"Desperate Housewives:" Becoming More Desperate with Every New Episode

Sunday, 9 PM (ET), Nov. 7, 2010 '" In an episode of "Desperate Housewives" entitled "A Humiliating Business" Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) portrays a cougar dating a much-younger (17 years younger) man, played by guest star Brian Austin Green (formerly of "90210"). While roller-blading with her young stud, Bree falls and then experiences a hot flash, which is diagnosed by a female doctor. The doctor Bree consults turns out to be her lover's physician mother.

I kept wondering if the writers plan to have Bree be pregnant by her much-younger paramour, as hot flashes can accompany that condition, and Lynette Scavo gave birth to an unexpected tag-along child in recent episodes (as season six ended.) So far, the writers are sticking with menopause.

Ultimately, there was a discussion between the couple of the fact that her much-younger lover wants a child; he said he would be happy adopting one. Bree tells him "been there/done that." It appeared, at show's end, that they would continue dating, with the thought still out there that Bree is too old for her young man.

One story line conspicuously missing from this year is any major contact with Bree's son and daughter, Andrew and Danielle. Only on one occasion did Danielle show up with Bree's grandchild (a mean trick played on Bree by Wisteria Lane's resident bitch, played by Vanessa Williams this year, formerly Nicolette Sheridan's specialty).

There was a not-too-interesting sub-plot that had Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria Parker) worrying that her gay neighbor, Bob, was hitting on Carlos. She solved the problem by bringing the gay couple, Lee and Bob, back together, thereby short-circuiting Carlos' sporting outings with Bob. (We all got to see a male-on-male kissing scene, which we have been missing since "Six Feet Under" left the air, although "Brothers and Sisters" hits us with that best shot occasionally.)

Another plot development on the program is the interior decorating business that Vanessa Williams and Lynette Scavo are starting. Neither seems to have very good style, either in clothing or decorating, so why they think they are qualified to decorate other people's interiors remains a mystery. Vanessa Williams', in particular, does not have the classy wardrobe (or make-up) from her time on "Ugly Betty" and is noticeably tackier-looking, whether intentionally or unintentionally.(This was my husband's observation, not mine.)

Vanessa's character of Renee Perry, a former college roommate of Lynette's, is having none of the "baby-in-the-boardroom business" activity, so the nearly destitute Susan Delfino (Terri Hatcher) is hired to serve as nanny to Lynette's (Felicity Huffman) new baby. There was initially confusion on Susan's part about the job she was being offered. More conflict is going to spring from Susan's creative tendencies in regards to interior decorating, which have already riled up Vanessa Williams' character of Renee Perry. [The subplot seems rather "ho hum."]

I couldn't help but think of the MIA characters and storylines: the Applewhites (with the kid in the basement; a bad storyline), the Bolens -- Angie, Nick and Danny -- who have disappeared; the missing Van de Kamp children; Mike Delfino's (James Denton's) sudden banishment to Alaska. (Last time I saw James Denton, he was answering questions at a new Harry Caray Restaurant on Chicago's Navy Pier of which he is part owner. Before that, he was onstage in 2008 stumping for John Edwards in Des Moines, Iowa, along with John Cougar Mellencamp, so it's been a while. Maybe James Denton is opening a new Harry Caray restaurant in Alaska?)

There is a newly developing plot centering on the evil Paul Young (Mark Moses), whose new wife Beth (guest star Emily Bergl) is in cahoots with her mother, a former resident of Wisteria Lane now imprisoned. Beth is learning more about Paul's plans to wreak vengeance on the street. She's acting like she's down with the program; her mother is obviously behind the clandestine efforts. At first, things were not going well on the "I-married-a-prisoner" front, as Beth refused to have sex with her newly-paroled husband, but, as this episode of "Desperate Housewives" ended, we learned that Beth has learned to love sex with Paul and has an ulterior motive for surrendering the pink.

I'm not feeling the interior decorating plot line and sending the cutest guy on the show to Alaska just seems stupid. Also, what's up with Carlos this season? He looks nothing like his former self on the show (MIA facial hair, I think) I can't even believe it is the same actor. The plot line about "babies-switched-at-birth" in the Solis household will be explored in the next episode (again), but, so far, I'm feeling that "Desperate Housewives" is getting a little, well,--- desperate, this season.