Desperate Housewives

The first 45 minutes were very weak, but thank God for Felicity Huffman. She carried this epiosde. Her acting was INCREDIBLE and completely heart-breaking. That scene in the kitchen, when she's watching her son try to make a sandwich, completely brillant, hello Emmy nomination?]



As for the rest of the show, rather mediocre. Gabby's 'what if' was the weakest; dreaming about her daughter being an actress.

Susan's wasn't a whole lot better, and her fat suit looked so fake. Bree's wasn't all together too bad, as it was quite sweet to think that Orson still loved her after all those years.

But hello, where was Katherine? Mike?

Oh, but the end scene between Gabby and Lynette is worth mentioning, VERY sweet. But as i said, the last 11 mintues definately made the episode.



Felicity Huffman has always been the reason I watch Desperate Housewives, and after watching 'If' you should know why. She was impeccable. Beautiful, yet heartbreaking.

this season of desperate housewives has been on quite a losing streak that wasnt even broken by the plane crash episode which was horribly over the top also. this follow up episode of the plane crash made me roll my eyes so many times. this is one of those episodes that most series have which are total garbage cuz it doesnt have any actual storyline to the future of the season, this is a what if episode where it shows you other stories that will only be in this episode and then back to the normal, so you could say its a special kind of filler episode. it also has one of the most lame attempts of humor in tv, putting fat suits on the actors to get a cheap laugh which they do to susan. the one point where this episode felt almost evil is when drea damatteo's character starts praying to god to murder mona, then mona does die which is emplied by the writers that god murdered a woman just because she was gonna put a flaw in a possible terrorists plan. so apparently the moral is dont try to stop killers or god will kill you-.- i did like the part where they actually built storyline which they should have done the entire episode, when lynnettes baby died but one was left to live. all in all this is the worst of the 6th season and lets just hope the writers get back on the ball, and already i am looking at the ratings coming in on this episode and it is already at a 7.2, so im hoping that means ppl r going to agree with me. (no i did not steal this review from tkpanda, i am him)

It seems like the show is doing more and more flashback episodes, but if they are done as well as tonight's installment, then I have no problem with it.



This episode was funny, but not in the usual way D House is. Sure, there were some cheap laughs with Susan gaining 40 pounds, but there was also the general awkwardness that has alluded this show for some time. It wasn't about one particular line that stood out for me tonight, it was just a well-told, character-based hour of TV. Subtle things like 65 year old Tom Scavo at the graduation, and Gaby ruining her daughter's life forcing her to use food stamps, only to not be able to redeem them for wrinkle cream, made this episode an unexpected treat.



But it wasn't just about the laughs, as you know you're getting that every week with this show. It was also about some great storytelling and what ifs. What if Lynette's child needs extra care and attention? What if Karl had survived and Bree had married him?



While I enjoyed all the what ifs, I think I liked the one with Lynette the best. It featured a great, Emmy-worthy acting performance by Felicity Huffman as a mother of a teenage boy with a physical disability that was about as gut-wrenching as anything this show has ever done. I was almost surprised that the scene took place on the same episode as one that had Gaby lie to her child about her hamster getting killed.



Great episode tonight. Great start to 2010.

After "State Of Alert" episodes,the show usually has a slow-paced filler episode where the characters and the audience reflex.This is the same,except that it's level of drama is so big that it shows that,even if the show can't be as good as in season 1,it's an improvement.



After KARL died,I thought it was gon'na be an episode to remember him,like with EDIE.It wasn't,but SUSAN and BREE's sequences were good,and so was ANGIE's.



Then came GABRIELLE's,the worst.It was as funny and sad as the other ones,but the idea of CELIA becomin'an actress to please her,and CARLOS leavin',came out of nowhere.The writer(s) reallized each housewives(but KATHERINE)needed a sequence,and since it should've involve CELIA('cuz she was a victim),we had this.



It was similar to LYNETTE.The new idea of her unborn child dyin',and then becomin'handicapped,it was all to rushed.It came out of nowhere,and left in a second.Luckily,that one was the more dramatic.



Overall,a good episode.They're close to pass from great to once again excellent.

The producers of popular, long-running television shows often like to pose the question, 'what if…?' What if the central protagonist didn't marry the love of his life in a fairytale wedding? What if one of the crazy twins was gay What if Jonny decided to p**s off to the Bahamas instead of completing his Law degree and spent a decade living off nothing but weed? The concept gives writers room to breathe, a chance to free themselves of the self-imposed restrictions placed on them by the narrative decisions made throughout the show's history. It's liberating, as well as bloody fun… usually mostly for the actors. Desperate Housewives is the latest primetime smash to try the gimmick on for size and, to be honest, the results are something of a mixed bag.



