Desperate Housewives

"Once the tornado had passed… it began…"

I just knew that when all of Lynette's kids and Tom came out of the rubble, Ida wouldn't make it. I was actually surprised at how quickly that storyline was resolved, thinking we'd have to wait until at least halfway through the episode to find out if they were OK. Another surprise? Ida was a pro baseball player! Cue up A League of Their Own — I'm suddenly picturing Ida as a Georgia Peach….

But back to the reality of Wisteria Lane, Ida didn't just fall victim to the storm, she saved everyone else before leaving them behind. My mind would have been spinning just as much as Lynette's was at that moment. Plus, Ida's niece and nephew were a nightmare, but thanks to Lynette's quick thinking, some of her dignity could be salvaged. Even better was Lynette being chased while scattering Ida's ashes after they were discovered breaking into the baseball field.

Meanwhile, Sylvia died, too, but we pretty much knew that after seeing her sucked out of Bree's house during the twister. "The fact that she is dead does not change the fact that you slept with her." Katherine was clearly not moving on. And just like that, Adam was thrown out of the house. But what was that note Adam found under the bed? Seems as though Katherine has topped him in the betrayal department after all. I did think, however, that it was a little ridiculous that Dylan was able to still read what the note said the morning after, but can we really blame anyone? It's Wisteria Lane.

Of course Bree ("I'm sleeping under a poster of Orlando Bloom!") transformed Susan's home into her own… or a version of it. And she just decided to host a dinner party at Susan's house? A little intrusive, if you ask me, but allowed for Susan and Julie to giggle like children with their dinner trays upstairs. But even more ridiculous… I can't believe she and Orson called Andrew to come over so Walter would reconsider contracting her house! "You're pimping me out for a new roof?" Well done, Andrew. Make a deal with Mommy. Too bad the only one who won was Susan.

But my favorite Housewife of the night was Gaby. "Oh, no, no, I'm a mess… you know, on the inside, where the mascara can't run." Typical Gaby. Not surprising that she's not getting a dime out of Victor's will. And just like that, the "cheating, lying whore" walked out of her own husband's funeral with everyone's mouths wide open. But she seemed to find her strength back with that pain button while telling Carlos about the nonexistent papers she was supposed to guard with her life. To make things even more difficult, Al — the only man with any possible power of finding Carlos' money — died as well. And just to put the cherry on top of this messy Gaby sundae, the garage door opened just as she was digging through Al's files in the garage while his coffin was being taken outside. Things couldn't get any worse, right? Well, Carlos is blind, Gaby doesn't know and all is exactly as it should be now that the storm has settled. Bree's cleaning, Susan's reaching out for help, Lynette's putting others first and Gaby has a giant dilemma. There's a lot of cleaning up to do....

So what did you think of the tornado's aftermath? Spill it here. — Megan Cherkezian

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Natural disasters create strange bedfellows — or more specifically, basement fellows. While the tornado caused two deaths tonight, it was also a catalyst for forgiveness, revelation, and new and altered friendships.

I (and others who read scoop and spoilers) found out a while ago that two characters, one man and one woman, would die. And within the first few minutes of the episode, narrator Mary Alice told us that on what began as a beautiful day would end with the loss of one housewife's husband and "a friend." I had my ideas, not to mention the knowledge that John Slattery (Victor) was bound for a second season of AMC's Mad Men. Still, I found myself at moments thinking about what the show would be like if Victor had shot Carlos dead or if Tom succumbed to his cat allergy with a fatal asthma attack. My two favorite Wisteria Lane husbands (Carlos and Tom) and the Carlos/Gaby and Tom/Lynette couples would be no more.

Thankfully these couples are still intact. But their homes and livelihoods are not. The Scavos, having just conquered cancer, now have no home for their family of seven. At least Karen McCluskey is still around. I admit I have such a soft spot for her; I jumped when she and Lynette darted out into the wind to rescue Ida's cat. And I had doubts that a mattress and a bathtub were adequate shelter.

