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Episode Recap: "In Buddy's Eyes"
An interesting fact to ponder about this week's very full episode: Not only did our six ladies tear up the scenery as usual, it also had the unique effect of granting potentially rich future storylines to four Desperate Husbands and at least two Desperate Offspring. Let's get to it!
Poor little poor girl: If Eva Longoria ever wins an award for Desperate Housewives, she'd better remember to thank her stilettos, as her sky-high heels are often the source of much physical comedy. Remember her mowing her lawn in a couture gown and heels? A laugh riot. This week it was the grueling walk from the car to the valet-free Price Warehouse --"we're poor now, remember?" she reminds Lynette -- that has her dogs a-barkin'. Solution: She gets a legit handicapped tag, and then abuses the privilege. Her altercation with the two militant men in wheelchairs ended predictably cringe-y, with Gaby rolling her adversary out of frame and declaring, "Well, it's official; I'm going to hell." If nothing else, you have to applaud the girl for her degree of self-awareness.
Last week I praised Longoria for combining her character's hilarious shenanigans with a true emotional heart. And while I still basically believe that to be true, this week's abrupt 180 from vixen to victim seemed a tad forced. Her teary declaration that Carlos' blindness didn't just happen to him -- she has to put the toothpaste on the left! -- would have been more moving if she didn't just cart his ass all over town to prove her handicapped-parking eligibility and emerge from the nail salon clutching a smoothie. I'm sure there's more to this storyline, so I'll reserve further judgment for now. Their love story, as demonstrated in the dressing-for-the-ball-scene, rings true, so that will sustain us through what I'm sure is Carlos' temporary blindness. Right? It has to be temporary.
¡Tom is en fuego! In another life when I wrote episode recaps of Housewives for another website, I used to refer to Tom (Doug Savant) as Gay Matt, owing to his mild-mannered role on Melrose Place. It was kind of obnoxious of me, and also kind of funny. But here's a promise: I'll never do it again. After tonight's ep, Savant has earned the right to avoid my stoopid nicknames.
The reappearance of Rick Coletti (Jason Gedrick) inflamed (heh) Tom's jealousies in a way that has suddenly turned a lovable-but-kind-of-boring character into a full-fledged enigma. What I will now refer to as the "Tomming" of Savant began with that cold, black-hearted stare Tom shot at Rick in exchange for his sucky Barolo offering. Tom's seething quickly found its first victim, the front window of Rick's neighboring new restaurant. Yes, Tom bricked Rick's, and then lied to the cops about it. That, coupled with Tom telling Lynette that Rick had changed the way Tom looks at Lynette, paved the way for a darker, more complicated Tom Scavo. But did it drive him to arson? I like the idea that, at this point, I think, yeah, it totally did, and it has totally changed the way I look at Tom Scavo.
Edie! Edie! Edie! It would be weird if I noted how much Edie Britt and my awesome nana have in common, right? First off, they're both named Edie. To wit: Nan once appeared on national TV dressed as a witch (long story), which prompted The Official Salem Witch to put a hex on our family. She skied well into her 80s, used to wear a wig that my cousins and I called The Squiggle, and still knows if her grandchildren have watered down her scotches. Anyway… this week, the writers did Edie Britt a solid by returning her to form as the Character Who Says What Everyone Else Is Thinking. When Bree agreed to let Katherine help with the annual black-tie Founder's Ball, the lay-deez knew it had disaster written all over it, but were not so indelicate as to mention it. Enter Edie. "Nobody?" she asks when the table goes mute. "OK, I'm going in. You'd kill each other… literally." Little did she know…
Bree vs. Katherine: Tonight's battle of the scrapbooks for the esteemed title of Tightest Ass of Wisteria Lane took the shape of their passive-aggressive collaboration on the planning of the Founder's Ball. Naturally, Katherine is as assertive as her floral suggestions. (Wikipedia tells me that Lycianthes is a member of the nightshade family, which also includes the potato and the eggplant. They're sometimes poisonous, and share chemical properties with both cocaine and nicotine. As Katherine put it: "Isn't learning fun?")
Bree, feeling Katherine is trying to steal her spotlight, naturally serves up her competition some tainted dip to lay her low, leaving her with a realistic puking scene (ew), crazy hair and the general appearance of someone who "should be in line at the needle exchange." The writers have the last laugh when Katherine presents Bree with the Founder's Award, literally shifting the spotlight back to Bree.
