After spending eight years with the women of Wisteria Lane, Desperate Housewives fans figured they’d be reaching for the tissues during the show’s May 13 series finale. But instead of getting the warm, satisfying ending they’d hoped for, viewers watched in disappointment as four seemingly life-long friends — Susan (Teri Hatcher), Gaby (Eva Longoria), Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Bree (Marcia Cross) – parted ways, never to see each other again.

These women have weathered countless disasters together, both natural (hello, tornado!) and man-made (hello, all of season eight!), but they couldn’t manage the occasional Skype chat? I understand that it’s easy to lose touch with your friends, especially if you’re scattered across the country and raising your own families, but I at least expected to see Lynette and Susan together in their twilight years. I mean, they do share a grandchild! They’re family!

At its core, Desperate Housewives has always been about the strength of the four women as a group — particularly as they dealt with the dark secret of Alejandro’s murder in this final season — so to split them up just when they were finally in the clear felt like unauthentic, like something the women would never actually do if they were real.

Then again, maybe it was creator Marc Cherry‘s attempt to make a profound statement — that life doesn’t always work out as you plan it, despite your best efforts. And when you consider that Housewives‘ narrator is a woman who literally shot herself in the head in the pilot, it’s also possible that the series finale’s ending was just a way to get back to the show’s original roots.

So what do YOU think? Did the women of Wisteria Lane receive a proper sendoff, or were you hoping they’d all be TOGETHER for their happily-ever-afters? Leave a comment with your personal review of the show’s final moments!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Desperate Housewives:

1. Recap: Will Bree Betray Gaby To Save Herself?
2. Recap: Did Lynette Lose Tom Forever?
3. First Look: Renee’s Wedding Dress Revealed

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The two-hour series finale of Desperate Housewives somehow managed to feature every last-episode cliché in the book — a wedding, a delivery, a trial, a death, etc. — but in true Housewives fashion, it all worked together perfectly. Not only were we given closure with each of the women we’ve grown to love, but we were also reminded that there will always be drama on Wisteria Lane. We just won’t see it.

Karen (Kathryn Joosten) ”confessed” to killing Ramon in the first hour, and considering she’s about to die of cancer, the prosecution chose not to press charges. So Bree (Marcia Cross) got off scott-free, and no one got hurt — well, except for the American justice system. That one got screwed pretty badly.

And now that she was a free woman, Bree was also free to be with her knight-in-legal-armor Tripp — which means he’ll either be dead or paralyzed within the next few years. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during the past eight seasons, it’s that no good comes from marrying Bree.

Tom (Doug Savant) and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) also finally arrived on the same page and decided to get back together. “You’re the love of my life,” he told her, cuing up an epic kiss — the kind that required a 360-degree camera to truly capture. But because Tom and Lynette are contractually obligated to always be miserable, a newly de-lesbian’d Katherine (Dana Delaney) returned to the lane with a proposition for Lynette to help launch her new business in New York.

And then there was the whole birth-death montage during Renee’s (Vanessa Williams) wedding, which is worthy of its own graf. The birth of Julie’s (Andrea Bowen) child was coupled with Karen’s death in a heart-wrenching sequence set to an olden-time ditty from Karen’s youth. The whole thing was done so beautifully, though I have to wonder which is the bigger tragedy: Karen dying or Porter Scavo (Charlie Carver) becoming a father.

Mary Alice’s (Brenda Strong) final voiceover treated viewers to a look into the ladies’ futures: Tom and Lynette moved to New York, where she and Tom eventually raised their six grandchildren; Bree married Tripp, moved to Kentucky and was eventually elected to the state legislature; Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) helped Gaby (Eva Longoria) create a website called “Gabrielle’s Closet,” which eventually led to a show on the Home Shopping Network and a new life in California.

But it was Susan’s (Teri Hatcher) one-last-drive around the block that truly left the audience haunted — literally. As she rolled down Wisteria Lane, Susan was met by the ghost of each and every person who died on the show, from Mike (James Denton) and Karl (Richard Burgi) to Paul Young (Mark Moses) and Tom’s crazy ex who got shot in the supermarket.

A brief meeting between Susan and the new owner of her house — who just so happens to be harboring a dark secret of her own — served to remind us that even though we won’t get to visit Wisteria Lane on a weekly basis anymore, the drama will carry on forever.

Did you think the ending was too depressing? Read our thoughts!

What did YOU think of the ending? After eight years, were you hoping for more, or was it everything you expected it to be? Which housewife will you miss the most? Share your thoughts about the finale in the comments section below! It’s been fun, friends.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Desperate Housewives:

1. Recap: Will Bree Betray Gaby To Save Herself?
2. Recap: Did Lynette Lose Tom Forever?
3. First Look: Renee’s Wedding Dress Revealed

Click here to view the embedded video.

