat; Bree imagines if Orson had died and Karl had taken her away; Angie imagines if Mona had survived and told the police everything she knows about the Bolen secret; Gabrielle thinks of Celia's future where she turns up to be an old woman; and Lynette imagines if Patrick had lived, but learns that Patrick died and Paige survived.
123 12 "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" David Grossman Joe Keenan January 10, 2010 14.03[172]
Feeling guilty for Orson being in a wheelchair, Bree takes him back to her home; After heritaging a strip club, Susan learns that Mike is a constant visitor; Gaby is forced to examine feelings she's suppressed about her heritage; Lynette learns that Tom wants to fill in her place in Carlos' company.
124 13 "How About a Friendly Shrink?" Lonny Price Jason Ganzel January 17, 2010 11.32[173]
Lynette balks at the idea of seeing a couples' therapist. In the meantime, Katherine shows no intention to moving back onto the lane, whereas Gabrielle and Susan are determined to find out which of their kids is in the smartest math group at school, whereas Orson makes life harder for Bree and Angie disapproves of Danny's new girlfriend.
125 14 "The Glamorous Life" Bethany Rooney Dave Flebotte January 31, 2010 11.44[174]
Gabrielle and Carlos grow concerned with the direction Ana and Danny's relationship might be taking. In the meantime, Susan befriends a stripper named Robin and takes her under her wing, whereas Tom and Lynette come to a disagreement regarding their new therapist. Bree watches over Orson as she fears he may commit suicide, and Angie tries to get a neighbor to sort out her garbage, much to Nick's dismay.
126 15 "Lovely" David Warren David Schladweiler February 21, 2010 10.92[175]
Robin gives important tips to each one of the housewives.
127 16 "The Chase" Larry Shaw John Pardee & Joey Murphy February 28, 2010 10.89[176]
Gaby experiences the single life again after Celia gets chicken pox and discovers a sad secret about Lee and Bob; Lynette and Tom forgets Penny's birthday; Bree hires a promising employee; Katherine suspects that she might be bisexual; Susan pushes Roy into proposing to Karen but then has second thoughts, only to find out something potentially tragic; Angie worries about Danny's disappearance when she finds out he didn't go camping after all.
128 17 "Chromolume No. 7" Lonny Price Marco Pennette March 14, 2010 12.01[177]
Gaby and Angie have a chance encounter with supermodels Heidi Klum and Paulina Porizkova in New York; Katherine is confused by her feelings for Robin; Preston returns from Europe with a big and expensive surprise for Lynette and Tom; Mike tries to show Susan how man he is after he begins to feel like he's emasculated; Bree makes a shocking discovery about Sam; Angie reveals a secret.
129 18 "My Two Young Men" David Grossman Bob Daily March 21, 2010 10.84[178]
Susan and Gaby go to shameless lengths to top each other's kids; Lynette believes that Irina is hiding something; Bree invites Sam to a family dinner; Katherine comes out of the closet; Patrick finds out where Angie currently lives.
130 19 "We All Deserve to Die" Larry Shaw Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott April 18, 2010 10.62[179]
Lynette discovers the truth about Irina; Gaby offers to help Bob and Lee in having their child without considering the consequences; Bree begins to question Sam's motives; Susan has a creative way to help Mike with his finances; the Fairview Strangler makes another victim.
131 20 "Epiphany" David Grossman Marc Cherry April 25, 2010 11.29[180]
The Fairview Strangler's past is revealed, as he lives among the women in Wisteria Lane.
132 21 "A Little Night Music" David Warren Matt Berry May 2, 2010 12.12[181]
Angie comes face to face with Patrick after spending 18 years running away from him; Gaby and Susan plan a scheme against their husbands; Lynette sees a dark side of Eddie; Bree meets Sam's mother.
133 22 "The Ballad of Booth" Larry Shaw Bob Daily May 9, 2010 11.36[182]
Lynette makes a shocking discovery about Eddie; Angie discreetly relies on Gaby for help; Bree offers money to get rid of Sam; Susan and Mike's financial woes result in the ultimate sacrifice.
134 23 "I Guess This Is Goodbye" David Grossman Alexandra Cunningham May 16, 2010 12.75[183]
Gaby risks her safety to save Angie and Danny; Lynette and her unborn baby's fates are in Eddie's hands; Susan comes to grips with her financial woes; Bree considers confessing a secret that she's been keeping from everybody for a long time; an old neighbor returns to Wisteria Lane.

Season 7 (2010–11)

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The seventh season premiered on September 26, 2010[184] and its main focus is the return of Paul Young to Wisteria Lane and his plans of seeking revenge on the residents for shunning him during his incarceration. This season also focuses on the mystery of Paul’s new wife, and Felicia Tilman's plans to avenge the death of her sister at Paul's hands. Lynette’s best friend from college, Renee Perry moves to the Lane and stirs things up among the other housewives. Gabrielle and Carlos learn an unsettling fact about their eldest daughter, which ultimately takes them back to Gabrielle’s home town of Las Colinas. Due to financial problems, Susan and her family have moved off the lane, and Susan is forced to earn money by somewhat untraditional means. Following a major riot on the lane, Susan is put on the waiting list for a vital organ donation. Carlos learns the truth about his mother’s death, consequently ending the friendship between the Solis family and Bree. Lynette persuades Tom to take an exciting new job, which leads to unprecedented problems in their marriage.

