How About a Friendly Shrink?

Season 6, Episode 13, Aired
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7.1
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Lynette balks at the idea of seeing a couples' therapist. In the meantime, Katherine shows no intention of moving back onto the lane, whereas Gabrielle and Susan are determined to find out which of their kids is in the smartest math group at school, whereas Orson makes life harder for Bree and Angie disapproves of Danny's new girlfriend.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (5)

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  • A solid Episode.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By danny7277, Jun 08, 2011
    This weeks episode of Desperate Housewives was actually really enjoyable. Gaby and Susans storyline was pointless but really funny Teri Hatcher and Eva Longoria really know how to deliver comedy well, and it was nice to see these chrachters spending some time together, Bree also had a fairly enjoyable story this week and i really felt sorry for her, hosing Orson down was abit silly but Desperate Housewives managed to make it a serious moment between the chracters. Lynette had abit of a filler story this week and not much really happend there but there were a few funny moments and good banter between Tom and Lynette as always. The mystery was alot better this week, im not a fan of the whole bolen thing but it was deliverd alot better in this episode.

    And finally the best storyline of this episode was definitly Katherines, Its great to have her back on the show and Dana Delanys brilliant acting really came through this week. The ending of this episode was absoulutly beatiful it was really nice to see al the women together and that they are willing to forgive katherine. The best episode for some time !moreless

  • Hose 'em down!

    6.0
    "Fair"
    By RobGrizz, Apr 30, 2010
    This episode of Desperate Housewives just went through the motions. No zip, no flare, no personality. Just a very flat, and surprisingly dull entry, with almost no highlights to speak of.

    Susan and Gabrielle got into a little spat about who's kid was smarter. The resounding feeling of "who cares? they're only 7!!" is the undercurrent feeling I got throughout this plot. Nothing here was witty or clever or interesting. There is a point where we are literally asked to be on the edge of our seat regarding MJ and his hand stuck in a glass. Sigh...

    Tom decided to seek professional help to let out his feelings, since Lynette refuses to talk with him. The idea of seeing a shrink really bothers Lynn, and Huffman does a good job of playing the humor in her scenes. Jane Leeves (Fraiser) has a nice guest spot as the psychologist that Lynnette inevitably opens up to. It's a nice moment, but still a predictable conclusion for the plot. Angie needs to get to know Ana, cause right now, she doesn't like the 'lil hottie spending time with her emotionally vulnerable son. Now, I kind of hate the Ana character on this show- she is just not likable, with no redeeming qualities- but she and Angie have some legitimate sparks together. I kind of look forward to seeing these two spit-fires butt heads with each other. Orson continued to be a brat to Bree, who is doing all she can to stomach his insufferable behavior. The only time I laughed for the entire show was the scene here with the physical therapist. The waffles on the top shelf, Orson wallowing on the floor- he made Bree out to look like a monster, and I chuckled at the way this misunderstanding played out. But his confession at frustration after getting hosed in the driveway didn't do much for me emotionally. We already know his life will never be the same. His declaration, Bree's apology..its weird; as if neither of them realized the seriousness of the situation.

    Yea, so the episode as a whole was a bit of a bore. But at least it ended on a strong note. Katherine didn't think anyone would be able to forgive her for what she's done, and in the "Aaww" moment of the night (seriously, I really did exclaim, "Aaaw!"), our housewives were there with open arms, ready to forgive. I really liked that.moreless

  • Oh yay, Katherine's back. Whoopdie do.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By screenagedkicks, Apr 16, 2010
    Oh yay, Katherine's back. Whoopdie do. Here's to another three or four weeks of irritatingly unbelievable bats**t kookiness. Or not. Instead, Desperate Housewives takes the road less travelled and actually dares to give the poor gal some of her dignity back, albeit at a rather fast pace. Oh wait, she's on some form of miraculous medication that's keeping her from believing that she's talking to people who aren't there. Yeah, that makes it okay. Still, no matter. Everyone and their uncle would probably rather THIS Mayfair was knocking around Wysteria Lane instead of the one whose mere presence in the frame was enough to make you start throwing your well-cooked dinner at the screen. Refreshingly, we actually get a well written insight into the inner workings of the poor woman's mind as she confesses, on the psychatrist's couch, just what exactly what is going on up there since Mike kicked her battered and bruised heart to the kerb. That final scene, in which Mrs McLuskey brings the Wysteria gals to the hospital, can be forgiven its hideous predictability and mawkishness because, well, it just makes you feel all warm inside, doesn't it? No? Okay...

