DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, season seven, episode one, “Remember Paul” saw the return of…well, Paul. Yes, Paul Young is back to wreck havoc on Wisteria Lane. Maybe the writers can make his storyline remotely interesting this time around.
After ten years in prison, Felicia Tillman (sister of the woman Paul murdered) was found alive (Paul was convicted of her murder) so an exchange is made: Paul is released, Felicia is incarcerated. As we saw at the end of last season, Paul is renting Susan’s home while Susan, Mike and their six year old snob, I mean son, stay in another house a few blocks away. At the end of last season this development promised great change with regard to Susan and the residents of Wisteria Lane. I had hoped it meant the end of Susan forever. Unfortunately that was not to be; really nothing has changed. She still goes to Wisteria Lane to gossip and nosey, she just takes a car to get there.
Carlos and Gabby are keeping secrets from each other. The fact that Eva Longoria Parker is the only housewife without an Emmy nomination is completely laughable: she is the best housewife, the most consistently entertaining. Bree tells Gabby that her son killed Carlos’ mother. But Gabby decides to keep the secret to herself because otherwise there would be no plot Carlos is so happy. Meanwhile, Carlos is told that Juanita was swapped at birth. He too decides to keep the secret to himself because otherwise there would be not plot Gabby will kill herself.
Bree is being really dull: divorced from Orsen who is apparently dating his physical therapist, she sets her sights on the muscled painter (Brian Austen Green from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.) What an original concept for this show.
Lynette’s wealthy friend Renee (Vanessa Williams!) comes over just to make anyone’s gay-metre explode with delight. They exchange amusing retorts before Renee reveals her husband is leaving her. Which seems far too uninteresting a storyline for Williams to partake in.
But at least she does not have Susan’s storyline, which is basically house cleaning porn so Mike won’t have to get a job in Alaska. I know, it sounds horrible: house cleaning. Ugh.
I enjoy Desperate Housewives because the storylines move along quickly: If you dislike one character (Susan), within three minutes the focus will turn to someone you enjoy (Gabrielle). This episode was fine, but for a premiere I was expecting more of a punch.
What did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments below!
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