They Asked Me Why I Believe in You

"They Asked Me Why I Believe In You" is the 28th episode of Desperate Housewives.

Summary
Susan's longtime book agent and dear friend, Lonny Moon, gets into financial trouble. Lynette is forced to go out to bars night after night with her man-hungry boss, Nina. Bree finds out about Rex's feelings towards her prior to his death. Gabrielle has hired hotshot lawyer David Bradley to defend Carlos in court but Carlos rejects him after he witnesses an attraction between David and Gabrielle. Betty is filled with guilt when she learns that an innocent man has been arrested for the crime her son committed.

Previously on Desperate Housewives
"''Bree felt threatened by the past. Gabrielle was threatened by seduction. And while some threats were kept under control, some were left free to return."

- Mary Alice Young


 * Bree reveals that Rex's body had been dug up and that she's a suspect for his death. ("You'll Never Get Away From Me")
 * Gabrielle's lawyer makes a move on her. ("My Heart Belongs to Daddy")
 * Zach asks to come back with Susan to make it up to Julie, but Susan says he should try and find his father. ("My Heart Belongs to Daddy")
 * While taking food for Caleb, Matthew and Betty are attacked by him, so they take extra precautions to make sure he doesn't escape. ("You'll Never Get Away From Me")
 * Mike doesn't kill Paul, he lets him free. ("One Wonderful Day")

Teaser
"''Since her first day on the job it had been clear to Lynette Scavo that her new boss, Nina, was unusually tense. To help relieve her tension Lynette tried giving her boss thoughtful gifts, a soothing wave machine, aromatherapy candles, even meditative chi balls. But nothing seemed to ease Nina's tension."

Lynette is in an office with two of her colleagues. They’re presenting a pitch for bottled water to their boss, Nina Fletcher. As her two colleagues talk, Lynette notices Nina snap a pencil with her thumb. We see flashes of Lynette’s attempts to help relieve Nina’s tension. She gives her a soothing wave machine, aromatherapy candles and meditative chi balls; Nina just gives them a puzzled look. Back at the pitch, when it’s finished, Nina drops her pencil and insults their slogan “distilled the old fashioned way”. She then grabs their poster and tells the workers to go back to their “little holes” and come back with a decent slogan or she’d fire them “the old fashioned way”. She then rips up their poster in front of their faces and goes back to her desk. Lynette watches a stressed Nina, and an idea springs to mind.

"''Until one day it occurred to Lynette there was one form of relaxation she had yet to try."

Later that day, in a bar, Nina and Lynette are both sat at a small table. A waiter brings them two cocktails and leaves. Lynette tells Nina that it’s a gimlet. However, Nina assumes Lynette has a plan to get her liquored up so she’d like their pitch. Lynette tells her not to be ridiculous and then she jokingly yells for someone to bring of trough of their drinks; Nina laughs. She then tries to remember the last time she went to a bar; she then realizes she hasn’t had a boyfriend in ages. Lynette tells her she should get back in the game. Nina explains that when it comes to meeting men, she’s shy. Lynette says she isn’t and then she shows her a man who’s been checking Nina out since they came in. Nina says he’s cute so Lynette walks over to him. She tells the man that Nina thinks he’s cute, he smiles and looks over to her. Nina smiles too and waves to him. Lynette then tells him he should buy her a drink.

The next morning, Lynette is at work when Nina comes out of the elevator. She’s extremely calm and as she walks past all her colleagues she greets them kindly. Nina then sees Lynette and she tells her that she loved her new proposal. She then compliments Lynette’s shirt and then she leaves. Lynette is shocked to see Nina in a happy mood, but even more shocked to see she’s in the same clothes as last night. When she questions her, Nina says they are and she walks away, smiling, implying she had sex with the man she met the night before.

"''And although it had come about in an unexpected manner, Nina's tension had finally been released, the old fashioned way."

- Mary Alice Young

Act I
"''Everyone in this world needs someone they can depend upon. Be it a faithful companion, trusted confidante, or loyal friend. For Susan Mayer, that dependable someone was her book agent, Lonny Moon. It was Lonny who helped Susan promote her first children’s book. It was Lonny who rushed Susan to the hospital the night Julie was born. It was Lonny who took Susan’s mind off her painful divorce with a fun vacation. Yes, Lonny was Susan’s rock, sadly for Susan, her rock was about to crumble."