Gaby and Edie — and then Carlos and Victor — also had some outdoor action, fighting each other as the storm grew stronger. You just knew the Cayman account file would dramatically be swept away with the wind. What was less predictable (and funnier) was how the file and the scuffle that ensued forced the two to hide out together in Edie's crawl space. Even though Edie refused to hear any deathbed confessions, Gaby apologized for lying to her and hurting her. Edie admitted falling for Carlos but not hating Gaby, and the two actually hugged, thanks to a frightening rush of wind. It appears all is forgiven (for now), and knowing that Carlos and Gaby may have lost all access to their Cayman millions probably made Edie feel a little bit better.

Carlos had a very similar conversation with his ex's ex, Victor, but it didn't end in a hug. Their fistfight took them outside and then back into the house — almost. Just as Carlos crossed the threshold and Victor loomed behind him with a crowbar: crunch. Those pristine white picket fences in perky little suburban Fairview became deadly at the hands of a tornado. (I have to mention that my mom, who's visiting me and watched the show tonight for the first time ever, said casually as they were fighting that Victor would get skewered with a fencepost. How can my mother be so right so much of the time? It's bizarre.)

I'm not a big fan of the Mike's-addiction storyline, but at least I enjoyed watching Susan confront Orson about prescribing the pills while Orson was with a patient. And once Mike's moody condition caused him to lash out and get handcuffed to a chair, as well as sent her falling down the stairs (ugh, overused plot device) and to the ER, Mike vowed to enter rehab. I was glad to see Susan threaten to leave him; he needed that reality check, even after what had already transpired. Did you see that look he gave when the nurse handed Susan her pain medication? That man needs some help.

Perhaps my favorite storyline is the whole Katherine-Bree tension, and tonight didn't disappoint. Trust Bree to sit Adam's Chicago flame down and chat/gossip over a nice cuppa tea. The approaching storms (tornado and Sylvia) forced Bree, Katherine, Adam and Orson (and Benjamin and his dirty diaper) to deal with each other, revealing secrets and relying on one another in the process. Bree's soft, compassionate side prevailed with Katherine, going so far as to hold her hand after the truth of Adam's affair with Sylvia was revealed (midstorm in Bree's house!). Even I had some sympathy for Katherine. I mean yeah, she's a witchy ice queen, but what a day that woman had! The good news for Katherine is that she won't be dealing with Sylvia (Melora Walters) anymore. That apparently unstable woman got her just desserts courtesy of the tornado, leaving the rest of the street's female contingent free (for the time being) from such a demise.


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It was a juicy boys' club episode tonight, with several of the DH husbands hiding secrets and threatening blackmail for favors. The one husband with something more deadly on his mind, perhaps murder or some kind of evil vengeance, was Victor. Of course he didn't die; of course he was found and remembers everything. There's no way Gaby and Carlos were going to get away with everything, especially after stupidly wiping all the fingerprints from the boat. Geez, neither Victor nor Gaby had decent poker faces in that hospital. But for now it looks as though the cops are dropping the case, which means they won't be watching Victor's every move….

As for the other guys, I loved how entwined in each other's schemes they've become. Nathan got a visit from his past, a woman from Chicago who "dropped by" when Katherine was out. Her visit gave us a peek into his possibly sordid history that Katherine occasionally alludes to. She (Sylvia) said he ruined his own life by "not telling the truth about us," whatever that refers to. But more interesting (right now) is Mike's overhearing the exchange and using it as leverage for a prescription for more pain pills. That led to Nathan asking Orson for the medication, since Nathan is a gyno. Orson has no leverage with Nathan, seeing as he delivered Danielle's baby and knows Bree's baby-mommy secret. Still, Orson was reluctant, until he later confronted Mike, and Mike played the car-accident card, which in turn was an "accident" caused by Orson. Indeed, what goes around comes around. (But I could have sworn Mike knows Orson ran him down, right? Didn't they have a big reveal/beatdown in a parking lot? Someone refresh my memory.)

