Desperate Housewives Season 6

05 Monday Oct 2015

Tags

2000's, 2010's, Andrea Bowen, Beau Mirchoff, Brenda Strong, Dana Delany, Desperate Housewives, Desperate Housewives Season 6, Doug Savant, Drea de Matteo, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, James Denton, Jeffrey Nordling, Kyle MacLachlan, Maiara Walsh, Marcia Cross, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Richard Burgi, Teri Hatcher

After the successful five-year jump in Season 5, Desperate Housewives Season 6 carries on the great momentum with great dialogue, comedy, drama and mystery. Warning, there will be spoilers following in this review.

Susan(Teri Hatcher) and Mike(James Denton) have been drawn back together after their lives were threatened in the Season 5 finale. As this season opens and the deceased Mary Alice(Brenda Strong) continues to watch the comings and goings on the street she once lived from her resting place, Mike and Susan are married again, and everyone is happy for them. Everyone except Katherine(Dana Delany), who feels jilted by Mike and can’t let go of the romantic time they had. As time goes on Katherine starts to crumble emotionally at the loss of Mike which leads to her experiencing a full on breakdown. Katherine is then sectioned and after much therapy, emerges again now over her personal demons, but also finds herself falling for someone unexpected. In Susan’s life, Julie(Andrea Bowen) has returned for a while but this take a terrifying turn when she is strangled by an unseen stranger. The blame points towards the new neighbours the Bolen’s; tough-talking Angie(Drea de Matteo), her suspicious husband Nick(Jeffrey Nordling) and their sullen teenage son Danny(Beau Mirchoff), who took an interest in Julie just before her attack. The Bolen’s are hiding a dark enough secret anyway which arouses suspicions on Wisteria Lane as the family tries to keep it under wraps. Yet Danny is cleared of the attack on Julie, which only sets everyone’s nerves on edge even more as the attacker is still out there. It is also revealed that Julie was having an affair with a married man, much to the shock of Susan who always saw her as responsible and sensible. In other stories we have Lynette(Felicity Huffman) contending with pregnancy and panicking that she won’t be able to take care of twins, when she already has four children to look after anyway. This doubt creeps into her work as she is offered a higher wage by Carlos(Ricardo Antonio Chavira), and she is left in a spin over what to do as she shields her pregnancy from everyone and Tom(Doug Savant) tries to help her make a decision. Ultimately, the secret pills out and causes problems for the friendship between Lynette and Gabrielle(Eva Longoria). Bree(Marcia Cross), whose marriage to Orson(Kyle MacLachlan) is on shaky ground, has begun an affair with her divorce lawyer and Susan’s ex Karl(Richard Burgi) and become a little more wild that her usually prim self. Orson is trying to win Bree back, but so far all his attempts including blackmail, have failed. Yet a tragic incident ends the affair with Karl’s death and Bree contemplating what to do with a paralyzed Orson. Gabrielle and Carlos have taken in Ana(Maiara Walsh), Carlos’s niece who stirs up trouble with her outrageous ways and snotty attitude. This leads to Gabrielle and her coming head on with each other and Ana attempting to worm her way out of trouble by putting on an innocent act. And with the mysterious Bolen’s providing mystery and the aforementioned devastating event that shakes people’s lives(and of which I will talk about in greater detail later in the review), it’s once more an exceptional season of scandal, mystery and enduring entertainment.

Season 6 provides a compelling double mystery that is kept together and made very suspenseful. The main mystery is the Bolen family and their past, as we observe that their on the run from something and have changed names numerous times. The mystery of them is very gripping and keeps you guessing as little by little, parts of their past threaten to expose them. The other mystery, which is equally as good, is of The Fairview Strangler. The reign of terror he brings is very creepy as observed with his attack on Julie and then murder of a waitress. There is something very sad when we view the back story of the attacker that gives a melancholy slant on the reasons for the crimes, but also makes it very uneasy. It all gets very dark and this is what I’ve always loved about Desperate Housewives; the fact that it isn’t afraid to be both light and amusing, while on the other hand having creepy darkness underneath it all.