Where the episode succeeds, on a superficial level at least, is in the crucial qualification of the central idea. The postulations, the 'what if's, are interwoven into the standard plot by using them as re-imaginings of the characters' making. Lynette thinks of what it would be like if she had a disabled child. Bree imagines life if Karl had survived the plane crash. As a consequence, the stories can arguably be as outlandish or as exaggerated as possible as they are the characters' perceptions of themselves. The ridiculous fat suit thrown on Teri Hatcher might seem utterly laughable at first but this is Susan's imagination, her view of the extremities of what could happen to her. As such, its tackiness seems rather fitting and there is a certain smirk-inducing humour to the scenario. Similarly, the rather half-arsed attempt to make Gabrielle look like an old granny (throw a wig on her, give her a few moles) and the OTT nature of her destitution would be nothing short of atrocious in 'real time' narrative but here, as a fantasy of sorts, it becomes perfectly acceptable. The stories themselves aren't that bad either. Thankfully, we don't fawn over Karl for forty five minutes; instead, his death is blunt, to the point and, interestingly, off-screen. Of course, in itself, the removal of the character is screamingly predictable; as Richard Burgi is a guest star and Kyle MacLachlan a series regular, it was quite obvious who was going to get the chop. And in any case, Desperate Housewives wouldn't be Desperate Housewives if quick fixes weren't firing out of every fetid narrative corner, desperate to return everything to the bland, tired old status quo. Let's face it – in this most conservative of stories, Bree was never going to remain with Karl. The perceived demographic, 'happily-ever-after'-philes, just wouldn't allow it. No, better to quickly remind everyone of how bloody lovely Orson is and how deep down, you know Bree's secretly pining for his Madame Butterfly addiction.



The other deaths are as expected too. The loss of one of Lynette's children became fairly obvious from the moment she started reaching for her stomach in the hospital waiting room, while Mona's removal from future 'guest starring' credits was written in the stars two or three episodes ago, when she first started poking her nose around Angie's story. Speaking of which, we don't exactly get very much new to chew on here; the court room scene is conveniently tactile, featuring a load of dialogue that treads on its tip-toes, speaking in riddles in order to disguise any potential developments. It's starting to become a little frustrating… almost as much as the actresses hired to play Ceila Solis, possibly the most insipid character in the show's history. Honestly, does anyone really give a c**p? It would help if the individual portraying her twenty-odd year old incarnation wasn't as wooden as a Trojan horse, a fact that pretty much consigns Gabrielle's entire story to the scrapheap.



Thankfully, Marcia Cross manages to be bloody excellent as usual in every scene she's given when trying to emote over a (potentially) dead Orson, and so the ultimate eye-rolling pay-off of Bree's narrative – that Mr. Hodge could be paralysed which, obviously, in Housewives world, means he'll be back on his feet in two months – doesn't allow her story to suffer the same fate. Predictably though, it's Lynette's narrative that proves the most rewarding, featuring another stunning tour de force from Felicity Huffman as a put-upon, struggling mother of a disabled child. The actors playing him certainly aren't half bad either, and there's a decidedly tempered portrayal running throughout the whole thing. The scene in the kitchen is bereft of music and shot at odd angles and with unusual close-ups to convey Lynette's sense of frustration and confusion, but they never veer into dangerous territory that might 'other' the character and demarcate him as somehow less than the show's non-disabled players.



Generally, this is quite an enjoyable little diversion from the norm. The adoption of a different format refreshes the narrative, giving the housewives a chance to flex their muscles and do something a bit different, and there are some very memorable, complexly written scenes to enjoy too. The episode falls down somewhat in the resolutions of the various 'what if's: Angie's story effectively goes nowhere again (no, that clue about the mysterious guy that she's running from isn't enough), Orson being paralysed is rendered completely unbelievable by Carlos's previous miraculous recovery from blindness, the deaths are the kind that could be foreseen by Mystic Meg and Gabrielle's entire story is well, a bit s**t. Still, 'If…' is a definite improvement on ' Boom Town ' and, sing it to the heavens, there isn't a single ounce of Katherine Mayfair. Huzzah!

As others have mentioned this is not the typical funny Deserate Housewives show that we have come to love. I am not going to write anything that will spoil the episode for those who have not yet seen it, but this is a must watch.



Not a spoiler but in some scenes the cast is made up to look older. The makeup artists and costume people did an ok job on this, but Gabby was the worst. Makup was okay but hair was not even close to looking real. She did look old but my vote goes to Lynette, they did the best job on her.



