Desperate Housewives: Going Green (with envy)

Last night's episode of "Desperate Housewives" continued to capitalize on this season's creative resurgence by incorporating (most of) the housewives into a storyline and moving along the season's central mystery.

It seems Dave REALLY wants Mike to join his and Tom's garage band, even at the expense of dismissing the awesome shredding skills of Donald the accountant. In fact, it's looking like Dave's sole reason for starting this band is to get close to Mike. How else to explain Dave buying Mary Alice's old house and secretly renting it to Mike at a rock-bottom price?

Because of his apparent fixation on Mike (pictured, right), it's looking more and more like the prevalent theory out there — Dave is related to the woman killed by Mike and Susan in that car crash — will eventually come true. In the meantime, I'm still enjoying Neal McDonough do his charming/menacing thing. This week he was clearly on the "menacing" side of the coin, yelling at Edie out of frustration and getting in Tom's face about rejecting Donald. Hopefully, he won't forget to take his crazy pills again.

Of course, Mike's return to Wisteria Lane means he'll be around for more of M.J.'s precious childhood moments. If you ask me, wittle M.J. is a wittle TOO precious, but his storyline allowed Mike and, especially, Susan to display something not usually seen in their relationship — maturity.

The episode started with the unveiling of M.J.'s artwork, where Mike was but an insignificant bug in the background while Susan and Jackson frolicked together. That prompted Mike to get M.J. a bike, but it also led to conflict M.J. begged Jackson to teach him how to ride and Susan's boyfriend obliged. Susan, as usual, did something so absurd as to make us question why anyone would let her have kids. This week it was forcing M.J. to fall of his bike for Mike's sake — I'm surprised she didn't kick him over. Still, I was pleased to see her act like the mature one, when she explained to Mike that their divorce meant he'd be missing things like teaching his son how to ride a bike.

I could definitely see both sides of their predicament — just like I could see both sides of Bree's predicament with her increasingly envious friends.

I've been critical of the show recently for making Bree too much of a power bitch at work at the expense of her friends and marriage. So on a week where her professional success grew larger than ever (the cookbook came out, she was named Businesswoman of the Year), I expected her to grow even more insufferable.

Instead, the writers showed us just how lonely Bree is at the top, alienated from her ex-con husband and her homemaker friends, particularly Lynette, who resents the fact that Bree is where Lynette was before, as a high-powered businesswoman.

For the second week in a row, I felt like Lynette came off as way too harsh (did she REALLY have to use earplugs during her husband's band practice). Also, the scene where she drunkenly embarrassed herself at Bree's award dinner after her idea had been rejected in favor of her former assistant's had its funny moments, but was too over the top. Felicity Huffman is a brilliant actress, but I didn't buy her being drunk (the way I bought her being high last year). She was acting the way people think they should act when they're drunk. Fortunately, the scene where she apologized made up for it, and it was nice to see Bree show her vulnerable side.

The problems with her friends appear insignificant compared to the trouble she's having with Orson, who'd been hiding the fact that he lost his job due to his criminal past. After suggesting that he join his wife's company, he was shot down. (Katherine's overly harsh reaction is an indicator that Dana Delaney needs more to do this year — she didn't want Orson horning in on the half-storyline she barely has.)

Orson moved out of their bedroom, until Bree gave in and let him become a partner. When he was being ignored by Bree a few episodes ago, I was squarely on Orson's side, but last night I was a bit disappointed that Bree gave in and let him become a partner (I think those two working together is a terrible idea). Either way, I appreciate this kind of balance between the two characters.

I'm not exactly sure that a show that's already a comedy needs comic relief, but Gabby, Carlos and Juanita sure provided last night. The couple got caught trying out blind sex in front of Juanita and, instead of lying like all good parents should, told the FOUR-YEAR-OLD about the birds and the bees. Unfortunately, Juanita decided to share that information with her spinning playmate Bethany, who started shouting about "intercourse" and "sperm." In the end, Juanita's playdates (and Gabby and Carolos' alone time) was ruined after Carlos revealed that ***SPOILER ALERT*** there is no Santa Claus ***END OF SPOILER ALERT ***. This was funny stuff (Juanita is a delightful pain in the ass) and a welcome break from the Solis' usual, pseudo-poignant, "learning how to cope with being poor" trap they've been stuck in the last few weeks.

So what'd you think of this episode? What will Dave, Tom and Mike call their band? (The Wistericals?) Do you think Lynette will go back to work? Finally, what do you think we'll learn from next week's episode, which will help fill the five-year gap?