Desperate Housewives Season 3

Tags

2000's, Andrea Bowen, Brenda Strong, Desperate Housewives, Desperate Housewives Season 3, Doug Savant, Dougray Scott, Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, James Denton, John Slattery, Josh Henderson, Kyle MacLachlan, Laurie Metcalf, Marcia Cross, Nicollette Sheridan, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Teri Hatcher

With Season 2 being a bit flawed and slightly stumbling in comparison to the fabulous first season, Season 3 had a lot riding on it. Thankfully it is a splendid return to form with razor-sharp wit, emotional drama and mystery that made us love Desperate Housewives in the first place. Trust me, Season 3 brings the show back with a bang. Spoilers will follow in this review.

The deceased Mary Alice Young(Brenda Strong) continues to narrate the daily events of the women on Wisteria Lane. Six months have passed since the events of the Season 2 finale. Mike(James Denton), after being run over by the mysterious Orson Hodge(Kyle MacLachlan), is in a coma and is showing no responsive signs. Girlfriend Susan(Teri Hatcher) is by his bedside most days and trying to keep faith that he will come out of it. Susan though finds herself tempted by charming Ian(Dougray Scott), a man whose wife is also in a coma. Yet despite her passion for Ian, Susan can’t help but feel guilty as if she’s cheating on Mike with a stranger. But when Mike does wake up, he is suffering from amnesia. Edie(Nicollette Sheridan), who has always been Susan’s rival, uses this opportunity to make her move and poison Mike away from Susan. It is then down to Susan to choose between Mike and Ian, but her heart tells her it’s Mike that is the one for her despite caring for Ian deeply. She must then attempt to get through to Mike in the hope he remembers that they were in a relationship before his accident. Yet while Mike slowly regains his memory, he begins to remember other things from his past that tie in with Orson. Add to this Edie’s bad boy nephew Austin(Josh Henderson) turning up and catching the eye of Julie(Andrea Bowen) and thinks are going to get interesting for Susan. Gabrielle(Eva Longoria) is filing for divorce from Carlos(Ricardo Antonio Chavira) after discovering his affair with their maid, who is also carrying a surrogate baby. Yet because of a mix up during the surrogacy, the baby born is not theirs which further puts a wall up between them. Gabrielle then endures loneliness and does in fact misses Carlos, yet finds company and later nuptials in the form of campaigning politician and secretly slimy Victor Lang(John Slattery) after discovering that Carlos has unexpectedly begun dating the saucy Edie. Meanwhile, the charming but sinister Orson has charmed Bree(Marcia Cross) off her feet and the two marry. But all is not well, as Orson has a few incidents in his past(primarily the disappearance of his ex-wife Alma, running over Mike and a woman named Monique) that are very dark and form the backbone of the mystery this season. As much as Bree loves Orson, there is something about him that worries her and with what is slowly shown and revealed to us, she has every right to be worried. And rounding out the women is Lynette(Felicity Huffman), trying to adjust to the fact that her husband Tom(Doug Savant) had a child with another woman and the other woman Nora constantly being around causing rifts in marriage. Yet all that changes after a tragic hostage situation that results in Nora’s death and Lynette promising to raise her daughter as her own. Lynette also quits her advertising job to open a pizza place with Tom so they can pursue their dream and provide for five children, but as always, trouble awaits. All in all, it’s another eventful trip through the lives of the interesting ladies of Wisteria Lane.

I was so happy that the mystery angle was better than ever this season. The whole circumstances surrounding Orson are enthralling as we slowly see the danger that this man may be to those around him. The dark edge to Desperate Housewives always intrigues me so the return to the superior mystery was a major plus for me. Once more the deliciously wicked wit is on hand for laughs and many enjoyable moments. There is an excellent balance held between comedy and drama, which was somewhat lacking in Season 2. And speaking of drama, I can’t discuss Season 3 without mentioning “Bang” which has to be one of the best episodes so far in the show. In it, Carolyn Bigsby(played amazingly by a scene-stealing Laurie Metcalf) discovers her husband’s infidelity and completely snaps by holding up the supermarket. The tension drips from the episode as we wonder who will survive and emotions are stunningly observed. And Felicity Huffman is a powerhouse in the episode, evolving from fear, pain to anger as she witnesses Nora’s unexpected death and confronts the unstable Carolyn with a speech about how everyone carries pain, but acts about it behind closed doors. In short, it is an outstanding episode that shows Desperate Housewives at its most effective and dramatic.

