Shark Bytes

I feel bad that poor Alfre Woodward is considered the reason this show jumped the shark. I actually enjoyed her storyline, unlike most. The tension between her and Bree was amazing. The problem was that the writers made too much suspense out of a secret that wasn't all that interesting. It served as a let down compared to the big secret of season 1. As an actress, this is not the fault of Alfre Woodward who is an amazing award winning actress. I think the producers/writers should have been more loyal to her and kept her on the show to develop her character more. I see a lot of Katherine's character as being what Marc Cherry intended for Alfre, as far as her rivalry with Bree.

to me it jumped for 3 reasons;
the first season wasn't so much of a soap opera; it was clever unorthodox comedy, it seemed like the writers were thinking outside the box, and the 4 women were close and were there for each other, despite being totally different: from season 2 they hardly interacted and it became a total soap...
then it look slike the writers didn't plan anything for the show, they just made it up as they went and that caused uninteresting character sketches and continuity problems.
then there's edie; just an obnoxious whore. that's it about her. i was so happy to see her kill herself; but no they had to bring that boring idiot back in

The trouble with this show is that you've got sitcom writers attempting to do a soap opera.

It's a completely different genre of writing. OK, they're both plot-driven rather than character-driven; beyond that, there are no similarities. One goes for quick laughs via set-up, zinger, set-up, zinger. All problems and issues are resolved in 21 minutes (minus commercials). The other seeks to spin out plotlines excruciatingly slowly over a period of weeks or even months, milking them for all they're worth. Sometimes (often times) this approach provokes boredom, but it can also be a lot of fun when the plotline in question is juicy enough.

But with Desperate Housewives, even a plotline that's rich with possibilities is quickly discarded. Think Orson and his mysterious past. Think Bree...remember when she was under suspicion of murdering Rex...for like 1/4 of an episode? How 'bout her alcoholism, dealt with in 3 or 4 episodes? With no lingering aftereffects or backsliding. See? Sitcom writing.

Imagine Mary Higgins Clark writing a techno-thriller. Or Tom Clancy writing an historical romance. Did just thinking about either possibility make you involuntarily shudder?

That's what Desperate Housewives does on a weekly basis.

I usually only watch this show because my wife insists on it. I find it rather corny but it's a bit of fun that I can easily endure for the sake of staying in my wife's good graces.

However, I've really enjoyed seeing Nathan Fillion on the show. He's been a favorite of mine ever since his stint as Mal on the short-lived Firefly (and then his reprisal of that role in the movie Serenity).

DH is still a corny show, but it's not the horrible garbage that some have tried to make it out to be. Just take it with a grain of salt, as it is meant to be.

Deperate is right. You have to be pretty hard up for entertainment if you watch this show. Read a book, take a walk or find a hobby...ANYTHING but waste your time with this garbage. Each second you indulge in this clap trap only deadens your brain cells and makes you a target for the next crapfest that the networks drool out. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

I think this is totally jumping the shark. I hate when shows do this. I don't mind a couple of months even a year but 5 come on. I hope they didn't just kill a show that I really like.

In answer to that Shark Byte:

Orson ran over that poor schmuck because the writers are SICK of following previous continuity and just wanted to do some stuff.

Why else a five-year jump?

Bonus ramp points when and if they take it back as if it were a dream!

From Kristen: I think the Writers' Strike made this show even more cornier for me than ever! I can appreciate putting reality aside, but I've gotten to the point where I don't even like the characters. Gabby and Carlos? Please...they're are selfish and arrogant. Lynette? Try to pull back the gloves before ALWAYS telling your husband what a loser he is...Bree? Ok, my son can run over someone but you can't? Susan? Do you have something to trip over? The whole thing with Stupid's, I mean DYLAN's dad? BORING! Dylan was so stupid to even get that close to a stranger, if her mother had known, she probably would have let her stay in the orphanage!

This is still a delightful show. While I'm a bit concerned with next season's five year jump, I do not think this show has jumped the shark. It has the occasional episode where I almost feel as if I've spotted a fin (*ahem* Rick returns, season four *ahem*), but it always manages to land on its feet with humor and heart.

I Live in Germantown TN where the creator of the show grew up, supposedly.
except for the murder it is right on target with what goes on with our neighbors.
Stalkers, sabbotage, attitudes, divorce, kids,theft,cheating spouses, rehab, etc... live there... everyones got a secret or problem they dont tell.. even you
One of our neighborhoods and the houses look just like theirs. Search for Homes for sale in Germantown in Aintree farms...developed 15 years ago.

Wait! What the hell was that at the end of the season finale???!!!
Bree and Orson suddenly back together, Dylan getting engaged in Paris, Andrew being some business man, Gaby having two little girls in her room playing with her makeup,and Susan getting it on with some hunk???
You said they jumped ahead 5 years??? They look no different!!! They should have aged them!!! Give them grey hair or wrinkles or something!!
Well that just screws it up comletely!!! I hate when show have to rush things and rocket past everything!!! That is just stupid!! You mean that the show will take place in 2013 while we are still in 2008???
Oh yeah! That makes total sense!!! Not!
The cars and houses and any other object and items will have to be imagined and made fictional!! They will have to make a fictional 2013!
Now that would have been a fun idea 20 years ago, but this close to that year is just--why do that?!
This show's goodness is crumbling away like the Roman Colloseum!!!

Randy: Why do you assume Mike & Susan divorced? Mike could just as easily have been killed or overdosed on pain killers what with the seemingly incessant demons in the man's past.

I think the five-year jump is brilliant. It allows the writers to start fresh story lines without having to show a lot of other stuff that would take a weeks and weeks to present. For example, they get rid of Mike without having us see the total breakdown of the marriage.

Does Marc Cherry not like children or something? Every child on the show with the exception of Susan'a daughter have been huge brats with major problems (Bree's son and Lynette's sons and stepdaughter for starters).

I hope you guys are right. I am hopelessly addidicted. I enjoy this show and the creativity. My husband is addicted too. He did not see the ending but I did and he tried guessing and he was wrong. Ha.
In our defense we don't watch reality TV. We enjoy good plots and drama and humor. Everything else we watch is LINK TV and NPR. Life is pretty Heavy we like to take a break now and then through a good light hearted drama.
K.