Art Isn't Easy

"Art Isn’t Easy" is the 75th episode of Desperate Housewives.

Summary
Bob & Lee’s contemporary water sculpture in their front yard prompts the Wisteria Lane neighborhood association into action. Edie finds out about the affair that Carlos is having with Gaby, and John Rowland, the Solis’ former gardener, wants to rekindle his romance with Gaby.

Susan
Gabrielle, Susan, Katherine, Bree, and Mrs. McCluskey are startled by the large, unattractive sculpture on Bob and Lee’s front lawn. They consider using the services of the neighborhood homeowners association, though it hasn’t been active since Mary Alice’s death. Susan is the one person who considers it art. The women confront Bob and Lee. Bob’s respectful towards the women while Lee’s quick to snap, and say it’s not going anywhere. The women agree to bring back the homeowners association. Susan’s feelings about the sculpture change when she learns it’s a fountain, as it wakes her up at 6 in the morning. She can’t get the men to agree to move it into the backyard;

Lynette
Lynette brings a snack to her boys and Kayla in their treehouse. But a call from her doctor turns the mood in the treehouse, as she learns that she’s not allowed to talk about doctors while there. Bob and Lee want to know where Lynette sides when it comes to the homeowners association debate. She doesn’t want to take sides, but Lee compares Katherine to a Nazi, and suggests Katherine will go after her kids’ treehouse next! A group of women has come together to discuss the homeowners association, and Katherine’s wish to run. Lynette gets Katherine to admit she’ll do more than deal with the sculpture if she’s elected. Lynette decides to run against Katherine! Tom’s against Lynette running, as he thinks she should focus on her cancer. Lynette declares that it’s a fight for what kind of neighborhood they’re living in, but Tom believes it’s all about going up against Katherine for the treehouse. Lynette wants Susan’s help with the election, but Susan’s forced to admit she’s voting for Katherine. She argues she’s not pro-Katherine, she’s anti-fountain! Lynette’s hurt. Katherine and Lynette canvass the neighborhood, with Katherine promising to clean up anything in the neighborhood and Lynette promising to let anyone have anything they want. Everyone in Wisteria Lane’s come together to vote between Katherine and Lynette. 14 hands go up for Katherine, and 14 for Lynette. Edie says that Susan voted twice! So now it’s up to Susan to choose, and she votes for Katherine. Katherine tells Bob, Lee, Lynette, and the other rule breakers she’ll be in touch with them. Susan mouths to Lynette she’s sorry.

Katherine
Katherine wants to have a victory toast with Adam, but he’s in no mood for that. Does she know what she’s done? She’s made enemies left and right, and he thinks she’s unhappy. She brings up what happened in Chicago, again, and he says they could have used some friends there. Lynette’s still mad at Susan, but Lynette can’t deny that Susan shouldn’t have to choose her friend over her husband. Lynette confesses that the treehouse was the one place her kids could get away from her cancer, and she feels she robbed the kids of their childhood. As Susan comforts her friend, Katherine approaches and tells them she’s letting Lynette keep the treehouse. Lynette wonders why Katherine is so icy sometimes and nice other times. Why is she so complicated? Katherine says she’s lived a complicated life. Katherine tells Bob and Lee they can take down the fountain when they have time, but they’re not taking anything down. They’ve heard all about what happened with Adam in Chicago at the hospital, and they’re willing to spill the secrets unless they can keep their fountain

Bree
Bree calls Danielle but learns she’s left the convent to go with Phyllis. Angry, Bree calls Phyllis but reaches her answering machine. Phyllis and Danielle hear the message, but Phyllis is convinced she can handle Bree. Orson and Bree have arrived at Phyllis’s, where they tell her and Danielle they’re taking Danielle home! But Phyllis tells them Danielle’s delivering the baby at her home, and then will be raising the baby with her. Bree’s aghast, and her attempts to reason with Danielle fail. Bree, Orson, and Andrew are eating, but Bree’s too depressed. Andrew knows what Danielle cares about: herself, and having fun. They need to figure out what Danielle thinks is fun, and give it to her. Bree and Orson sit with Phyllis and Danielle at the pool at Phyllis’ retirement community. Bree sends Phyllis away and then she and Orson suggest to Danielle that her grandmother’s heart is weak, and Danielle may have to take care of both her baby and Phyllis. And all those other old people living there will be her new friends. But if she leaves with Bree, Danielle can have a convertible and go to college in Florida. Someone will have to take care of the baby, of course. Phyllis returns, out of breath, and Danielle tells her grandmother they need to talk. Danielle says goodbye to her grandmother. Bree and Phyllis have a few moments together, as Phyllis declares she thought having the baby would be like having a part of Rex back. Bree wants Phyllis to babysit the baby on Saturday night, an idea Phyllis is open to.

Gabrielle & Edie
Carlos has told Edie he’s going on a golf weekend with the guys. She gives him golfballs with her initials, so everyone can know that his balls belong to her. Gabrielle has young boys doing her gardening work when she gets a call from Carlos, who is on the way to their hotel. But she notices a van across the street and learns it’s been there for hours. Concluding Victor hired someone to tail her while he’s out of town, Gabrielle invites the boys into her house. Minutes later, they come out and ride away. Only Gabrielle has joined the boys, and, dressed like them now, goes off with one of them on his bike. Before Gabrielle can join Carlos at the hotel, she runs into her former gardener/lover John, who’s with his pregnant wife. They catch up on old times while Gabrielle also witnesses a quick lover’s quarrel between the two. Then, she joins Carlos, who’s seen all this from a distance. Gabrielle only tells him she ran into an old friend. Gabrielle joins Carlos in the hotel bedroom. But there’s a knock at the door and they learn it’s John; Gabrielle must admit to Carlos that John was the old friend she ran into earlier. Carlos hides in the closet and listens in as John enters. He wants to start an affair again and kisses her. Gabrielle tries to shoo him away but he reminds her of how much she complained about Carlos and how they snuck around behind Carlos back. Gabrielle sends John out then faces Carlos as he exits the closet, having heard everything. Carlos and Gabrielle argue about her former affair with John, but she refuses to rehash this old argument, and compares Carlos now to what John was before. Carlos walks out. Carlos knocks at John’s house and talks to him. Carlos has forgiven John for sleeping with Gabrielle, and when John says he fell in love with Gabrielle, Carlos forgives him for that too. John wonders why Carlos is doing this, and Carlos mentions having recently remembered the difference between right and wrong. John asks if Gabrielle’s happy now, and Carlos says he thinks she is. Carlos tells Gabrielle he’s ending their affair. They’ll break up with Edie and Victor, and then after time, perhaps six months, Carlos and Gabrielle will reunite. She doesn’t want to wait that long but accepts it. The two have their last kiss for a while now. As they kiss, a P.I. snaps pictures of them together. Edie’s meeting with the P.I., who she hired to take the photos of Carlos and Gabrielle. She suggests she’s overcome with hatred now. She makes out a check to the P.I.

Quotes

 * Danielle to Bree: “A baby is God’s most precious gift. I will not have mine raised by a cold emotionally unavailable woman like you.”
 * Bree to Orson hinting at her former mother-in-law Phyllis: “Emotionally unavailable. – Gosh, I wonder where she picked up that little phrase.”


 * Danielle to Bree: “You're always mean to me just like you were to dad. You emasculated him. Well, you’re not gonna emasculate me.”
 * Bree: “You don’t even know what that means, you petulant sockpuppet.”