DESPERATE HOUSEWIES (2004―2012) 6.05 ― “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid”

I know this isn’t huge sample size but in looking up the disaster episodes I found a list of the episodes ranked. I was surprised to see “down the street there’s a riot” was listed as number 1. I don’t hate it but it didn’t stand out to me. I feel vindicated in my feels since it has no votes lol. “Bang” and “Something is coming” were in the top three which makes sense.

Listed below in order left to right

Listed in order left to right

It has been a few years since my last rewatch so forgive me if I don’t remember some character arcs super well(especially for the last 2 seasons). Also, the very first time I watched this show I was a teenager and now I am in my late 20s so my opinions have changed each rewatch.

1. Gabby’s affair: when I first watched this as a teen I thought the relationship was really weird, but didn’t think too much into it. As an adult, she definitely groomed him and it is really fucked up on so many levels. I get that she was neglected and lonely, but she shouldn’t have gone after a teenager. Her relationship with Carlos: they went through a lot of ups and downs and they were definitely toxic at times, but they weirdly worked together(kinda)? They both had really big egos which caused a lot of issues. In general I have a really hard time relating to Gabby, so I struggle to put myself in her shoes. I also didn’t really like most of their storylines after the time jump.

2. The ever popular topic of Susan Meyer: personally I don’t hate Susan as much as most people do, but I am not her biggest fan either. When I first watched the show she was actually the one I related to the most, perhaps it was because I was accident prone or maybe I was just really invested in her and Mike’s relationship. Each rewatch after that I found myself relating to a different housewife(except for Gabby) depending on where I was in life. I think most people find her annoying, but I wouldn’t say that is my problem with her. I think my problems with her really thinks highly of herself. Ex: She thinks she has done a great job raising Julie, but really she leaned on Julie a lot more than she should have.

3. Bree’s relationships: I will just start by saying I was raised in a similar family dynamic, though not as extreme. Let’s start with Andrew, their relationship is really rough for the first couple of seasons, but I really enjoyed watching them grow together over the rest of the seasons. Next is Danielle, I really wish Danielle had more character growth in general instead of keeping her as kind of bratty and entitled for most of the show. We don’t get to see as much growth between Bree and Danielle, but I think that is because the whole pregnancy/fake pregnancy really ruined their relationship. Orson, I actually really liked the Bree and Orson dynamic…until they ruined it in later seasons. I thought they were really similar, but also balanced each other. For the most part(until later season) Orson let Bree be the dominant one in the relationship and that worked for them. Though if you study Orson’s character arc it is kind of odd, he starts out as this sinister character that you don’t know the intentions of, then goes to this more goofy submissive guy, and then back to sinister. Bree’s mental health: I unfortunately can relate to Bree a lot in this regard because I too was raised in a house were we didn’t talk about our feelings and we better not let anyone outside of the family think we are anything less than perfect. I think her spiraling mental health made a lot a sense, especially with everything she went through in her personal life and the fact that all the blame for everything the last few seasons is dumped on her. When you have been raised to push everything down and put on a happy face, it can be really hard to reach out when you need it.

Anyways, don’t mind my 2 AM ramblings. I apologize if some of this doesn’t make sense. I would love to hear what my followers think. Feel free to disagree with me, I love hearing other people’s perspectives on this show!

So someone (@idreamofdragons ) asked for Desperate Housewives tea/discourse, but I want to know people's opinions On:

1. Gabby's affair in season 1? Or her relationship with Carlos for that matter?

2. Any and all opinions on Susan Mayers

3. Bree's relationship with her family (especially with her kids + Orson) and her spiralling mental health

“There is a reason people can’t wait for Christmas, and it has little to do with family reunions, or curling up with a cup of eggnog, or that unexpected kiss beneath a mistletoe, or receiving a present from that special someone, no, people look forward to Christmas, because they know it’s a time for miracles”

— Mary Alice Young (Desperate Housewives)

The best Christmas ever, that’s what the residents of Wisteria Lane were dreaming of as they prepared for their annual Yuletide festival. So, they hung up a banner, brought out their candy canes and put up Santa’s workshop as eager as children for the holiday to begin.

“For the residents of Wisteria Lane, the holiday season could only begin once the decorations came out, for some that meant pulling out the colored lights, for others it meant locating that holiday wreath, and then there were those eager to display their nativity scene. But for a romantic view it was all about the mistletoe.”

— Mary Alice Young (Desperate Housewives)

Desperate Housewives: Katherine Mayfair - Type 2w3

Katherine is kind, manipulative and helpful. She is the typical homemaker who lives to please the people in her life.

At her best, Katherine is earnest and caring. She does things out of the goodness of her heart and she protects the people she loves. Despite her lies to Dylan, it can be seen that she truly loves her and only has the best intentions at heart for her.

At her worst, Katherine becomes much angrier, deceptive and selfish. When she breaks up with Mike it can be seen that she descends into a facade of being fine but beneath the surface is bubbling with rage. She frames Mike for stabbing her as an attempt to try and break him up with Susan as she is resentful of the demise of her own relationship with Mike.

Katherine wants to be needed by others and believes that she will gain the attention and love of others by doing things for them. She is eager to befriend the ladies and offers to host a lunch for Lynette as a way of connecting with the group. This can also be seen in her romantic relationships with Adam, Mike and Robin. She goes above and beyond trying to make her relationships work and forgets her own needs as a result of focusing on her partner.