Tom Scavo was yet another Desperate hubby with a small yet entertaining part in tonight's hour. I can't remember him ever being paired with Bree in a storyline. That's understandably rare — I mean, can you think of a situation in which Bree would go to Tom (Doug Savant) for advice? Well, tonight he certainly could help her with the whole family-bed/no-sex issue, being the father of five children. His verbose answer was probably Too Much Information for the prim Bree, but hey, it got the creative juices flowing. I'll never look at my dentist's office quite the same again.

Speaking of the Scavos, Richard Chamberlain (as Lynnie's beloved step-dad) not only helped Lynette reunite with Stella, he also helped put that marriage, divorce and family history in a whole new light for Lynette. His leaving the family as a gay man helped Lynette not blame her mother for chasing him away. And both mother and daughter agreed they'd truly enjoyed the last few months of living under the same roof. And Stella is going to live in the guest-house of newly widowed and lonely Glen in Fairview. Really, how could that have turned out any better?

Another parent/child twosome who made amends: Bree and Andrew. How devastating it must have been for her to essentially refer to him as a mistake. But when Andrew moved out, Bree realized that not only had he grown up and become responsible, he forgave her for abandoning him by the side of the road two years ago. Not such a "first pancake" after all, huh? I mean, he's even using coasters: Bree must be so proud.

I really enjoyed Susan tonight. There were equal doses of Susan being "Susan" — e.g., cyberstalking Julie's date and latching onto the pre-med Barrett — as well as Susan continuing to struggle with Mike's addiction. Mike revealed the pre-med cutie wasn't so perfect, but not before the drug dealer revealed Mike's patronage. Julie (bless her) was still skeptical that Mike had conquered the pill-popping, and if it weren't for Julie's observational skills in the drug store (not to mention convenient timing), Susan wouldn't have crept out to Mike's pickup and seen the evidence herself. I wonder if she'll confront Orson as well, since he's the doc responsible....

Best line: "If the cover has holes in it, the book is no good."

P.S. Since when did Susan learn to make tasty cookies and brownies?!

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P.P.S. Let's discuss the preview for next week's episode. Sorta Spoiler: Someone's going to die. Since that's practically common knowledge among DH fans, and because I don't know exactly who will die, I'm using the word "sorta." You can find more hints/details elsewhere on this site. All I want to say is that if Tom is killed off, I'm going to be so disappointed. I've been a fan since Melrose Place. And Tom and Lynette are Wisteria Lane's longest-running couple, actually the only series-long couple. That's all I'm saying. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid.

For those of us (I include myself) who often bemoan the ditzy, clutzy storylines consistently given to Susan (Teri Hatcher), tonight's episode was certainly a departure. Last week we saw a single brief glimpse of Mike taking some medication, on the sly. Tonight Bree discovered, and alerted Susan, that Mike was taking a "highly addictive narcotic." Feel free to disagree (seems Hatcher's acting ability is a divisive issue), but I really do think she can act, and the writers' constant use of her character as bimbo comic relief was/is a shame. In fact, I think she can play dark, dramatic and sinister better than Mike (James Denton). But it's Mike who has the drug problem, whether it's an addiction to painkillers or something worse. Susan assured him that he shouldn't feel pressure to overwork and provide an upscale suburban lifestyle for their child, but should focus on being a healthy father. And though she believed him when he shoved the pills down the drain, the episode's last moment proved otherwise. (I did think it curious that he didn't run any water down said drain; I also thought that if his addiction really was over, that was the shortest story arc this show's ever had!)

