Why is Desperate Housewives so addicting? I am not a housewife, and the surreal, pampered daily existence of the women it follows in no way resonates with my own. Almost all of the characters are emotionally and/or psychologically flawed to a fault, and none are wise. There is no strong pull for viewers to want to be like any of these women. Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) is a spoiled, selfish, materialistic, albeit gorgeous adulterer. Susan (Terri Hatcher) is a klutzy, awkward, indecisive, and immature divorcee struggling to function on her own. Bree (Marcia Cross) is the quintessential perfectionist of a homemaker, whose obsession with keeping up appearances is actually testament to great underlying hostility. And, Lynnette (Felicity Huffamn) is the ex-executive stay-at-home mom who loves her kids, but quietly mourns the loss of her career life. Then there is Edie (Nicolette Sheridan), a more peripheral figure, who plays the neighborhood floozy and comes off as cold, but also can on the rare occasion demonstrate the most humanity of anyone as long as she is safe to let her guard down—distantly reminiscent of a Mary Magdalene (OK. So, very distant).
These women are desperate. However, upon viewing the premiere of the show’s second season, it was fairly confirmed that these are not evolving characters—they are static. Yet, somehow, the show itself is not static, and to those with the slightest taste for it, it’s very entertaining. Although each episode is introduced with a lose theme of some kind which connects the experiences of each main character, the plot is driven by an underlying mystery—namely that surrounding the sudden suicide of the women’s late fellow-housewife and friend.
Somehow, this conglomerate of a show interweaves elements of soap opera, comedy, drama, and mystery, but maintains an excellent balance. If for one moment the show took itself too seriously it would fall flat; these characters are not to be taken seriously. It is, after all, a satire in addition to its other modes. Yet, in maintaining that balance, viewers aren’t made to laugh at them either; their misfortunes seem real, though their lives may not. The mystery that intertwines them all makes it interesting, keeps one guessing, and though it emphasizes the dramatic, brings balance by moving the mystery along. Viewers are never kept in suspense for too long—as if to once again acknowledge that the show does not take itself too seriously, and that the fun of mystery and suspense is in the revelation, not the drama.
The writers of Desperate Housewives confirmed these merits on Sunday night. With the initial season’s looming question of mystery now answered, I wondered whether the plot would fizzle out or grow stale. But the outlook is good. The housewives are the same, but their lives are somewhat altered, and most importantly, their unsuspecting, picture-perfect, suburban neighborhood has unknowingly welcomed another secret. There is a new family in town—the show’s first black characters—that appear to be keeping someone chained up in the basement of their new home. It will be interesting to see how all elements of this new mystery, as well as the portrayal of the show’s only minority characters plays out. All in all, Desperate Housewives is not entertainment at its finest, but is far from its worst, and it certainly has something that makes it fun and keeps viewers guessing. If one is looking for more than that from television, then they will most likely meet a sore disappointment.
