Friendship and Honor

Desperate Housewives. A friend of mine loves watching it because it was so unrealistic. I loved watching it because it was so realistic. The first season, that is. Now I watch it because it still is one of the best satires of soap operas and the upper middle class. You have to remember that when you're watching the show. It's basically a soap opera and ocassionally uses soap opera methods for resolving plots that are going no where or to rid a show of a character who has outlived their usefulness, or to allow an actor to move on to another project.

The Fourth Season Finale was way over the top, but still pretty good. The creative team concluded this year's theme of friendship in a bizarre way. They had already sent Edie Britt packing because she had been told by the ladies that she knew nothing about real friendship and they no longer wanted anything to do with her.

Katherine Mayfair's mystery resolved. Her daughter, Dylan, died in a tragic home accident that she and her now deceased aunt conspired to conceal. They buried the five-year-old in the woods. Then, Katherine moved, went to Romania and adopted an orphan that looked like her deceased daughter. The Dylan we saw all year was not the same Dylan who was living on Wisteria Lane 14 years ago. In the end, Katherine killed her abusive ex-husband and was released because the murder was self-defense. This was one of the most unrealistic moments of all. Of course, in real life, it would gone through the courts, even if the charges were dismissed before going to trial. Nevertheless, the problem was resolved in a soap-operaish way.

Wayne Davis, Katherine's ex-husband did kill Gabrielle and Carlos's drug-dealing roomer. But not before Gabrielle had found the drug money and lied to Ellie that the police had confiscated it when they raided the house. Thus, the Solis's financial problems are solved.

Lynette was accused of child abuse, then arrested and thrown into jail. Tom had trouble facing the reality of the situation, but finally, after Lynette's chastisement, did what had to do. He tricked his tricky daughter into confessing what she had done. Kayla was sent packing to live with her grandparents 4 1/2 hours away from the Scavos family. Marc Cherry resolved one of the problems of the large family he wished he hadn't made so big.

Mike and Susan battled over a name for their son. Finally, Mike settled it by insisting the infant be named Maynard for his honorable grandfather, who had started the first integrated school in Tennessee and helped Mike and his mother when Mike's father was sent to prison. Julie is heading to college, with a special internship in the summer. This causes Susan much angst and she lies in a feeble attempt to keep her daughter for three more months. After Katherine's confession that she had lied to Dylan all of her life, she fesses up and let's her daughter go. But not before Julie tells her that she, herself, is ready to spread her wings and fly. Julie tells Susan she's no longer needed there.

Bree and Orson had not yet reconciled, in spite of Orson's persistant stalking. She won't until he goes to the police about what he did to Mike. He says he can't.

The season finale was also filled with moments about honor. Orson publicly defends the honor of Bree when a spurned suitor who happens to be a respected minister decides to sermonize about the "temptress." Julie was honored for her intelligence when she was accepted at the school of her choice and invited to come early for a summer internship. Adam Mayfair honored his estranged wife by coming to her rescue and saving her and Bree muderous Wayne. Tom honored his wife by sending his deeply disturbed daughter to live with her grandparents.

We also saw that some friendships are based on convenience. Ellie sold drugs out of Gabrielle and Carlos's house, feigned love for them, then threatened to throw acid on Gabrielle's face when she realized Gaby had found the drug money and was lying to her about it. Gaby, of course, showed her real concern was for herself and her husband by keeping the money, a kind of theft (although a lawyer might tell you that possession is 9/10 of the law and therefore, it might rightfully be considered Gabrielle's.)

What are their fates? Marc Cherry had promised a twist that would change the show. That was a flash forward, a story telling device that proved successful for ABC's other cult favorite, Lost. Mary Alice zooms to the year 2013. We see the ladies playing cards. Bree's there, Lynette with her hair back, Susan, a plumper looking Gabrielle, and Katherine. The twist wasn't as dramatic as rumors had it. Marc Cherry had told reporters that he thought it might be fun to see how things out for this eclectic group in five years. The twist was really letting fans know that Dana Delaney has joined the cast on a permanent basis. She had rejected the part of Bree Van de Kamp when Marc Cherry was first casting the show. Now, we have two Brees...

Tom and LYnette are still together, having trouble with preteen sons.

Gabrielle is having trouble with two young daughters who love to play dress-up just like mommy. No Carlos (doesn't mean he's gone, just not in that scene, anyway.)

Bree is about to get a book published and seems to be the new Marth Stewart. Orson and she are still married, and Andrew seems to be her agent or assistant.

Katherine is alone in a bedroom, talking to Dylan, who is in Paris and called to tell her that her boyfriend proposed.

Susan, though, was a shocker. She has a new husband and they kiss like a cover of a romance novel. It was symbolized the creative team's understanding of women's fantasies.

Edie was not in the picture. Rumors had circulated since the first year that Edie may be written out of the story.

Friendship, real friendship, and honor won in a strange and strangely satisfying conclusion to Desperate Housewives' fourth season.

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