What I'm Watching: Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives: Season 4, Episode 5 "Art Isn't Easy" (D+)

There is a decent amount of material to like towards the beginning of this hour, but by the middle, it has mostly gone downhill. By the end, it has risen back up again. That is not a formula that is likely to work too well if repeated. Lynette has become too much of a miserable, vindictive charactcer that she is never enjoyable to watch. The lines of good and evil are too clearly drawn as far as Katherine and Lynette go. Additionally, Susan is allowed to have some loyalty to Katherine given that they were friends well before Susan ever met Lynette. Marcia Cross' delivery of every one of Bree's lines has become far too precocious and overthought. I remember Phyllis from the second season premiere as a much more abrasive, strong-mined individual, as opposed to the pushover who now appears on the show. These are the kind of problems that have been there all along, but they are just starting to really get annoying. Gabrielle and Carlos are a bit too open and indiscreet about their relationship, a mistake which will now presumably cause them a great deal of trouble. Gotta love that last scene with Edie vocalizing her feelings to the P.I. who just wants to get paid. Remind me why Susan is on this show again? Oh right, to antagonize the gay people.