DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: HOME IS THE PLACE (TV)
Summary
One in this darkly comedic soap opera about the denizens of Wisteria Lane, a suburban neighborhood with a seedy underbelly that is thrust to the forefront after the suicide of one titular housewife.
Bree meets Alex's mother Melina, a recently-fired cocktail waitress, and the two immediately don't get along as Melina tries to monopolize Alex and Andrew's time and attention. Dave hides a case full of prescription drugs from Edie, and will not tell her about what's upsetting him. Susan gets a message from Jackson, who is visiting his old college, wishing to speak to her about something important. Susan eavesdrops on Bob and Lee having an argument about Lee going out clubbing that night, and is then confronted by Lee. Susan convinces Lee to take her to the club with him, as without Jackson around she is bored and wants to help Lee deal with his issues with Bob. Meanwhile, Bob tries to take Porter's deposition for his upcoming trial, but soon Penny inadvertently reveals that Preston is posing as Porter. Carlos reveals to Gabrielle that regaining his sight has caused him to quit his job at the country club, and she tells him that he needs to find a new job as soon as possible.
Orson advises Bree to pretend to like Melina as she prepares for a formal family dinner. Lynette and Tom reveal to Bob that they don't know where Porter is, and Bob says he now has a legal obligation to report his disappearance or he could get disbarred. If the judge finds out about Porter they could lose their restaurant, as Lynette used it to post bond. Bob gives them two days to find Porter before he has to meet with the district attorney. In town Gabrielle meets Bradley Scott, one of Carlos's old business partners. He reveals that he's now married and has opened up an investment fund, earning him a high-paying corporate position. Gabrielle tells him that Carlos is looking for a job and he offers Carlos a high-paying position, and Gabrielle agrees on Carlos's behalf. Roberta and Karen visit the office of Dr. Heller; Dave is one of his patients and they are trying to find out more information about him. When the receptionist tells them that Dr. Heller isn't there, they decide to wait in the waiting room for him.
Gabrielle tells Carlos about her meeting with Bradley, but Carlos tells her that he has already found a job: working with the blind at the community center. Gabrielle complains that Carlos's new job won't pay enough to support the family, but Carlos refuses to work for Bradley, calling him an "ass." Gabrielle secretly calls Bradley and tells him that Carlos is interested in the position, inviting him and his wife over for dinner that night. Susan is out at a club with Lee when she receives a call from Jackson. Andrew and Alex tell their mothers that they are looking for a place to live in Fairview despite the high housing prices, especially the Adams house. Edie and Melina get into an argument over where they think Alex and Andrew should live; Bree believes they should stay in Fairview whereas Melina wants them to move back to Oakdale, Alex's home town. The argument ends unresolved, and Alex and Andrew decide to think about it.
At the club, Lee complains about Bob's self-righteous behavior, and Susan tells him that Jackson got a job offer from his old art professor and wants her to move in with him. She thinks that she has to do it, although Lee wants her to make sure she isn't simply settling for what is currently convenient. She admits that Jackson may not be perfect, but this could be her last chance to avoid "sabotaging" her own relationships. The next morning, Susan awakens to find Lee sleeping naked next to her, and she believes that the two of them slept together, much to her horror. Lynette cannot find Porter, but discovers that Preston has been talking to him on the phone. Preston says that Porter will not come home due to Warren Schilling's threat to kill him, but Lynette says they can get a restraining order against Schilling. Preston accuses Lynette of being more concerned about her restaurant than about Porter's safety.
Susan tells Gabrielle about what happened the previous night without divulging Lee's identity. Bob visits, concerned that Lee didn't come home the previous night, and Susan tells him that Lee slept in her guest room. Bob is relieved and Gabrielle howls with laughter, realizing what has apparently transpired. Roberta and Karen manage to wear the receptionist down and get her to admit that Dr. Heller left on some sort of trip and has yet to return. The two of them speculate on whether Dave is involved in Dr. Heller's disappearance, but Roberta becomes frustrated with the "wild goose chase" and leaves, with Karen following close behind. This leaves them unaware of Dave placing a phone call to the receptionist asking for a refill on his prescription, which would have given them a vital clue.
Bree and Melina once again come into conflict during the family dinner. Melina reveals that she has secured a practice for Andrew in Oakdale, and Alex and Andrew appear to strongly favor this decision. Bree panics and blurts out that she purchased the Adams house for them as a wedding present. Melina is speechless, and Andrew is extremely grateful for this gesture. Bree asks Orson to stall Melina while she calls Edie and tries to actually purchase the house. Carlos returns home to find that Gabrielle has invited Bradley and his wife Maria over for dinner. She asks Carlos to hear Bradley's offer, but says that if he decides not to take the job that she will fully support his decision, and Carlos agrees. During the meal it becomes clear that Bradley and Maria have serious marital problems caused by his career, to the point where Maria advises Carlos to stay with his job at the community center, and states that she wants a divorce from Bradley.
Edie awakens in the middle of the night to find that Dave is not in bed with her. She goes downstairs into the kitchen to find Dave sitting there, apparently whispering to himself. She approaches him and he jumps, accidentally hurting her arm. She asks what is going on but he refuses to tell her, asking that he be left alone. Lynette drives Preston to the front of a bar, much to his confusion. She tells him that the most important thing in her life is protecting her children, and that she will never allow Schilling to harm Porter. She reveals that they are in front of a bar that Schilling frequents every night, and she plans to run him over with her car to prevent him from harming Porter. Preston, frightened of what his mother might do, agrees to try to convince Porter to come home. Carlos confronts Gabrielle about the decision to take Bradley's job, which he sees as high-paying but "soul-crushing," or his lower-paying but more personally fulfilling work at the community center. Gabrielle says that she and the family made many sacrifices while he was blind, and that it's time for him to return the favor and provide for them. Carlos thinks it over and comes to the decision to take Bradley's job after all.
