Best season of Desperate Housewives

[Suedehead]

Obviously 4 is still on-going (and with the writers' strike God knows how long it'll keep going :manson: ) so I didn't include it in the poll.

Been having a DH marathon as I've been ill and in bed all weekend, so.. it's a tough one I have to say.. the 1st was great cause it all started there; the 2nd one had some shite like the Applewhites stuff but Bree's meltdown made it worthwhile and the 3rd had some brilliant moments (the Lynette shooting episode being the standout)

Hmm, I'm just not sure!

[cwej]

Season 1 by a long chalk.

[David]

I'm torn, and am going to have to think about it, but I can say with some degree of certainty that it was NOT season 2.

I have been utterly oblivious to season 4 up to now, but frankly can't wait.

[Apocalypt_flyer]

Same here. Season two wasn't bery coherent. Season three was fantastic moments but stumbled a bit after the Bree Showdown, Season One was great overall.

REX CRIES AFTER HE EJACULATES

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BsIP_xKnTKc&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BsIP_xKnTKc&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[VoR]

Easy. It's still a fun show, but in Series One it was a brilliant bit of dark satire. The characters were real, fantastically acted and believable.

From series 2 onwards it slipped into campy soapy caricature. Series 3 was better in general, but the characters ceased to be real people and became exaggerated shadows of their former selves.

[Loufoque]

Three

I think Season 2 is underrated as well. Yeah, the Applewhite storyline was shit, but I think the main Housewives all had strong stories that year, especially Bree's meltdown/domestic war with Andrew and Gabby and her baby.

[Loufoque]

From series 2 onwards it slipped into campy soapy caricature. Series 3 was better in general, but the characters ceased to be real people and became exaggerated shadows of their former selves.
This happens in most shows though... All of the Friends were a lot more 'normal' in Season 1, Karen in W&G certainly was as well (we're on a RELATIVE SCALE HERE). It just tends to happen as the writers establish the characters I find...

[VoR]

I did like the whole racist undercurrent of series 2. It wasn't very believable that Susan, Gaby and Lynette would be racists, but it was quite funny the way they were all so weird about the Applewhite's.

I assume that was deliberate anyway. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[VoR]

This happens in most shows though... All of the Friends were a lot more 'normal' in Season 1, Karen in W&G certainly was as well (we're on a RELATIVE SCALE HERE). It just tends to happen as the writers establish the characters I find...

But they're totally different kinds of shows. Karen was better as a ridiculous caricature, you could never believe her as a human being.

Friends I do think went downhill as the characters got sillier, but as a total sitcom it didn't really seem so jarring.

[Loufoque]

I SUPPOSE NOT

But I think shows with four or five 'types' always goes that way... SATC even did it to an extent. Samantha and Charlotte both became MORE caricaturish after the first season...

[VoR]

I guess. It just bugs me because I think in series one Lynette and Bree were GREAT, GREAT characters, and the actresses really gave them depth.

It's such a waste to see Bree turned into this braindead serial killer magnet and Lynette go from loving wife and mother to heartless cunt.

[Suedehead]

Hmm the Gabby baby storyline didn't do much for me. Mainly because Eva Longoria is by far the weakest actress of the lot and struggles so obviously in any scene that demands emotional depth.

[VoR]

Gaby is the exception to my argument. She's MUCH better as a heartless, scheming bitch. :D

[Loufoque]

I didn't actually like the big emotional scene where the baby was taken away either - I've seen it hailed as THE GREATEST DRAMATIC SCENE EVER by some, and let's face it, she wasn't ALL THAT

But it was an interesting storyline for her and gave her character a little more depth than she had had in the first season.

[Suedehead]

Yeah, it was an OK scene I guess but hardly Bree or Lynette league..

[VoR]

Bree had some heartbreakers in series one.

And actually, I love love love the scene in series 2 where she lets the Pharmacist die. CHILLING.

You can sum up where Lynette's character went drastically wrong in the treatment of Nora's death. The episode itself was fairly well done, and Huffman really gives it her all. Then in the next episode she's joking about Nora being in hell. :daf:

[Suedehead]

Which brings us to Susan. Not particularly one of my faves but you never see Teri Hatcher being tarred with the same brush as Eva Longoria (or do you? I'm not sure) as the weakest of the lot. I guess it's because she's playing the 'ditzy' cutesy one and that comes across as more well rounded than Gaby's bitchy materialistic character which really is very easy to play.

[Loufoque]

Teri Hatcher is competent, but her role is so boring that I can't say I care EITHER WAY

My favourite Bree moment in Season 2 was where she abandoned Andrew by the roadside. It's probably my favourite DH moment OVERALL.

[VoR]

Susan is pretty much just an annoyance for me. Although I accept she's like Betty in Ugly Betty, Will and Grace in Will & Grace etc where she's necessary.