In other news of spouses deceiving spouses, it was "to snip or not to snip" in the Hodge household. Orson and Bree couldn't be more perfect for each other — both so cunning, quick on their feet, stubbornly passionate about their opinions, not to mention organized clean freaks — except when they disagree. How very Bree to go behind Orson's back and take Benjamin to the local hospital for the procedure. How very Orson to foresee Bree's action and write a formal letter to doctors, hospitals and "two neighboring states" forbidding the procedure! The bris scene was another classic moment of Bree thinking on her toes and charming others to do her bidding. And in a way, she didn't even lie, saying she would raise him to be as devout a Jew as she (the WASP) was! But back at home, the truth behind the "piggyback bris" was that the child was only eight days old and already Bree thought Orson's parenting opinions should take a back seat to hers because the little boy has her blood, not his. Orson defended himself as the child's parent and Bree seemed to understand. Still, something tells me they may continue to clash over equally shared parenting duties and decisions.

Victor trapping Gaby on a boat wasn't nearly as scary — for Gaby — as I thought it would be (from the promos). She must be stronger than she looks, the way she handily wielded that kayaking paddle twice. Victor didn't appear nearly as angry and vindictive as spurned men and women of DH past, even with that knife. Clearly he's unfamiliar with the Wisteria Lane voting block. Poor guy had to be rescued by Carlos, the very man sleeping with his wife. Victor's disappearance was certainly unexpected, and Gaby and Carlos' care for and loyalty to each other is now linked to a crime and cover-up. Do you think Victor (John Slattery) is really gone? (By the way, since when is Fairview on the ocean? I always imagined it in middle America, maybe off one of the Great Lakes, near Chicago, since so many residents seem to have Chicago connections.)

Lynette, now cancer-free, was back in full-force, taking whatever actions necessary to kick her mother — with her smoking, swearing, whisky-sour lessons and bed buddies — out of the already crowded Scavo home. Apparently, Lynette has been the proactive, assertive, take-no-crap woman we love since, well, forever, as evidenced by her interaction with her sisters. Lunch at the diner with sister Lydia (Sarah Paulson sporting a shorter 'do since Studio 60) was hilarious, with Lynette sneaking her mother's luggage into Lydia's trunk while Little Sis tried to use direct quotes from her therapist in lieu of a backbone. In the end, Lynette showed the sensitivity and heart toward her mother that we know Lynette has, and she was willing to take her back. But Grandma (Polly Bergen) jumped in a cab. Is Stella really gone as well?

Speaking of backbones, Dylan acquired one tonight — albeit, briefly. When Katherine found Dylan (Lyndsy Fonseca) researching her father for a genealogy project, Katherine lashed out as usual. But this time Dylan fought back with a fair point: Why did Katherine never talk to Dylan about him but apparently he was viable game-night fodder? Of course, we all know why: Game night's conversation was a lie, and so too was what Katherine did next. Wow, that was some performance she put on for Dylan: crying, talking about abuse and fearing him ever knowing where she was. Then as soon as Dylan left the room, having decided not to pursue her father and the project anymore, she turned stoic… and unfolded the paper of contact information to reveal… nothing. And so the Mayfair mystery continues.


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Each housewife has her issues. Victor now knows about the affair his wife is having with Carlos. How will he react? Susan found out last week (via a cryptic warning from her imprisoned father-in-law) that all is not right with her new(ish) husband Mike, and we saw him popping pills. What's going on there? Thanks to a Halloween surprise, the Hodges have a new member of the family. And finally, how will Lynette settle back into home life now that her cancer is gone? Comment here during the show, and check back later for the full recap!