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135 1 "Remember Paul?" David Grossman Marc Cherry September 26, 2010 13.06[185]
After losing Orson and her business, Bree begins to rebuild her life while Susan and her family struggle to adapt to their changed life with their financial troubles. Lynette finds herself questioning her life after the arrival and stay of a frenemy from college and Gaby is shocked to learn the truth about her mother-in-law's death. In the meantime, Paul Young, Mary Alice's widower, returns with blatantly shady motives.
136 2 "You Must Meet My Wife" Larry Shaw Dave Flebotte October 3, 2010 13.23[186]
Renee begins spending a lot of time with Tom, who discovered that he is diagnosed with postpartum depression, which Lynette doesn't believe. Bree begins to think about her contractor sexually, and accidentally runs someone over because of it while Gabrielle learns a heart-wrenching secret. Because of her sexy new job, Susan is weighted with guilt to keep it a secret from her loved ones while Paul's new wife finally arrives on Wisteria Lane.
137 3 "Truly Content" Tara Nicole Weyr Matt Berry October 10, 2010 12.38[187]
Lynette is stunned when Tom's doctor prescribes marijuana as a cure for his depression. Gaby decides to do a little research to see how her biological daughter is doing while Renee takes Bree to a night out in a club, but when Renee begins to flirt with Keith, the competition begins between the two of them and Susan gets an important lesson from an unexpected person. Meanwhile, the women invite Beth to their weekly poker game in an attempt to find out some dirty little secrets about Paul.
138 4 "The Thing That Counts Is What's Inside" David Grossman Jason Ganzel October 17, 2010 12.67[188]
Susan is horrified when the sexy internet company she's been working for makes her their billboard model and confronts Maxine about this. Tension continues to heat up as Renee tries to steal Keith away from Bree. Lynette learns her daughter Penny is helping a lot with the new baby and inadvertently takes advantage of her. Gabrielle and Carlos meet their birth daughter but Gabrielle gets a little too close.
139 5 "Let Me Entertain You" Lonny Price Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon October 24, 2010 12.16[189]
Susan infuriates Maxine after she loses a big client. Renee and Gaby share intimate secrets about each other to the wrong people, leading to a smackdown while Bree gets increasingly exhausted by Keith's sexual appetite. Lynette is nervous after Tom hires his own mother as the baby's nanny without talking to her first. A new housewife, Emma Graham, puts on a cabaret show with surprising results.
140 6 "Excited and Scared" Jeff Greenstein Jeff Greenstein October 31, 2010 11.10[190]
Susan is forced to reveal her secret to Mike after Paul discovered her secret and blackmails her. Juanita becomes suspicious of Gaby spending a lot of time with Grace and Lynette is worried about Tom's mother's memory lapses. Bree learns a secret about Keith and Paul takes Beth out on a date.
141 7 "A Humiliating Business" Larry Shaw Marco Pennette November 7, 2010 12.72[191]
A reluctant Susan accepts Lynette's offer to be baby Paige's nanny. After undergoing menopause, Bree is pressured to tell Keith the truth, resulting in meeting Keith's parents. Renee makes a proposal that Lynette can't refuse and Gaby fears that Bob might be trying to seduce Carlos after they become friends and attempts to reunite Bob with Lee. Beth begins to question Paul's motives for returning to Wisteria Lane and it is revealed that Beth is actually the daughter of Felicia, Paul's sworn enemy.
142 8 "Sorry Grateful" David Grossman Annie Weisman November 14, 2010 11.92[192]
Bree invites Keith's parents to a Thanksgiving dinner and discovers some family secrets but starts to get worried when Keith's father, Richard, begins to flirt with her. Susan fights with Lynette about her techniques to make baby Paige fall asleep and Renee reminds Tom about their past. Gaby learns that her time with Grace might be threatened and Beth tries to learn more about Paul's past misdeeds.
143 9 "Pleasant Little Kingdom" Arlene Sanford Dave Flebotte December 5, 2010 11.36[193]
Gabrielle tries to keep Grace in her life and breaks down when Carmen decides to take Grace with her as they flee from Fairview. Keith prepares a special dinner for Bree and a drunk Renee accidentally shares a dark secret with Susan. Paul's plan is finally revealed which causes anger among the residents of the lane.
144 10 "Down the Block There's a Riot" Larry Shaw Bob Daily December 12, 2010 11.60[194]
Juanita learns the truth about the baby switch and confronts Gabrielle. Susan tells Tom the secret that Renee told her while Richard tries to drive a wedge between Bree and Keith. Paul puts his house-buying scheme into action which causes a riot to break out during the protest of the half-way house, resulting in some people getting seriously injured and at the end of the day, Paul gets shot by an unknown gunman.
145 11 "Assassins" David Warren John Paul Bullock III January 2, 2011 12.19[195]
Paul finds out that Beth is Felicia Tilman's daughter. A therapist asks Carlos and Gabrielle to erase Grace from their lives. Susan learns she will need kidney dialysis every 48 hours. Renee finally tells the secret between her and Tom to Lynette. After Orson returns, Bree must deal with her feelings and choose between Orson and Keith. Detectives try to find the person responsible for shooting Paul Young.
146 12 "Where Do I Belong" David Grossman David Schladweiler January 9, 2011 12.83[196]
Susan's mother and aunt visit her at the hospital, Lynette plots revenge against Tom, Gabrielle becomes increasingly obsessed with getting Grace back and Bree wants to be friends with Beth.
147 13 "I'm Still Here" Lonny Price Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott January 16, 2011 10.25[197]
Bree finds out that a woman, who is looking for Keith, has a son that he knows nothing about and Susan tries to have a conversation during her dialysis treatment at the hospital. Stella, Lynette's mother, decides to marry a new boyfriend and Bob and Lee decide to adopt an 8-year-old girl while Gabrielle and Carlos get burgled by a carjacker; Paul has plans for Beth when he accompanies her to a local cabin.
148 14 "Flashback" Andrew Doerfer Matt Berry February 13, 2011 9.20[198]
While in therapy, Gabrielle learns the truth about her past; Keith becomes suspicious about Bree's secret; Lynette's mother tells a lie to a coroner about Frank's death; Mike confronts Zach about Paul's shooting; someone makes arrangements to give Susan a new kidney.
149 15 "Farewell Letter" David Grossman Marco Pennette February 20, 2011 10.58[199]
Gabrielle and Carlos head to Texas to visit Gabrielle's stepfather's grave; Bree convinces Keith to go to Florida along with his son; Lynette prohibits Porter and Preston from bringing home girls; Renee tries to use Susan's dialysis to help her get into a restaurant, but fails; after sending Zach to a rehab facility, Paul decides what to do about Beth.
150 16 "Searching" Larry Shaw Jeff Greenstein March 6, 2011 11.35[200]
Jenny Hunter-McDermott and Juanita Solis perform in a school talent show; Civil War reenactors interrupt Susan and Mike's lovemaking; When an ER clerk tells Beth to go to another floor with her kidney donation paperwork, she uses drastic measures, and commits suicide by shooting herself in the head; While on a date, Renee pays a waitress to babysit Paige.
151 17 "Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed" David Warren Annie Weisman April 3, 2011 9.05[201]
Paul tries to stand between Susan and her kidney transplant; Felicia is released from prison and swears revenge against Paul; Gabrielle is furious about a neighborhood party planned by Renee; Tom is caught between working with Carlos and a job opportunity; Andrew's drinking concerns Bree.
152 18 "Moments in the Woods" David Grossman John Paul Bullock III April 17, 2011 9.11[202]
Susan makes a huge bet at a casino; Renee teaches Lynette to order a saleslady around; Carlos finds out that Andrew was responsible for his mother's hit and run; Felicia tries to make peace with Paul, despite her hatred of him.
153 19 "The Lies Ill-Concealed" Larry Shaw David Schladweiler April 24, 2011 10.15[203]
When Tom attends a business seminar, Lynette attends to flower arrangements; she later tries to pose as a successful woman to no avail; Susan has nightmares about Paul Young; Gabrielle is forbidden to be friends with Bree by Carlos; Felicia tries to get help from Mrs. McCluskey in an attempt to get revenge against Paul.
154 20 "I'll Swallow Poison on Sunday" David Warren Jason Ganzel May 1, 2011 9.44[204]
After taking illegal action, Bree is caught by Chuck Vance, a police officer; someone, possibly Felicia, has been poisoning Paul with antifreeze; despite a family obligation, Tom must complete his work.
155 21 "Then I Really Got Scared" Larry Shaw Valerie A. Brotski May 8, 2011 10.00[205]
Bree finds out Chuck Vance has researched her; they later do something surprising, involving a hooker; Juanita is unable to sleep after watching a horror movie; Paul checks his food for any sign of antifreeze; Susan brings refreshments that could be fatal to people; Tom and Lynette have a vacation argument.
156 22 "And Lots of Security..." David Grossman Joe Keenan May 15, 2011 10.25[206]
The police have reason to believe Susan and Felicia were poisoning Paul; Tom and Lynette learn that a couple are going through a rough patch; Gabrielle is shaken after finding out her past may not be behind her; Bree learns something about Chuck's relationship with men.
157 23 "Come on Over for Dinner" Larry Shaw Bob Daily May 15, 2011 10.25[206]
The Wisteria Lane residents each enjoy a progressive dinner celebrating Susan's return to the lane. Lynette accepts Tom's departure, Bree connects with Chuck (and burns the entree) and Gabrielle is attacked by her stepfather. When Carlos kills him, the housewives cover it up.

