Jane (Erica Dasher) finally had her first real date with Eli (Bryan Dechart) on the July 17 episode of Jane By Design, and it was perfect — minus the part where Jane spilled red wine all over Nina Garcia and had to leave the fanciest restaurant in town wearing a table cloth for a dress. Other than that… perfect.

Fortunately Jane was able to fix that little problem all on her own, because Billy (Nick Roux) was a little busy sticking his foot in his mouth. He overheard Zoe and Nick (Matt Atkinson) running lines for the play, but thought they were having a serious conversation, which led to a super-awkward moment for the three of them. Zoe got mad at Billy for not trusting her, but um… isn’t the one who already lied to him about where she lived? I’ve been on the fence about Zoe so far, but after this episode, I’m officially not a fan.

Meanwhile, Ben was dealing with his own life crisis. Though he was given the opportunity of a lifetime — a chance to play minor-league baseball — he couldn’t help but think about what he’d be leaving behind: his family and, of course, Rita (Smith Cho). Shaw the Jaw even tried to stop Ben from leaving by coming clean about how she really feels, but it was too little too late. (I guess she’s kicking herself for wanting to take a break now.)

And after a long, heartfelt talk with Jane, her mom (Teri Hatcher) also decided it was time to grow up and accept Dakota’s proposal. So she packed her bags and headed off to Colorado. I have to say I’m really going to miss Kate. I loved that Jane’s mom was finally back in her life, and Teri Hatcher is always welcome on my TV screen. (Fingers crossed for a second season so we can get her back!)

But wait… with Ben and Kate gone, that means Jane is home alone! This should be… awesome.

Lots of relationship drama to talk about this week: How glad were you to see Jane’s date with Eli turn out perfectly? Are you as sick of Zoe’s nonsense as I am? And, seriously, when is Ben coming back? I miss him already. Drop me a comment with your own thoughts on this week’s episode.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Jane By Design:

1. ‘Jane By Design’ Recap: A Surprise Proposal Leaves Jane Speechless
2. ‘Jane By Design’ Star Erica Dasher Previews Jane & Eli’s First Real Date
3. ‘Jane By Design’ Stars Forced To Evacuate London Hotel After Fire

Jane’s (Erica Dasher) fairy tale life almost came crashing down around her — once again — on the July 10 episode of Jane By Design when her mom (Teri Hatcher) decided to whip up an online dating profile for Gray (Andie MacDowell), following the news that Beau has found himself a much younger fiancée. And, of course, India (India de Beaufort) was somehow able to manipulate Kate’s kind gesture in yet another attempt to oust Gray from the company.

Sneaky little India set up a fake date for Gray, as well as a surprise meeting with one of Donovan Decker’s biggest competitors. The plan was simple: Gray would show up for her date, bump into the competitor, India would snap a picture, and everyone would think Gray was jumping ship. But there was one thing India didn’t factor into her scheme: Gray getting cold feet! (Better luck next time, ya beautiful weasel.)

I also have to tip my hat to Jane — not something I’m used to doing, I know — for selflessly helping Billy (Nick Roux) get to his dinner with Zoe instead of heading into the city to stop Gray. Maybe there is a selfless bone somewhere in her body after all! Of course, it helped that Jane had Eli (Bryan Dechart) to back her up.

Meanwhile, Rita (Smith Cho) and Amanda’s war over Ben (David Clayton Rogers) reached dangerous new levels of crazy, and neither girl is backing down. Couple that with the fact that Amanda cast Zoe and Nick (Matt Atkinson) as Cinderella and Prince Charming in the school play — they’re totally going to hook up, mark my words — and it’s safe to say Amanda is ruining everybody’s life. That chick has got to go!

But the biggest shocker came, as always, at the very end when Kate’s ex-boyfriend Dakota stopped by for a surprise visit — and proposed!

Oh, mama…

So, what did you think of this week’s developments? Do you also foresee a Zoe/Nick hookup on (and off) stage? Will you miss Jane’s mom when she takes off — again? And are you proud of Jane for FINALLY doing something for Billy? Drop a comment with your review of the episode!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Jane By Design News:

1. ‘Jane By Design’ Star Erica Dasher Previews Jane & Eli’s First Real Date
2. ‘Jane By Design’ Stars Forced To Evacuate London Hotel After Fire
3. ‘Jane By Design’ Recap: Jane Clashes With Her Long-Lost Mom

Jane (Erica Dasher) has always wondered what life would be like if her mom came home, and on the June 26 episode of Jane By Design, she finally got her answer: It pretty much blows. On her first day back in town, Kate (Teri Hatcher) managed to work her way into Jane’s love life and work life, nearly blowing her big secret to Gray (Andie MacDowell).

Of course, Kate’s meddling wasn’t a total loss. She pushed Jane to ask Eli (Bryan Dechart) on a date, and even though she didn’t go through with it, at least Jane learned that Eli is definitely interested. Kate eventually poured her heart out to her kids — Ben (David Clayton Rogers) was especially resistent to her return — so it looks like the Quimby family is on the road to recovery.

Speaking of Ben, the cat fight is officially on between Rita (Smith Cho) and Amanda. And in case you were too dense to figure that out, Rita literally got all up in Amanda’s face and staked her claim. “Ben Quimby is mine,” she hissed. “So back off.” It was like watching a nature special on animals fighting over a mate — only the animals were super pretty, and very well dressed.

This was also a week for secrets to be exposed. Not only did Billy (Nick Roux) discover that Zoe was lying about being poor, but Jane also told Gray that Jeremy (Rowly Dennis) was the real mole. Methinks there will be hell to pay when the cheeky chap returns from his little trip.

Gray Chandler Murray doesn’t cry over nothing!

So, what did you think of tonight’s episode? Do you think Jane’s mom is hiding something from her kids? Do you like Billy with Zoe? And did Jane make a huge mistake by turning in Jeremy? Drop me a comment with your snap judgments!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

This may not have been Jane’s (Erica Dasher) best birthday ever, but it was definitely the most surprising. Not only did she learn the truth about the Donovan Decker mole on the June 19 episode of Jane By Design, but she also discovered intense new feelings for a certain co-worker. Oh, and did I mention her mom (Teri Hatcher) came back to surprise her? Happy birthday, indeed.

Eli (Bryan Dechart) was tasked with distracting Jane while preparations for her office surprise party were underway, but it didn’t take long for the line between business and pleasure to blur. I know we’re supposed to want Jane to end up with Billy (Nick Roux), but there’s no way you can deny the chemistry between Jane and Eli — and apparently neither can Eli. He asked her out on a real date at the end of her party, which of course, she accepted. (Smart girl!)

But Jane’s joy quickly turned to disappointment when a very drunk Jeremy (Rowly Dennis) confessed to being the real mole. He was tired of being pushed around by India (India de Beaufort), but I’m wondering if his little admission will end up hurting him more than helping him in the long run. Honesty is so overrated — especially on TV.

Meanwhile, Rita (Smith Cho) was kicking herself all night for taking a break with Ben (David Clayton Rogers) after a sexy ghost from their past entered the picture. Seriously, how is Rita — aka “Shaw the Jaw” — supposed to compete with a former prom queen? Either way, I can’t wait to see her try!

Then came the real bombshell. Just when Ben and Jane thought the last guest had cleared out of her “real” surprise party, they discovered a lingering crasher: their mom! Dun, dun dun!

OK, time for some theories: Why do you think Jane’s mom is back in town? Are you rooting for Jane and Eli to get together, or do you still want her with Billy? And why did Zoe lie about where she lived? Drop a comment with your every thought!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

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

Click here to view the embedded video.

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