Listen to the Rain on the Roof

Season 3, Episode 1, Aired
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Episode Summary

It is raining on Wisteria Lane, six months after Mike was run over. He is now in a coma, with Susan by his side. Bree gets engaged to Orson. Gabrielle and Carlos are getting divorced, but they are briefly reunited when their 8 months pregnant surrogate Xiao-Mei (guest star Gwendoline Yeo) runs away. While adjusting to having another child around the house, Lynette realizes that the girl's mother, Nora (guest star Kiersten Warren), is more than she can handle. While at the hospital, Susan is asked on a date by a man, Ian (guest star Dougray Scott) whose spouse is also in a coma. Meanwhile, Edie is desperately trying to sell the Young house.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (47)

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  • fantastic!!!!

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By danny7277, Oct 31, 2011 Report Abuse
    this was a brilliant episode of desperate houssewives and a great start for the third season there were so many great moments i loved the storyline with lynette and nora, so many funny moments, the gaby stuff with xiami was also really great, with xiami hiding in a closet eating chicken, haha, the susan stuff was also good as was the bree stuff but i fear for bree what is orson up to ??
    moreless

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    0 0

  • What in the world?

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By ava9, Sep 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    Please somebody let me know when Bree\\\'s (yet again) psycho boyfriend kills her; and Lynette leaves Tom; and Mike wakes up so that I can watch the show again.
    This was horrible. The only thing that I was thankful for is that Carl wasn\\\'t in the episode. At least Eva is hot that is probably about the only thing that this show has going for it this season. I am so sick and tired of Susan being a little - why does she have to meet a different guy every episode? If I had the opportunity to be with Mike Delfino I wouldn\\\'t even be acknowledging other men ever.moreless

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    2 16

  • Yet another Desperate Housewives episode with continuity issues. Some funny moments, of course, but all in all, not such a great opening episode for season 3.

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By Onigirifab, Sep 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    I've always found the lack of continuity troublesome in Desperate Housewives, and this just seems to keep on going.

    Though this season premiere concentrates on the girls, as it should, the second roles are seriously missing. What happened to Danielle? She doesn't even seem to be at Bree's re-marriage party. Is she dead? Gone to college? Did she run away to find her long lost brother? What about Bree's nervous breakdown? Did she follow therapy or something? She just seems pretty perky after what she's been through in seasons 1 and 2.

    Same thing for Susan. So, okay, Mike's in a coma. There'll be some cute flirting that won't lead anywhere as soon as his/her coma patient wakes up, probably lots of "hilarious" I-spilled-the-smoothie-on-your-comatose-wife gags from Susan to expect in the next episodes. But the whole "temporary love interest until Mike gets back" was already used both in seasons 1 (Edie's construction worker) and 2 (the spleenectomy doctor). How's her relationship with Julie these days, by the way? Or with Karl for that matter? Did she finally rebuild her house? It did burn down after all. Come to think of it, isn't Edie supposed to want to ruin her life now?

    Lynette and Gabrielle's storylines were good-ish, though. Loved Xiao-Mey's reply to Gabby's remarks: "What 'a' b***"! Tom's Nora will probably last a few episodes, but I hope they densify her character a bit, or the pouting act will get real old real quick. How do the kids react to each other, by the way? Could be interesting to see if the 3 Ps have adopted their new-found sister.

    As for our dear Mary-Alice, shouldn't she focus a teeny bit on what's left of her family? Like, maybe a line saying "My husband is still in jail" or something, would be nice.

    Of course, it's hard to cram so much information in one episode, but the "six months have passed" idea could definitely have been thought out more.

    Oh, and of course, Kyle Mc Thingy is really great as a psychotic husband-to-be, but the whole "party crashed by an unexpected guest" and "I almost married a psychopath" themes have already been done, so let's hope the writers have some good twists on this. Like... could it be that the body in the club isn't Kyle's wife? After all, he visited this strange woman in the mental institution where Bree was every day, in those last season 2 episodes...moreless

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    4 4

  • I was seriously waiting for more.

    6.4
    "Fair"
    By Pudo18, Sep 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    Ok, so I haven't really enjoyed the season 2 and regarding the reviews of this new episode I was really exciting.

