Desperate Housewives - The Season Finale

So the season finale finally arrived, promising drama, intrigue and plenty of upsets. Unfortunately it failed to deliver on all of these fronts, ending with a cliffhanger that inspired very little curiosity.

It's all about Dave… much like every other episode
The Dave thing has been dragging on for many months now and, although it should have been dramatic, I found myself caring very little about the outcome when it came down to it. He came across as very sinister from day one with his fake smile and odd comments and the fact that nobody (well, except for Mrs McCloskey) spotted it just left you feeling a little like they deserved whatever they got for being so stupid as to be blinded by his sleazy brand of charm.

MJ was the only one who deserved the sympathy at the end of the day. He's young, vulnerable and naturally trusting… and let's face it, he's the cutest kid on the street so we don't want to lose him. But Susan and Mike and everyone else who spent a lot of time with Dave and never suspected anything inspired no pity. Don't get me wrong, I watched it hoping that Mike would save the day, like everyone else I'm sure, but I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat and everything about the storyline screamed 'trying too hard people'. Fair enough that one of the clues was discovered but for the cops, Mrs Closkey and Mike to all discover the truth within minutes of each other was over-kill. We get that Dave's been rumbled. It'd be no less dramatic if Mike was the one to tell the cops, instead of running with the most unbelievable sequence of events. Enough already.

Bree and Carl… So obvious
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who could see the Bree and Carl love affair coming a mile off. But it was still one of the few decent storylines in recent weeks. The way they sparked off each other was entertaining to watch and you were just left waiting and waiting for the inevitable to happen. I actually think they'd be very entertaining as a couple but they'd have to get nasty Orson out of the picture first.

Nothing by halves in the Scavo household
In another example of taking storylines too far, Tom had yet another mid-life crisis freak-out this week - this time deciding to enrol himself in college as a mature student, an alright plot on its own but too much following his string of recent hairbrain ideas. And then just when things began to get dramatic with Lynette fearing that her cancer was back… we get treated to another pregnancy in the Scavo household (hardly a new storyline there… but wait there's a twist… it's twins… oops, that's not new either - it just sets the scene for more over-the-top fiascos there next season… can't wait!).

The new girl in town
Not loving Carlos' new niece Ana. She's mean, is getting up Gaby's nose (and we like the new mature, slightly less materialistic Gaby) and is probably going to cause a lot more trouble in the coming season. Also, did anyone else think that she looks really like Leona Lewis when she smiles?!

The cliffhanger
I'd love to say I cared whether Mike married Susan or Katherine (or even someone else) but I just don't. This year's season finale was lacking in all the things that made Desperate Housewives great in the first place, that real suspense, the twisted plotlines and great character development. Basically it was a wash-out and I'm rethinking even using the word 'cliffhanger' in relation to that dismal ending. Let's hope next season brings a bit more activity and fun to Wisteria Lane.

Linda McGee

Missed this episode of 'Desperate Housewives'? Watch it on the RTÉ Player here.