Memory Trip
Written by Marc Cherry And Jenna Bans And Tom Spezialy And Alexandria Cunningham
Directed by Larry Shaw
8.0
"Great"
Heading into the first part of our second season finale and more than aware of that opinion on Season Two hasn’t been wonderfully high, this episode misguidly titled “Remember” plays on nostalgia in a big way.
I have to admit I’m a little cynical towards nostalgia being used on any television show so early in its life and with Desperate Housewives only ending its second year, it really feels unnecessary. That being said we’ve had to listen to Brenda Strong still narrate all season, so I suppose it’s only fair we get to see Mary Alice in the flesh once again and boy, isn’t she quite a recruiter or what?
Our first trip down memory lane has Mary Alice rescuing Susan after the klutzy Miss Mayer manages to lock herself inside her own removal van as her genius toddler Julie watches on with a look of “not again” on her face. Mary Alice is far kinder in her assessment of Susan, even when Mayer gets overly emotional about making a new friend on her first day in Wisteria Lane.
Present day, Susan manages to sort out her lack of accommodation by forcing her and Julie to live in a cramped and disgusting looking trailer in a plot that smacks of The O.C. (Marissa and Julie did the same thing). Julie is understandably miffed with this arrangement but Susan is determined to assert some semblance of independence and although she should have taken advantage of Mike or Bree’s homes, you have to give her props for trying to be self-sufficient. That being said, you think she could have afforded a nicer trailer too? It’s not like she’s a massive spending fiend.
Of course among Susan’s attempts of independence, there’s also the newly appointed rivalry between Mike and Karl as both men try to cement themselves in Susan’s life once again. Some people are just lucky having two fit blokes fighting for them but at the end of the day, Susan should only be with one of these two and it’s easy to guess who deserves her – Mike!
Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t say no to Karl, but although he’s charismatic in his own distinctive way, he’s also way too smug and really doesn’t deserve to be with Susan. After all, this is the guy who happily cheated on Susan with his secretary and came up with the poorest excuse known to man (the heart wants what it wants - my **s). He then entered into a relationship with a woman Susan hates and then used her as a mistress when he grew tired of Edie. Not so enticing now, huh?
Karl was right by telling both Susan and Julie that he owed them, hence the expensive house he buys them but even a guy like Karl has to deduce that it takes more than buying your way into someone’s affections for them to love you. Judging by the evidence displayed on this show, Susan doesn’t feel that way for Karl even if he doesn’t annoy her as much as he used to.
It’s a good thing that Mike is more subtle in his approach then isn’t it? Besides kissing Susan to rattle Karl, Mike’s more simple gestures like the cup of coffee and a beautiful but non-flashy ring feel more sincere. Susan would be out of her mind not to choose Mike over Karl but an engagement between two people who are a limbo in their relationship wouldn’t be wise either.
Second flashback to Wisteria Lane has Susan and Mary Alice encounter a fearsome Bree Van De Kamp who forces a six year old Andrew to apologise for stealing Mary Alice’s frog statue (I don’t know why, it’s an ugly looking statue). Bree’s a veritable tornado in our first ever encounter of her and you can slightly see why Andrew is resentful of her too.
The episode also boosts a wonderful cameo from Steven Culp (where were for “Next”, man?), as Rex does his best and fails spectacularly in trying to convince both Mary Alice and Susan that the Van De Kamps are a normal bunch. No, Rex you lot really aren’t and that’s part of why we enjoy watching you even if Bree is a little unhinged, Andrew and Danielle are evil and you an S&M lover.
Meanwhile in the present day for Bree, it seems that taking a break at a local psych ward isn’t that much fun. No offence Bree but what were you expecting. You’re not in The Priory or a health spa. Still though at her stay at Fairview psych ward isn’t a dull experience as she gets to talk/flirt with Orson (that goes both ways), notice that she isn’t the only “sane” person here while dealing with a rather condescending therapist who has her drugged upon a feeble escape attempt after receiving a call from Betty.
No Betty wasn’t wishing her a speedy recovering or telling her what that brat Danielle did to her but simply warning Bree that her daughter is in danger. Yes, that is correct, Danielle is in danger and for once, it looks like Bree will actually have to help her out.
At the start of the episode Betty and Caleb made a feeble attempt to leave Wisteria Lane, only to get arrested on sight and interrogated by the police. Given how sloppy Betty has been and how disappointing her ongoing mystery has gotten in the second half of the season, her and Caleb’s arrests couldn’t have come at a better time.
Flashbacks finally revealed that contrary to popular belief, it was Matthew and not Caleb who murdered Melanie Foster. Okay so Caleb did meet her, tried it on with her, got humiliated, followed by them fighting and Melanie being hit by him so when he came home with blood on his hands, Betty immediately thought he was guilty as sin.
It turns out however that Melanie actually regained consciousness after Caleb’s attack on her and was found by Matthew. Following his love for dating whiny brats, Matthew apologised and begged Melanie not to go to the police about Caleb, only for her to try and blackmail him into taking her back. When that failed, Matthew and Melanie came to blows, only for Melanie to actually die this time around. It’s not a shock that Matthew is actually Melanie’s killer given his actions in the last couple of episodes but a part of me really care all that much about Danielle being in danger anyways. I’m sure Bree will bust in guns a blazing to save her vapid kid anyway.