Season 8 (2011–12)

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

On May 17, 2011, Desperate Housewives was officially renewed by ABC for an eighth season.[207][208][209] The season premiere episode was broadcast on Sunday, September 25, 2011.[210] This season picks up straight after the dinner party that featured in the previous season finale, in which Gabrielle's perverted stepfather Alejandro Perez is unintentionally killed by Carlos. Bree, Susan and Lynette walk in on this, and conspire to cover up what has happened. Due to her relationship with detective Chuck Vance, Bree becomes the main affected by the cover-up of Alejandro's murder, and is eventually accused of killing Alejandro herself. A new neighbor, Ben Faulkner, moves into the lane, attracting Renee along the way. Ben is going through severe financial problems, and resorts to a dangerous and unruly loan shark to bail him out. Mike meddles in the business of Ben's loan shark in an attempt to protect Renee, but he pays the ultimate price. During the first half of the season, Susan struggles with the guilt of her involvement in the Alejandro case, and during the second half, she tries to deal with both Mike's death and Julie's unexpected pregnancy. Following the cover-up of Alejandro's murder, Carlos develops an alcohol problem, but Gabrielle persuades him to recover in rehab. Due to his guilty conscience, combined with recent events on the lane, Carlos decides to leave his highly paid career for a more charitable alternative, which forces Gabrielle to take a personal shopper position to bring in more money. Tom moves out of the family home, and Lynette struggles to come to terms with how quickly Tom seems to have moved on, until she accepts that she is still in love with him, and decides she will try to win him back. The series concluded on May 13, 2012.