So, in a twisted way, Katherine wins this battle. She understands that Gabrielle's the glamorous one, Susan's the adorable one, Lynette's smart, Edie's… Edie, and that Bree is the domestic one, the organizer. I know I'm a sycophant when it comes to Dana Delany, but she nailed this important scene. Katherine knows that she's moving in on Bree's turf. But she also knows that they've both had days when "it was set a beautiful table or curl up in a ball and die" (again, great crumple face here), and thus could be best friends. I, for one, am all for it. I hear that the pair will start a catering business together this season, so I'm guessing that this tender détente will be short-lived.
By the way, my nana never puts pears in Waldorf salad, so I'm with Bree on that one.
"A man is only as sick as his secrets": Orson's secret that he mowed down Mike Delfino has the bizarre effect to afflict him with sleepwalking. (Showgirls) Naked sleepwalking. (Showgirls) Which gives Teri Hatcher the opportunity to be all fidgety and cute, as she's the one who gets a private audience with Little Hodge (Showgirls) not once, but twice. (How can you not think of that scene in Showgirls?)
It's weird that the producers have revived this storyline, after poor Dixie Carter's death seemed to tie up the loose ends, even if it was a squandering of the actress' prodigious talents. But I suppose it's a godsend for both James Denton and Kyle MacLachlan, whose characters were, respectively, literally and figurately absent from much of the first half of the season. It seems like Mike's memory recovery will include Orson's secret next week, and I'm curious to see how this revelation will express itself. Is it really fair to make Bree lose another man when she seems so settled? The chemistry between Marcia Cross and MacLachlan in the scene when the couple suggest that Susan had a "naughty dream" about the "sex machine" Orson positively crackled. Even after Bree suggested that the lonely, pregnant Susan take a warm bath with a romance novel.
Housewives: The Next Generation: Just when I was ready to dash off a strongly worded screed about the neglect of the teen denizens of Wisteria Lane, Andrew (Gay Andrew? Nah.) pops up to inform Lynette of the torching of Rick's, Julie shows off new, surprisingly deep facial expressions as she became the recipient of Orson's secret, and a mystery man circles a picture of Dylan in the newspaper. And he's surrounded by empty beer cans, cigarette butts and discarded fast-food wrappers, which is TV shorthand for a possibly-not-so-nice man might be paying the Mayfairs a visit some time soon. It's also shorthand for my coffee table on the average Sunday morning. Spooky!
Burning Questions:
Do you think Tom burned down Rick's? I have to admit: I'm more into the idea as a narrative concept. I'm not so sure I want to see the new, improved Tom go to the slammer – although Desperate Husbands do have that tendency.
Are you with me that Carlos' blindness has to be temporary?
Is Dana Delany as blockbuster in this role as I think she is?
TiVo Check: Did anyone else notice that the hands that picked up the newspaper in the final scene were not the same hands that circled Dylan's picture? Is the Mystery Man unable to get his own newspaper and who is his paper-getting accomplice?
Also: Who do you think this Mystery Man is? Dylan's father? Susan's weird cousin? Zach Young???
The title of this episode is "In Buddy's Eyes." Who's Buddy? And what's he got in his eyes?
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Apr 21, 2008 12:45 AM
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Woowwww just wowww Marcia Cross deserves an award for playing Bree,she is just fantastic
i really like Dana Delaney i hope she stays ine the show,she is so good
My eddie as always brilliant
Gabby si such a laugh,she is amazing in many ways i dont think she is too materialistic,is the way it happens
Susan always makes me laugh as crazy
as for Tom i dont know why but i feel the kids after what they heard,are the ones that got Ricky´s place on fire
Hot too see andrew and rick again
i cant wait to see more of the creepy guy,who must be Katherine´s husband
i love the way Bree poisoned Katherine ajajja so evil
as for Tom it was painful to hear him saying to Lynette,that Rick changed the way he looks at Lynette now
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Apr 21, 2008 1:07 AM
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FYI - "In Buddy's Eye's" is the name of a great Stephen Sondheim song from the musical "Follies." Many of the DH episode titles are taken from Sondheim songs. This number is sung by a once-beautiful showgirl, now grown older, who sings, "In Buddy's eyes, I'm young, I'm beautiful...". I believe the song reference is to how Lynette is seen in Tom's eyes.