Third flashback of the episode has the girls accidentally walking on an argument between Tom and Lynette, the latter of whom is furious because Tom neglected to mention that twins run in his family. The girls are also a bit scared of Lynette and to be honest so am I. I mean seriously, would you really want to get on Lynette’s bad side?
Luckily, given how her flashback initially is, it’s a good job that Lynette’s present day storyline is worthy of watching as her attempts of keeping maximum distance from Tom aren’t a raging success. Susan’s lie to Tom about seeing Lynette was so blatantly obvious it bordered on the insulting and even though he is in the wrong, I found myself still feeling bad for Tom. Must be Doug Savant’s acting!
Anyways when Porter breaks his arm Lynette and Tom are reunited and their confrontation isn’t short on good moments either. What did I like? Lynette punching Tom and him falling against a hospital bed or maybe it was the revelation that Tom isn’t cheating on Lynette with Nora (his other woman) but instead it turns out that twelve years ago they had a one night stand and only recently he’s found out that that encountered resulted in a daughter named Kayla for Tom? It’s the latter folks, although to be honest we already have this with Mike and Zach.
Lynette’s reaction is pretty in character for her and Felicity Huffman and Doug Savant are just so fantastic in their big dramatic scenes together. The revelation of Tom fathering another woman’s child may be classic soap stuff but it ensures that by eventually descending Nora and Kayla on Wisteria Lane (can you honestly tell me that won’t happen?), will finally mean the Scavos will have a big arc for next season.
Fourth and final flashback this week has the girls meeting a barely dressed Solis couple, with mutual embarrassment and awkwardness for both parties. Gabby and Carlos behave like newlyweds and this flashback alone, they show more intimacy and happiness together than we’ve seen onscreen to be fair.
Of course in the present day it looks like that once again Gabrielle and Carlos’ marriage in on the rocks when Carlos becomes reticent to sleep with his wife and upon a humorous mix up (not so for Ralph – R.I.P.), Gabrielle starts to deduce that her husband and newly impregnated maid Xiao-Mei are sleeping together. Given the lack of subtlety when dropping the clues, it’s a little disappointing, although it was only a matter of time before Carlos would repay Gabrielle for sleeping with John throughout Season One.
Meanwhile in the world of non flashbacks, any sympathy I have had for Paul in the last couple of episode evaporated tonight when the miserable SOB tried some pretty lousy emotional blackmail in order for Zach to visit Noah in order to get money for an expensive lawyer.
Noah may be a lot of things (sadistic, creepy, annoying – take your pick) but he isn’t thick and quickly cops on that Zach’s money for a car is to help the man responsible for Deirdre’s passing (I know it was Mary Alice that killed her but I get why Noah isn’t so sympathetic when it comes to Paul) and so he refuses and proceeds to taunt Zach, who responses by turning off his life support machine and killing him. I know I shouldn’t advocate murder but good for you Zach. Now if you could let Paul rot in jail and make an effort to get to know Mike, you’ll be doing alright in my book.
Also in “Remember Part 1”
Housewife of the week: In 2005, Betty took Caleb and Matthew away from Chicago to Fairview after the Melanie debacle. In 2006, Tom, the Solis’ and Karen Mc Cluskey watched as Betty and Caleb were arrested. An obvious question but did someone shop them in? After all, the police are stupid on Wisteria Lane.
Susan (re Julie): “I have a normal baby”
Mary Alice: “I’m Mary Alice”.
Paul (to Zach, re Noah): “Trust me, dying men are sentimental”.
Susan moved to Wisteria Lane in 1992, Bree in 1994, Lynette in 1998 and Gabrielle in 2003. It is 2006 on Wisteria Lane, right?
Bree (re Andrew): “Is there anything you would like to say to him?”
Rex: “Feel free to be harsh”
Mary Alice: “I’m good”.
Gabrielle: “Carlos is dead, Xiao-Mei”
Xiao-Mei: “No please don’t kill him”.
When did Carlos have a hernia operation? Was it mentioned on the show before? Won’t Carlos get in trouble for sending Ralph to do his community service as well?
Therapist: “What treatment were you expecting?”
Bree: “I was hoping you’d medicate the hell out of me”.
Betty (to Detective): “My son has the mind of a child. He’d confess to sinking the Titanic”.
The full credit sequence is back again. Maybe ABC are only doing this for “special” episodes now.
Susan: “I think twins are genetically determined by the mother”
Lynette: “What are you, a scientist?”
Mike (re Susan): “I want to surprise her”
Karl: “Oh trust me brother, she’ll be surprised and not by that small rock”.
Chronology: A few days since “No One Is Alone”.
Mary Alice: “Let me guess, newlyweds?”
Gabrielle: “Four months and I’ve been dressed like this for the two of them”.
Tom: “Baby, I’m sorry”
Lynette: “I’m not ready for that”.
Andrew and Edie didn’t feature in this episode (what gives?) and Karen and Danielle had no dialogue.
Hmm, something of an interesting start to the finale. While “Remember Part 1” is hugely quotable and the flashbacks are well done, the final scene with Lynette and Tom ended this on a whimper. Still though, this is easily one of the best episodes from the series but as a whole, something isn’t there. Looking forward to Part 2 though.