No. in
series
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions)
158 1 "Secrets That I Never Want to Know" David Grossman Bob Daily September 25, 2011 (2011-09-25) 9.93[211]
Bree tries desperately to keep what happened to Alejandro a secret from Chuck; Gabrielle seeks out a priest in order to help Carlos with his problem; Ben Faulkner, a new neighbor, meets Renee; Susan withdraws from her friends because of what happened to Alejandro.
159 2 "Making the Connection" Tara Nicole Weyr Matt Berry October 2, 2011 (2011-10-02) 9.16[212]
Gabrielle tries to spice up her sex life; Susan seeks out a punishment for feeling guilty; Renee attempts to bond with Ben; Tom and Lynette struggle to cope with raising the kids separately; Bree discovers Chuck's past.
160 3 "Watch While I Revise the World" David Warren John Paul Bullock III October 9, 2011 (2011-10-09) 8.63[213]
Renee helps Lee when he has a problem with Jenny; Susan and Carlos begin to spend time together due to their guilt but Mike begins to get suspicious; Bree becomes convinced Chuck sent the letter to her so she and Gabrielle investigates; Lynette grows suspicious of her sister Lydia and her fiancé.
161 4 "School of Hard Knocks" David Grossman Marco Pennette October 16, 2011 (2011-10-16) 8.27[214]
Lynette discovers Tom is dating; Bree attempts to comfort Danielle after her husband leaves her; Susan clashes with an art teacher called Andre, who she had hoped to impress; Gabrielle's rebellious attitude towards the leader of the PTA leads to her being put in charge.
162 5 "The Art of Making Art" Lonny Price Dave Flebotte October 23, 2011 (2011-10-23) 9.17[215]
Tom and Lynette visit a couples counselor about their separation; Bree tries to help a city council about the homeless; Carlos is in a guilty situation; Susan is embarrassed about Andre's students being naked in class; Gabrielle is having difficulty setting up a school event.
163 6 "Witch's Lament" Tony Plana Annie Weisman October 30, 2011 (2011-10-30) 9.28[216]
Susan is appointed as Andre's intern and ends up watching his son; Lynette tries to outdo Jane and lies about making Penny's costume; Carlos speaks to a sponsor from A.A. about his blackout; the housewives are in the woods with the shovels, but the body they buried was mysteriously dug up; Renee gets romantic with Ben.
164 7 "Always in Control" Jeff Greenstein Jeff Greenstein November 6, 2011 (2011-11-06) 8.78[217]
Susan uses her art improvement to impress Andre; Lynette tells Penny a fib about Jane; Gabrielle and Carlos try to get a different opinion about their children from Bob and Lee; Bree tries to solve the mystery of who dug up the body of Alejandro.
165 8 "Suspicion Song" Jennifer Getzinger David Schaldweiler November 13, 2011 (2011-11-13) 9.29[218]
Bree is harassed by Chuck when it comes to growing suspicions; a gallery owner evaluates Susan's paintings; Gabrielle tries to stop Carlos from having a drinking problem; Lynette tries to save her marriage.
166 9 "Putting It Together" David Warren Sheila Lawrence December 4, 2011 (2011-12-04) 8.20[219]
Chuck interrogates Susan, Lynette and Gabrielle about Alejandro's disappearance; Gabrielle goes on a desperate search to find Carlos; Lynette tells Tom a horrible secret; a drunk Bree reveals her past and present details, and then goes to a motel room where she sits and has a brief conversation with Mary Alice while having her gun set on the table.
167 10 "What's to Discuss, Old Friend" David Grossman Wendy Mericle January 8, 2012 (2012-01-08) 8.84[220]
While searching for Carlos, Gabrielle is shocked by a news report on Chuck Vance's death; Susan informs Mike she is leaving for New York when, in fact, she is actually leaving for Oklahoma to visit the late Alejandro's family.
168 11 "Who Can Say What's True?" Larry Shaw Brian Tanen January 15, 2012 (2012-01-15) 7.91[221]
While in Oklahoma, Susan finds out from the late Alejandro's family that their daughter, Marisa, was abused by Gabrielle's stepfather; at a bar, Bree finds out something surprising about her new boyfriend; Gabrielle has some difficulty with Carlos's potential clients; Mike catches Ben doing some illegal activities in his real estate project.
169 12 "What's the Good of Being Good" Ron Underwood Jason Ganzel January 22, 2012 (2012-01-22) 7.48[222]
Karen McCluskey finds out about Bree's sex life and plans to do something about it; Bree learns that her latest boyfriend is keeping a secret; Renee gets concerned about Lynette going out on a date with her hairdresser.
170 13 "Is This What You Call Love?" David Grossman David Schladweiler & Valérie A. Brotski February 12, 2012 (2012-02-12) 6.40[223]
Since Bree is spending time meeting men at the bar and/or in bed, the only person who can help her is her ex-husband, Orson Hodge, the man who ran over Mike Delfino years ago; Susan finds out that Julie is pregnant; Gabrielle tries to handle a situation at school involving her daughter, Juanita.
171 14 "Get Out of My Life" James Hayman Cindy Appel February 19, 2012 (2012-02-19) 7.65[224]
Orson attempts to keep Bree away from her friends and tries to convince her to start a new life elsewhere; Roy is kicked out by Karen so he moves in with Gabrielle; Susan and Lynette find out Porter is the father of Julie's baby; Mike exposes Ben's illegal activities to Renee.
172 15 "She Needs Me" Randy Zisk Jason Ganzel March 4, 2012 (2012-03-04) 8.21[225]
After Lynette refuses to help raise Porter and Julie's baby, Susan offers to assist by setting up a nursery; Orson tries to get Bree to go to Maine with him; Ben's loan shark sets out to destroy Renee; Karen swears Gabrielle to secrecy; Orson, who knows what happened to Alejandro Perez, sends a letter to the authorities.
173 16 "You Take for Granted" Jeff Greenstein Matt Berry March 11, 2012 (2012-03-11) 8.39[226]
The police read the details on Alejandro's death; Mike is forced by Susan to tell the police about Ben's loan shark; Carlos's strange behavior about money concerns Gabrielle; at Penny's birthday party, Jane tells Lynette some news; Bree is asked by Karen McCluskey to help her commit suicide; Mike is gunned down.
174 17 "Women and Death" David Grossman Annie Weisman March 18, 2012 (2012-03-18) 9.03[227]
The funeral of Mike Delfino leads to the ladies remembering how he impacted their lives; Bree is shocked when the police call her in for questioning regarding the murder of Gabrielle's stepfather; Lynette realizes she must fight for her marriage; Gabrielle agrees to let Carlos quit his job to help people.
175 18 "Any Moment" Randy Zisk Sheila Lawrence March 25, 2012 (2012-03-25) 8.81[228]
Bree is not so sure about Andrew's upcoming marriage; Gabrielle tries to find work in order to keep up her lifestyle; Lynette attempts to win back Tom; Susan finds a way to help M.J. through his pain; Ben and Renee get engaged.
176 19 "With So Little to Be Sure Of" Tara Nicole Weyr Marco Pennette April 1, 2012 (2012-04-01) 8.49[229]
Carlos gets concerned about Gabrielle's new job; a secret of Mike makes Susan suspicious; Bree needs a lawyer's help in order to get her charges of Alejandro Perez's murder cleared; Jane works hard to make sure Tom and Lynette's divorce goes through.
177 20 "Lost My Power" David Grossman Wendy Mericle April 29, 2012 (2012-04-29) 8.02[230]
Susan builds M.J. a car for the soapbox derby; a wealthy woman hires Gabrielle to become her personal shopper; Bree's attorney, Trip Weston, gets her to explain her actions; Lynette causes trouble between Tom and his girlfriend; Renee tries to find out Ben's secret about the late Alejandro Perez.
178 21 "The People Will Hear" David Warren Brian Tanen May 6, 2012 (2012-05-06) 9.22[231]
Bree's lawyer may help her out during her trial, but it may mean betraying a friend; Gabrielle's attitude shocks the ladies; Susan makes a big decision regarding her house and Julie's baby; Lynette tries to stop Tom's boss from sending him to India.
179 22 "Give Me the Blame" Larry Shaw Bob Daily May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13) 11.12[232]
The ladies agree to take care of Mrs. McCluskey when they discover she wants to die with dignity; Susan waits for the right moment to tell her friends she is moving; Trip begs for Bree to come clean to him about the night Alejandro was killed; Tom realizes he loves Lynette after a heart to heart with Roy; Gabrielle and Carlos both want to confess to killing Alejandro; Renee may land Bree in trouble when she discovers that Ben has been arrested.
180 23 "Finishing the Hat" David Grossman Marc Cherry May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13) 11.12[232]
Katherine returns to Wisteria Lane to offer Lynette a job, which could end her reconciliation with Tom; Susan is shocked when Julie goes into labor on the way to Ben and Renee's wedding; Bree tries to avoid Trip; Gabrielle and Carlos clash when they realize their roles in life have reversed; Mrs. McCluskey dies peacefully. Susan, Lynette, Gabrielle and Bree all move away from Wisteria Lane.

