OPINION: All of Our DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES Stand Alone This Week

This week's episode of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES was very enjoyable in spite of the fact they once again did the thing that I hate with a passion: separate all of our leading ladies into island story lines (with the exception of Renee who was nothing more then a small appendage to Lynette's tale and a brief blip in Bree's).

As much as I dislike it, I've had to come to accept that from time to time DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will have episodes with a more standalone feel. Given the nature of the show's story lines even the more stand-alone tales relate back to the main story of the season. I did find myself enjoying the goings on at Wisteria Lane this week. What can a person who loves the serialized aspects of the show take away from a more stand-alone episode?

In some of the cases, we get to see how everything that is going on in these characters lives can affect the quieter moments that aren't always addressed when they are in the thick of the season's mystery. Plus, the continuing tale of Tom and Lynette's marriage takes center stage this week!

As much as I adore Gaby I was least enthralled by her war with the PTA president. Gaby is always funny. She is the reason a plot like this can be entertaining; because she just brings it. After being banished to the B LOT for breaking the rules of dropping off your kids in front of the school, Gaby decides that she is going to stage a coup to overthrow the tyrannical PTA president, Dana. Of course it doesn't work and Gaby is further demoted to C LOT which looks like an abandoned truck yard.

I don't for a second believe that the school would even have a parking lot so far away you can't even see the school where kids could probably catch tetanus. Is the PTA really this powerful that they can rule the school with an iron fist? Not one to deterred by rules or willing to miss her wax, Gaby decides that she is going to just drop Juanita off in front of school. They try to stop her but she runs right through the cone barricade. Then she runs right over Dana.

Later, Dana summons Gaby to her hospital room to appoint her the acting President of the PTA. Dana paints a bleak picture of a job that is demanding, thankless, and will suck every ounce of fun out of Gaby. As the cherry on top of the sundae, Dana says that if Gaby doesn't take the job she is going to press charges. It looks like the PTA isn't going anywhere. This could either be hysterical or ludicrous. Thankfully, if anyone was going to make this funny, it is Eva Longoria.

Bree is dealing with Danielle's return home with her son, Benjamin in tow. Danielle's husband Leo left her. Danielle isn't looking for the standard Bree criticism that comes out of her mother's mouth like breathing, but Bree promises that she isn't going to criticize. She is just there to support her daughter through this difficult time. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. 

After a few days, Bree and Danielle have a difference of opinion. Bree wants Danielle to think about her future, while Danielle wants to continue wallowing in her misery. Danielle is obviously a horrible mother, as she forgets that she was playing hide and seek with Benjamin who was in the closet for God knows how long. Danielle does have a dream it seems. She wants to make and sell exercise equipment on the Internet and wants Bree to invest $5,000. 

Bree offers her $500 and the use of her test kitchen as a work space. Danielle is just as happy with that as she is with her original ask. The girl is not a master negotiator. Danielle tries to keep Bree out of the test kitchen while she is getting the business going. That's not suspicious at all. 

Danielle is not selling exercise equipment, at least not that kind that you're thinking of. She is selling sex swings. Bree is no fool and goes snooping later to find out what is going on in there. She can't quite figure out what it is until Renee comes in and lets her know that it's a sex swing. Of course it would be Renee who would know what that is. What else is she good for? 

Bree is horrified and yet still lets Renee put her in the swing to show her how to use it. Danielle walks in, Renee runs out. Danielle and Bree fight and guess what happens? Danielle leaves Bree stuck in the sex swing. Later, Danielle and Bree have a heart to heart. Danielle hates that she is constantly judged and shock of shocks Bree agrees. She apologizes and tells Danielle she is in no position to judge her based on recent events. Danielle pushes a little, but Bree doesn't spill. They just hug it out. Bree hasn't seemed too affected by the murder cover up so it's nice to see that it is giving her some sort of perspective on life. Bree agrees to invest in Danielle's business as a silent partner.