- Mary Alice Young

We see a nice, peaceful and sunny day on Wisteria Lane. As a car drives down the lane, it passes an elderly lady being helped down the stairs of her house by a nurse, then two teenage girls gossiping, and then a young boy playing with his pet dog. The car pulls up outside Susan’s house and an elderly man, Lonny Moon (Susan’s book agent), dressed in a suit gets out. He walks towards her house and then we see flashes of the time Lonny helped Susan. We see the time he helped her promote her first children’s book, then Lonny taking Susan to the hospital the night Julie was born, and then Lonny riding a donkey with Susan on vacation to help her get her mind off her divorce with Karl. Inside Susan’s house, Susan sees Lonny arriving at her house through her window. She quickly greats him and asks what he’s doing here, Lonny jokingly says that it’s past noon so it’s socially acceptable to drink.

A while later, at a table in a bar, Susan and Lonny are both having a drink together. Susan says she can’t believe Lonny talked her into coming to the pub as she’s behind in her work, but she’s glad she came. Lonny says that he had an ulterior motif; that he decided to start his own agency. Susan is shocked by the news. Lonny then asks Susan if she’d come with him. Susan happily says she will. They then tap their drinks together and make a toast to the future. Susan says that she’d need to call her agency to tell them she’s going with Lonny, but Lonny says that isn’t necessary. Susan says that it may be rude to not tell them. Susan then notices Lonny is extremely nervous and uncomfortable, so she asks him what’s wrong. Lonny says that there’s been some “bad blood” between him and the partners. Susan asks why and Lonny explains that he got into a “thing” were he had to move some client money about to cover expenses. Susan tries to make sense of the situation and Lonny explains it in simple terms and says that it’s no big deal. Susan says that it sounds like embezzlement. Lonny doesn’t react kindly to this and he yells, asking why everyone keeps calling it that. Susan asks who else is calling it embezzlement and Lonny explains the partner’s forensic accountants. Susan becomes horrified and asks if he moved some of her money, but Lonny insists that he didn’t. Lonny says he knows what he did was wrong and he begs Susan not to hate him, but Susan says she could never hate him as he is “her Lonny”. Lonny asks Susan again to still come with him. Susan is reluctant at first, but she eventually accepts his offer. Lonny hugs Susan and thanks her.

In prison visitor room, Gabrielle and Carlos are both sat opposite each other. Gabrielle shows Carlos a photo of the sonogram of her baby. Carlos tries to work out what is what, but he’s completely wrong, so Gabrielle says that when the baby is born, she’ll put on the socks. Carlos tells Gabrielle that she’s glowing, and that the pregnancy agrees with her. Gabrielle jokes and says that it’s quite a party if you don’t mind the haemorrhoids and nausea. She then checks her watch and says her lawyer, David, should have arrived by now. Carlos asks if he’s a good lawyer, Gabrielle tells him that he hasn’t lost a case in six years. David then walks into the visiting room, Gabrielle greets him. However, Carlos then sees David and how handsome he is. David shakes Carlos’s hand, and when he does, Carlos sees Gabrielle smiling and looking at David. The second David sits down, Carlos, thinking Gabrielle fancies David, says he doesn’t think so and he starts to walk away. Gabrielle asks what he’s doing and Carlos tells her that David won’t be his lawyer and to find a new one. The guard opens the door for Carlos and he leaves, leaving Gabrielle and David in shock and confusion.

In a police’s office, Bree and her lawyer, Lloyd, are talking to two detectives. Lloyd tells them that they haven’t filed a single charge against Bree, so they should either determine a homicide or release Rex’s body. Detective Sloan reminds Lloyd that they have a court order that says until they’re done, the corpse is theirs. Bree tells them that it is not a corpse, but a man named Rex Van de Kamp - a loving husband, devoted father and successful doctor. Bree then tells the detectives that he was so successful that he left her with enough money to sue them both just for the fun of it. Sloan tells Bree that they don’t respond well to threats, but Detective Barton tells him to release the body. Sloan asks why and Barton explains that the evidence they have is minimal at best and Bree was kind to come down to take a lie detector test. Bree thanks Barton and then asks what happens next. Sloan explains that they’ll put Rex back the way they found him. Bree then says he will do say with the same dignity as a dead hamster. Bree then says she wants Rex released to her so she can make all the arrangements. She and Lloyd then stand up to leave and then Lloyd announces that they’ll be paying all the costs for the funeral. Barton says he will, and Bree is delightfully shocked. She shakes his hand and thanks him, saying he’s a gentleman. As she leaves, she glares at Sloan, indicating she thinks he isn’t.