If Season 3 had a nickname, it would probably be the love, divorce and wedding season because of the marital events and tribulations on show. From Bree’s marriage to Orson which raises many questions to Gabrielle trying to get a divorce while finding company with Victor that doesn’t go to plan, marriage and union are integral and lead to many fantastic moments in this splendid season. Relationships of a romantic nature have been featured throughout the show, but this is the season when they are most prominent. The most enjoyable part of the these is Gabrielle and Carlos, whose bickering and resorting to extreme measures to make the other jealous are comedic highlights. There is an obvious passion between them that often leads to destructiveness and heartbreak. And it’s fun to watch the usually respectable and mindful Julie fall for bad boy Austin( who is cheating on her with Bree’s daughter Danielle), especially considering the tense situation between members of each of their families. It’s safe to say Season 3 has a lot going on in it, but none of it feel rushed or half-baked due to spectacular writing and performances.

The main cast is engaging as always. The two main stand outs this season are Eva Longoria and Felicity Huffman. Longoria has such excellent comic timing but also knows when to rein it in and shows off considerable dramatic chops as Gabrielle. We get to see that she is gregarious and never really wants to be alone, and although she loves Carlos, their relationship is extremely complicated. Gabrielle could easily have been a character that was hard to like, but because of the writing and performance from Eva Longoria, we do feel sympathy for her. Felicity Huffman once again shines as Lynette, bringing a whole load of emotion to the role. This is the season so far that Lynette goes through the most in terms of emotional baggage, marital problems and personal drama and Huffman just shows all of this with her stunning work. No matter if it’s the comedy or the drama, Huffman brings her A game to both with equal aplomb. Marcia Cross is as always wonderful as Bree, having made the character her own. Bree must go through many more struggles this season and stay afloat in an ocean of uncertainty, mainly courtesy of the mystery provided by her new husband. Cross is excellent at displaying Bree’s concern and confusion while trying to stop her bubble of being a perfect neighbour from bursting. While humour has always been the main selling point of Susan, Teri Hatcher manages to also project poignant emotion to the part and the writing thankfully doesn’t make her slip into ridiculousness. Yes Susan is as romantic as ever by being caught between her loyalty and passion, but Hatcher exudes a relatability and warmth that captures your attention. You can’t help but root for Susan to get Mike back, as it is very obvious the two are meant to be together. Nicollette Sheridan is delightfully scheming and sultry as Edie, who may poison Mike against Susan but drops him when he is arrested for murder. This leads her unexpectedly into the arms of Carlos, which may jeopardize friendship with Gabrielle. Sheridan brings some more emotion to Edie than before as we see that she does have a heart underneath the trashy exterior. It’s nice to see the writer’s attempt something different with Edie this season that actually pays off and shows another side to her.

The rest of the cast, old and new, continue to explore their characters and bring them to life. Mike Denton brings out the confused state of Mike’s mind well, as he recalls some events that he really doesn’t want to remember. As the cause of this season’s mystery, Kyle MacLachlan is strangely charming yet full of hidden danger as the enigmatic Orson. MacLachlan has this ability to set your nerves on edge which he uses a lot during this season to menacing effect that also leaves you questioning whether or not he’s as bad as some of the hints make him out to be. Series stalwarts Doug Savant and Ricardo Antonio Chavira provide a considerable amount of laughs as Tom and Carlos, two of the husbands on the lane. Chavira in particular raises many laughs as Carlos, who still deeply loves Gabrielle and amusingly teases her about the string of dates she’s been on, hoping that she will see that the two of them are meant to be. I’m not the biggest fan of the character of Ian, who falls for Susan but sees that her heart belongs to Mike. None of this is to do with Dougray Scott, but as Susan is meant to be with Mike, the character of Ian feels a bit needless. Josh Henderson has the right look and swagger as Edie’s nephew Austin, who is always up to something troublesome. Plus, he provides eye candy for all the ladies watching as he’s almost constantly shirtless. Andrea Bowen charts Julie’s occasional rebellious streak after being the model daughter for so long very well. John Slattery oozes oily and smarmy charm as mayor candidate Victor Lang, who soon becomes engaged to Gabrielle, but is really using her to make his image look good. Brenda Strong lends her mellifluous voice once again to narration as Mary Alice with a mix of adroit humour, grave warnings and otherworldly warmth.

