DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - Mayhem and time travel

Desperate Housewives ended their fourth season on a hysterically high note as a number of simmering plots boiled over and made a huge mess all over the proverbial kitchen floor.  "Mayhem" is the word we're looking for.

Actually, "Maynard" is the word.  Susan and Mike name their baby boy Maynard to honor Mike's recently deceased grandfather and because they're totally crazy.  Nobody can hide their reaction when they first hear the name:

Yikes, that kid is going to need counseling.  Susan has second thoughts and wants to go with a less awful name like "Connor" but Mike pulls the "my grandfather was a great man" card and wins - Maynard it is.

That was the least dramatic thing going on this week, and Susan should be thankful she got the light funny storyline this time out because some of the other characters don't survive their plotlines.

Lynette's cold war with Kayla the dangerously manipulative devil girl reached a shocking conclusion.  Creepy little Kayla concocted allegations of child abuse to remove her step mom from the picture, but the Evil One overplayed her hand.  Tom is forced to take sides when his daughter admits to a laundry list of immoral acts ranging from arson to lying to CPA, and twisted Kayla is sent off to live with Grandma and Grandpa.  Ha! 

I gotta wonder if that's a smart choice, though.  Tom's going to feel pretty bad when his parents end up dead six months from now from some mysterious accidents...  I'm telling you, that kid is 100% unrefined evil.

Speaking of exiled, is Edie ever coming back?  She left in the previous week's episode but is that the last we've seen of her?  I know that Dana Delany re-upped her contract and will be returning to the show next season, but what about Edie?  I must know.

Yes, Katherine Mayfair will return next season after making it through a hazardous and eventful year on Wisteria Lane.  The lurking menace of her psychotic ex-husband Wayne has finally been eliminated, violently, but not before he does quite a bit of damage and uncovers Katherine's terrible secret.

I loves me the Gary Cole, the actor who plays Wayne, but I have to say, the guy is usually cast in more likeable or amusing roles.  Here he was just a flat-out creep, a dirty cop and abusive husband who has stalked Katherine for years.  This week Wayne reached new lows as he kidnapped and tortured Adam to find the whereabouts of his un-daughter.  Leaving Adam for dead, he captures Katherine and knocks her around.  Then he kills Mallory from Family Ties.  Then he captures Bree and threatens to shoot her in the leg.  You see where I'm heading with all this?  Wayne's not a nice guy.

Well, Wayne gets what's coming to him - a few .38 bullets - but not before he forces Katherine to admit the truth about her daughter, Dylan.  She's not really her daughter, she's an Eastern European orphan that Katherine brought in to replace her real daughter after a tragic and secret accident claimed her life.  Fearing that Wayne would use their daughter's death against her, Katherine buried her kid in the back yard and began a charade that would last for years - until now.

Fortunately Katherine, Bree, and Adam survive the whole ordeal while Wade does not.  Bree and the other housewives come to Katherine's defense and tell the cops what a ticking bomb Wayne was, so she's not charged with his murder.  That Bree, she's a good egg.

The most audacious plot development came at the end of the episode - at the end of the season, really - when we jump FIVE YEARS into the future.  Everyone's got different hair!  Susan has a different husband?!!   What happened to Mike?  Is her dog still around at least?  Is that Lynette's real hair?  Are those really Gabrielle's kids?  (I hope so, that's hilarious.)  Did Adam stay with Katherine?  And where is Edie?

Man, and we gotta wait how many months before we find out?  That's not right.

--Dave Campbell

Comments

[newfan]

I had to replay my DVR a few times on the "flash ahead" part of the finally. I thought Susan's new man was Adam? Did anyone else think that?

[newfan]

I had to replay my DVR a few times on the "flash ahead" part of the finally. I thought Susan's new man was Adam? Did anyone else think that?

[Kathleen]

*Loved* the episode. The "5 year ahead" thing at the end really took me by surprise. I thought it was the end of the entire series, so -- is it coming back in the fall?

Also, the part about Susan having a different man in her life was just wrong. I mean, she fought so hard to get Mike back -- they seem right for each other. So, I imagined that Mike died tragically and the younger man she was with is the heir-apparent to the funeral home director(!)

Wasn't thrilled how Carlos and Gabby were planning to use Mallory's drug money (stealing it) for their own good, though.

Yay! The demon-spawn child is gone and Lynnette should get an award and some real kudos for putting up with her AND his attitude.

I hated Katherine in the beginning, but now I love her character and hope she returns and stays next fall (if it INDEED is coming back ... THAT ENDING!)

[Kathleen]

I thought Susan's new man was a much younger man, not Katherine's husband.