When Katherine returns to Wisteria Lane she has a strong rivalry with Bree as both want to be known for their exceptional domestic abilities. Katherine is very competitive and wants to prove that she is better at cooking and house keeping than Bree is. This causes tension between the two but they soon find common ground and realise they are very alike. This discovery allows the friendship to bloom and leads to the catering business the two open. Katherine becomes such a close friend to Bree that she is the one who is there supporting her when Orson goes to jail. She shows her caring, helpful and a pathetic nature during Bree’s time of need.

Katherine has a wing 3 as she is very sociable and more competitive than a wing 1 tends to be. She also wants to help others to form connections with people and relies on validation from those she loves.

Tri-type: 2w3 - 1w2 - 6w7

Some quotes to describe Katherine’s motivation:

“I’m sure you could come up with a better meringue pie than mine. The trick is to find the perfect blend of sweet and sour.”

“Your life may be over, but that does not give you the right to go around destroying the lives of others.”

“Bree you remember how my croissants were always the best on the lane.”

“I have a job. No kids to raise, no husband, no boyfriend.”

“Not only did Susan shoot me at point blank range, she trashed me to all my friends and neighbors.”

“That’s a shame, because I understand you better than all those other women do. I know how following the rules and all observing those little graces make you feel like you’re in control. We’ve both had days where it was either set a beautiful table or curl up in a ball and die. We’re the same, Bree. And if you think that means we can’t be friends, then I’m sorry. But it might also mean we could be best friends.”

Desperate Housewives: Mary Alice Young - Type 2w1

Mary Alice is nurturing, secretive and caring. She is warm and personable with her friends and neighbours but has much more sinister secrets beneath the surface.

At her best, Mary Alice is genuinely altruistic and compassionate. She goes out of her way to welcome the women as they arrive on Wisteria Lane and she wants to help them in any way she can. She is supportive and willing to go the extra mile to be there for her family and friends. This is to the point where people may try to take advantage of her generous spirit as seen with Martha Huber’s attempts to blackmail her.

At her worst, Mary Alice becomes reactive, judgmental and selfish. This can be seen with how she handles Deidre coming back to take Zach (Dana). She doesn’t want to consider that Deidre has changed and becomes hysterical at the thought of losing her son. Through her monologues we can also see some of her more judgmental side when describing the other women on the lane.

Mary Alice has a strong desire to help those in need and worked as a nurse before moving to Wisteria Lane. She spends a lot of her time and energy being the best nurse she can be and puts her own challenges and needs to the side as a way of focusing on others. Even when she moves to the lane and is no longer a practicing nurse it can be seen through her actions towards the residents and people of Fairview that she continues to have this attitude. This is seen with how she supports Eli Briggs and becomes his biggest supporter when he is down on his luck and trying to get business.

Mary Alice has always wanted to be a mother and as seen through flashbacks she has been trying to start a family with Paul. She has a lot of love to share, is in a loving and stable relationship with Paul and wants to have the opportunity to build her own family. This is what ultimately leads to her decision to take Dana and raise him as her son. She truly believes that he will be better off with her and she will be able to offer him a better life. Due to this thought process and her desperation she follows through and moves to Wisteria Lane.

Mary Alice has a wing 1 as she has a strong moral compass and uses this to influence her decisions. She is also more reserved and keeps her feelings to herself than a wing 3 might be.

Tri-type: 2w1 - 1w2 - 6w7

Some quotes to describe Mary Alice’s motivation:

“When the truth is ugly, people try to keep it hidden, because they know if revealed the damage it will do, so they conceal it within sturdy walls, or they place it behind closed doors, or they obscure it with clever disguises, the truth no matter how ugly always emerges, and someone we care about always ends up getting hurt, and someone else will revel in their pain, and that’s the ugliest truth of all.”

“Whenever we make mistakes, we need to apologize and then we need to move on. We must try to accept the changes in our lives or choose to trust an old enemy or learn to stop fighting our children’s battles. But, sometimes the pain we caused is so great, there is no moving on.”

“There comes a time when we must expose our weaknesses. When our secrets can no longer remain private, when our solitude can no longer be denied, when our pain can no longer be ignored, but sometimes we feel so alone that a weaknesses we thought we’d overcome suddenly becomes too long to fight.”

“Family. There is nothing more important. They’re the ones who show up when we are in trouble. The ones who push us to succeed. The ones who help keep our secrets. But what of those who have no family to rely on? What happens to those poor souls who have no loved ones to help them in their hour of need? Well, most learn to walk life’s road by themselves. But a sad few of us, simply stop trying.”

“This is the street where I used to live and these were the people with whom I shared my life. I met them the day they moved in. And I saw what they brought with them. Beautiful dreams for the future. And quiet hopes for a better life. Not just for themselves, but for their children, too. If I could, would I tell them what lies ahead? Would I warn them of the sorrow and betrayal that lie in store? No. From where I stand now, I see enough of the road to understand how it must be traveled. The trip is to keep moving forward, to let go of the fear and the regret that slow us down and keep us from enjoying a journey that will be over too soon. Yes, there will be unexpected bends in the road, shocking surprises we didn’t see coming, but that’s really the point. Don’t you think?”

“Good deeds aren’t always done for the purest of reasons. We may be trying to impress. We may be acting out of guilt. We may be expecting something in return, but occasionally a good deed comes straight from the heart.”