    How about Bree and Orson's relationship, eh? Kyle MacLachlan proves himself a master of comedic timing and nuance here, perfectly pitching his outbursts for optimum laughs. Just check him out as he's fuming over his food or accusing his wife of domestic abuse. Priceless. And the subsequent pay-off, in which he confesses his frustrations while soaked from head to toe, in the front garden, in his bathrobe, is positively heartbreaking. It's a shame the other stories couldn't be this delightfully written: Susan and Gabrielle's jealousy-fest is thoroughly excerable, a pointless exercise in over-the-top oneupmanship that does absolutely nothing for either character and is about as believable as David Cameron's prospective election campaign. Does anyone in their right actually believe that a school would go so far as to hide the true nature of the ability level groups that children have been placed in from their parents? Isn't that just asking for trouble? And shouldn't Susan know better, given that, you know, she's a bloody teacher? I don't know about you, but I had her pegged as a woman of honour and trust, not one that balks at the very sign that her son might not be a sodding genius.

    What else? Oh yes, Lynette and Tom. The never-ending cycle of marital bliss/strife/bliss/strife/bliss/strife continues to play itself out, although with the added bonus of a 'thoughts journal' that raises a few smirks and a nice little scene in which Lynette is tricked into getting herself down on the psychiatrist's couch. While this may lead to somewhere remotely interesting (possibly), it all seems rather ineffectual for now, reliant yet again on tropes that are sorely lacking in originality. Not the most outstanding of episodes, then, but at least we can put that sorry 'Katherine is loopy' business to bed. Hopefully. Now if only we could say the same about Danny's sudden about-turn with Ana. Come on... poetry? Please. Get that boy in his birthday suit and feed him to Shawn Pyrom. Now.moreless

  • While Susan and Gaby compete on who has the smartest child, Bree tries to force some respect out of Orson, Angie meets Danny's girlfriend and Katherine gets an unexpected visitor...

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Zazawie, Jan 31, 2010
    I don't get the hate for this episode. At least I assume it's hated, keeping the rating on this site in mind. My review.

    --Katherine--
    I'm glad Dana's back. With a brilliant scene, she returned to... well, the scene. She didn't have that much of screentime, as always, and I would've liked to see Mrs. McCluskey inviting/convincing the ladies to join her to the mental-institution-party, I can honestly say this is one of those rare DH storylines that is decently finished. Unlike Porter's trial, Dave's debacle and Susan's painting hubby, Katherine's insane streak on Wisteria Lane was able to stay interesting for every single episode it lasted and it finished with a strong final scene; from the acceptable explanation why she went 'loco' to the hesitating gesture Susan crammed out of her selfish self. And that the acting by both actresses was perfect for the situation, only made it better. Although I'm a little worried about how they're going to keep Katherine interesting as a single woman, I'm going to cherish those 13 (minus 2 in which she was absent) episodes for as long as I can.

    --Gaby/Susan--
    On the lighter side, we have - surprise, surprise!- our golden comedy duo Eva Longoria/Teri Hatcher. Since we first got aware of their beautiful symbiosis at the end of season 3, they're paired up again competing against each other. From the witty dialogue at the Solis'es residence - with continuity referring to past episodes!- to Susan cringing at the sight of her son not able to find the right side of his face (although I have to admit the 'fork' sentence and the glass thingy were kinda bad writing), it was entertaining enough to polarize the rest of the drama going on, along with...

    --Angie--
    Let's pretend there is no mystery and create an unlikely couple! That's what the writers must've thought when pushing Ana into this storyline. Although I won't complain there's no mention about the mystery, since previous seasons have proved too much info makes it too predictable early on in the season, this opens the gate to connect Gaby to the season mystery - finally - and I hope they'll have the guts to give Longoria the drama she's proved she can handle. In the meantime, Ana and Angie catfighting was surprisingly entertaining (porn star, anyone?), although I'm annoyed at how they continue to pull in Lee to give the other women advice about random things. The longer they're here, the more I start to hate the gay guys. No offence.