1. Listen to the Rain on the Roof – A
2. It Takes Two – B+
3. A Weekend in the Country – B+
4. Like It Was – A
5. Nice She Ain’t – B
6. Sweetheart, I Have to Confess – B
7. Bang – A+
8. Children and Art – C
9. Beautiful Girls – A
10. The Miracle Song – C
11. No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds – B+
12. Not While I’m Around – A
13. Come Play Wiz Me – A-
14. I Remember That – B
15. The Little Things You Do Together – A+
16. My Husband, the Pig – B+
17. Dress Big – A
18. Liaisons – B
19. God, That’s Good – A
20. Gossip – A
21. Into the Woods – B+
22. What Would We Do Without You? – B+
23. Getting Married Today – A

Season 3 of Desperate Housewives brings the show back to its best in style with wit, mystery and emotional drama to enjoy.

Scream 2

Tags

1990's, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Elise Neal, Horror, Jada Pinkett, Jamie Kennedy, Jerry O'Connell, Laurie Metcalf, Liev Schreiber, Neve Campbell, Omar Epps, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scream 2, Timothy Olyphant, Wes Craven

Film Title

Scream 2

Director

Wes Craven

Starring

• Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
• Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers
• David Arquette as Dewey Riley
• Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks
• Jerry O’Connell as Derek
• Liev Schreiber as Cotton Weary
• Timothy Olyphant as Mickey
• Elise Neal as Hallie
• Sarah Michelle Gellar as Cici Cooper
• Laurie Metcalf as Debbie Salt
• Jada Pinkett as Maureen Evans
• Omar Epps as Phil Stevens

Following on from the first Scream movie, Scream 2 is a sequel that doesn’t diminish the impact of the first. Rather it expands on the greatness of the first by fleshing out the characters, making the deaths more elaborate and poking fun at the usual run of bad sequels that follow on from a successful horror movie.

Two years after the gruesome events at Woodsboro, survivor Sidney Prescott is now a college student who is trying to put the pain behind her and start again. This seems to be going relatively well as she is still good friends with movie nerd Randy, has new best friends in the form of funny Hallie and film lover Mickey and a sensitive boyfriend named Derek. She is even excelling at acting and her first production is coming up very soon. This attempt at letting go of the past is shattered by the news of two murders by someone in a Ghostface costume at the screening of ‘Stab’, a movie based on the book by Woodsboro survivor and newswoman Gale Weathers. The media turn its attentions to the college and Sidney as the body count begins to rise. On top of this, Cotton Weary( the man Sidney accused of murdering her mother) arrives on the scene looking for fame and forgiveness from Sidney. With a  copycat killer beginning to replicate the past murders committed by Ghostface, Sidney is still very much the target for the twisted psychopath’s sinister games. Banding together with returning police officer Dewey and the opportunistic Gale, she must once again do battle with Ghostface if she wants to survive the brutal events that surround her. But who can Sidney really trust as the killer continues to strike in increasingly brutal ways? Witty in jokes on sequels, a much higher body count and believable characters make Scream 2 a worthy sequel.

Wes Craven continues to direct with assurance and atmosphere as well as capturing the post-modern ideas of film sequels and the expectations. The satiric script complements this by upping the stakes in terms of the gore and violence in the film, whilst commenting on the debate surrounding whether we are too easily influenced by violence in the media. Ironically, a key scene involves film students discussing the declining qualities of horror sequels. Scream 2 thankfully doesn’t fall into this category because of its mix of dark laughs, elaborate deaths and commendable work from the cast. Whilst the dark humour is kept intact, the horror is perfectly balanced with it and generates some chilling sequences and a genuine shock or two. These include Sidney performing Cassandra as part of her acting major and being stalked by someone who resembles Ghostface and Gale trying to evade the killer in a pulse-pounding chase by hiding in a recording studio as he gets closer and closer. The score once again is an eerie listen with melancholy percussion and strings capturing Sidney’s fear of everything starting again and the resilience she must use to face her enemy the second time around.

Neve Campbell contributes another impressive performance as the heroine Sidney. We see how strong she has become since her first encounter with Ghostface but also the hints of vulnerability that lie beneath the surface. Campbell imbues Sidney with a very human quality that makes her a relatable heroine thrust into these brutal circumstances and trying to find the best way to survive it. Courteney Cox is similarly effective as Gale, who for all her ruthless ambition is actually quite scared underneath it all. Her budding romance with Dewey is a highlight as they bicker with one another but can’t deny the spark. David Arquette is earnestly charming as Dewey, who now walks with a pronounced limp following his almost fatal encounter with Ghostface in the first movie. Jamie Kennedy yet again provides trivia and movie lingo as the lovable Randy, whilst Liev Schreiber is suitably menacing and fame hungry as Cotton Weary. Timothy Olyphant and Elise Neal both make impression in their roles as two of Sidney’s college friends and Jerry O’Connell is sensitive as Sidney’s new boyfriend Derek. Sarah Michelle Gellar has a small but memorable role as the gorgeous sorority sister menaced by Ghostface. Laurie Metcalf is twitchy and fawning as the news reporter Debbie Salt who idolizes Gale. Jada Pinkett and Omar Epps are the two students whose graphic deaths spark the media circus.