Specials

Special
no.
Title Narrators Aired between Original air date
1 "Oprah Winfrey Is The New Neighbour" Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young "Your Fault" (Episode 13)
"Love Is In The Air" (Episode 14)
February 3, 2005
2 "Sorting Out The Dirty Laundry" Tracy Fraim "Live Alone And Like It" (Episode 19)
"Fear No More" (Episode 20)
April 24, 2005
3 "All the Juicy Details" Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young "Coming Home" (Episode 33)
"One More Kiss"(Episode 34)
January 1, 2006
4 "The More You Know, The Juicer It Gets" Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young "Don't Look At Me" (Episode 42)
"It Wasn't Meant To Be"(Episode 43)
April 23, 2006
5 "Time To Come Clean" Marc Cherry "Remember (Part 2)" (Episode 47)
"Listen To The Rain on the Roof"(Episode 48)
September 3, 2006
6 "The Juiciest Bites" Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young "My Husband the Pig" (Episode 63)
"Dress Big"(Episode 64)
April 1, 2007
7 "Secrets and Lies" Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young "Getting Married Today" (Episode 70)
"Now You Know"(Episode 71)
September 23, 2007

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  184. ABC Announces Fall Series Premiere Dates, TV By the Numbers, July 8, 2010
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  207. EXCLUSIVE: ABC Will End "Desperate Housewives" In May 2012 After 8th Season, Deadline Hollywood, August 5, 2011
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  209. "Desperate Housewives" will end its run on ABC, Los Angeles Times, August 7, 2011
  210. ABC Announces Fall Series Premiere Dates: Late Starts for "Once Upon a Time", "Man Up", TV By the Numbers, June 27, 2011
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it:Desperate Housewives#Episodi

Reception

Ratings

Season Timeslot (EST) #
Ep.
Premiere Finale TV season Rank 18–49 average Overall viewership
Date Viewers
(in millions)
Date Viewers
(in millions)
1 Sunday
9:00 pm
23 October 3, 2004 (2004-10-03) 21.64[1] May 22, 2005 (2005-05-22) 30.62[2] 2004–05 #4[3] 10.66[4] 23.69[3]
2 24 September 25, 2005 (2005-09-25) 28.36[5] May 21, 2006 (2006-05-21) 24.23[6] 2005–06 #4[7] 10.09[4] 21.70[7]
3 23 September 24, 2006 (2006-09-24) 24.09[8] May 20, 2007 (2007-05-20) 18.82[9] 2006–07 #10[10] 7.57[4] 16.70[10]
4 17 September 30, 2007 (2007-09-30) 19.32[11] May 18, 2008 (2008-05-18) 16.84[12] 2007–08 #6[13] 6.71[4] 17.52[13]
5 24 September 28, 2008 (2008-09-28) 18.68[14] May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) 13.96[15] 2008–09 #9[16] 5.29[4] 15.66[16]
6 23 September 27, 2009 (2009-09-27) 13.64[17] May 16, 2010 (2010-05-16) 12.75[18] 2009–10 #20[19] 4.25[4] 12.83[19]
7 23 September 26, 2010 (2010-09-26) 13.06[20] May 15, 2011 (2011-05-15) 10.25[21] 2010–11 #26[22] 3.46[4] 11.85[23]
8 23 September 25, 2011 (2011-09-25) 9.93[24] May 13, 2012 (2012-05-13) 11.12[25] 2011–12 #37[26] 2.74[4] 10.60[26]


Critical response

The show was the biggest success of the 2004–05 television season, being well received by both critics and viewers. The pilot episode had 21.3 million viewers making it the best new drama for the year, the highest-rated show of the week, and the best performance by a pilot for ABC, since Spin City in 1996.[27]

Along with Lost and Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives was credited to have turned around ABC's declining fortunes.[28] Many critics agreed with Cherry's initial comparison to the popular black comedy film American Beauty,[29] while its themes and appeal to female viewers were compared to those of the award-winning series Sex and the City,[30] and its mysteries were said to resemble those of David Lynch's classic series Twin Peaks.[31] In its first review, USA Today proclaimed the show to be "refreshingly original, bracingly adult and thoroughly delightful" and naming it to be "sort of Knots Landing meets The Golden Girls by way of Twin Peaks".[32]

Following the initial success of the show, the term "desperate housewives" became a cultural phenomenon. This warranted "real-life desperate housewives" features in TV shows, including The Dr. Phil Show,[33] and in magazines.[34][35] Among the more prominent names to declare themselves fans of the show were Oprah Winfrey,[36] who also dedicated an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to her visit at the film set; and the former First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, who, in a comedic speech during a dinner with White House Correspondents' Association on April 30, 2005, stated, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife", referring to the show.[37] The series ended up being the fourth-most-watched in the United States during the 2004–2005 season, with 23.7 million viewers each week.[38][39] The first-season finale was watched by 30.62 million American viewers becoming the most watched episode of the series.[40]

For its second year, the show still maintained its ratings—with 22.2 million viewers, it reclaimed its position as the number four most-watched series.[41][42] The second season's premiere was watched by 28.4 million viewers.[43] The episode drew in the second largest audience for the series in its history. However, several critics started to notice a declining quality of the show's script,[44][45] and USA Today's Robert Bianco suggested that the part of the series getting "less good" was that showrunner Cherry had left much of the series writing in the hands of others.[46] Midway through the season executive producer Michael Edenstein left the show due to conflicts with Cherry and in May 2006, just a couple of weeks prior to the second-season finale, so did Tom Spezialy.[47] After the end of the season, Cherry agreed that the second year's script had been weaker and also agreed that it had been a mistake to let go too much of the show. He now stated that he was back full-time, claiming that both he and the writing staff had learned from their mistakes.[48][49][50]