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Apr 21, 2008 2:51 AM
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Maybe Rick is trying to set Tom up by burning his own place down....Tom goes to jail and Rick could move in on Lynette!
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Apr 21, 2008 2:52 AM
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I agree Marco M that the Scavo kids had something to do with the fire. I wouldn't put anything past those bad kids. But I also like trachgirl theory about Rick setting up Tom. Rick could be getting revenge on Tom...you never know.
private audience with Little Hodge (Showgirls) not oncefunny Mickey, and I was also thinking about Showgirls (good grief why did that have to happen?)after I Kyle was naked. Anyway, I don't know why Susan didn't pick up on what Orson said that he hit Mike. I thought for sure she would of wondered why Orson said he hit Mike. Oh well she was probably preoccupied with his nakedness.
Anyway,after poor Dixie Carter's death seemed to tie up the loose ends Orson's mother didn't die...not yet. She is had a stroke and is in a catatonic state.
And your right Mickey that those hands were different from the ones who picked up the newspaper. The newspaper hands looked much older than the ones who circled Dylans picture. I had to rewatch that scene just to make sure. But they were different. I think they are Dylans fathers hands. They can't be Zack's hands...to old looking. And why on earth would he be living in that type of place since he inherited his grandfathers fortune if it was him? Unless he made some bad investments. But I still don't think its him. It would be nice for him to show up...and the same goes for Felicia and Julie's father as well to show their faces.
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Apr 21, 2008 6:05 AM
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I agree. I figured Rick was taking advantage of the vandalism to burn his own place down. But that is a good idea about the kids possibly doing it after listening to Tom and Lynnette's "fight".
I was wondering why Tom looked so scruffy tonight...even before the Rick thing. Not a look I'd want a business man to have..especially one who deals with food.
Gabi is so over the top, but she's such a scream! Poor Carlos. Yes, he better only be temporarily blind.
I think the guy we see circling the picture in the end is probably Katherine's hubby. Has Katherine ever said he was dead for sure?
I enjoyed the whole episode. And good blog, Mickey.
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Apr 21, 2008 6:18 AM
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Is Katherine really all that surprised by Bree's behavior? Since she moved back to town, Katherine has basically tried to reclaim her position as head housewife. She's been rude to just about everyone from day one. Why would Bree want to be her friend?
I'm also thinking that Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webbigail torched Rick's restaurant. Yeah Tom is angry, but there's a big difference between breaking a window and starting a fire.
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Apr 21, 2008 7:28 AM
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I loved that as soon as Lynette opened the door and saw the cops, she started screaming for her kids to come to the front door! Haha.
Anyone notice that Gabby was reading an article in the paper about a San Antonio Spur being traded? Kinda cute how they threw that in, like a little shout-out to Tony.
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Apr 21, 2008 10:13 AM
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Can someone please help clarify something for me????
Wasn't it disclosed way back in Season 1, that Tom & Lynette were having an affair and that is how they got together in the first place? I remember Lynette being leary that Tom would do it again. So if my memory serves me correctly, Tom's reaction is somewhat off base.
Please set me straight.
Many Many Thanks...
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Apr 21, 2008 10:23 AM
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Wow Marcia Cross - nice boob! Did anyone else notice when Bree got to the podium the light made her dress almost transparent??!!
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Apr 21, 2008 10:26 AM
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I think the Scavo kids had something to do with the fire. Why else would they have kept showing the kids listening while Tom was arguing with Lynette at the pizzeria?
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Apr 21, 2008 10:35 AM
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In case you didn't know, the actor on the wheelchair who first approaches Gabby is a disabled actor. He's been in a number of roles before. Kiddos to the DH team for employing real disabled actors for the scene.
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Apr 21, 2008 10:44 AM
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myraao the first man in the wheelchair with the lighter hair looks VERY familiar...where have i seen him recently?
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Apr 21, 2008 11:04 AM
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The first guy in the wheelchair is Mitch Longley, a regular on "Las Vegas"
The second guy in the wheelchair is Eddie McGee, the winner of Big Brother 1 in the USA.
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Apr 21, 2008 11:16 AM
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i totally agree with everyone that said the kids are responsible for the fire. as soon as they showed the kids eavesdropping on their argument i knew something was up.
i also predict that carlos will regain his sight...but he'll find some silly reason to keep on pretending that he's blind.
loved the stuff between bree and katherine! it almost made me want to like K.
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Apr 21, 2008 12:25 PM
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