Satirical and bloody in equal measure, Scream 2 is proof that sequels don’t necessarily herald the death of a franchise.

 

Desperately Seeking Susan

Tags

1980's, Aidan Quinn, Comedy, Desperately Seeking Susan, Laurie Metcalf, Madonna, Mark Blum, Robert Joy, Rosanna Arquette, Susan Seidelman

Film Title

Desperately Seeking Susan

Director

Susan Seidelman

Starring

• Rosanna Arquette as Roberta Glass
• Madonna as Susan
• Aidan Quinn as Dez
• Mark Blum as Gary Glass
• Robert Joy as Jim
• Laurie Metcalf as Leslie Glass

A screwball comedy in an 80’s setting, Desperately Seeking Susan is a charming movie with memorable work from Rosanna Arquette and of course Madonna as the eponymous Susan along with a cool soundtrack and tons of kitsch appeal.

Roberta Glass is a bored housewife living in Fort Lee, New Jersey. She is married to Gary, a moronic hot tub salesman who barely pays any attention to her as he’s so wrapped up in his work. To pass the time she reads through the personal sections of the paper. One particular set of articles catches her eye, they detail the relationship between Jim and a woman known as Susan. She reads of a rendezvous between the two in Battery Park and so still feeling unfulfilled she heads to New York. It is here that she catches a glimpse of Susan, a wildly dressed sexy girl. Unfortunately neither of the women realise they are mixed up in a criminal plot involving some valuable Egyptian earrings that were in possession of Susan’s gangster boyfriend before he was killed. Events reach a head when Susan sells her famous jacket and Roberta purchases it, unbeknownst to her one of the earrings is in the pocket. A criminal mistakes Roberta for Susan and attempts to retrieve the jewel only for Roberta to hit her head and fall into amnesia. When she awakes, she begins to believe she is in fact the thrifty Susan and so finds her herself embroiled in a madcap web of crime and comedy that never lets up.

Susan Seidelman directs with an assured touch and keen eye for detail that captures the retro glam of Downtown New York and the fashionable 80’s setting that serves as the backdrop to Roberta’s misadventures and Susan’s free-wheeling existence. The whole film resembles an old MTV video and gives Desperately Seeking Susan an appeal that is stylish and charming. The soundtrack is a well-chosen mix of soul grooves and 80’s power pop. This is the film that featured one of Madonna’s most memorable dance tunes ‘Into The Groove’ which is heard at two pivotal moments in the film. Thomas Newman contributes a score of New Wave beats, synthesisers and pounding drums to echo Roberta’s obsession with Susan and the wild lifestyle that Susan herself leads. The script is witty and full of some interesting twists on old genre conventions. Some of the antics may become repetitive as the film goes on but it’s such a blast that one may not realise because of the charming film unfolding in front of them.

What really gives Desperately Seeking Susan the memorable factor is the cast, most notably Rosanna Arquette and Madonna. In the lead, Rosanna Arquette has great comic timing and a personality that alternates between vulnerable and flinty strength as Roberta finds herself caught up in a twisting plot. In the pivotal role of Susan, Madonna finds a role that suits her like a glove. Her other ventures into cinema may not be that great, but she brings a sexy, edgy and wise-cracking charm to the role of this thrifty girl who knows how to handle herself. Aidan Quinn is suitably dashing as Dez, who takes a shine to Roberta when she believes she’s Susan. Mark Blum provides eye-rolling humour as Roberta’s business minded husband Gary who doesn’t have the time to make a go at his relationship with her, which in turn makes Roberta turn to the personal ads to add some spice to her dull life. Other colourful supporting cast members include Robert Joy as Jim, the guy who placed the advert and Laurie Metcalf as Roberta’s comical sister-in-law Leslie.

It’s not the best comedy ever and some of it may fall into farce, but Desperately Seeking Susan has a nifty appeal, some great visual techniques and colourful characters to hold the attention for an hour or two.