The critics generally agreed on the improved quality for the third year,[51][52][53] but the overall ratings fell notably from previous seasons. Due to complications from her pregnancy, Marcia Cross was put on bed rest. After filming one episode from her own personal bedroom she was forced to take maternity leave with eight episodes of season three still remaining. It was predicted that the ratings would be down by over 25% since the premiere year.[54] However, for the last three episodes of the season, the rating turned somewhat, and the season ended up with 17.5 million viewers, falling from number four to number ten on the list of most watched shows.[55] While Cross' departure allowed for the much-underused Edie to have more story, fans noticed a decline in the stories during Cross' departure. Stories such as Lynette's emotional affair with restaurant manager Rick proved unpopular. Furthermore, Susan's contrived triangle with Ian and Mike seemed tiresome to many viewers, particularly in an episode where Susan is lost in the woods trying to find Mike. Notable, however, was that the show's rating among viewers age 18–24 increased from the previous season.[56]

For its fourth season, the series proved to have staying power.[57] The series averaged 18.2 million viewers. Ratings rose in the ninth episode "Something's Coming", where 20.6 million viewers tuned in to see the heavily marketed tornado episode. The show once again moved back into the top five highest-rated programs in the 2007–2008 season, being the number-one ABC drama and beating popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy after falling behind it for the first time in the third season. It also became for the first time the number-one scripted series, beating CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Although ratings were down for the fifth season, along with every scripted series on television, Desperate Housewives was still the most-watched scripted series on ABC, consistently beating the other ABC flagship shows, Lost and Grey's Anatomy, although the latter is still number one in the 18–49 demographic, followed by Desperate Housewives.

Similar to the fifth season, ratings were down for the sixth season because of heavy competition in many airings, but the show still managed to remain the second most watched scripted show on ABC and the eleventh most watched scripted show of all broadcast television. The series continued to hit lower ratings, because of competition like the 67th Golden Globe Awards, 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, 2010 Winter Olympics, and the new CBS reality television series Undercover Boss. Nevertheless, the sixth season managed to finish in the top twenty overall, both in total viewers and 18–49 demographic audiences. Among scripted shows, it still ranked in the top ten, in both categories.[58][59][60][61][62]

The seventh season premiered on September 26, 2010, and averaged 11.85 million viewers. The season saw new lows for the series reaching for the first time below 10 million viewers, and saw lows of 2.7 in the 18–49 demographic. For the first half of the season, ratings started strong averaging 12.3 million viewers and 3.9 in the 18–49 demographic which is similar to the second half of the sixth season. However, ratings declined in the second half of the season, after two contiguous episodes had to compete against the 68th Golden Globe Awards and then the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. The show failed to recover to viewer levels hit in the first half of the season, and continued to receive 9–10 million viewers and 2.7–3.1 in the 18–49 demographic. This was the first time in its history that Desperate Housewives would not place in the twenty most watched shows of the season, although it would place in the twenty most-watched scripted shows.

The eighth season continued to see declines in the series' ratings. The season premiered to 9.93 million viewers and a 3.2 in the demo making it the least-watched season premiere in the series' history. The season began with ratings similar to those of the latter half of season 7, averaging 8–9 million viewers, and between a 2.8 to 3.0 in the 18–49 demographic. However, after the mid-season finale the ratings returned lower, hitting the seven million viewer mark and a 2.2–2.5 in the demo. The season also saw the lowest ratings in the show's eight-year run. Opposite the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which featured a tribute to the then-recently deceased entertainer Whitney Houston, and the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC, the show fell to a 1.8 rating in adults 18–49 and 6.4 million viewers.[63] However unlike the seventh season, the show's ratings slightly recovered after the series low and leveled around the eight million viewer mark and a 2.6 in the demo. Despite the series lows, the season finale was able to go out on a season high in the ratings and the highest rated episode in over a year and a half, since March 2011 with "Searching". The series finale titled "Finishing the Hat" aired May 13, 2012 was viewed by 11.12 million viewers and a 3.2 in the demo.[64] Despite the lows in the ratings the show managed to remain in the top twenty-five-watched shows in the 18–49 demographic, placing at number twenty-five. However, the show dropped out of the top thirty most-watched shows in total viewers, coming in at thirty-fifth place.[65]

In 2006, the American cable network Bravo launched their reality series, The Real Housewives of..., in the footsteps of the "real life desperate housewives" phenomenon.[66] That program has taken place in areas such as Orange County (California), Atlanta, and two series within the New York-Tri-State Region, within the City itself and the New Jersey suburbs. According to a survey of twenty countries conducted in 2006 by Informa Telecoms and Media, Desperate Housewives was the third-most-watched television series in the world, after fellow American series CSI: Miami and Lost.[67] During a fundraising auction for the British child charity ChildLine in December 2006, a walk-on part in Desperate Housewives had the highest bid, £17,000, beating Daniel Craig's James Bond tuxedo from Casino Royale.[68][69]

In its first public release of online individual television program rankings, Nielsen Media Research announced that the series had 723,000 unique online viewers in December 2008.[70] Desperate Housewives was the seventh-most-pirated television show of 2009.[71]

In fall 2013, North Korea allegedly executed eighty people for watching banned South Korean soap operas, Desperate Housewives being the most common soap opera. Desperate Housewives was being secretly watched using mp3 players, hard drives, and DVDs.[72]

In September 2015, Desperate Housewives ranked at number hundred on The Hollywood Reporter's "Hollywood's 100 Favorite TV Shows", as determined by television industry professionals.[73]

Accolades

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For its premiere season, the show was awarded six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. The nominations of all of the leading actresses except Eva Longoria for both the Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award received some media interest. While Longoria seemingly wasn't bothered, stating for the press that "I'm new. I just arrived. I didn't expect at all to be in the minds of the Academy", Marc Cherry regarded them being left out as a "horrendous error".[74] In the end, the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series went to Felicity Huffman, while Teri Hatcher won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actress – Comedy Series.

