Desperate Housewives: Season 8 Premiere

The ladies of Wisteria Lane have gotten themselves into quite a pickle (again).

Last season left viewers with one overly complicated finale: Gabby’s (Eva Longoria) husband, Carlos (Ricardo Chavira), killed her sexually abusive stepfather – whom she thought to be dead until he started stalking her and she realized he was very much alive – and his dead body needed to be concealed ASAP. Being the good friends and neighbors that they are, Bree (Marcia Cross), Lynette (Felicity Huffman), and Susan (Teri Hatcher) stepped in to help Gabrielle and Carlos conceal the dead body to prevent Carlos from going to prison, (again) all before dinner guests arrive, including Bree’s detective boyfriend.

Drama like this definitely keep things interesting on “The Lane,” but it’s the characters and the great character development of the writers for Desperate Housewives that gives viewers a reason to keep watching what has become an otherwise flat show.

As complicated as the plot may be to follow, it still lacks complexity and is reminiscent of seasons past. While the storyline may be stale, the characters are still able to remain fresh, which goes to show the power of character development; if you give the audience dynamic and relatable characters they can cheer for, you will have loyal viewers.

The season premiere fast forwarded one month and focused on the aftermath of the death of Gabrielle’s stepfather and how each of the characters who helped conceal the body – Gabrielle, Carlos, Bree, Lynette and Susan—are coping with what they had done. If you can get beyond the ridiculousness of what is actually going on, this episode served as a good observation of the very different reactions people can have with death, guilt, and grief. It is also a good example of how the characters evolved over the years.

Gabrielle: Her husband is her primary concern this season. Throughout the years she has been known to be the most selfish resident of Wisteria Lane. A former model, she is shallow and often insensitive, but in recent years she has become more in tune with her maternal side after raising two daughters. She is torn between wanting to keep this secret buried – literally – and consoling Carlos, who is consumed with guilt.

Carlos: After serving time in prison before, staying out of jail would have been Carlos’ only concern in past seasons. But over the years he has evolved into a more complex character than the get-rich-quick (and by any means necessary) tearaway he was in the earlier seasons. His guilt has become his defining characteristic in this episode, and he confesses his sins to his priest in hopes of quelling his newly-developed conscience, only to feel even worse and question whether or not he should turn himself in.

Bree: Since the first season, Bree has progressed from a prude, dependent housewife into a strong and independent woman who isn’t afraid to express her sexuality. Bree’s tough-as-nails attitude comes in full-force this episode. Her mission: Making sure every single track is covered, and she uses her detective boyfriend as an unknowing insider into police movements on the case.

Lynette: She has always been the strong, suffer-in-silence type, but this season she is dealing with a lot; on top of her involvement with a murder, Lynette is facing troubles at home. She and her husband of 20 years, Tom, have decided to separate and can’t figure out how to break the news to their children. Her anxiety over the murder is sidetracked by her grief over the end of her marriage, but it surfaces while she sleeps giving her nightmares.

Susan: Always the most sensitive, Susan is handling the guilt the worst. She has drawn away from her friends and has become angry, an emotion that her character rarely showed in past seasons. While substitute teaching, the death and the subsequent burial of the class’s pet hamster proves all too familiar for Susan and leads to her inevitable breakdown. She finds courage that has seldom shown in her character before and expresses her resentment with her friends.

Over the seasons the plot of Desperate Housewives has fallen flat. The ladies of Wisteria Lane are still finding themselves in sticky situations but as ridiculous as they may seem, it feels like we’ve seen this all before. But, while the storyline may be recycled, the women of Desperate Housewives still remain complex and compelling characters. While it may not be all that exciting to watch the ladies try to keep yet another secret, (which will inevitable surface at the worst possible time) it’s still fun to watch Gabrielle, Bree, Lynette, and Susan squirm their way into and out of another season of ludicrous situations.