At Lynette’s work place, some people are watching a news report, saying people have gathered in remembrance of Melanie Foster. In the next room, Lynette is packing up and headed home. She’s on the phone to Tom, telling him she’s coming home and asking what he wants for tea. As she’s signing out, Nina approaches her kindly and asks if she wants to go to O’Donnell’s as she owes her a beer. Nina corrects herself, saying she owes her so much more than that. However, Lynette isn’t pleased and she grumpily welcomes Nina but says she needs to get home. Nina says that had such a good time, but Lynette suggests she take Trudy. Nina laughs and says she doesn’t need the competition as Trudy is hot. Realising she’s offended Lynette, Nina says that Lynette is hot too, but she’s married so she’s off the market. Lynette then walks towards the elevator, but Nina stands in the way and asks her for one quick drink. She then tells Lynette that she thought they were becoming pals. Lynette questions if they are pals as she wasn’t feeling “the love” when Nina mocked her campaign. Nina assures Lynette that it was just a show for work and she tells her to assume in the future to always assume she’s winking on the inside. Nina then begs Lynette one more time to go with her and Lynette finally gives in, saying one drink. Nina happily walks away and agrees, saying one or two drinks.

Outside the Applewhite house, Betty is looking through her mail and she notices that some of it isn’t hers. She sees she has an envelope mailed to Zach Young, so she walks over to his house to put it in his mailbox. However, when she gets there she sees that the mailbox is overflowing with old letters that haven’t been taken in, so she puts it in a box beside the mailbox, which is also full of neglected mail. A while later, Betty is at Edie’s house and she’s just given her the mis-delivered mail; Edie thanks Betty for bringing the mail around and that she has some of Betty’s in the kitchen. Betty says it’s the fourth time the post-man has done it, Edie mentions he hasn’t been the same since his stroke. Edie hops away on her crutches into her kitchen to get Betty’s mail. Betty stays near the bar and starts to look around. She notices the TV is on and it’s showing a news report on “The Foster case”. Betty turns up the volume and she hears that an arrest has been made for the murder of Melanie Foster. Seconds later, when Edie arrives back with the mail, she sees that Betty has gone. Outside, Betty is walking to her house. She goes inside to find her son, Matthew, watching the same news report. She asks if he’s heard the news, that they’ve arrested someone, Matthew says he has and that it looks like they’re in the clear. He then smiles with relief.

Act II
The next day, Bree, Gabrielle, Susan and Edie are all sat around a table together playing poker. Bree announces that the police have finally released Rex’s body. Susan says she must be so relieved, but Bree just says she’s annoyed that the whole thing happened and she questions how anyone could accuse her of murder. Edie says that she is wound “pretty tight”. Susan, Bree and Gabby look at her with shock, but Edie says that the super mum is always the first to snap. Bree then asks if they’d all be free for Rex’s reburial. The other housewives are shocked to hear there will be a reburial. Bree explains that it will be a brief and dignified ceremony where they could say words and Bree would read a poem. Gabrielle and Susan say they’d love to come. Bree smiles and gets up to go to the kitchen. Gabby and Susan then look at Edie, waiting for her to say she’ll come, but she says she’s busy. Susan tries to make her, but Edie says that Bree will read a poem. Susan then kicks Edie, hurting her. When Bree returns, Edie says they’d all love to come. Bree thanks them and then says, looking back, that she was in shock during the first funeral and it hadn’t quite hit her yet, so this burial would be a chance for her to say goodbye. Gabrielle comforts Bree and strokes her hands, but this sad moment is ruined when Edie suggests that they may dig him up again.

