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STUDIO: ABC Studios
MSRP: $34.99
RATED: Not rated
RUNNING TIME: 989 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
– Bloopers
– Deleted scenes
– Cherry Picked
– Desperate Housewives Master Class: Behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew.
– Miss Piggy Takes Wisteria Lane: Miss Piggy, accompanied by her producer Pepe, will meet the ladies one on one to find out “their story”.
The Pitch
It’s the show that spawned all those Real Housewives shows on cable. Yippee.
The Humans
Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, Nicolette Sheridan, James Denton, Ricardo Chavira, Doug Savant, Kyle MacLachlan, Dana Delaney, Drea de Matteo, Jeffrey Nordling, Brenda Strong.
The Nutshell
Season 6 of mysteries, domestic bliss and strife, actresses of prior shows resurrecting their careers bigger than ever and general female angst and shenanigans, all narrated by a dead chick.
“Yeah, Tim and I did have a fling one time in the sound booth while the crew was at lunch. Superman he ain’t…”
The Lowdown
Season 6 was more business as usual for Desperate Housewives, as Season 5 mostly centered on the big five-year jump from the end of Season 4. There was a lot of change and even more catching up to do for that season, so Season 6 found the show more in its more familiar narrative track. Which meant that this heavily serialized show juggled a bunch of storylines for all of the five main protagonists, their husbands, seasonal characters and newcomers. In atypical DH fashion, there were not one, but two big mysteries this season, centered around the new Bolen family that moved in: Angela (de Matteo), Nick (Nordling) and teenage son, Danny. The other focusing on someone who assaulted Susan’s daughter, Julie (Andrea Bowen), by strangling her in the season premiere. These two mysteries would intersect several times during the year, as Danny, who had formed a fast friendship with Julie, became the prime suspect for a while.
“What depressing bullshit does Cherry have for us this season?”
“Baby dies in the womb, a plane crash, psycho threatens my life in the finale…the usual.”
“Fucker…”
Aside from that, the Housewives’ individual arcs continued to be varied and as usual, complicated. Newly remarried Susan and Mike had to deal with Mike’s ex-fiance and Susan’s ex-friend, Katherine, her obsession with Mike and eventual nervous breakdown. Then she had Julie’s attack and an unexpected death close to her to deal with later in the season. Then, financial problems arise for Susan and Mike, and they’re forced to rent out their house to Paul Young, narrator Mary Alice’s widower who was framed and sent to prison 10 years prior for murder.
Tom and Lynette have to deal with keeping Lynette’s impending pregnancy with twins secret from Carlos long enough so that Lynette gets a big promotion at work. When Carlos fires her anyway, a lawsuit sours relations between the two couples. Then, when formerly accused arsonist son, Preston, returns with a gold-digging Russian fiance, Lynette has to try to hammer it into him that she’s no good. And Tom and Lynette also have to try to handle the loss of one of their twins in the womb.
Good to know there’s some talent in the bullpen if Longoria gets released on waivers…
Gaby and Carlos have a couple of issues, including taking in Carlos’ rebellious, uber-hot and manipulative niece, Ana. They have the issues with the Scavos and Ana dating first Gaby’s adulterous former fling, John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe), and then Danny Bolen, who’s still suspected of attacking Julie. Meanwhile, Bree has been carrying on a torrid affair with Susan’s ex, Karl (former Sentinel, Richard Burgi), which will cause issues with both her husband, Orson (Kyle MacLachlan and Susan. Bree also has renewed issues with her son, Andrew, when a lovechild from dead husband, Rex, named Sam, emerges. But Bree will later have her own problems with Sam himself when he blackmails her for her business over something devastating Andrew did in Season 1.
“Hey, how about those Lakers? Back to back.”
“Eat a dick, McCluskey…”
The big mid-season event is a small plane that crashes right onto Wisteria Lane during a neighborhood event. Karl dies from injuries sustained and Orson is paralyzed, and both events hit Bree hard. The Scavo / Solis rift is healed when Lynette saves Celia. And the resolution of the Strangler mystery claims the lives of several minor characters and puts Lynette in jeopardy in the finale. Also, when the Bolens’ secret is revealed, that they’re on the run from the cops and Danny’s real father, Patrick Logan (John Barrowman), a criminal, a bomb that Angela was forced to make claims another life.
“This is so Lynch…”
It’s fairly surprising that Marc Cherry and his writing staff can keep so many plates spinning over this long haul of the series, and are able to mix in old stories with new and keep the show interesting enough to be highly rated for as long as it has been. But he tends to recycle storylines, most notably, financial difficulties, with his main characters. It’s hit Gaby and Carlos, Tom and Lynette and Susan twice. The staple mystery of the season involving a new addition to Wisteria Lane is also playing itself out. This season it was the Bolens, in previous seasons it was Alfre Woodard’s character, Katherine Mayfair and her daughter, Dylan, and Dave Williams and his vendetta against Mike and Susan. Mystery has always been a part of the show, but when Cherry has to outsource it to new characters as he’s done lately, it makes the main characters that much less interesting, or having to deal with more mundane storylines.
“Oh, I tell you, it’s such a pleasure working with Teri. I mean, I’ve idolized her since I was a kid. I grew up watching all her work.”
“And I think Eva’s nowhere near the cunt everybody thinks she is…”
Performances all around are still generally well done, especially Teri Hatcher. Her neurotic Susan continues to be the comedic backbone of the show and I’m glad that Hatcher, whose body…of work I’ve always liked, has this show going for her. Felicity Huffman is also usually good, although her Lynette continues to be saddled with the dogs of the major arcs. It seems that Tom and Lynette are destined to suffer more than anyone else on the show. It’s easy for guys to dismiss the show as ovaries only, but Cherry has managed to make this show, while a definite sudser, nevertheless pretty entertaining.