[Lee]

I hated the five year jump! It ruined what was the perfect finale. I have talked to friends and co-workers who all thought the same. If the writer is not creative enough to continue the current storylines, maybe a new writer should be hired. I will not watch Desperate Housewives when it resumes if the plot is made a mockery!

[denise]

the five year jump, really threw me off. i can't wait till see the season premier in the fall. it better be a 2 hour also. they have alot of explaining to do.

[Shannon]

Love the finale!! However, I hated the 5 year jump! What was that? I really hope they don't continue that in the fall. They had a great finish to the season, then they ruined it! Let's hope they let the 5 years go & continue with the present time!!

[Kathleen]

Yeah, maybe they shouldn't have included the 5-year jump. Let the writers of LOST do the time travel, alternate reality thing :)

[Maria]

I so loved the finale, but the ending really caught me off guard. Gaby with 2 kids? I thought she couldn't have any and where’s Carlos? Susan, what’s the deal with her? I am so confused....but I am truly looking forward to scheduling my Thursday around the show this fall...

[LuveDesperate]

I hated the 5 year jump too! That threw me! We don't want the boring crap we do on tv! We want the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES!!! WE don't want them all grown up! Writers please go back!!!

[Robert]

Hated the 5 year jump! Who lost the bet in the writing department? PLEASE if you don't want the show to die, hire new writers! SOON!

[Anna]

I hated the ending as well. The 5 year jump was not necesary. It was not funny or eanything else for that matter. If that's how they are planning to continue with the show I will not be watching it either.

[Kate]

I think the next season will start where it left off last night, but it is going to start showing us what happens to each character between now and the "5 years from now" scene. We are going to find out how they get there. I'm pretty excited about it and I absolutely LOVED the finale. I started out disliking Catherine, but this last episode totally turned that around!

[Dawn]

The 5 year jump was ridiculous. I think it totally ruined Gabby's character to show her with 2 kids...it's not her, at all. There were so many problems with the ending -- and where is Mike? Everyone wanted him and Susan to get together so badly. Wonder if next season will start off 5 years later or will back track and show us how they got there...

[cece]

I loved the years jump and don't know why you don't! I love being astonished in tv series and this is what happened to me ! But i don't like to see Susan with another man than Mike. I can't beleive i have to wait 4-5 month to know what happened !!!!

[Autumn]

Hated the 5 year jump. I will not be watching next year. I think the writers/producers should listen to the fans, and rethink this story line, before they kill the show.

[jude]

I hope the 5yr jump was another JR dream. The thought of Susan and Mike not being together stinks,they both fought so hard to be with each other.And Gabby with gets does not seem possible she is the prima donna of the group and should stay that way. Please don't spilt Susan and Mike!!

[anna]

i really hate the 5 year jump...was so..gaby with kids and looking like that????susan with another man? really...that is not looking good at all...i thought can come with better than that!it really sucks!

[Coble]

I was shocked to see Susan with another man although I don't have the same problem other viewers do. I'm getting kind of tired of his whole drug problem story line and the woe is me attitude.
Loved the ending for Catherine (yah Bree) and thrilled to see Kayla get the boot and am also happy that Bree and Orson somehow managed to get past his problems. I'm thinking he came forward and Mike stepped up and forgave him and he just got probation.
Thrilled to see that Catherine has signed her contract for another year so this means its not the end of the show. Although if they had to end it this season, that would certainly have been a good way to go. Always leave them wanting more.

[jerry]

The younger man is definitely not Adam (that Actor is, Nathan Fillion-Firefly, Serenity, One Life to Live) the New Man is Gale Harold-Queer As Folk US Version's Brian Kenny)... so definitely a surprise to me... makes me wonder if it is coming back also.

[AnitaW]

The guy with Susan at the end of the show was Ian, the British guy from last season when Mike was in the coma and Ian's wife was dying in the hosp. I didn't read through all the posts, so maybe someone has already picked this up.

[Heather]

I had to look at the ending TWICE! Talk about cliffhangers

I want to know what happened to Mike?

[Kishment]

IS THAT THE END???? I hope not I want to see more!!!!

[megan]

wow well i had alot time to review the show more than 3 times and see whats happening, its been a shock for me.

what can i say abt susan? i was shocked it was new man, and what happened with :maynard:? and mike?

Katherine, i liked the ending for her because her daughter dylan stayed with kathering. but who did she end up with?

bree- im glad she went back with orson, and her oldest son. what happened with the baby she was carring for her daughter

edie- i didnt like her part. she didnt do any good act through the show

gaby, i was shocked she gained weight and looked awful 5 yrs later, with 2 ugly daughter. that wouldnt do any worst for her.

i cant wait to see whats up in the fall for new show for desperate housewives!!!

[Mel B]

I thought that the man Susan was kissing was Adam too!!!!!