Episode Recap: "Now I Know, Don't Be Scared"

Everyone has moments of sensitivity, regardless of how mischievous and manipulative they may be. As hilarious and mean (but perfect) as Danielle's imitation of her mother was — in appearance, cadence and affinity for coasters and "our lord" — I was happy to see sweet moments between mother and daughter. Bree was cognizant of the strong maternal emotions Danielle experienced and gave her the chance to hold her newborn, and to change her mind. Danielle too put aside the bitterness toward her mother and knew (for now) that her baby boy would be in better hands with the Hodges. Great acting by both Joy Lauren and Marcia Cross and the writers deserve credit for a great balance of comedy and drama — what with Danielle's dressing like her mother, her water breaking at the Halloween party on Bob's rug, a (super speedy) delivery overseen by Frankenstein, and giving Lynette's kids a real Halloween fright. I much prefer the mother/daughter pair in this story line versus their involvement in the dark Applewhites' plot.

Other Halloween happenings of note: Adam (Frankenstein) Mayfair already knew Bree was faking her pregnancy. Andrew was hilarious as Cher, though still seemed shocked that his conservative mother suggested it; she's certainly on board with her son's sexuality now! And Lee (Kevin Rahm) continues to get all the best lines these days. To Katherine's Marie Antoinette: "You came as the self-important queen who lost all her power!? Isn't that a bit on the nose."

Tom and Lynette and the rest of the Scavos have reason to throw their own party: Lynette's cancer is gone! I thought her story line tonight was another example of mixing comedy (her exchange with gun-loving Republican Bree) and poignancy, as Lynette became obsessed with hunting down and killing a possum that had invaded the family's back yard. Once Tom realized the parallel — that Lynette needed to defeat the uninvited creature invading their home life — he let her wield that air gun. And so once the oncologist delivered the good news, I think what she fought and conquered within herself wasn't wholly real until she saw the animal wreaking havoc no more.

Though it looks like Tom and Lynette's dark days have passed (for the time being), things are looking grim for couples Susan and Mike, Gaby and Carlos. I've always thought these pairs were perfect for each other, but of course if they didn't have their problems, I guess this would become a half-hour show. Consider Gaby and Carlos. Who else but Gaby can take Carlos' insults (e.g. pointing out that staying with Victor 13 months for a check with several zeros is the definition of a particular job by a particular name) and moments later spit it right back at him? After he tried to woo her away with the offshore $9.5 million, Gaby replied: "Oh, you want me to sleep with you and take your money. If that were a job, what would they call it?"

As some of the commentors mentioned last week, Gaby and Carlos have been rather sloppy about their affair. And tonight the latter was dangerously cocky, saying to Edie that the game was over and he had won. Stupid! She's a woman scorned, and a clever one at that. Reporting his offshore account to the IRS didn't work, but showing the incriminating photos to Victor — and laying blame squarely on Carlos — was even better: Carlos will get his comeuppance (she hopes) and Victor will have done all the dirty work. (By the way, why hasn't Gaby revealed to Victor that she knows he married her for the Latino vote in his political campaign?)

In other ominous news, Susan discovered Mike has a murderous father in the clink who seems to have no remorse. After worrying that this man's genes would be part of her baby's makeup, she confronted him (Robert Forster) but left the prison feeling worse. The last thing she expected to hear was that the murder had given Mike a lot of demons, a darkness in her husband that she needed to keep an eye on. Frightening indeed.

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It's Halloween on Wisteria Lane tonight, and new neighbors Bob and Lee are throwing a party. Looks like Danielle's a chip off the ol' block — that wig may be fake but not her baby, which is due any minute. I'm sure he/she will appear in the most dramatic and most public of ways, making Orson and Bree's secret that much harder to hide. Check back here after the episode for the full recap!

Episode Recap: "Art Isn't Easy"

Blackmail is what Wisteria Lane does best — that, and having affairs. So Bob and Lee should fit in nicely. At first, I thought the fountain-art incident was merely a comical plot device to get the veteran neighbors buzzing about the new ones. But its jarring presence next to neatly groomed gardens and white picket fences set in motion several more interesting developments.