The show's second Golden Globe Award for its first year was for Best Series – Musical or Comedy at the 62nd Golden Globe Awards, while the other Primetime Emmy Awards went to Kathryn Joosten, for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her guest role as Karen McCluskey (beating, among others, fellow cast member Lupe Ontiveros); to Charles McDougall, for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, for his direction of "Pilot"; to Danny Elfman, for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music, for his theme music; for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series of "Pilot"; and for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series at the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The entire cast was awarded the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast – Comedy Series (in both 2004 and 2005), and Nicollette Sheridan was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

In 2006, the show continued to receive several nominations. It was awarded with yet another Golden Globe Award for Best Series – Musical or Comedy at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, and all the four leading women received Golden Globe Award nominations, although none of them won. The cast ensemble was awarded with another Screen Actors Guild Award, as was Felicity Huffman. Primetime Emmy Award nominations at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards included, among others, guest actress Shirley Knight and supporting actress Alfre Woodard, although none of them resulted in a win. It was nominated for the Pioneer Award at the BAFTA awards but lost to Doctor Who, which at the time was recently revamped.

The show did continue to be nominated in 2007—Felicity Huffman was granted a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the second time, and guest actresses Laurie Metcalf and Dixie Carter also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations, at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. The show, along with actresses Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman, received Golden Globe Award nominations at 64th Golden Globe Awards, and Huffman and the cast ensemble were also nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. None of the Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, or Screen Actors Guild Award nominations resulted in any actual awards.

2008 yielded the least nominations with none at the 65th Golden Globe Awards and only the cast being nominated at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The show was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, including acting nods towards Polly Bergen and Kathryn Joosten for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Joosten won the show's seventh Primetime Emmy Award and first since its debut year.

Nominations continued to decline in later years. Notable nominations included nods towards Beau Bridges and Kathryn Joosten in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Additionally, Brenda Strong received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2011, a notable feat for a category usually dominated by animated series. Also in 2011, Vanessa L. Williams won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the 41st NAACP Image Awards and a Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Strong and Joosten received Primetime Emmy Award nominations again at 64th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012 and Williams won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the series' eight and final season in 2013.

Other notable awards include the People's Choice Award for Favorite New Television Drama at the 31st People's Choice Awards, the Future Classic Award at the 2005 TV Land Awards, the TP de Oro for Best Foreign Series in 2006, and seven Golden Nymph Awards at Monte-Carlo Television Festivals, among others.

Broadcast

From 2006 to 2012, it was syndicated on Lifetime in the United States. While the series no longer airs in the United States anymore, it still airs reruns internationally on channels such as Star World in the Middle East, Sky One, Sky Comedy, and Universal TV.

Internationally, the show aired on networks such as: OSN Series First and Showtime Arabia in the Middle East, CTV in Canada, Seven Network in Australia, n(Poland) in Poland, CNBC-e in Turkey, FoxLife in Italy, Portgual, Greece and Poland, RTE Two in Ireland, M-Net in Africa, TV2 in New Zeland, SF2 in Switzerland, ORF1 in Austria, ProSieben in Germany, Sony Entertainment Television in Latin America, TV 2 in Norway, Nelonen in Finland, 8TV in Malaysia, Channel 4, S4C, and E4 in the United Kingdom, yes stars 1 in Isreal, La 2 in Spain, TV2 in Hungary, Tv Azteca in Mexico, Star World in Asia, BTV in Bulgaria, Polsat in Poland, TV3 in Latvia and Lithuania, Channel 5 in Singapore, RTS in Serbia, Canal+ and M6 in France, POPTV in Slovenia, A1 Televijza in Macedonia.

Home media and digital downloads

There have only been DVD releases of the series. On Prime Video and Hulu, the series is available for streaming[75] in 1080p HD; otherwise for offline viewing, all episodes of the show can be purchased from Prime Video, Google Play or Vudu.[76] It is also available on Disney+ in countries that have the Star brand. There has been no Blu-ray release as of 2021.

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Title Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5 No. of discs No. of episodes Ref.
The Complete First Season September 20, 2005 October 10, 2005 November 16, 2005 November 28, 2005 July 18, 2006
  • 6
  • 5
    (Region 5)
23 [77][78]
The Complete Second Season – The Extra Juicy Edition August 30, 2006 November 13, 2006 November 8, 2006 October 4, 2006 June 28, 2007
  • 6
    (Regions 1 and 5)
  • 7
    (Regions 2, 3 and 4)
24 [79][80]
The Complete Seasons 1–2 N/A November 13, 2006 N/A October 24, 2006 N/A 13 47 [81]
The Complete Third Season – The Dirty Laundry Edition September 4, 2007 November 5, 2007 October 30, 2007 October 17, 2007 April 12, 2011 6 23 [82][83]
The Complete Seasons 1–3 N/A November 19, 2007 N/A 19 70 [84]
The Complete Fourth Season – Sizzling Secrets Edition September 2, 2008 November 3, 2008 November 6, 2008 October 29, 2008 April 12, 2011 5 17 [85][86][87]
The Complete Seasons 1–4 N/A November 3, 2008 N/A 24 87 [88]
The Complete Fifth Season – The Red Hot Edition September 1, 2009 November 9, 2009 November 3, 2009 October 21, 2009 April 26, 2011
  • 7
  • 6
    (Region 5)
24 [89][90]
The Complete Seasons 1–5 N/A November 9, 2009 N/A 31 111 [91]
The Complete Sixth Season – The All Mighty Edition September 21, 2010 October 4, 2010 September 21, 2010 October 20, 2010 April 26, 2011
  • 5
  • 6
    (Region 3)
23 [92][93][94][95]
The Complete Seasons 1–6 N/A October 4, 2010 N/A October 20, 2010 N/A
  • 36
    (Region 2)
  • 37
    (Region 4)
134 [96][97]
The Complete Seventh Season – Wild, Wild Wisteria Edition August 30, 2011 October 31, 2011 October 4, 2011 November 30, 2011 May 15, 2012 5 23 [98][99]
The Complete Seasons 1–7 N/A October 31, 2011 N/A 41 157 [100]
The Complete Eighth and Final Season September 25, 2012 September 24, 2012 October 12, 2012 October 3, 2012 N/A 5 23 [101][102][103]
The Complete Collection September 25, 2012 September 24, 2012 December 7, 2012 N/A 45 180 [104][105]

Merchandise

Games

Buena Vista Games released the life simulation computer video game Desperate Housewives: The Game on October 5, 2006, in North America, featuring an original storyline spanning 12 episodes.[106] The game is set on Wisteria Lane, but the player does not play as any of the housewives, although they frequently appear. A couple of months later, Gameloft released a mobile game based on the series.[107] "The inspiration for Gameloft's take on Desperate Housewives comes from the most unlikely place, too—the original Mario Party on the Nintendo 64."[108]

In 2007, British company Re:creation published Desperate Housewives Dirty Laundry Game, a board game based on the third season of Desperate Housewives.[109] Players attempt to guess their opponents' secrets by answering trivia questions, while keeping clues to their own secrets concealed.