The drama is of the highest order once more, with an especially moving two episodes that examine the fallout of tragedy. The incident is when a plane crashes onto the street after spinning out of control during the Christmas festivities and devastates those in the way. Karl dies from injuries sustained which makes Bree ask about her choices as Orson is paralyzed from it as well. The following episode is one of the strongest dramatically as the ladies dream about what directions their lives may have taken if they’d made different decisions or what fate is dealing them. Lynette’s arc is the strongest as she goes in for surgery after sustaining injuries rescuing Gabrielle’s daughter that may have hurt one of her unborn children. In her dream, she sees what may have happened if her child was born disabled and it is honestly such a moving part of the story as she teaches him what he can achieve despite his disability. The episode is given a further emotional depth when Lynette wakes up and discovers that one of her twins has died, but one is still alive. If you don’t cry observing her reaction to the news, you don’t have a heart. Credit throughout the seasons must also go to the writers for pushing the fracturing and healing relationships between the women that provide the show with pathos. They may all have conflict with one another, but thankfully their friendships provide beacons of support that can’t be erased. And let us not forget the wit that pervades the show which is as razor-sharp and hysterical as ever. I think it’s safe to say that Season 6 is a definite highlight in the show’s run so far.

The wonderful cast is once again on the ball with some spot on performances. Marcia Cross delivers another fantastic performance as Bree, who has to grapple with an affair, loss and rekindling her love with Orson. Cross is on great form again, shading Bree with a quiet uncertainty belied by her organised exterior. It’s also good to see Bree let her hair down a bit, especially in her affair as she throws caution to the wind and doesn’t think of the fallout. Teri Hatcher shows her great flair for comedy and drama portraying Susan, who gets some really great lines this season and she delivers them with aplomb. Felicity Huffman excels this season bringing Lynette emotional resonance, underlying sadness and sarcastic humour. I got to say that Huffman is so reliable at bringing Lynette to life with her talent that it is very authentic to watch her. Eva Longoria is suitably sassy and catty as the fabulous Gabrielle, who underneath has a vulnerability and goodness that is glimpsed by her friends. I liked how this season looks at her as a mother and how she wants her children to have everything she didn’t growing up. Sure Gabrielle has been self-centered in the past and sometimes veers into this again, but she has now become a loving mother and all-round nicer woman. Dana Delany is sensational as Katherine. From her breakdown and recovery, to her discovery that she may be attracted to a woman, Delany owns every moment Katherine is on the screen. For a character that is usually a little buttoned up, it was great to see glimmers of sporadic difference as Katherine examines her sexuality and her feelings.

As the main source of mystery, Drea de Matteo is excellent as the feisty and earthy Angie. Cloaked in a tough, brassy demeanor that seems out-of-place in such a suburban place, de Matteo provides us with glimpses into her fear that her past will come back to haunt her if she isn’t careful. Jeffrey Nordling has that ability to inject a slight sense of distrust into characters and it is well shown here as Angie’s husband Nick. Beau Mirchoff may be underused as their son Danny, but he makes the most of what he’s got. Returning for a short but memorable stint as the randy Karl, Richard Burgi is hilarious in his macho way when he begins the affair with Bree. His death in the show is a great send off to a very amusing character, who I wish stuck around a lot longer. Maiara Walsh shines as the bratty, superficial Ana, who can get anything with a bat of her eyelashes. Her scenes with Eva Longoria are comedic highlights as they clash constantly. As the desperate Orson who not only wants to save his marriage but attempt to adjust to life in a wheelchair, Kyle MacLachlan exudes a sense of pathos and pity. Series regulars Doug Savant and Ricardo Antonio Chavira provide much comic relief throughout the show as Tom and Carlos. James Denton is on hand to provide some quiet drama as Mike, who is now married to Susan but hiding some of his money woes. Andrea Bowen appears once again as Julie for a small time, and provides us with fear as she is nearly killed by the strangler but luckily survives the ordeal. Brenda Strong lends her vocal talents to Mary Alice, with her eye for detail and sense of perception adding to the drama and mystery of the season.

Nice Is Different Than Good – A
Being Alive – A
Never Judge a Lady by Her Lover – B+
The God-Why-Don’t-You-Love-Me Blues – B
Everybody Ought to Have a Maid – C
Don’t Walk on the Grass – C+
Careful the Things You Say – B
The Coffee Cup – B+
Would I Think of Suicide? – A
Boom Crunch – A+
If – A+
You Gotta Get a Gimmick – B-
How About a Friendly Shrink? – B
The Glamorous Life – B+
Lovely – A
The Chase – D+
Chromolume No. 7 – C-
My Two Young Men – B+
We All Deserve to Die – B+
Epiphany – A
A Little Night Music – B
The Ballad of Booth – B
I Guess This Is Goodbye – A

I’m happy to report that Desperate Housewives Season 6 is another triumph of mystery, dark humour and enviable drama.