Felicity Huffman did an excellt job in her role. You could actually feel her "concern". I just didn't want the episode to end.



And I have to say, I'm sure Carl's character is very true to real life as far as his infidelity. Once a cheater, always a cheater.

I am "awarding" this episode a 7.0 because the acting actually was quite strong and competent. But really, it was a very strange and downbeat one to start out what should be an always promising new decade.



Karl died but that provided some mirth and comic relief with Terri Hatcher wearing Courtney Cox's fat suit as Susan reminisced about her ill fated marriage and attempted reconciliation. Bree was sad too but then she realized that she still loved Orson; but too bad ... he killed himself or died of a broken heart. Back in the real world he is now at her tender mercy. Yikes!



Gaby had a very nice little arc where she finally realized that she had to let her daughter be herself. It was nice to see her at least temporarily mature for once.



Lynette's story was very touching and probably very realistic. That is how a mother probably should act under those circumstances and how her son would probably have behaved and grown up. Too bad that was all blasted to hell with a needless death back in the real world.



In this day and age the Angie arc was the most troubling to me. She would most certainly have killed her blackmailer had she not died (do people actually live after being struck by a plane that way?). Angie obviously is a troubled criminal and terrorist but it looks like she is going to be tormented herself by yet another psycho character soon to emerge.



I do think that the acting from all was really very good for a change and the makeup (except for Eva) was wonderful. We were also spared Mr. Scavo's usual simpish whining. Some of the fantasy stories were very touching and tear inducing. I do truly think, though, that there was not one necessary death here and that is what is so annoying to me. Since we were inflicted by those, maybe it would have been a much more interesting episode had the dead people been the ones to have the fantasies.

Not necessarily funny as a typical "Desperate Housewives" episode but there's something about this episode.



The plane crash conclusion started off really quick and different. But, I'll give the writers and crews for going on a different route. Susan's "If..." was the weakest of them all. Fat suit doesn't even make laugh nor feel sorry for her. But thank god, she pulled through the end of her dream.



Angie's "If..." made me laugh and almost..almost made me kinda cry. This is a disappointing piece for her character. So much material that can be used that are unused.



Bree's "If..." is the really entertaining one. Funny scenes + drama factor = The Desperate Housewives Real Fun and Gem. Bree is actually not the annoying character and she's under my radar and I'm really looking forward about her storylines this season!



Gabby's "If..." not really a tear-jerker. Her dream could have been so much better. It was undeveloped like Angie's. And we have Lynette's "If...". The reason why I'm giving this episode a "9". Tears started pouring in my eyes. The first DH episode that made me cry for years. Felicity Huffman performance was stellar. I don't want to spill some beans, but her son sandwich scene definitely made me cry without the actors not even trying to be really dramatic. Best Lynette episode.



Other Bits: + Im glad about Carl's exit to the show. It was predictable, to me. -SPOILER ALERT..... Lynette's losing her other baby is not really needed. I'm so disappointed about this.

-Katherine's absent anyone noticed?



Conclusion:

An episode that is wasted for a messy directing and script. Good thing Lynette is here. She was the saving grace for this installment, one of the few reasons to watch this episode!

I didn't care for this episode at all and I'm tired of this stupid mystery all the mysteries since after the second season have been so bad so this doesn't surprise me and Why kill Carl? He has been on since the beginning and I love him they always kill good characters off but I read somewhere they were going to kill him off so I'm not shocked but I was hoping it wasn't true they could have killed off Orson or Susan but why Carl? Why? anyway I hope next week's is better and I guess that's it Peace Out

What crap episode was that? Why do I want to even know what was "suppose" to happen, if... it will never happen and it has no use to the storyline whatsoever. A waste of time and it just makes me angry... and the budget which was used for it...a total loss. It wasn't even funny seeing a fat Susan... it looked fake which it wasn't supposed to be. What was the accomplishment of such an episode? Okay, maybe some fun for the writers and actors... but for the audience? I won't understand the sense of that decision to shoot an episode like this

I have to say, this did remind me a little bit of the 100th episode as there seemed to be a lot of touching moments in it.



Out of all the storylines, I thought Gaby's was the weakest. It was necessary I guess, but a little dull in comparison to the rest. At least it opened her eyes to the fact Lynette saved Celia... how she wasn't greatful like Carlos was from the very beginning though, I don't know.



The mystery became very interesting and some good acting came from Drea De Matteo when she talked about 'how scary' this guy is she's talking about. Was good to get a couple of names involved in the mystery.