    Actually, this episode was really "normal", I mean nothing extraordinary happened and I am tired seeing that Bree is spousing the new "pyscho" of Wisteria Lane. I hope Orson didn't kill his wife, because if he did, the watcher doesn't even have a plot to discover.

    I mean, during the season 1, that was impossible to discover that Mary-Alice Young had killed zach's mother and that was so chocking that you couldn't even get better.

    So now, apparently Orson is a murderer going to be a Van de Kamp... and Susan will certainly going out with the guy from "ever after" (with Drue Barrymore). I am tired seeing that she will never be with Mike Delfino...

    Oh and what about Paul young? He sold his house right? I didn't get that point, WHY?
    What about the Applewhite? I am pretty much sure that in the next episode we are gonna have "6months ago" with all the story + where is danielle + where is Andrew + where is Edie's house + where is karl (+++++++++) Anyway... that was not so good, period. I am waiting for the next one!moreless

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    1 2

  • Kind of boring. Definitely not season premiere worthy.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By pocahotass131, Sep 11, 2010 Report Abuse
    I was looking forward to this episode so much. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. It was an okay episode overall, but I expected more. Susan taking care of Mike was cute. Especially when she was shaving him and cut his face all over. I don't really care for Ian. He adds nothing to the show. Gabrielle has to take care of her husbands mistress. That was hilarious to see. But again, not interesting.
    Bree is yet again engaged to a madman. I don't like that this is happeneing to her again. She is like the black sheep of the housewives; nothing good ever happens to her. And where is her daughter????
    Lastly Lynette. By far the most entertaining. The family photo, the birthday party, etc. It was goooooood!moreless

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    1 2
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • It is revealed that Bree is a republican, while Orson is a libertarian. Edit
    • Goof: When Orson is washing the wine glasses at Bree's house, he finishes washing the last glass and puts it on the counter beside the other glasses. When they walk away to the bedroom, we can see the glasses all lined up at the counter and no glasses in the sink, only dishes and bowls where the water is still on. Then goes the scene in the bedroom. When it goes back to the kitchen when we see the water coming up in the sink, there is a glass sitting on top of the bowls in the sink filling up with water. Edit
    • We learn in this episode from the "for sale" sign Edie is putting up at Mary Alice's house that her cell phone number is 555-0199. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Kyle MacLachlan (Orson Hodge) become a series regular in this episode.

      Edit
    • International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Poslouchej, jak déšť bubnuje do střechy (Listen to the Rain Drumming on the Roof) Slovakia: Padajúci dážď (Falling Rain) Edit
    • Kathryn Joosten, Laurie Metcalf, Kiersten Warren and Gwendoline Yeo submitted this episode for consideration in the category of "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" on their own respective behalves for the 2007 Emmy Awards. Dougray Scott also submitted this episode for consideration on his own behalf in the category of "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" for the same awards. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Bree: Excuse me. Did you lose something? Orson: No. I just thought... for you. Bree: Oh, um. I don't do that. Orson: Why not? Bree: I'm a republican. Orson: I'm a libertarian. I believe in minimizing the role of the state and maximizing individual rights. Bree: But Orson?! Orson: Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Edit
    • Lynette: (talking on the phone) Hey Gaby, It's Lynette. Got a little emergency here. Is it okay if we use your back yard? (pauses) Great, great. And we take complete responsibility for whatever the pony does. Hope you get this message soon. Edit
    • Lynette: Wow. White gloves. What, are we having lunch in the 1880s? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • When Bree reveals that she and Orson are waiting until after they are married before they have sex, Gabrielle makes a reference to taking a car for a test drive before buying it. Kyle MacLachlan who plays Orson, also played Charlotte York's first husband, Trey McDougal in "Sex and the City". In that show both he and Charlotte were also waiting until after they were married before having sex, and Samantha made the same joke as Gabrielle upon hearing this. Edit
    • At the beginning of this episode when Carolyn walks in on Orson cleaning up, and asks where Alma is, the parrot says 'Orson no, Orson no!'. This is a reference to Kyle McLachlan's past role in Twin Peaks when during a murder investigation, a clue is given by a bird named Waldo screeching 'Leo no, Leo no!'. Edit
    • Episode Title: "Listen to the Rain on the Roof" alludes to the song "Rain on the Roof" from the 1971 Broadway musical Follies by Stephen Sondheim. Edit

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