Later, at a prison couples counselling session, Gabrielle and Carlos are sat in a circle amongst other prisoners and their wives. One of the prisoners, Bob, accepts that there was never an excuse to beat his wife, Lisa, and he apologizes to her and starts crying. Everyone then claps at their success. The priest then says that this is an example of how to use incarceration to your benefit, to take a step back and face the obstacles they face in their marriage. Another woman, Mona, speaks up and asks if she can speak because she has a lot to say about the obstacles in her marriage, her husband, Lamar, insists they don’t have problems, but his wife yells and says they do. The priest asks them to wait as it’s Carlos and Gabrielle’s turn. Carlos puts his hand on Gabrielle lap and says they’re good; however, Gabrielle grabs his hand and throws it off her. The priest sighs and says they haven’t shared anything in their three sessions. He asks how their marriage is, Gabrielle replies “shaky at best”. The priest asks why and Gabby says she doesn’t know as she hired a brilliant lawyer to get Carlos out of jail, but he just fired him for no reason. Carlos says that he just didn’t like David, Gabrielle asks why because he’s experience, talented. Carlos says he doesn’t want a lawyer that she finds so appealing. Gabby says he’s being jealous, but Carlos says he has the right to be as she cheated on him. Bob gasps with shock, but Gabby tells him to shush as he beat his wife. His wife then tells Gabby not to talk to Bob that way, but Gabby threatens to back-hand her herself. The priest then asks everyone to calm down. Carlos moans that there are thousands of fat and bald attorneys and she had to pick the one that looks like an underwear model. Gabby says she’s not discussing the situation anymore and Carlos can rot in jail for all she cares. The priest then asks Mona what’s wrong in her marriage, but Gabby asks how he knew what David looked like as he was wearing a suit. Carlos asks if she knows, and she says he doesn’t. Lamar then says he thinks David would be hot. Mona then asks if she needs to say what their biggest problem is, or if everyone can work it out themselves.

Meanwhile, Susan is at home in her living room with Julie reading over Lonny’s contract. Mike comes into the room and asks why she’s reading it. Susan says because Lonny wants to sign with his new agency. Mike sniggers and asks Susan if she said she’d do it. Susan understands where Mike is coming from, but she says that Lonny is family and that he’s always been there for her. Mike reminds Susan that Lonny committed a felony. Susan then points out that Mike also committed a felony. Mike says that Lonny will represent Susan, and she’ll need to trust him but she won’t be able to after what he did. Susan says it’s possible because she has faith in people. She then says Lonny knows what he did was wrong and that he’s sorry, but Mike just looks at Susan, unhappy. Susan asks if Mike thinks people shouldn’t have second chances and Mike says not when they’ve messed up as much as Lonny did. Susan isn’t happy with Mike’s opinion and she calls him a cynic. Mike apologizes and says it’s the way he’s wired. Julie then moves into the kitchen, and Mike announces that he has a job so he’d call her later. He kisses Susan and then leaves.

When he’s gone, Susan walks into the kitchen, looking guilty and stressed. Julie asks if she’s okay while she packs her school bag. Susan says that she did something bad, but Julie stays silent. She asks Julie if she’s gonna ask her what it was, but Julie says she doesn’t have to. Susan then explains that the previous week when she and Mike went to the park to find Zach that she found him. Julie is horrified by the news. Susan says that she gave him money and sent him away and that she didn’t tell Mike. Julie asks what she’s gonna do, but Susan says she doesn’t know and she asks Julie what she’d do if it happened to her. Julie says this would only happen to Susan. Susan tells her not to judge her, but help her. Julie tells her that she’ll have to tell him, but Susan says she can’t after what he said about Lonny. Julie then tells her not to tell him, but Susan asks how she can’t tell him as she feels so guilty. Julie then asks where Zach went; Susan tells her Utah. Susan then sighs and asks why she did it; Julie says she knows she did it to protect her. Susan then goes outside to put out the garbage, meanwhile, the delivery man walks up to the Young house with a box. He looks around the porch and puts the parcel in the box which Betty put the letters in, except it is now empty.

Act III
The next day, at Lynette’s work place, Nina is headed towards Lynette, who’s in her office. Nina says she hopes Lynette is in the mood for margaritas, as its Salsa night at O’Donnell’s. Lynette says that she can’t go because she promised to help Porter and Preston with their science project. Nina’s happy mood immediately goes and she becomes serious. She says if the late hours will be an issue then they should find her a less demanding position. Lynette asks if Nina is blackmailing her because she won’t go drinking with her. Nina says she isn’t, and that she understands that family comes first. She then says the client comes first for her and she’d never sleep again if the campaign gets messed up. She then tells Lynette that she’d just figure something out, forcing Lynette to get worried and accept her drinking offer. Nina then rushes off to grab her coat.