As for Bree, her storyline was pretty good, but I would have liked to see her reaction to Karl's death. I thought it was really touching how all of the pictures were displayed on the table... made me wish their marriage hadn't involved the affair really, because they made a really good couple.



Susan's stoyline was a little dull... just involved men again which it always seems to do. But still, it was interesting to see that Karl and Susan were never going to end up happy, even if she had given him another chance.



Felicity once again steals the show with her fantastic acting. I thought her pregnancy storyline would be tedious because of the other 200 babies she's had, but it was perfect. The scene with the sandwich when her arms were shaking were incredble, and after seeing her get through and Patrick succeeding, it was so heartbreaking to learn the baby had died. The scene between Gaby and her at the end was brilliantly executed. I love how no words were said and Lynette just offered her hand.



I thought it may be a bit pointless to have a series of visions, but it was good and it made the reality all the more effective.

It's amazing what they can do with fat suits these days.



I thought it was odd tonally that Desperate Housewives would return from the break and followup the ominous cliffhanger with Susan in a fat suit. The mystery of who died in the plane wreck was cleared up pretty early on, as Karl was the one to bite the dust. The show's attitude toward this loss was awkwardly humorous. I liked the conceit of "what if?" for this episode. What if Susan hadn't made that decision? What if Bree had? Susan and Bree both thought about what life would be like if they had stayed with him, but, almost as if to assure the viewer these would be the wrong choices (and sooth the pain of his death), the show dictated that Karl wouldn't have changed. He'll always be a cheating skumbag, and that's a hell of a note to go out on for a character.



The revelation of Sue and Bree missing out on what they already have was no big surprise, and didn't carry much emotional weight, frankly. Mike marrying someone else, Orson dying alone, both foregone conclusions, so I didn't care for either of these plots.



Another foregone conclusion was the tale of the blackmailing nurse. This was a forgettable excerpt, with no tension at all because I didn't think for a single second that she would survive. It was drawn out and unnecessary, but it gave Drea De Matteo something to do.



I enjoyed Gaby taking an interest in her youngest daughter (I think for the first time ever, actually) and the child audition story was cute and funny. But it went on a bit too long, and ending on a dower note felt a bit cliched. The mother that pushes her daughter too hard. It would have been a welcome twist if, oh, I dunno, maybe they DID find success in their lives. And on a technical/nit-pick note, how awful was that old-age makeup? How can a fat suit be so good, and yet aging be so bad on the same show?



Raise your hand if you were secretly hoping Lynette would lose her kids and we'd be done with this storyline. Don't be ashamed, we're all in the same boat here. But this is where I stick my foot in my mouth because damn if this wasn't the best story of the episode. Lynette for the win! Again. Lynn's fears about birthing an unhealthy child are realized, and her struggle with raising her son is in truth, some of the best material I've ever seen on this show. From forcing the child to make his own sandwich, to the triumph of seeing him graduate with honors, this was the only spectacular and uplifting beat of the night. My only critique is that they deliberately ignored the fact that Lynnette had twins. Did they think we would forget this? It was all setup for Tom's good news/bad news at the end. When he says that one baby died, we're supposed to be sad, and then when he hits us with, "but one survived," are we supposed to be shocked and surprised? Like, Oh yeah, I forgot about that other kid? They tried to trick us and I don't think it worked. Plus, it rings a little false that a mother would forget that she has TWO friggin kids inside her.



Nevertheless, Lynnett's material is good enough to elevate what would have been a very mediocre episode otherwise.

--Susan--

Although it started out decent, it was a waste of time. It was just an excuse to do something funny with Hatcher, draw media attention and dignify her actions. That's something that bothered me the most: I would've liked a real what-if, instead of what the housewives thought it would be like.



--Bree--

They should've spread these over the episode, so the funeral would've come out better. Now, it was just like a device to finish the episode. Bree's dream was as annoying as Susan's and didn't have any depth. The Orson scene could've been wonderful, but without a good lead-in, if fell flat. I also would've liked to SEE Bree react to Karl's death.



--Angie--

Drea saved this episode for me, a bit. We barely got any new info, just a few names, but at least the scenes were worked out decently. The one where they find out Mona might survive was a really good scene, the what-if scenes were o.k. It bothers me that Mona died: they do this every frickin' time with the disaster episode and it's really a cheap tric to get out of the mysery they've put themselves in. I would've preferred if the Bolens did something to 'wack' her, I'd still like them.