Lynette realized that her children escape to their tree house for a worry-less world where no one talks about cancer and white blood cells (and where, evidently, Tom's daughter is playing nice these days). Katherine's controlling nature and prim sensibilities were threatened by the new sculpture, so she ran for homeowners' association president to get the fountain removed, making still more enemies in the process. (She's been so mean and evil from the start, I didn't think that was even possible.) Lynette's passion for her family, her competitive streak and a dose of guilt led her to run against Katherine. This in turn put her friendship with Susan in danger, since Susan sided with Katherine about the fountains' removal so that she and Mike could get some sleep.

We also learned that Adam Mayfair isn't merely an ignorant pawn in Katherine's pristine suburban world. Though she continues to hold this mysterious Chicago incident over him, he still had some sound advice for her — and she listened. He wisely observed that she's been an unhappy control freak ever since she returned to Wisteria Lane, and should try to make some friends instead. Her new reign as "Katherine of Arrogant" (thanks, Lynette!) wasn't going to help in that endeavor, so she then decided the Scavos could keep their tree house.

The most intriguing revelation from the fountain's un-neighborly initiation was that Bob and Lee know all about whatever Adam Mayfair did at Chicago Memorial Hospital. Apparently it's still causing a stir; they know that the Mayfairs moved to Fairview to escape it, even though Katherine adamantly claimed the gossip was all rumor. It's so bad, in fact, that the newbies were able to use the incident as leverage: If she wants to keep her seemingly perfect life here, they'll keep quiet — as long as the fountain stays. I'm so pleased to see that Bob and Lee are already mired in the mysteries on this block.

As for the other "talent" that runs so rampant in the neighborhood, Carlos' and Gaby's affairs — past and present — are reaching a boiling point, beyond the utility of guys-only golf trips and disguising oneself as a prepubescent lawn boy riding on the front of a bicycle. It took the reappearance of Fairview's hottest gardener, John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe), for Carlos to realize that he'd become the "new John" in Gaby's life and it was time to be honest, cut things off with Victor and Edie and reunite when the dust had settled. Unfortunately for Carlos, his conscience appeared too late: Edie paid a PI for photographic evidence of the love quadrangle she first spotted over last week's crab cakes. Tough call as to whose revenge would be worse — Edie's or Victor's.

Orson and Bree had their hands full with... not exactly an affair and not exactly blackmail. But it was Danielle's bedroom antics of nearly nine months ago that led her grandmother to nab her from the convent, and Danielle to decide to raise the baby in the retirement community. Orson and Bree followed Andrew's advice (he's smarter than all of them) and bribed her with an out-of-state college and a convertible for the chance to take over parenting duties. I'm sure she pondered that diaper service and those new senior citizen friends for all of 15 seconds.

So what did you think of this week's twists and turns? Leave your comments here!

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Now that Edie knows about Carlos' affair with Gaby, what's her next step? Whatever it is, the exes will be reminded of another extramarital affair when John pays Gaby a visit tonight. Newcomers Bob and Lee are settling in, and finding that their taste is everyone else's business — including Mrs. McCluskey's, by the looks of the accompanying picture. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Comment here starting at 9 pm/ET and check back after the episode for the full recap!

A hearty welcome to Gaby's old gardener, John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe). Gaby won't exactly be receiving her old fling with open arms, but he is back...just in time to see Gaby and Carlos deal with Edie, who has pieced together their secret. Bree's secret is looking shaky, too, now that Phyllis Van De Kamp (Shirley Knight) is onto her. And Wisteria Lane's new gay couple (Tuc Watkins, Kevin Rahm) had it rough enough last week when Susan was trying to be nice. Now they'll meet the neighborhood association. The issue at hand is their yard decorations, and some folks aren't even trying to be nice. — Paul Droesch

Episode Recap: "If There's Anything I Can't Stand"

The biggest news of the episode was not the arrival of Bob and Lee — life partners (no, Susan, not business partners) who moved into the Applewhites' home. No, it was the deepening Mayfair mystery. Aunt Lily wasn't long for this world once she moved back in with them. We witnessed Katherine's quickly dissolved bedside manner when Aunt Lily expressed a deep desire to tell Dylan what "happened in this room." So, it appears Aunt Lily conspired with Katherine Mayfair to do something in that bedroom (with the gash in the wood floor) that at her life's end she deemed a mistake that shouldn't have been covered up and kept from Dylan.

