The poster for the sixth season of Desperate Housewives warned us to “Never Underestimate a Housewife”. It couldn’t have been more accurate! This season has had from solid to excellent episodes so far this year, and for a serialized show to stay fresh, after six years, is harder than it sounds. I have divided my review into three parts that have established the character of the show since the first season. I will also give away a little tease for what to expect from upcoming episodes. At the end of my review I present a list of the standout performances of each lead actress.
Comedy: People say it’s hard to consider this show a comedy. In my opinion though, it is the comedy that gives sense to everything. It grounds the drama, and it makes the show unexpected. The comedy is not always a joke, or something to laugh at. While watching an episode I have found myself smiling many times, mainly because the humour is sometimes witty or brilliantly delivered (on script and on screen). A great example of that is Lynette’s first scene in the season premiere (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6H3pugzWG8). This scene wouldn’t be funny in a sitcom for example, mainly because there is more to it than just a punch line. In this scene we see, in my opinion, what people mean when they say that comedy comes from the most serious places, since we get really to feel the extent of Lynette’s desperation (no pun intended). Don’t get me wrong though, since there have also been many very funny punch lines.
Example:
Pilot’s wife: Will it kill you to spend some time with the woman you love?
Pilot: I don’t know, would you be upset if I brought her?
Pilot’s wife: As long as she doesn’t deflate in the plane
Some fun physical comedy was also provided such as the very funny catfight between Susan and Katherine which ended up in a bathtub.
All in all, the comedy so far this season, doesn’t feel limited, and it is well written while still being relevant to what the characters are going through.
Drama: The drama is excellent this season. Sure, we have the soapy stuff but we have many realistic moments that ground the show to a large extent. For example, we have Katherine’s final breakdown (which was acted beautifully) but then we have Lynette’s thought of abortion which is an issue that was dealt with carefully, and really portrayed the dilemma that a situation like Lynette’s may cause. We also have Bree’s dilemma between her domestic and sexual life. While her storyline peaked with the plane crash, what happened before the plane crash was still a very realistic situation. Bree did something completely out of character which makes it an entirely different situation than when Gaby had an affair back in season 1.
In short, the drama this season doesn’t overshadow the other elements that the show provides which makes it be more appreciated and realistic.
Mystery: I can’t talk about the mystery if I don’t first mention what a brilliant casting choice Drea de Matteo is. Having someone that’s tough and not a typical “Wisteria Lane” housewife has, in my opinion, made the suburban feel of the show even more apparent. However, so much has happened that I can’t yet rank the mystery compared to previous seasons. The writers can go both ways, so I guess we just have to wait and see.
In a word, the mystery has a very promising story, with all three actors being great and in character.
Conclusion and Tease for what is coming up: This season has been really good with some golden moments in it. I usually avoid spoilers but I had a little peak from the upcoming episode and all I have to say is that who died in the plane crash seems to be the least life-changing thing going on. I won’t give away much but the title for next episode is “If…”. Keep watching cause it seems to be getting even better.
Stand out performances
Comedy: Teri Hatcher: Episode 6 (fight with Katherine)
Felicity Huffman: Episode 1 (first scene)
Marcia Cross: Episode 2 (Julie catches her kissing Karl and Bree asks a doctor if she will remember it)
Eva Longoria: Episode 6 (home schools Juanita)
Dana Delany: Episode 4 (attacks Bree’s cake)
Drama: Teri Hatcher: Episode 2 (Julie is in the hospital)
Felicity Huffman: Episode 1 and 2 (confesses that she won’t love the babies and thinks of abortion)
Marcia Cross: Episode 8 (explains to Angie why she hasn’t divorced Orson)
Eva Longoria: Episode 7 (admits she is bad at homeschooling Juanita)
Dana Delany: Episode 1 (the entire episode)