Later that night, Nina and Lynette are walking through O’Donnell’s. Nina notices, to her pleasure, that it gets very roudy after happy hour. She then notices a man at the end of the bar and she points him out to Lynette. She then tells Lynette to go “get him for her”. Lynette gives Nina an odd look, but Nina slightly pushes her forward. As Lynette reluctantly heads to the man, Nina opens her jacket to show off her cleavage.

Meanwhile, in Betty’s house, Betty is in her kitchen writing a letter with latex gloves on, to avoid fingerprints. Suddenly, a timer dings, so she goes and prepares a tray of food for her son, Caleb. When it’s prepared, she walks down to her basement and opens the door to Caleb’s room. When she enters, Caleb is sat on the edge of his bed. She says hello to him and then starts to change his bedding. Caleb starts to eat the food and Betty then tells him that the news is talking about Melanie Foster. She tells him that it’s time they talked about her, but he just eats his food in silence. She tells him that until he accepts responsibility for what happened, she can’t let him out the basement. Meanwhile, upstairs in the kitchen, Matthew enters and finds the letter she was writing on a table. He reads it and is horrified. He yells out for his mother, who hears him from the basement. Betty then kneels down in front of Caleb, as Matthew angrily shouts for her. She tells Caleb that she’ll be right back and she’ll expect him to answer her. When she leaves the room, she shuts the door, but not properly, so it’s unlocked. When she gets upstairs, Matthew asks her what she was going to do with the letter. She tells him “don’t”. Matthew starts to read the letter, which says “I know who really killed Melanie Foster, you arrested the wrong man”. Betty says that the police need to know, but Matthew says they don’t. Meanwhile, in the basement, Caleb is at the door and he’s slowly pushing it, causing it to unlock. Betty tells Matthew that an innocent man will go to jail; Matthew tells her that if she wants to do the right thing, then she should them they’ve got a killed locked up in the basement. Betty insists Caleb isn’t a killer, but he was confused and he didn’t know what he was doing. Matthew then tells Betty that she better hope they don’t find Caleb, because if they do they’ll execute him anyway. When Matthew says that, Caleb, who was walking up the basement stairs, hears him. Scared, he heads back down into his room and shuts the door.

Act IV
The next morning, Susan is walking up to a large, expensive house. She reaches the front door, but notices the door handle is missing, so she pushes the door open. She enters the house and shouts out for Lonny, who comes running from his kitchen. He asks Susan what she’s doing here and she tells him that she was bringing the contracts, but his door was wide open. Lonny is happy to hear she signed the contract. Susan then looks around the house and sees it’s filled with clutter and there’s hardly any furniture. Lonny apologizes for the mess and he says he’s been working at home until the new offices are painted. Susan then looks around his house further and sees the kitchen is full of groceries. She asks where Genie is, and Lonny explains that she’s in Minnesota with the children visiting her mom. Susan then tries to turn on the lights, but they don’t work. She tells Lonny that there’s no electricity, but he puts it down to him being too swamped to pay the bills. Susan becomes concerned and then asks how much financial trouble Lonny is really in. Lonny sadly replies that he’s fine, but Susan doesn’t believe him. Lonny says it’s because he had to pay back all his clients at the same time, and restitution plus interest. He says he doesn’t recommend it as it “sucks you dry”. He then tries to reach for Susan’s contract, which is in her hand, but she pulls it away from him. Susan then asks Lonny if he stole her money and she says she wants the truth. Lonny insists that he didn’t, but Susan begs him not to lie. Lonny asks if that’s what she wants to hear in order for them to move on; she says she does, so Lonny confesses to stealing her money. Susan then awkwardly nods her head, showing she understands. Lonny says that he paid her back first, so the slate is wiped clean, but Susan’s nod then turns into a shake. She apologizes to him and says she can’t trust him. Lonny says she can, but Susan says she can’t. Lonny then demands the contract, but Susan yells “No!”. Lonny then snatches the contract off Susan and tries to run away with it, but Susan grabs his shoulders. She tries to pull him back, but he’s holding onto a wall. She asks if he’s trying to take her down with him, but Lonny says he isn’t going down. With that, they both fall onto the floor and they struggle for the contract. Lonny yells at Susan, calling her an “Amazon”, but she finally gets them back. They both then sigh with tiredness.