In June 2017, Megazebra released Desperate Housewives: The Game on App Store and on Google Play. Play as new neighbor on Wisteria Lane.

Soundtrack and literature

File:Ms. magazine Cover - Spring 2005.jpg
Ms.'s Desperate Housewives issue, published in 2005

In September 2005, Hollywood Records released a soundtrack album distributed by Universal Music Group, Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives, featuring music inspired by the series, as well as sound clips taken from the first season of the series. The songs included have been described as promoting "girl power", and among the artists appearing—all being female—were LeAnn Rimes, Gloria Estefan and Shania Twain.[110] Controversially, no music composed for the series was included on the album.

Two books have been officially released within the Desperate Housewives franchise. In September 2005, ABC's sister company Hyperion Books released Desperate Housewives: Behind Closed Doors (ISBN 978-1-4013-0826-1), a companion to the first season of the series, written by the production team behind the series.[111] One year later, in October 2006, Hyperion published The Desperate Housewives Cookbook – Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits (ISBN 978-1-4013-0277-1).[112] In addition, official wall calendars, featuring shots taken from the series, were published by Andrews McMeel Publishing for 2006, 2007 and 2008.[113]

Four unauthorized books written from different points of view were released in 2006. Delicious Housewives, A Novel of Erotica, by author Tamarias Tyree (ISBN 978-0-930865-79-5), from RSVP Press, is an erotic parody of the series featuring the housewives' sexual misadventures which eventually lead them to an appearance on the Jerry Springer Show.

Reading 'Desperate Housewives': Beyond the White Picket Fence (ISBN 978-1-84511-220-2), from I.B. Tauris, is an academic look at the show by film studies lecturers Janet McCabe and Kim Akass.[114] Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives (ISBN 978-1-932100-79-2), published by BenBella Books, consists of seventeen essays written from a feminist perspective.[115] In Chalice Press' Not-So-Desperate: Fantasy, Fact and Faith on Wisteria Lane (ISBN 0-8272-2513-X), author Shawnthea Monroe gives a Christian interpretation of the series.[116] Also, following the "real life desperate housewives" phenomenon, several books have been released dealing with life strategies for contemporary women.

Fashion dolls and fragrances

In December 2006, it was announced that the characters of Susan, Lynette, Bree, Gabrielle and Edie were to be made into 16 inches (41 cm) tall fashion dolls, produced by Madame Alexander.[117] In 2007, they were released in a limited edition of 300 pieces each.[118] A fragrance was also launched by Coty Inc. in 2006, titled Forbidden Fruit, and was composed of orange blossom, peach, apple, lily, wisteria, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla and cedar.[119][120][121][122] In August 2009, a collection of four fragrances by LR Health & Beauty Systems, each based on and titled after a Desperate Housewives lead character, was presented: Susan's fragrance is composed of orange blossom, cedar, sandalwood and white musk, Lynette's fragrance is composed of cardamom, star jasmine and musk, Bree's fragrance is composed of green apple, white jasmine, raspberry, lily, amber and vanilla, and Gabrielle's fragrance is composed of raspberry, pineapple, rose, patchouli and blackberries.[123][124][125][126]

Another Desperate Housewife commercials

In conjunction with season six, Marc Cherry was commissioned to write eight "mini-episodes" entitled Another Desperate Housewife. The episodes were written after the previous season's extensive product placement proved unpopular with the fans. The mini-episodes were written to advertise mobile phone company Sprint and involve just three characters.[127] The two main characters are Stephanie (played by Rebecca Staab) and Lance (played by David Chisum) who have moved into the former house of Edie Britt after her death. The third character, Elsa, was Stephanie's friend. It is eventually revealed that Lance and Elsa have been having an affair. Stephanie finds out and tells Lance to break it off. Elsa suggests killing Stephanie, but Lance gets a text message indicating he's seeing another woman and a furious Elsa shoots him. In truth, Stephanie had sent the message herself. The final mini-episode has Elsa being arrested and Stephanie attracted to a handsome policeman at the scene. Each episode ends with a Mary Alice-like narration saying things such as "This is suspicion on the Now Network" or "This is betrayal on the Now Network."[128]

Ask Desperate Housewives

For the sixth season of the series, ABC created "Ask Desperate Housewives" to promote their website. It was presented and sponsored by Sprint, and it was hosted by series creator, Marc Cherry. In each special, Marc Cherry and an actress/actor of the series would answer questions that fans submitted to abc.go.com.

Adaptations

On February 26, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced that four South American versions of the show were about to begin production: one for Argentina, one for Colombia, one for Ecuador and one for Brazil.[129] Later on, the Colombian and Ecuadorean productions merged, leaving three Latin American shows. The Argentine version, titled Amas de Casa Desesperadas, began being broadcast in 2006. The first year proved successful enough for a second season to begin production.[130] The first season of the version for Colombia (RCN TV) and Ecuador (Teleamazonas), also titled Amas de Casa Desesperadas, began being broadcast in Ecuador in May 2007, and was broadcast five days a week.[131] In addition, Donas de Casa Desesperadas began being broadcast on RedeTV! in 2008.[132] The Turkish version titled Umutsuz Ev Kadınları aired on Kanal D in Turkey from 2011 until 2013 and on FOX Turkey from 2013 until 2014.[133] In fall 2013, the Disney Media Distribution and the Nigerian television network EbonyLife TV announced that they were producing an African version of Desperate Housewives. The series, titled Desperate Housewives Africa, was scheduled to premiere in summer 2014 on EbonyLife TV. However, it aired its only season during 2015.[134]

Title Region(s) Release Network(s)
Amas de Casa Desesperadas Argentina 2006–07 Canal 13
Amas de Casa Desesperadas
  • Colombia
  • Ecuador
2007
Donas de Casa Desesperadas Brazil 2007–08 RedeTV!
Umutsuz Ev Kadınları Turkey 2011–14
Desperate Housewives Africa Nigeria 2015 EbonyLife TV
Desperate Housewives: The Game[135] 2017 Megazebra

References

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External links

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