Power Out
Written by Josh Senter And Dahvi Waller
Directed by Larry Shaw
9.0
"Superb"
Russell (to Edie): “I see you can’t make a sale without opening something else”.
Mmm, perhaps obvious ways of putting things as people this week are caught in all kinds of compromising positions. Mental note folks, watch out for video cameras, photographs, unlocked doors and people with the inability to keep quiet.
For Gabrielle and Victor, the curse of a video camera in an elevator during a moment of hot sex becomes their undoing. Yeah when the power goes out in the neighbourhood, these two find their own way of amusing themselves. Hey, you can’t blame Gabby for a little bit of spontaneity even if her choice of location wasn’t the best she’s picked.
However for her little spontaneity is an opportunist in security of the hotel and soon enough, some little is stopping by Victor’s, making jokes about Gabby being a maid and soon there’s an envelope worth of blackmail money but boy, this idiot picked the wrong lady to blackmail.
I have a problem with what Gabby does most of the time and risking sounding like a hypocrite, I’ll admit that Gabby taking down her would be blackmailer and very nearly beating the pulp out of him is a fun sight to behold until for plot contrivance the police arrive in time to nick the lad.
Sadly for Gabby she makes the grave error of giving the blackmail photos to the same cop related to one of Victor’s rivals and soon enough, her and Victor’s sexcapades are on the front page of the local paper. It gives Victor’s rather annoying PR something to **** because this is as close to a Clinton/Lewinsky scandal Fairview has had in a while. Personally I wouldn’t care that much about what Victor gets up to.
If there’s one thing that is likeable about Gabrielle (though technically it’s something that can be applied to all the housewives), it’s her ability to reverse a situation into her own favour and when Victor faces a public roasting for his antics, it Gabby who comes to save the day because while she may behave like a prostitute, she certainly won’t let anyone label her one.
With Victor’s status as a family man well and truly threatened, Gabby announces to the public that she’s set to become his wife as soon as and if there was ever a snog worth it’s money for local photographers it would be the one Gabby gives to sell her claim while coming to Victor’s rescue. Seeing Gabby use her smarts for someone else is a refreshing touch.
As for the marriage thing, is it too much, too soon? The answer to that would be a whopping “duh” because while her and Victor do suit one another, it’s not like they know each other that long. Then again, Gabby only went on a few dates before marrying Carlos and look how that turned out.
Also another I’ve noticed in the last couple of episode is that when Victor tries to be deep with her or sincerely show affection, Gabby is pretty uncomfortable around him and when he did propose to her first after she stayed over, the first thing Gabby did was to refuse him. For that, my respect went up for her.
Gabrielle has seen how divorces/bereavements have affected both Susan and Bree and the disasters the two of them have had by rushing into new relationships and post her divorce from Carlos, she’s had a nice guy she couldn’t stand and a lecherous 18 year old tailing her behind, so the fact that she actually wanted to be sure before ever considering marriage again is one of the few smart things this girl has done.
Then again Gabrielle lives on a street where people do impulsive things all the freaking time so for her to change her mind and want to marry Victor isn’t too shocking. It also helps that Victor has garnered some great characterisation over the last few episodes.
Funny thing about rationality is that while it may tell you to do what’s right, if it’s something you don’t want to hear, then chances are you’re gonna ignore it to no end. Edie’s a good case in point of that as her bad luck with other housewives’ former blokes continues when it becomes blatantly clear that Carlos really isn’t keen on people knowing that they are sleeping together.
I would say that they are an item but again with Carlos not keen on anyone knowing about them. In fact Carlos is so keen that no-one know of them he’d rather give Mike the creeps than tell the plumber he’s doing the local realtor. To be honest with Mike’s now relentless pursuit, I couldn’t see him giving a remote toss about it.
It becomes even worse for Edie when after coming up with the nifty idea of using unsold houses to get their naughty on and being caught by a rival realtor who looks like he came off Queer Eye, does Carlos quite callously tell her that he’s more or less using her for sex. Now I like Edie so I do feel bad for her but man, shouldn’t we have seen this coming?
So who does Carlos pine for while using Edie as a diversion? Yup, that’s right – Gabrielle and it’s consistent, given that he spent the first five episodes of this season doing his best to save a marriage that she has moved on from and wasn’t Carlos gutted when he learned his ex was engaged? That was after assuming that Gabby would jack Victor in too.
Now the Gabby/Carlos shipper might want these two to get back together but I would rather if the writers held off a bit more. As for Edie, the girl really has two options. The first continue sleeping with a girl who doesn’t really love you or the second, just dump him. I can’t see Edie picking the latter though. You do have to wonder why the writers keep putting her in relationships with men who want other women.
Speaking of options, if I have one not to watch a programme dithering on about wedding plans, I usually take it but there’s something quite interesting in the preparations Susan has this week and it’s even better when her cake lady happened to be played by Peri Gilpin, best known as Roz from Frasier.
Gilpin played a character called Maggie and the reason why the cake plot merits the interest that it normally wouldn’t is because Maggie is used by Susan as a means to get Mike from pursuing her when out to make amends, Ian invites the plumber over for dinner. Yes, seeing Ian willing to break bread raises all notions of scepticism which this episode fulfils.