    --Lynette--
    Well, same old thing. Not much to say here. It was entertaining, but no where near the memorable scenes Huffman has delivered earlier and nothing compared to the entertaining-factor of earlier episodes this season. Please writers, give Lynette something interesting to do! Besides arguing with Tom and having trouble with her kids. I don't know, let her take her mother in or something. I'd love to see Polly Bergen again. Or compete with her sisters for the money if she dies.

    --Bree--
    Ah, Bree's loosened up. She used to put her emotions in a box, now she takes them to the front lawn and washes them away with the garden hose. Talk about an evolution! Now I'm not going to complain about the change her character has gone through, since the season 1 Bree isn't coming back, but I'm actually enjoying these episodes. Yes, the disabled-after-a-disaster-randomly-hitting-the-Lane-husband is getting annoyingly repeated... a lot, but I love seeing Bree handle the menace Orson has become. Only, don't drag it out too long. Write MacLachlan out by the end of the season, don't make him more hated than he already is.
    By the way, the 'put the note on the table and back away' sentence must've been written by the most retarded comedy writer in business right now.

    But overall, a good episode, one of the better this season. However, I do hope they pick up the more important things again, because these filler episodes and air breaks aren't helping the popularity of this show.moreless

  • Lynette is negligent to join Tom's therapy sessions, but she does so; Gabrielle and Susan argue over which one of their children is smarter; Katherine doesn't want to be involved with her past; Angie dislikes Ana and Bree demands for respect from Orson.moreless

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Marmalade11, Jan 18, 2010
    Good episode. I don't understand why some like it - I mean it's not season five bad, but it sure isn't great either. Season 6 is slowly going down. But I think this episode and the past one have been quite steady. Gabrielle and Susan's plot was my favorite, but honestly, the screentime seems quite unequal. I mean the scenes in this episode were long and uneven because like Angie was shown once in the beginning and then twice towards the end of the episode. The only storyline I really didn't like was Katherine's, because they made it more hyped then it was going to be. Bree's was the best and was very funny until Orson had to make us feel pity towards him...but I don't think so. You were the one who went in that house to face Karl so don't blame Bree for your problems.moreless
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    • Lee: (about Angie not approving of Ana and Danny's relationship) Look, I know what it's like when a mom hates the hottie her son loves. Bob's mum hated me. Ugh. Angie: Huh. I always thought that Bob was-- Lee: The point is, she overplayed her hand and made Bob choose between us. And the long story short, I'm cuddling up with Bob every night. And where's mama? Nursing home. How'd she get there? Don't know. Can't remember.

    • Susan: (about MJ) Oh, no! He's heading towards the toaster with a fork!

    • Ana: As soon as I graduate high school, I'm going to New York to be a model. Angie: Oh. No college? Ana: Are you kidding? And miss my prime modeling years? Danny: What? I think it's great. It take guts to follow a dream. Angie: Yeah, it's great, but it'd be nice to have something other than the porn industry to fall back on. Danny: Ma. Angie: What? I'm not saying that's gonna happen. But, you know, a lot of models do end up that way. Ana: I know it's risky, but I'm really passionate about this. And I think that the best way to be successful in life is to do what you're passionate about. That's why I keep telling Danny to pursue his poetry. Angie: Poetry? Ana: Yeah. It's amazing, right? Angie: I wouldn't know. I'm too busy cooking food nobody's gonna eat. Danny, why didn't you ever show me your poetry? Danny: It's no big deal. Ana: Danny, it's great. I keep telling him he should come to New York with me so he can really focus on his writing. Angie: Wow. A model and a poet? So while you're doin' porn, he can make the dialogue rhyme. Danny: This is why I don't tell her stuff. Angie: Okay. I'm sorry. I was just trying to make a joke. Let's get back to dinner, huh? Danny: Oh no, I'm good. Carbs. Mnh-mnh.

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