Desperate Housewives Season 5

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by vinnieh in Television Reviews

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

2000's, Beau Bridges, Brenda Strong, Dana Delany, Desperate Housewives, Desperate Housewives Season 5, Doug Savant, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Gale Harold, James Denton, Kyle MacLachlan, Marcia Cross, Neal McDonough, Nicollette Sheridan, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Teri Hatcher

With the ending of Season 4 leaping five years into the future for the ladies, I was so intrigued of what would be found in Season 5 of Desperate Housewives. And it turned out amazingly with the jump giving the show a sense of rejuvenation and added dimension to once again make it addictive viewing, coupled with intriguing flashbacks and dark mystery. Warning, spoilers will be following.

With the five-year jump, a lot of things have changed for the ladies but there’s still drama in spades as observed by the deceased Mary Alice(Brenda Strong). Susan(Teri Hatcher) is now divorced from Mike(James Denton), though their young son M.J keeps them in constant contact with one another. We learn that they separated after a fatal car crash that killed a young mother and her child and the emotional fall out was too much to handle for both. Susan is struggling to adjust to life as a single mother and divorcee(while still obviously carrying feelings for Mike), and finds some excitement in the arms of hunky painter Jackson(Gale Harold). Meanwhile, Mike unexpectedly finds romance with Katherine(Dana Delany), much to people’s shock. Gabrielle(Eva Longoria), who was once the most stunning of the group is now very dowdy and tired as a mother of two troublesome children. While also contending with Carlos(Ricardo Antonio Chavira) being blind, she feels that her status as a party goer is waning and that her days of being pretty are behind her. Yet when it is revealed that Carlos may get his sight back, she worries that with her current appearance Carlos won’t love her. Thankfully, once Carlos regains his vision, he doesn’t care how Gabrielle looks and loves her more than ever. Bree(Marcia Cross) is now a career woman and chef, whose great fortune drives a wedge between her and her friends, as well as Orson(Kyle MacLachlan) who feels emasculated at not being the breadwinner. And while Orson feels pushed out after just getting back with Bree following his time in prison, it takes her a while to notice how her career has taken over her life and made her selfish and inconsiderate. But trouble awaits as Orson has developed a stealing habit to give him a sense of control. Lynette(Felicity Huffman) is having to deal with her husband Tom’s(Doug Savant) midlife crisis, the twins as troublesome rebellious teenagers and her work at the pizza place slowly beginning to go under. And trashy Edie(Nicollette Sheridan) moves back to Wisteria Lane with a new husband Dave Williams(Neal McDonough), who provides us with this season’s dark mystery. A charming and smooth guy, he slowly arouses suspicions with his underhand acts and manipulation as he is revealed to be deeply unstable and out for revenge on someone living on Wisteria Lane. As drama escalates and dark deeds are committed, five years in the future is just as intriguing and mysterious for all of the characters in this fabulous fifth season.

As I previously mentioned, the five-year jump adds that something extra to this season as it opens up many avenues. The most intriguing is the structure of many episodes, that tease us with the outcome of something and then slowly show us what lead to it. Having the jump could have been risky for Desperate Housewives, but it pays off with greatness and makes the show just as entertaining and riveting as before with great development of characters and story lines. On Dave Williams ce again, the mystery angle is very strong this season with the unstable Dave taking everyone in with his charm but secretly plotting revenge and violence. It is very creepy to watch him destroy the lives of those around him, whether it be by manipulating the neighbours or committing arson and putting the blame on Lynette’s son Porter. His increasingly psychopathic ways lead to one of the most memorable moments of the show, the death of Edie. To say it is a shock when Edie dies would be a major understatement, but she is given a memorable send off. In the scene, Edie has uncovered Dave’s sinister intentions and is nearly strangled by him. She escapes and jumps in her car, but her journey is short-lived as she swerves to avoid a thieving Orson and hits an electric pole. When she attempts to move, she receives an electric shock which ultimately kills her. As the neighbours come out to see the commotion, we get Edie narrating her last moments. And how can we disagree with her assessment that she lived as she died, at the centre of attention. Edie will be missed in Desperate Housewives but she will still be remembered for a long time. As tribute to her, the next episode features Edie on narration duties and her friends remembering the times when she was there for them, despite their difficulties.