Sadly, Lily didn't get the chance to tell Dylan why she doesn't remember living on Wisteria Lane — or did she? Lily's final desperate act was great drama (and Bach helped): In her final wheezing moments, she scribbled something on a piece of paper at her bedside, folded it several times, and as she took her last breath, it fell from her lax fingers onto the floor. What is on that paper?! And will Dylan find it before her mother does? Surely neatnik Katherine will scour that bedroom after Lily is buried.

As for the storyline that (in my opinion) wasn't worth all the promos and media attention, I lay the blame on Susan's playing the part of silly, dippy overcompensating neighbor. First she made a fool of herself and insulted Bob (Tuc Watkins) and Lee (Kevin Rahm). (Loved the "I hope we can live up to your stereotype" reply.) Then she tried to make up for it with store-bought baked goods. But the main reason that her next-door neighbors will be ignoring Susan for the time being was her scheme to "find" their dog Rafael, which instead resulted in Mike having to buy Bob a $2,000 Dolce suit.

I'm hoping that instead of creating more plotlines to keep track of, the twosome's goings on will be woven into the show and serve to strengthen existing stories. For example, their presence tonight already led to a rare event: Mike giving Susan some tough love. I know it didn't lend itself to comedy, but it was a nice change to see Mike speaking up for his point of view.

So, too, for Tom, who after enjoying Lynette's bedtime role-playing a bit too much for Lynette's taste, gave her a reality check. I'm not saying Lynette hasn't had every right to wallow, but she needed to know that her illness had affected Tom as well. (Side note: I thought both she and Gaby looked good in that dark-red wig.)

Speaking of Gaby, what did you think of the love quadrangle tonight? Someone got the "crotch carnival" first, and it wasn't necessarily Edie. Good thing Gaby's a smart schemer, or she never would have thought of a way to get Victor cleaned up without his suspicion. That was pretty hilarious, and I have to say her "nurse" outfit looked a lot more like "Brandy the Slutty Cheerleader" than Lynette's. But I figure Gaby's had more practice with that sort of thing.

Too bad that Victor's busy politico schedule didn't keep him away from Bree's fake baby shower; Gaby and Carlos would be in the clear. But Edie is a clever conniver, too. With one whiff of Victor's new "36 essential oils lotion" and a tray of crab-cake hors d'oeuvres passing between her, Carlos, Gaby and Victor, she connected the dots.

Also at Bree's surprise shower (nice play, Andrew): Bree's ex-mother-in-law (Shirley Knight ) — well done again, Andrew. Of course, a quarrel ensued, but the juicy result was that Phyllis discovered Bree's secret, stormed over to the convent and proceeded to rescue her pregnant granddaughter from the boring "baby jail." I thought that Danielle would wait out the rest of her pregnancy at her grandmother's house, but it looks like she'll be wreaking havoc on Orson and Bree's perfect "second chance" in their home next week. What did you think of this twist? Leave your comments here!

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For a behind-the-scenes peek at all your favorite Housewives, tune in to TV Guide Network's The Ladies of Wisteria Lane, Oct. 23 at 11 pm/ET.

More changes for Wisteria Lane! A couple will move onto the block tonight and definitely shake things up (see blog entries below for details on the twosome). I'm sure they have some secrets — just like seemingly the entire town of Fairview. But let's hope the suburbanites aren't too distracted by the newbies: I'd also like to see some progression of the story lines already in full swing. Let's see what happens, starting at 9 pm/ET on ABC.

