What I'm Watching: Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives: Season 7, Episode 5 “Let Me Entertain You” (B)

More so than probably any other series I've seen, this show invests a hell of a lot in its temporary characters. In this case, it's the otherwise irrelevant neighbor who simply serves as the background noise for the exposition of some brawling between Renee and Gaby. It makes sense that Renee and Gaby would become friends and then bitter enemies not too long after, though I could have lived without the joke about being married to a sports star (as Eva Longoria is). I've never been too impressed with the writing for Tom and Lynette, since Tom more than often just seems too oblivious and clueless to function. The dramatic resolution of the conflict between Lynette and her mother-in-law worked pretty well, and I'm not sure why Tom's mother having Alzheimer's is necessary since the Scavo family doesn't really need any more heartache. Bree's relationship was a good light plotline for the episode, and I enjoyed the way that it got resolved as well, with Keith's unsurprising confession that he often felt intellectually inadequate when spending time with Bree. I was thinking throughout the episode that this Susan plotline really does need to be resolved, very quickly. Fortunately, there's been a major development, in the form of Paul, who wants to buy everyone's house to exact some complicated revenge scheme. Paul definitely succeeds at being super creepy by continuing to talk in a menacing tone even when Susan's computer is closed. At least her side job can come to an end, and Paul can now return to a more prominent role on the show.