--Gaby--

Lamest of them all. An impulsive thought about God saving Celia for a reason lingers on for 20 years? Really? Even Gaby's more realistic. Adult Celia wasn't that great of an actress and senior Gaby was kind of laughable. The story just wasn't interesting and made it feel stupid. I did like the idea of Carlos leaving, but I wanted to see something more of that instead.



--Lynette--

First I thought, are they really going to keep Lynette's as the last one? But now I see this was the right choice. It was heartbreaking and hard to watch, but exactly how it should've been. We finally see Lynette loving her unborn babies and the scene with the sandwich is Emmy-worthy (of course she won't get one because this show is billed as 'comedy'). Thank God for Felicity Huffman. I'm a bit surprised they kept one of the babies, because it still means children storylines for Lynette and that's a bit of a letdown, since this has been the same for the last 5 years and the writers already don't know what to do with the 4 they've got at home. I just hope they don't forget the little brat once he's delivered.

this season of desperate housewives has been on quite a losing streak that wasnt even broken by the plane crash episode which was horribly over the top also. this follow up episode of the plane crash made me roll my eyes so many times. this is one of those episodes that most series have which are total garbage cuz it doesnt have any actual storyline to the future of the season, this is a what if episode where it shows you other stories that will only be in this episode and then back to the normal, so you could say its a special kind of filler episode. it also has one of the most lame attempts of humor in tv, putting fat suits on the actors to get a cheap laugh which they do to susan. the one point where this episode felt almost evil is when drea damatteo's character starts praying to god to murder mona, then mona does die which is emplied by the writers that god murdered a woman just because she was gonna put a flaw in a possible terrorists plan. so apparently the moral is dont try to stop killers or god will kill you-.- i did like the part where they actually built storyline which they should have done the entire episode, when lynnettes baby died but one was left to live. all in all this is the worst of the 6th season and lets just hope the writers get back on the ball, and already i am looking at the ratings coming in on this episode and it is already at a 7.2, so im hoping that means ppl r going to agree with me.

All of our questions were answered, but there was really no suspense at all when we were getting this information. Instead they decided to go with a fantasy type of set-up, which I thought I wouldn't like but was surprisingly nice. Susan's was funny, although the fat suit was a little over the top. Mike did a nice job showing his disinterest but also showing the heart he has with his advice. Bree's flashback was actually very effective. I actually started to dislike Orson, but this episode made me want them to get back together. Bree did a nice job in her acting when looking at the photos after Orson's death, it was very real and believable. Angie has done a great job coming on to DH, as I actually love her. She has apparently done horrible things, but I can't help but root for her and actually don't want her to go to jail. Something about her attitude and accent just make me want her to stay on the show forever. I like how they gave us a glimpse of what her past entails in this episode. It was very well done. Lynette wins the acting card in this episode. An absolutely touching and important fantasy sequence. It was real and really taught a valuable lesson. Felicity Huffman is definitely an amazing actress. Overall, I thought this was a great episode. Brava!

I had hopes for this episode but they weren't all fully realized. The Susan part was the poorest as we're to believe Susan would become so incredibly pathetic with Karl still around and the stuff of the fat suit was too obvious. It was nice at the end of Susan seeing Mike with another woman and realizing her chance had passed but rather heavy-handed. Ditto for the Bree/Karl plot as we knew what was to come but Cross did have a nice job crying at Orson's shrine to her and the pain over his death. The Gabby dream was unique although rather over the top with her going "Grey Gardens" on us. Come on, anyone really seeing Gabby letting her mansion fall apart like that around her? The Angie one was better as we get more hints about her crime and possible end but too mysterious to make work. But the plot of Lynette was amazingly done. Her heartache at seeing her child raised like this was powerful and the scene of her softly crying as he makes his own sandwhich reminds you why Huffman has an Emmy. I was moved at seeing her and Tom watching his graduation speech and the revelation that she lost one of the twins was heart-rending.



Indeed, that's the annoying part of the episode. We had Karl dying, Orson in a wheelchair and Lynette losing a kid and yet they spent more time on these fantasies rather than the full aftermath. I'd rather have seen Bree's breakdown than some fantasy and Karl deserved a better send off. A fun fantasy ep but poor timing for it.

This episode had TRUE meaning and was beyond amazing. Lynette's acting was the best of the episode and I cried at the end. Lynette's fantasy was by far my favorite. Bree's fantasy was perhaps my least favorite but it was sad that Orson had no visitors in those past ? ten years, was it? Then again I remember about all the horrible things he did. But still. Gabrielle's fantasy was thankfully comic relief, as was Susan's. The ending narration was very meaningful and this episode is perhaps one of my all-time favorites. Next week also looks like it will be quite good and hilarious, also.