Susan visits Lee and finds out that they didn’t sleep together after all, much to her relief. Lee asks her about her decision to move in with Jackson; she says he loves her and she's growing to love him back. She maintains that she can't live without being in a relationship, but Lee convinces her to tell Jackson that she needs time to think about her decision. Preston and Lynette try to convince Porter to come home, but he is still frightened of both Schilling's possible retribution and the possibility that he might go to jail. Lynette tries to reassure him that they will be able to work through this. Before he can respond, his phone is snatched away and turned off; it turns out he's staying with his grandmother Stella, who still distrusts Lynette. Edie confronts Dave, and he reveals that he was already married once before, but his first wife died. She kicks Dave out of her house. Alex and Andrew move into the Adams house, and Dave shares a last look at Karen before he leaves the neighborhood. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: January 4, 2009 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 101557
- GENRE: Comedy; Drama, night-time serial
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama, night-time serial
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2004-2012
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – "Bride Wars" motion picture
- TV – Commercials – "Gran Torino" motion picture
- TV – Commercials – "Hotel for Dogs" motion picture
- TV – Commercials – "Last Chance Harvey" motion picture
- TV – Commercials – "The Unborn" motion picture
- TV – Commercials – Alka-Seltzer cold medicine
- TV – Commercials – Allstate insurance
- TV – Commercials – Arbor Day Foundation non-profit organization
- TV – Commercials – Carnival cruise lines
- TV – Commercials – Cover Girl cosmetics
- TV – Commercials – Disney theme parks
- TV – Commercials – Dove body wash
- TV – Commercials – Finish detergent
- TV – Commercials – Gain laundry detergent
- TV – Commercials – Geico car insurance
- TV – Commercials – Girl Scouts children's organization
- TV – Commercials – H&R Block tax services
- TV – Commercials – Lubriderm skin lotion
- TV – Commercials – Maybelline cosmetics
- TV – Commercials – Mucinex decongestant
- TV – Commercials – Pepsi soft drinks
- TV – Commercials – Pizza Hut pizza
- TV – Commercials – Robitussin cough medicine
- TV – Commercials – Skin Renew skin lotion
- TV – Commercials – Slim-Fast diet shakes
- TV – Commercials – T-Mobile phone service
- TV – Commercials – Truvia artificial sweetener
- TV – Commercials – Wal-Mart department stores
- TV – Commercials – Walgreens retail stores
- TV – Commercials – Weight Watchers weight loss program
- TV – Promos – "Barbara Walters Special: Patrick Swayze: the Truth"
- TV – Promos – "Brothers and Sisters"
- TV – Promos – "Desperate Housewives"
- TV – Promos – "Grey's Anatomy"
- TV – Promos – "Homeland Security U.S.A."
- TV – Promos – "Private Practice"
- TV – Promos – "Scrubs"
- TV – Promos – "The Bachelor"
- TV – Promos – "True Beauty"
CREDITS
- Matt Berry … Executive Producer
- Alexandra Cunningham … Executive Producer
- Joey Murphy … Executive Producer
- John Pardee … Executive Producer
- Larry Shaw … Executive Producer
- Sabrina Wind … Executive Producer
- Bob Daily … Executive Producer
- George W. Perkins … Executive Producer
- David Grossman … Executive Producer, Director
- Marc Cherry … Executive Producer, Created by
- Dave Flebotte … Co-Executive Producer
- Lori Kirkland Baker … Co-Executive Producer
- Jamie Goldberg … Supervising Producer, Writer
- Stephanie Hagen … Producer
- Charles Skouras III … Producer
- Dana Wilson … Associate Producer
- Jeff Greenstein … Consulting Producer
- Joe Keenan … Consulting Producer
- Steve Jablonksy … Music by
- Danny Elfman … Theme Music by
- Teri Hatcher … Cast, Susan Mayer
- Felicity Huffman … Cast, Lynette Scavo
- Marcia Cross … Cast, Bree Hodge
- Eva Longoria Parker (See also: Eva Longoria) … Cast, Gabrielle Solis
- Nicollette Sheridan … Cast, Edie Britt
- Ricardo Antonio Chavira … Cast, Carlos Solis
- Doug Savant … Cast, Tom Scavo
- Kyle MacLachlan … Cast, Orson Hodge
- Dana Delany … Cast, Katherine Mayfair
- Neal McDonough … Cast, Dave Williams
- Shawn Pyfrom … Cast, Andrew Van De Kamp
- James Denton … Cast, Mike Delfino
- Charlie Carver … Cast, Porter Scavo
- Max Carver … Cast, Preston Scavo
- Joshua Logan Moore … Cast, Parker Scavo
- Kendall Applegate … Cast, Penny Applegate
- Lily Tomlin … Cast, Roberta Simmons
- Todd Grinnell … Cast, Alex Cominis
- Kathryn Joosten … Cast, Karen McCluskey
- Gale Harold … Cast, Jackson Braddock
- Tuc Watkins … Cast, Bob Hunter
- Kevin Rahm … Cast, Lee McDermott
- David Starzyk … Cast, Bradley Scott
- Ion Overman … Cast, Maria Scott
- Joanna Cassidy … Cast, Melina Cominis
- Polly Bergen … Cast, Stella Wingfield
- Madison de la Garza … Cast, Juanita Solis
- Daniella Baltodano … Cast, Celia Solis
- Erin O'Shaughnessy … Cast, Receptionist
- Brenda Strong … Voice, Mary Alice Young