Mike isn’t remotely thrilled about being set up with a random woman and even though Maggie is a likeable lady, Mike’s obsession with Susan has him regaling his time in jail and various misdemeanours and the fact that both Susan and Maggie, the latter who was very interested in Mike were eager to leap to his defence was hilarious.
Actually the entire dinner between Susan, Mike, Ian and Maggie was one of the best scenes we’ve had since anything from the Van De Kamp/Hodge family and Maggie certainly didn’t miss a trick when she realised that Mike and Susan have a thing. Then again getting a kick from Susan intended for Mike would clear up anyone’s confusion.
With Maggie out of the picture, a moment of audacity was stroke between Mike and Ian when the former revealed that not only did he want Susan back but that he also kissed her. The funny thing is before Ian got a chance to get on his high horse; the whole poker debacle also got mentioned, leaving Susan to make one option – call off her wedding to Ian and to tell Mike to get lost.
If things were simple this would be the moment when her and Mike would’ve gotten back together but to frustrate audience, show a level of human complexity and to further establish that Dougray Scott’s time isn’t over just yet, Susan chose neither man. I have to admit I’m loving her characterisation this season and moments like this do make you give a damn about her character.
However one thing I am continuing to dislike this season is the divide between Tom and Lynette as while Rick’s idea for improving the restaurant may sit well with the latter and customers, they certainly fly in the face of the vision Tom had for opening the place and with him and Lynette arguing as much as they are, the closeness between her and Rick is obvious.
Don’t get me wrong I like Rick and I can see why Lynette would be drawn to the guy. Rick is everything that Tom isn’t in the sense that he isn’t threatened by her or feels the need to throw a hissy fit everytime Lynette doesn’t take to his ideas or opinions on things and as much as the banter between them is nice, do we really another affair plot on our hands? Haven’t we had our fill already?
Last week I thought Tom was a total dick and while I still feel that way this week, I have to admit feeling a bit bad for him. The restaurant was his idea, Lynette isn’t really taking his concerns on board and even the local paper prefer Rick’s menu than Tom’s. Stuff like that will knock anyone’s confidence but once again, why can’t the writers ever have Tom and Lynette on the same side? Most people want them to split but I really don’t. That being said, I don’t sit through them arguing all the time either.
Then again, Tom isn’t the only one having a rotten week as Karen not only has to suffer the power going out being responsible for her cracking a rib while falling off her stairs but her little secret about Gilbert in the freezer is also revealed when two people spot the old man during their own raids on Karen’s home.
Between Parker Scavo and Ida Greenberg, one of them was going to be responsible for Karen getting arrested and while Karen was able to pull a cock and bull story to keep Parker in line, no such luck was required for the gossip loving Ida who ratted her best friend rather quickly. I felt bad for Karen for getting put away but I’m more curious as to what she was thinking leaving her husband in a freezer.
Also in “God That’s Good”
Secrets of the week: We had a woman called Millie binge eating, a boy named Timmy looking at nudie magazines and some woman named Marilyn smoking during the power out. Not exactly the most scandalous of stuff.
Susan: “Ian you’ve tasted my cooking. It’s not a thank you gesture, it’s revenge”.
Carlos: “If you don’t mind”
Edie: “Oh for God’s sake”.
Who’s minding Travers while Edie was having it off with Carlos? Surely his father isn’t back from Africa yet?
Victor: “Will you marry me?”
Gabrielle: “They’re just toasted waffles”.
How come none of the other wives or even Carlos commented on Gabby’s dogging antics with Victor?
Tom (re Rick’s risotto): “It’s good”
Kayla: “It’s awesome”
Tom: “It’s good”.
Gabrielle: “You blackmailer”
Blackmailer: “Oh man you weren’t supposed to look”.
Three episodes in and not once have any of the other wives mentioned Bree. I know she’ll be back but hey please throw in a mention before her return.
Carlos (re Russell): “You think he’s gonna tell anyone?”
Edie: “He’s a gay realtor; he’s on speed dial as we speak”.
Maggie (to Mike, re kick): “I think that was meant for you”
Susan: “Sorry”.
Cake wise, Ian was British which meant Rich and Elegant while American Mike was Down to Earth and Sweet. There’s something pretty clichéd in that if you ask me.
Susan (to Mike/Ian): “I am beyond upset. You two want a decision, well I decide. There will be no kissing, there will be no wedding and there will be no damn cake”.
Rick: “Do you often wear your hair down?”
Lynette: “Sometimes”.
No Bree, Orson, Andrew, Danielle or Julie this week.
Cop: “Are you Karen McClusky?”
Karen (re Parker): “The little bastard gave me up didn’t he?”
Chronology: According to a restaurant review in regards to Tom’s restaurant, it’s three months since “The Little Things You Do Together”.
After a flurry of okay episode, “God That’s Good” steps up a gear and lived up to it’s title by delivering one of the finest, funniest and dramatic hours of the season and with this season, we’ve haven’t been in short supply. Not even the lack of Bree/Orson marred this one.