The comedy and drama of Desperate Housewives are on point once more, with both acting in cohesion with the other. The main drama is that of Lynette protecting her son from possibly going to jail or ending up dead because of his affair with a married woman. In this, we see Lynette as a powerful maternal force willing to do anything to protect her family. The season also has its heartwarming moments, most notably when the local handyman Eli Scruggs(played perfectly by Beau Bridges) dies and the women think back on how he touched all of them with his kindness and support over the years. That episode is one of the standout ones from this very well done season that is filled with excellent episodes of humour, drama and pathos. On the comedy front, Gabrielle is the clear winner with some hysterical lines and situations that she is put in. Watching her as she sacrifices things to help Carlos(such as selling some prized possessions and then having to get them back) and having to deal with petulant children in her own outrageous ways is both funny and at times quite moving. Gabrielle is always the most flamboyant character and every time you see her she is a marvel, though she is more down to earth nowadays. We also have the humour of M.J, Susan and Mike’s son, playing tricks on Katherine, when he sees that his father is dating her and then coming around to like Katherine, much to the chagrin of Susan. There is something quite endearing about it as you can see that he just wants his parents back together again and views Katherine as something stopping that and then the turn around of liking Katherine which infuriates his mother. And with these two stories, there is an overriding theme of motherhood throughout this season that is well acted and written.

The fantastic cast once more adds their talents and abilities to the characters with style, specifically the central ladies. The wonderful Felicity Huffman brings her A game to Lynette once more, showing her as a fierce form of maternal power and decision. Huffman’s ever-reliable ability to bring depth and stunning conviction to the character is fully on display as she tries to protect her family, no matter what the cost is. Similarly, Teri Hatcher provides Susan with both dramatic and comedic chops as she attempts to give her young son everything he deserves, while having to navigate her way through her complex love life. Susan just wants to be a good mother but at times feels like she pales in comparison with others, and Hatcher sells this excellently, particularly when Katherine comes on the scene and M.J takes a liking to her. Speaking of Katherine, it’s nice to see a bit more warmth to her character this season, embodied greatly by the sterling work of Dana Delany. Yes Katherine can still be catty and you would like to keep her at arm’s length, but there’s another softer side to her that is revealed too. Her scenes with Susan are great as they clash over Mike and M.J, for a while friendships are set aside and the claws come out in hilarious fashion. Eva Longoria is spot on with her comedic timing and ability to show there is humility to Gabrielle, and that love is the most important thing for her even though money is another. Now that Gabrielle has a family, she is more mellow and nicer, but you still wouldn’t cross her because of her fiery temper. It may take her a while to regain her old looks, but at the end of the day it becomes unimportant to her because of her family holds more value than glamour. Marcia Cross cleverly reveals the frustration and obliviousness to Bree, now that she has become so famous and renowned. Bree is always someone who wants to be in control and Marcia Cross shows this excellently as well as the fact that Bree soon realises that her fame has come at some very high prices. And with Nicollette Sheridan leaving the show, she takes a bow in style exhibiting the bitchy persona of Edie and unmasking the kindness and fear that no one else glimpses. Farewell Edie Britt, as Susan says “She was one of a kind”.

The other members of the cast fare equally as well as the main leads. As the centre of Season 5’s mystery, Neal McDonough is fantastic. Skillfully presenting the outward niceness of Dave and then little by little through various tics, revealing the damaged mind that lurks within and is planning revenge, McDonough makes this season very tense. Kyle MacLachlan gets us to feel sympathy for Orson as he leaves like nobody because of his wife’s success. He also manages to be very sneaky and manipulative, especially when Orson begins to steal as a coping mechanism and as something he can control and not Bree as a way to punish her. Ricardo Antonio Chavira gets some really moving moments as Carlos, who professes that he loves Gabrielle no matter what and is thankful that he now has his sight back again. Doug Savant portrays Tom as slowly slipping as pressure gets to much and he has to dust himself down and sell the business. James Denton makes another impression as Mike, who is attempting to move on with his life after Susan but finding it impossible to not see her because of the fact they live so close and they have a son. He isn’t bad, but Gale Harold’s character of Jackson doesn’t really serve much of a function here. Brenda Strong with her lovely and expressive voice are once more a fixture that adds dimension to the show as she watches from her unique vantage point over the friends she had while she was alive.