On the May 6 episode of Desperate Housewives, the women of Wisteria Lane got served a dose of reality — but one housewife didn’t want to eat it.

While Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Julia (Andrea Bowen) were getting ready for the baby, Porter (Charlie Carver) was working overtime to earn a little extra money and shirking his baby daddy responsibilities. Susan reassured her Porter would step up when the baby was born, but Julie worried everything was falling apart. After confronting Porter at the fast food restaurant where he works, Susan realized he needs to sort out his own life before he can look after someone else’s. Not wanting Julie to give up on her education, Susan decided to move to be closer to Julie and help her raise the baby.

Meanwhile, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) was facing the possibility of losing Tom (Doug Savant) to India. In a last ditch effort to keep him in town, she invited Greg over for late-night drinks. (Clearly, Lynette still hasn’t learned her lesson about meddling.) Greg agreed to let Tom stay, but he thought he was getting something — or someone, rather — in return. Lynette shot him down, claiming she was hung up on someone else. Apparently, Greg didn’t realize Lynette was referring to Tom, because the next day at the office, he called her a bitch in front of him. When Tom got handed his pink-slip for punching Greg in the face, he realized he was still in love with Lynette and broke things off with Jane. Yay! But when he went over to Lynette’s, Tom spied her in a compromising situation with another man and left. Boo! In fact, it was only Lee (Kevin Rahm) helping Lynette out of her bridesmaid dress.

All the while, Bree’s (Marcia Cross) trial was getting underway. Susan and Lynette, who were having trouble sleeping, considered coming clean to the judge. Gabrielle (Eva Longoria), on the other hand, was in complete denial. After a run-in with some gossips at the grocery store, Gaby began to unravel, but it wasn’t until Juanita (Madison De La Garza) let Celia (Daniella Baltodano) take the fall for breaking a family heirloom that she came apart. I was sure Gaby was going to confess, but she only showed up at the courthouse to thank Bree and give her a scarf. I hope your new scarf matches your prison jumpsuit, Bree, because it looks like you’re going away for life!

During the proceedings, the prosecution painted Bree as an alcoholic and prostitute. Trip’s defense relied on Bree’s friends proving there was no way she could have murdered Ramon Sanchez the night of the progressive dinner. His plan appeared to be working until the prosecution blindsided him with Bree’s suicide note — you know, the one in which she confessed to doing something horrible. That’s when Trip called a recess and presented Bree with a little evidence of his own. It turned out Trip had hired a private investigator, who discovered Gaby’s connection to Ramon/Alejandro. When Bree told him she couldn’t betray her friends, Trip reminded her what was at stake — her freedom.

What did you think of tonight’s episode, HollywoodLifers? Can we all take a moment to reflect on the fact that there’s only one episode left of Desperate Housewives? Grab your Kleenex box! What are your hopes for the finale? Do you think Bree will be convicted of murdering Alejandro? Will Gaby come clean about Carlos? Will Lynette and Tom get back together? Will Susan move off the Lane? See you in the comments section!

– Josh Rosenblatt

More Desperate Housewives:

1. Recap: Did Lynette Lose Tom Forever?
2. First Look: Rene’s Wedding Dress Revealed!
3. Series Finale Scoop: Is Gaby Dying?

On the April 29 episode of Desperate Housewives, the ladies fought to stay in control — but some wound up losing it altogether.

Susan (Teri Hatcher) was having a hard time being mom and dad to MJ (Mason Vale Cotton). When she found out about the soapbox derby at MJ’s school, Susan insisted on building him a racer herself. How did MJ thank his mom for all her hard work? By pushing the car into oncoming traffic, of course! (Seriously, if he wasn’t so damn cute, I would tell MJ to learn some manners. Most of the time, he treats Susan like crap.) MJ explained how everyone at school already looked at him differently because his dad died; he didn’t want to make things worse by being the only kid at the soapbox derby with his mom. In the end, Susan realized it’s okay to ask for help, and she enlisted the guys in the neighborhood to work with MJ on his racer.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) continued settling into the role of breadwinner. When Doris Hammond (guest star Doris Roberts), an elderly widow, showed up at Cumberly’s looking for a personal shopper, Gabrielle thought she hit the jackpot. But when Gaby invited Doris home to butter her up, Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) saw dollar signs for his foundation. After Carlos slipped her a pamphlet, Doris decided to forget about shopping and donate her money to charity. Not one to give up without a fight, Gabrielle played dirty, ultimately ruining both her and her husband’s chances of getting the old bag’s money. Carlos confronted her, but Gaby fired right back at him, accusing Carlos of being a shark, just like her. That’s when Carlos told her he doesn’t want to be that person anymore. Uh oh. Why do I have a feeling things are only going to get worse between these two?