Check back here after the show for the recap!

by Michael Logan

Two gay guys are about to shake up Wisteria Lane, but it's not their sexuality that's the issue — it's their bad taste in art! On October 21, Desperate Housewives (Sundays at 9 pm/ET, ABC) will introduce newbie neighbors Bob and Lee — played by Tuc Watkins (One Life to Live) and Kevin Rahm (Judging Amy) — and they'll quickly get tiffy with Susan (Teri Hatcher)...read more

What's the meaning of that gash in the floor of the locked room in the Mayfair house? Perhaps we'll find out this week, but the full Mayfair mystery looks like it's going to be an all-season tease. On the other hand, Danielle Van De Kamp is eight-and-a-half months pregnant, so Bree's charade could end by November sweeps, as could the Edie-Carlos “engagement,” if what Carlos told Gaby is true. But the big story this episode is a new arrival: Wisteria Lane's first gay couple (Tuc Watkins and Kevin Rahm). They're moving into the Applewhites' old house and, we're told their taste in art will make waves. — Paul Droesch

Episode Recap: "The Game"

Does no one on Wisteria Lane ever learn that playing games to hide the truth can only succeed for so long? Eventually the secrets and lies come to the fore. But to their credit, the neighbors all did a fine job of keeping up the act tonight. Charades was just one among many games that were played at Susan and Mike's home.

We still didn't get much further in the Mayfair mystery. What we do know is that Dylan's real dad didn't do what Mom Mayfair told everyone: "the worst thing a father can do to his daughter." That was just another lie made up to keep them quiet in the future.

Edie flaunted her engagement to bug both Carlos and Gaby, courtesy of a ring she bought herself (she should have used Carlos' money from that offshore account). She also befriended Katherine, assuring her that when Katherine caught Adam and Gaby flirting, it was the latter she should worry about. Before the night was over, Katherine spilled Gaby's sordid history with Wisteria Lane's most popular gardener, news to no one… except Gaby's new hubby. But Victor's nonplussed political take on Gardenergate sent her back into Carlos' arms, and we were privy to a teeny bit more of his game with Edie. The heretofore "hit man," Al Kaminsky, is supposedly a CPA, and needs only a couple weeks to take care of "the Britt file."

Try as Lynette might to pretend that her life is largely unaltered by her illness, she ruined her longstanding reputation as "charades assassin" when her mother Stella (Polly Bergen) baked her brownies stocked with some "kickass chronic" to curb her nausea. It was great to see Lynette not in control, rational and entirely lucid, for once. She'd normally be the last one to insensitively reenact Edie's suicide attempt in hopes of her team guessing the Hang 'em High western. I'm sure her kids also enjoyed Mommy's new appreciation for the genius of SpongeBob SquarePants!

Susan's real pregnancy began making Bree's fake one more difficult to hide. Tonight Susan envisioned sharing the same doctor and scheduling their appointments at the same time. When Bree blindly picked a doc out of the phone book, I just knew Susan was in for a shady place. Once she was late to her own party — thanks to a debacle of a doctor's appointment, replete with slashed tire and stolen cell phone — Bree told more lies to cover up the truth: there had been complications, and she'd nearly lost the baby.

Well, it was true, just not regarding Bree. Danielle, back at the convent, was the one who nearly lost the baby. (Roller blading? Really?) I think the event made Bree remember how much she loved Danielle — that it wasn't all about the baby, but that she had another child involved in the trauma, too. Or am I giving Bree too much credit?

Children certainly learn from their elders: while the grownups were playing charades, Julie deftly opened the lock to the Mayfairs' attic storage room, confirmed it was Dylan's old bedroom and reintroduced her to various childhood things packed away in boxes. Katherine caught them and demanded that Dylan stay away from Julie. (But surely they go to the same high school?) Later Katherine prepared the room for Aunt Sims — and in the episode's final scene, she pulled back the bedroom rug and wept over a jagged gash in the wood floor. What? I guess this will be a season-long mystery after all….

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