You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow – A
We’re So Happy You’re So Happy – B+
Kids Ain’t Like Everybody Else – A
Back in Business – B+
Mirror, Mirror – A+
There’s Always a Woman – C+
What More Do I Need? – B
City on Fire – A
Me and My Town – B
A Vision’s Just a Vision – B+
Home Is the Place – B
Connect! Connect! – B –
The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened – A+
Mama Spent Money When She Had None – B
In a World Where the Kings Are Employers – D
Crime Doesn’t Pay – C
The Story of Lucy and Jessie – B
A Spark. To Pierce the Dark – A
Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know – A+
Rose’s Turn – B-
Bargaining – C+
Marry Me a Little – B+
Everybody Says Don’t – B
If It’s Only In Your Head – B+

With rejuvenated energy and verve, laced with darkness and more than a couple of shocks, Season 5 of Desperate Housewives is an enjoyable and compelling season.

Desperate Housewives Season 4

03 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by vinnieh in Television Reviews

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

2000's, Andrea Bowen, Brenda Strong, Dana Delany, Desperate Housewives, Desperate Housewives Season 4, Doug Savant, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, James Denton, John Slattery, Kyle MacLachlan, Lyndsy Fonseca, Marcia Cross, Nathan Fillion, Nicollette Sheridan, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Teri Hatcher

It may be shorter than past seasons, mainly due to the Writer’s Strike at the time, but Season 4 of Desperate Housewives is a treat of wit, drama and underlying mystery that is delicious from the get go. Spoilers will be following in this review.

Following on from the Season 3 finale, we’re back in full swing with the dramas and dilemmas of Wisteria Lane as narrated by Mary Alice(Brenda Strong). Edie(Nicollette Sheridan), having been dumped by Carlos(Ricardo Antonio Chavira), faked a suicide attempt to keep him with her. Sinking her claws into him, she blackmails him into staying with her because if he doesn’t she will inform the authorities of his off shore bank account. Carlos on the other hand is conducting an affair with ex-wife Gabrielle(Eva Longoria), who realised that she still loved him and that her new husband Mayor Victor Lang (John Slattery) is just using her to make his image look good. Although they are planning to run away together to rekindle their relationship, manipulative Edie has thrown a spanner in the works with her scheming plan to keep Carlos all for herself. There’s also the fact that the very influential Victor hints that if he ever caught Gabrielle cheating, the person who she conducted the affair with would ominously disappear. Lynette(Felicity Huffman) is having treatment for her cancer, but has kept it secret from her friends for fear of pity and is managing to reconnect with husband Tom(Doug Savant) again. Yet seeing that there is only so much longer she can lie, she reveals it to them and they rally to support her in this difficult time. Thankfully, Lynette manages to beat her cancer, but still has to deal with her troublesome mother and adopted daughter Kayla creating animosity with her twisted little ways. Bree(Marcia Cross) is faking a pregnancy so that the neighbours won’t be suspicious, as her teenage daughter Danielle is at a convent having discovered her pregnancy. Bree, along with her husband Orson(Kyle MacLachlan) begins to find it harder and harder to lie about the pregnancy and keep it a secret. When the baby is born, there are complications for Bree as she starts to consider whether pretending to carry the baby was really a good idea or not/ Bree must also contend with her marriage to Orson beginning to crumble, especially after she finds out it was him who ran Mike over at the end of Season 2. Susan(Teri Hatcher) and Mike(James Denton) are finally married after a tumultuous relationship and discover that they have a baby on the way. But Mike has developed an addiction to prescription drugs that started with his back being injured and has now grown into something more desperate. And providing the dark mystery this season is the icy new neighbour Katherine Mayfair(Dana Delany) along with her husband Adam(Nathan Fillion) and daughter Dylan(Lyndsy Fonseca). Katherine had previously lived on Wisteria Lane years before, but mysteriously left. A cold woman who rubs people up the wrong way and challenges those around her, she is guarding many secrets regarding her past that she plans on keeping under wraps. Her daughter Dylan, despite having lived on Wisteria Lane as a child, doesn’t remember anything at all about it, which arouses the suspicions of former best friend Julie(Andrea Bowen), whose convinced that there is something sinister behind it. Add to that a devastating tornado that changes everyone’s lives, and its high drama and high stakes viewing.