All the while, Bree (Marcia Cross) was awaiting her court date. (Was anyone else wondering where Bree’s friends were? It’s not like she’s putting her neck out on the line for them or anything. Oh wait, she is.) At her pretrial, the prosecution threw Bree’s lawyer, Trip Weston (guest star Scott Bakula), a curveball when they began dredging up her recent — how to put this nicely? — skankiness. Out of court, Trip demanded Bree be honest with him about her past. Bree initially refused, but when Trip began spilling his own embarrassing secrets, she opened up to him. Later on, with a little help from the girls, Bree realized she had the hots for Trip. How long before she hops into bed with him? We’ll have to wait and see!

Of all the ladies, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) had the juiciest storyline of the week. Unfortunately, that’s not saying much. After spotting Tom (Doug Savant) mackin’ on Jane, Lynette reluctantly agreed to go out with Greg, Tom’s skeevy boss. To her delight, Lynette soon realized she could use her relationship with Greg to her advantage. Greg, who was divorced himself, was more than happy to help Lynette sabotage Tom’s relationship with Jane by making Tom work long hours at the office. While Lynette was busy marvelling at their handiwork, she failed to notice Greg was falling for her — hard. On their next date, Greg informed Lynette Tom and Jane were on the rocks — and he was sending Tom to India for year. Bet you didn’t see that one coming, Lynette!

What did you think of this week’s episode? Do you think Tom will move to India? Will Carlos and Gaby’s marriage survive? Will Bree be convicted of murdering Alejandro? See you in the comments section!

– Josh Rosenblatt

It’s ironic that the April 1 episode of Desperate Housewives began with a monologue about how Bree (Marcia Cross) feels everything must go according to plan, because all the while, she had no idea someone was working on a nasty plan of their own — against her!

After being arrested for murder at Rene’s (Vanessa Williams) bridal shower, Bree tried to enlist the help of hot-shot lawyer Trip Weston (Scott Bakula), but he initially shot her down — until the case got really interesting. The detective claimed to have found a map of Wisteria Lane with Bree’s address circled among Ramon Sanchez’s belongings, but the audience knows what’s really going on: Yes, Ramon had a map of the lane, but it was the detective who fabricated the connection to Bree.

My question is: What’s this guy up to? I know he was Chuck’s (Jonathan Cake) former partner, and he claims to believe Bree is responsible for Chuck’s death, but could there be more to the story here? This is Desperate Housewives, after all.

The saga of Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Tom’s (Doug Savant) divorce also continued this week, and it’s looking like reconciliation is definitely in the cards for these two. That crazy bitch Jane brought divorce papers to Lynette’s house, urging her to sign them, which sent Tom into an angry rage. He told Jane that he would always care about Lynette, and if she couldn’t handle that, they couldn’t be together.

Meanwhile, Gaby’s (Eva Longoria) new job was putting a strain on her and Carlos’ (Ricardo Chavira) marriage. Apparently men don’t like it when their wives leave their wedding rings at home in order to shamelessly flirt with rich, handsome strangers. Who knew?

And even though Mike (James Denton) is dead, his story lines keep getting better and better. Susan (Teri Hatcher) discovered a mysterious box among her late husband’s belongings, which contained a checkbook she’d never seen before. Apparently, when he and Susan were divorced, Mike began sending checks to a woman every month. Thinking Mike had a secret child out there somewhere, Susan confronted the women — and it turns out she was way off! Mike actually had an autistic sister, and the check was being made out to the group home she lived in.

This discovery, coupled with the guilt Mike’s mother had over keeping her daughter a secret, gave Julie (Andrea Bowen) the push she needed to keep her own baby.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Was it unfair for Carlos to make Gaby feel guilty about her new job? Do you want Tom and Lynette back together, or do you sympathize with Jane? And do you think Bree will actually be able to avoid jail time? New episodes don’t return until April 22, so drop all your thoughts in the comments section below!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Desperate Housewives updates

After two weeks of shocks, tears and changes, the March 25 episode of Desperate Housewives found the women of Wisteria Lane doing exactly what they do best: meddling in other people’s lives! Susan (Teri Hatcher) helped her son handle his anger, Bree (Marcia Cross) broke up her son’s engagement, Gaby (Eva Longoria) got paid to tell strangers what to wear, and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) tried to reel Tom (Doug Savant) back into her life. But did it work?