But even she seems to become so stupid in later seasons you'd think she'd been LOBOTOMIZED. The whole faking a terminal illness to get a date with a cute doctor storyline springs to mind. :daf:

I love that bit in Will & Grace, which I think pre-dates DH funnily enough...

Grace: I don't hate anyone
Karen: You hate Teri Hatcher
Grace: Oh WHO DOESN'T?

:D

[Loufoque]

The best W&G Teri Hatcher joke is the 'I'm cut down just as my career was taking off. I'm like Teri Hatcher seven years ago... or seven years from now.'

[VoR]

Oh I didn't know she was a running joke in the show. I've hardly seen any of the post series 4 episodes.

[jonhawk]

I think season one is yet to be topped. However season three was GREAT. Season two was a scrappy, I too loved the leaving Andrew by the roadside episode, but that doesn't save the season.

Season four has been pretty meh so far I think. Some good moments but NOT ENOUGH.

[Apocalypt_flyer]

Whilst I haven't seen ANYTHING of Season Four yet, I'd imagine Bree and Lynette being on form whereas Susan/Mike will be as TEDIOUS as always and the Gabi/Victor/Edie/Carlos will be OVER FAR TOO SOON to make proper sense.

[jonhawk]

I think Lynette's probably been the MOST on form this season.

[cwej]

Hmm the Gabby baby storyline didn't do much for me. Mainly because Eva Longoria is by far the weakest actress of the lot and struggles so obviously in any scene that demands emotional depth.

Longoria is a GREAT comic actress - she could have her own sitcom and it would work fine. But you're absolutely right... emotional depth. No WAY. That silly balloon episode I think from Season 1 and then the baby episode... she was really appalling to the point where it looked like a first take and they'd run out of time to get the director to get her ACTING PROPERLY.

[cwej]

I SUPPOSE NOT

But I think shows with four or five 'types' always goes that way... SATC even did it to an extent. Samantha and Charlotte both became MORE caricaturish after the first season...

I completely agree with what you're saying. The writers have a sketch at the start, but haven't quite formalised all the traits of the character (and the same goes for the actors/actresses), but as time goes on they begin to know exactly how the character would act in a particular situation which means they DO veer towards caricature, because they do the things you expect them to, ALL the time.

[VoR]

I disagree. There's a difference between acting consistently and acting in a way no intelligent human being would.

Compare to shows like Six Feet Under and The Sopranos (Admittedly shows which are much more self conciously 'highbrow'). The characters in those shows were consistent, but they didn't devolve into cartoonish weirdo's in later seasons.

[David]

Ultimately I went for season 1, season 3 had some quite wonderful storylines and individual episodes, however there were some things that were jarring to me. Season 1 just felt more consistent.

[Sheena]

Season 1...it was amazingly well done and I loved the way the storylines bubbled- ie, you'd watch a whole episode without a revelation about the main storyline and then suddenly at the end WHOOMP a massive thing would reappear...superbly done

And I agree with most things Cwej has said in this thread. I also think Longoria is a GREAT comic actress and I think she was also brilliant in the scene everyone is deriding her. Cross and Huffman by far the strongest of the actresses, but the other three are more than competent...

[jonhawk]

Shee I AGREE. Eva's scene with the balloon was her best emotional scene from all the seasons, far from "appauling". With that storyline I think the writers and Longoria herself came out tops as you really got a glimpse of Gabby's rare emotional state. When she breaks that comic cycle, it produces amazing results because the audience are faced with a character that reveals all when usually she laughs through her circumstances.

Was that a bit OVER analytical? :D

[cwej]

Nicolette Sheridan really impressed me in Season 3 actually.

[Phoenix]

Season 2 for me, I love the whole Bree story especially the scene where she watches George die.
I like season 1 but because its on TV a lot i just got bored of it, i'm re-watching season 3 know while fast forwarding the Susan/Mike/British guy scenes...I'm at episode 14 and starting to get bored, the second half really drags on it could have easily done with 2 less episodes.

[Apocalypt_flyer]

Nicolette Sheridan really impressed me in Season 3 actually.

At times yes, at times no. She good but doesn't excell at being 'emotional Edie'.

[Loufoque]

Edie got possibly the best line of the Season

'And if Julie did get pregnant, that would mean we'd be FAMILY and THAT IS NOT A RISK I AM WILLING TO TAKE'

[Suedehead]

Nicolette Sheridan is quite good.. the scene where she got naked for Carlos was really good.. but she's had some off ones too, like the confrontation with Carlos at Gaby's wedding - it was cringetastic.

But I'd take her any day over the emotionally stunted Longoria.

[Beverley]

Season 4 is actually quite food so far, although America's only on episode 8. However, as usual the new family's is rather tedious. And I think I've seen the gay couple in about TWO episodes.