Ryan ChartrandA shoot-out in the supermarket. An amnesia-stricken convict caught in the middle of a steamy love triangle. A sack of human teeth hidden under the pantry floor boards .
Sounds like the plot to a melodramatic soap opera, or maybe a creepy horror flick, right? Well, not exactly. It’s simply a handful of the devilishly clever storylines from the current season of ABC’s hit show, “Desperate Housewives.”
The brainchild of comdey wiz Marc Cherry (The Golden Girls), “Desperate Housewives” hit the Hollywood television scene in 2004 to rave reviews from critics and viewers alike. Not only did the dramedy feature creative plot twists and a winning script (a refreshing change from much of the rehashed junk frequently paraded on the boob tube), it boasted another new phenomenon: sexy and strong women characters over the age of 40.
Overnight, the show seemed to resuscitate the quality of primetime television, as well as the floundering careers of its ensemble cast, led by previous has-been Teri Hatcher (“The Adventures of Lois and Clark”). Cast and crew members received a slew of nominations and awards. Men around the world were introduced to the fiery Eva Longoria. And women around the world learned to view plumbers’ cracks in a completely different light thanks to the lovely physique of James Denton- defintely a win-win situation for everyone.
However, as its obviously rocky second season came to a close, it appeared that “Desperate Housewives'”Midas touch might have an alarmingly short lifespan. Could the once sizzling show survive a third season (not to mention squandering the talents of the amazing Alfre Woodward)? The forecast on Wisteria Lane was all but sunny.
Fortunately, after a brief summer hiatus and a somewhat awkward pre-season lead-in that magically skipped the span of six months, the show is back and setting a pace that may make them better than ever.
It seems that Cherry and crew have done some much-needed trimming; say goodbye to the drooping storylines (Andrew’s sick fascination with screwing-over his mother, Bree), annoying guest spots (Nora “ding-dong the witch is dead” Huntington), and excess emotional baggage (the painfully strained state of Tom and Lynette’s marriage). These tiresome antics have been replaced with some new and wickedly funny changes; say hello to some highly enjoyable guest spots (Dixie Carter’s conniving, mentally unsound mother-in-law), interesting plot twists (the Scavo family restaurant), and even some downright chilling storylines (those rascally teeth under the floor boards, again).
Of course, no television show is perfect. It’s true that the show still has a few story gaps and that the men of Wisteria Lane are hurting for screen time. Still, the television season is young and the plot-line pickings are ripe.
Fear not, ladies and gentlemen, “Desperate Housewives” is taking a cue from one of its newest characters and bringing itself back from the dead.