Sort of! Lynette tricked Tom into coming over for a candlelit dinner, and a stroll down memory lane, but it all blew up in her face when she accidentally lit Tom’s arm on fire. When she turned on the light, he realized her power had been working the whole time, and stormed out. But back at the apartment, he turned down sex with Jane because he “had to get some work done.” Could this be a sign he’s seen the error of his ways?

Meanwhile, Bree was shocked when Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) returned home with his new fiancée — yes, that’s right. With two e’s. Andrew announced he was engaged to a woman, and when Bree realized they were only together for convenience, she rounded up a gaggle of Andrew’s best gays to remind him of the huge mistake he was making. I’d love to see season-one Bree have a conversation with season-eight Bree sometime; they’re completely different people!

And even though Gaby gave Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) her blessing to pursue a more rewarding career, she wasn’t quite ready to return to life on a budget. Thankfully, she found a way to channel her obsession with shopping into a full-time job as — what else — a personal shopper at her favorite department store! I know we’re supposed to be proud of how far Gaby has come, but that job was totally handed to her. And it’s barely a job. I remain unimpressed.

I was, however, impressed by Susan this week. MJ has been acting up since Mike (James Denton) died, and while she didn’t want to deal with the problem at first, she eventually figured out a way to channel his anger into something more productive: art!

Oh, and remember that whole murder investigation going on? Well, Bree’s latest conversation with Ben (Charles Mesure) was overheard by a few friendly neighborhood wire-tappers. Something tells me she’ll be watching the series finale from a jail cell.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Do you think there’s still hope for Tom and Lynette? Do you think Bree will end up behind bars by series’ end? And who knew Fairview had such a hoppin’ gay scene? Hit up the comments section with all your thoughts!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Desperate Housewives updates

Mike’s (James Denton) funeral on the March 18 episode of Desperate Housewives turned out to be more than just a tearjerker, as the women of Wisteria Lane used their memories of him to reflect on some of their past hardships — and realized what needs to be done to conquer their current demons.

I’ll start with Susan (Teri Hatcher), who was obviously the housewife most devastated by Mike’s death. Her speech about having to say goodbye to her husband was heart wrenching, and I’d be surprised if any longtime fan of the show didn’t shed a few tears while she envisioned Mike in heaven. But through this, she’s going to find the courage to stand on her own two feet — with the help of her friends, of course.

For Gaby (Eva Longoria), Mike’s selflessness — he even died protecting a friend — forced her to see the good in Carlos’ (Ricardo Chavira) decision to quit his job and focus on helping people. To be fair, though, Gaby has had similar revelations in the past; I’ll be curious to see if she feels the same way next week.

Lynette (Felicity Huffman) was inspired by Mike dedication to his marriage, giving her the motivation she so desperately needed to fight for Tom (Doug Savant). Maybe she won’t end the series single, after all.

But no one is in a worse situation that Bree (Marcia Cross), who was called down to the police station for more questioning. Her mother may have taught her well — we learned that Bree’s creepy poker face is in an inherited trait — but there’s one thing even the best liar can’t cover up: fingerprints! The police matched Bree’s to ones found on Ramón’s body.

As one of the detectives put it, they want to “put this bitch away.” I’m scurred!

How are you feeling after tonight’s episode, fellow Wisterians? Do you want to see Tom and Lynette back together before the series is over? Do you think Bree will be able to avoid prison? And, honestly, how hard did you cry during Susan’s speech? Leave a comment and let me know. It’s OK, you can use a fake name.

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Desperate Housewives updates

Even though most of us knew about tonight’s major death a few days ago, the March 11 episode of Desperate Housewives was nothing short of heartbreaking. The final scene between Mike (James Denton) and Susan (Teri Hatcher) on the porch literally ripped me to pieces, as she thanked him for always being there to protect people, and he told her — for the last time — just how much he really loved her.

Unfortunately, no one was able to protect Mike as the mobster returned for a little afternoon drive-by. Time stood still right before Mike was shot, as his life with Susan flashed before his — and our — eyes. And his final moments, as he lay bleeding and dying with Susan by his side, is without a doubt the most devastating moment this show has ever delivered us. (That title previously belonged to the season one finale in which Bree literally wailed when she found out her husband had died.)

Of course, it really wasn’t a great week for any of the housewives. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) found out Tom (Doug Savant) is moving in with his new girlfriend, Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) told Gaby (Eva Longoria) he’s quitting his job, and Bree (Marcia Cross) accidentally ate a poisoned pie that Mrs. McClusky had baked to kill herself.

What was YOUR reaction to Mike’s death? Did you know about it ahead of time, and did that soften the blow at all? Hit up the comments section with your thoughts on the episode, and Mike’s shocking (or not-so-shocking) death.

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Desperate Housewives updates