Desperate Housewives: Reefer Madness

Three episodes seems like a decent amount of time — are you enjoying Vanessa Williams on “Desperate Housewives”?

I guess it comes down to whether or not you’re ok with the fact that Vanessa Williams is basically playing Wilhelmina Slater…but on a different ABC show.

Obviously, this isn’t the first (and it won’t be the last) example of an actor (especially a TV performer) carrying a successful persona over to a new project. Will Arnett is basically playing Gob Bluth on Fox’s “Running Wilde”, for example. As for Williams, I actually think she got a LOT less credit during her time on “Ugly Betty” for doing a lot of the same things Jane Lynch is currently doing on “Glee” with the comedic villain role.

So I guess you can say I’m pretty ok with the fact that Williams is basically playing Wilhelmina Slater on “Desperate Housewives” — for now. The character is still getting settled, and an instantly-recognizable persona can be a great benefit. Eventually, I’d like to see Williams get the chance to do something more unique than coast on the biting comedic timing she perfected at her previous job.

That timing served her well in Renee’s scenes with Bree last night. (Marcia Cross is a formidable actress in her own right.) About-to-be-divorced Renee wanted to team up with newly-divorced Bree and hit the club. Bree was initially hesitant because she still liked her handyman Keith, but when she learned he had a girlfriend she changed her mind. The scenes between Renee and Bree were the funniest parts of the episode. Everything from Renee’s crack about Bree being dressed for a tour of the Ronald Regan library instead of a club to a casual “Jersey Shore” reference (neither wanted to be the grenade) was gold.

I was also ok with the fact that Renee mercilessly pounced on Keith, even after finding out that Bree liked him. (These two don’t know each other that well. They’re not friends. Renee isn’t obligated to back down.) Soon after, we got a reminder as to why this show isn’t called “Reasonable Housewives.” Bree struck back by flipping her plunging neckline dress and accentuating her (fake?) boobs. Renee seemed to get the upper hand by getting Keith to take her home, but Bree countered by going (golf)clubbing all over her sprinklers and drawing him out.

Bree eventually asked Keith on a date, but Renee stated that her new hobby was going to be to take Bree down, so stay tuned. Most importantly, Renee is already integrating herself into other aspects of the show. (She didn’t share a solo scene with her college bud Lynette.)

Speaking of Lynette, last week her storyline with Tom was WAY too reminiscent of the stuff that was feeling tired when I stopped watching the show a year ago.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Tom has some sort of problem, Lynette tells him to get help, Tom comes up with some off-the-wall solution, Lynette disapproves/tricks Tom, Tom looks stupid, and in the end Lynette wins.

Sure, there were a few tweaks last night. (It was kind of Lynette’s fault that he ended up being prescribed medical marijuana for his depression.) Still, the main point is that Lynette is a kind of a pain in the ass, and Tom is an idiot. I mean, seriously, writers — the guy who owned a pizza parlor for a few years can’t recognize oregano?

The most important difference, however, is that (along with whatever Renee and Tom’s secret past is) the show seems to be hinting that perhaps Tom and Lynette won’t be ok this time.

By that same token, Carlos flat-out told Gabby that the two of them would be through after Gabby initiated a search for her switched-at-birth daughter behind his back. (And after legally agreeing not to do so.)

Gabby had suffered a freak out at a clothing store after running into a girl who could’ve been her daughter and asked her neighbor Bob to find her, which he did by the end of the episode. (Anyone else think this story line is moving in record time?) Carlos, upset about the possibility of losing Juanita, was pissed with Gabby. I’m legitimately interested to see what happens. Eva Longoria Parker’s acting has definitely gone a long way toward grounding (hello eye rolls!) a switched-at-birth storyline.

On a much lighter note, Susan found herself really getting into her new calling as a scantily-clad Internet star/pretend housekeeper, much to the dismay of former top-earner Stacy. The two ended up in a cat fight that allegedly fried the site’s router (exactly how popular is this site?!), but came to a sort of truce by the end. I thought Susan and Stacy would join forces, but instead we got a hint that Susan might be doing this for longer than expected. (Stacy was on her sixth year.) Since Susan is main character — and this is just a light, frivolous storyline — we know that’s not going to happen. Instead, the drama seems to be building towards the inevitable moment when Mike finds out what Susan’s been up to.

Finally, we have Paul. This season’s apparent Big Bad didn’t get a bunch of screen time, instead telling his new wife Beth to attend the ladies’ regular poker game. (The scene with all the main actresses didn’t last nearly long enough.) Beth got the feeling that they didn’t care for Paul, and that was confirmed by Mrs. McCluskey’s revelation that, though he was cleared of killing Felicia Tilman, they still think he murdered Felicia’s sister, Martha. (I’d been wondering why they were frosty myself, so this was good to know.)

Beth seemed surprised by this revelation. There’s been some speculation that she could be the person Felicia Tilman knows in the neighborhood that will help her kill Paul within six months. Beth could be feigning ignorance, but I actually think she’s really naïve. My money is on Keith being Felicia’s inside guy.

So what’d you think of this episode? Has Fairview always had a club where 20-somethings go? Why were there so many pre-teen Hispanic girls in that store at the same time? (I get that it was probably Gabby’s mind playing tricks on her, but it was still funny.) Finally, what tricks can you do with a vacuum cleaner?