While Season 4 is short in terms of what we usually expect, it actually gives more immediacy to the story lines present. The acerbic wit and subversive tone are here and captured splendidly during the course of Season 4. And while the humour is still here and as great as ever, there is a lot more drama this season. we have Lynette bravely battling her cancer, Bree attempting to protect her family through her lies and the affair between Carlos and Gabrielle. Lynette’s battle with cancer is the most moving to watch as she fights through the pain. The moment when she finds out she has beaten it and a whole host of emotions pass across her face is such a beautifully acted moment that is excellently done. And when it comes to the mystery, this season is a high point of creeping suspense over what Katherine’s secret is. Little by little, her past comes sneaking back and we get to see the true Katherine Mayfair.This is why I love Desperate Housewives; it can balance all of these genres so well and bring something new to the table. That is one thing about this show that keeps me so riveted to it, it just has this ability to be so effortlessly and consistently entertaining.

The major disaster of the tornado and what it spells for the characters was an ambitious move but it produces some of the most wrenching and dramatic scenes so far in the show. From the changing relationships that occur as the storm rages, to Victor’s death by impaling and Carlos losing his sight, its high drama that is entertaining and nail-biting. We are left on the edge of our seats as the residents of Wisteria Lane attempt to survive the tragedy. And then we watch as they try to literally and metaphorically rebuild their lives once more through their friendships and acquaintances. As I said earlier, Desperate Housewives really knows how to pull it out the bag when it comes to tragedy and drama. And I can’t forget to mention the teasing ending to the season that has me super excited for Season 5.

The excellent cast is once more on hand to flesh out their characters through the comedy, drama and mystery of Season 4. I continue to be super impressed with the work of Felicity Huffman as Lynette, who has more than one battle to contend with here. Huffman has this great ability to convey so much emotion in her face that you can see everything she is feeling. From her determination to survive for her children, to her horror at discovering that Kayla has launched a vendetta, Huffman just owns every minute of it with class and grace. I was impressed with Teri Hatcher’s work as Susan this season. She may have been mainly used for the cute comedy in the past, but here we get a maturation in her story lines. Hatcher manages to sell this with humanity and dignity as she goes through her pregnancy, while attempting to support Mike with his drug problem. I liked this maturation and found it quite refreshing in the scheme of things as we got to see another test for them both that they slowly overcame because of their love for one another. Marcia Cross provides humour and pathos for Bree, undergoing a tense time with Orson and bringing up a baby in the hopes that she can have a second chance as a mother. On the funny side, it’s great to see her clash with Katherine, who attempts to be the queen bee of the circle much to the chagrin of Bree, who eventually warms to her. Watching Bree try to be respectful while secretly feeling challenged is a hoot, though I was glad the writers decided to have the two women become friends because of their similarities. Eva Longoria is still as flamboyant as ever as Gabrielle, but there is that added love and care to her this time around. I was glad to see her get back with Carlos again, and despite the fact that money is tight and Carlos has been blinded, Gabrielle doesn’t resort to her selfish ways. Rather, she slowly but surely gets to grips with things and sees that having Carlos is much more important than finery. Eva Longoria is a dab hand at showing these sides to Gabrielle and still provides that sassy edge we all know and love. Nicollette Sheridan is on spectacular form once again as queen bitch and husband stealer Edie Britt. She may have softened a little last season, but it is great to see her back at her bitchy and scheming best as she makes it so delightful. Yet Edie goes one step too far this time and though the other ladies have tried to put up with her, they now disown her as she has crossed the line for the last time.

As the newest housewife Katherine, Dana Delany fits the role like a glove. Seeming to be organised and standoffish, Delany lets us venture deeper into the confines of the character as we sense the terrified woman beneath, hidden by an ice maiden facade that slowly thaws as her past comes back to haunt her. Lyndsy Fonseca has the right amount of curiosity and naivety as Dylan, who senses that something is really wrong and that her mother is not being honest about the past. But by searching for the truth, she soon uncovers something very sinister. Unfortunately, I found that Nathan Fillion was underused as Katherine’s husband Adam, who has a roving eye. Kyle MacLachlan continued to flesh Orson out, showing us that while he is attempting to be good he can’t escape the bad things he has done in the past. Ricardo Antonio Chavira is immensely convincing as Carlos, who must adjust to being blind which becomes harder as he doesn’t want to feel like a burden. Doug Savant is also very good as Tom, having to see that his daughter Kayla is indeed trying to split the family apart. James Denton was very convincing showing Mike descend into addiction but having the strength and support to fight back and be a good father to his baby son. And while not used as much as she has been, Andrea Bowen still plays Julie well with her maturity and charm. John Slattery is given a hell of a send off as the corrupt Victor, who gets impaled during the tornado after fighting Carlos for Gabrielle’s affections. And Brenda Strong’s beautiful voice is still really effective in its observations of the comings and goings of Wisteria Lane.