I have not been shy about how I have found Susan's way of dealing with the murder cover up to be inane, but with her confiding in Carlos and then Mike I have started to find Susan's role in this story to be one of the most compelling. Mike and Susan still haven't talked since her confession and she finally breaks down and asks Mike if he still loves her. After all the crime that this man has committed, it would be ridiculous if he judged Susan even a little bit. He is just worried because he knows it won't be easy for her to go back to her normal life. That is one pearl of wisdom I think that she is well aware of since she has been running all over Fairview two steps away from getting herself committed.

Susan decides that she needs to find focus through a painting class taught by Andre Zeller, a famous painter that Susan admires. He looks at her portfolio and won't accept her in the class. She doesn't have the anger and passion that a serious art student needs. There is nothing like a challenge to rev up Susan's engines so she goes home to get a darker painting and brings him a painting of a cold, dead tree. He still doesn't buy it and then Susan LOSES HER SHIT. She does have darkness in her and she doesn't like to be judged. 
She starts throwing paint and ripping canvas. Basically she turns into an animal storming out and leaving her portfolio there. Susan tells Mike what happened and he advises her that she needs to make her role in this crime a part of her or it will destroy her. Susan goes back to the class the next day and Andre lets her in the class as long as she brings that crazy woman with her every time. 

Lynette's story spent some time on a thread that had been woefully under cultivated this season thus far: Lynette and Tom's crumbling marriage. While Lynette seems to think that her and Tom are separated as a means of reconciling, Renee points out that Tom is going to the gym and whitening his teeth. That means he is having sex. Once again Renee is trotted out to be the resident sexpert. I have complained to no end about the shameful ways that Renee is being used. This isn't exactly the best material that Vanessa Williams has ever seen, but at least it makes sense for her to be a shoulder and confidante to Lynette. It's not exactly the way I suggested they use Renee in this story but at least it's going in the right direction. 

Lynette is encouraged when Tom agrees to go to counseling but is then unsettled when Tom has to leave to take a "work call". Never one to just confront her husband, Lynette gives Penny a tablet so that they can video chat in case she needs homework help while at her dad's. Lo and behold the next time Penny goes to Tom, Lynette rings her right up and makes Penny take the tablet around to give her a tour of Tom's apartment. Through the window she catches a glimpse of Tom talking to his bikini clad neighbor, Chloe. Lynette gets jealous, grills Penny about Chloe(who teaches Booty Burn Ballet) and then doesn't help the child with her homework. This episode is all about being a bad parent apparently. 

Lynette drags Renee to the class, which is incredibly difficult. Lynette bonds with the doctor who is about her age right next to her. Obviously, this is the woman that Tom is dating. After class Lynette chats with Chloe and Lynette and Renee agree that it's fine that he is having a fling with her because she has no brain. Tom shows up at the class and Lynette confesses that she knows that he is seeing someone. Lynette is upset and Tom thinks that she is spying. It comes out that Tom is dating Jane, Chloe's mom who just happens to be the nice doctor that Lynette was bonding with during the class. To really rub salt in the wound, Tom lets Lynette know that he agreed to go to counseling so that he could tell her that he was dating. 

Chuck makes a surprise appearance at the end of the episode staring at the engagement ring he was going to give to Bree. I understand that breaking up is hard to do but they had not even be dating a year. Were you really ready to marry her? Were you moving a little too fast? Are you slightly unhinged? I'm guessing the answers to those questions are no, yes, and yes. One of his colleagues comes in with a stack of missing persons reports and on the top of that stack is Gabby's missing step-father. 

All in all I thought it was a solid effort from DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. While not exactly my cup of tea in terms of format I like how they reflected what was going on in these women's lives through the lens of their secret as well as taking some time to delve into Tom and Lynette's troubles. Plus we got that nice little nugget at the end that probably means Chuck is about to cause some trouble. 


Brian Hewson contributes primetime reviews for We Love Soaps. Along with Greg Turner, Brian is the creator, writer, and producer of the web soap, EMPIRE, which can be found at www.empiretheseries.com. Brian loves soaps.