At Gabrielle’s house, Gabby is on her porch doing yoga when she hears a car door slam. She looks over to the street and sees her lawyer, David, walking from his parked car. She quickly approaches him and asks him what he’s doing at her house. David tells her she left him a message saying she wanted to talk, but Gabrielle says she thought he’d arrange a meeting. She tells him she’s currently sweaty and disgusting, but David says he’s seen worse as he’s a criminal lawyer. He then helps himself into her house. Shocked, Gabby follows him in. A little while later, when Gabrielle is freshened up, she walks into her kitchen to find him looking through her wine bottles. David asks her if she’s found a new lawyer for Carlos, but Gabby tells him that she wants him and so does Carlos. David then, off topic, compliments her wine. Gabby tells David that Carlos is threatened by him because something may happen between them. David says Carlos has “quite an imagination” and then he offers Gabby some of her own wine, but she declines saying they’re here for business. She takes the wine off him and tells David he needs to convince Carlos he can trust him. David asks how so Gabby suggests he tells Carlos that he’s happily married or gay. David scoffs at the idea and starts looking through more wine. She then begs David to make something up, but David says he’s past the point in his career where he needs to beg for work. Gabby then takes another wine bottle off David and begs him, saying she’s holding onto her marriage by her fingernails. David then says that Carlos has excellent taste... in wine. David then says he’ll turn Carlos around for Gabby tomorrow and that he’ll play it by ear. He then grabs a bottle of wine and then starts to leave the house, Gabby tells him it’s her wine, but he tells her to deduct it from his bill.

Back at Lonny’s house, Susan and Lonny have both calmed down and they’re sat on the floor together. Lonny explains that his bankruptcy started with bad real estate investments. Susan tells him that he should’ve just come clean. Lonny tells Susan that when you tell one lie, the second one comes easy and then you’re making up new lies to cover up the old ones and then you can’t turn back. Susan says she understands him. Lonny then tells Susan that when his wife, Genie, caught on she took the kids, the furniture, the bank and locked him out his own house. Lonny then says he cannot lose Susan as a client. Susan apologizes and says that he has, but he hasn’t lost her friendship. Lonny asks “Really?” and Susan assures him they’re still friends because he is “her Lonny”. Lonny then says that she is “his Susie”. Susan giggles and nods. Lonny then says that she’s “his Susie” again as he stares deeply into her eyes. Lonny then slowly progresses his lips towards hers and he pecks her on her lips. Susan flaps her arms about and asks what’s wrong with him. Lonny says that she said he’s “her Lonny”, but Susan says she didn’t mean it like that. Lonny then tells her that there’s always been a magnetism between them both, but Susan insists there hasn’t and there never will be. With that, she jumps up, grabs her purse and runs out of the house. Lonny then yells her was only coming clean.

At a police department in Chicago, a man, Detective Morgan, is walking through the car park. He is approached by a colleague, Detective Schroeder. She tells him that she has received a letter, Betty’s letter, claiming that they attacked Melanie Foster. Frustrated, Morgan asks her if she only tracked him down for that because he’s received tonnes of letters claiming they arrested the wrong guy. However, Schroeder announces that the person who wrote this letter knows about an axe. Morgan then becomes interested and he looks at the letter. They then both look at each other and rush into the station.

In a hospital, Bree is sat waiting; an orderly walks down the corridor towards Bree with a gurney with a body in a bag on it, it’s Rex. Bree thanks the orderly and tells him that a hearse is waiting outside. The orderly tells Bree that there’s a form she needs to sign, but he left it in the office. Bree says she’ll wait, and the man goes to get the form. When he’s gone, Bree walks beside Rex and she strokes the top of the bag gently and then she tells Rex she’s here and she’ll take care of everything. Suddenly, Detective Barton comes around the corner and is shocked to see Bree. Bree asks him what he’s doing at the hospital and he tells her he was taking care of business. He then notices the body bag and asks if it’s Rex, Bree says it is. She then hold’s Barton’s hand and she thanks him again for releasing the body and that it was refreshing to be treated with kindness after weeks of ludicrous accusations. Barton tells Bree that the doctor doesn’t think they’re ludicrous, Bree says that Rex died in the care of the doctor, so he’d obviously want to blame someone else. Barton then reminds Bree that tests were taken, but Bree assures him that Rex wasn’t poisoned and nobody she knows thinks he was. Barton then says that Rex did. Bree asks what he’s talking about, and Barton explains that the doctor told Rex he was being poisoned and that he believed him. Horrified, Bree asks how he’d know that. Barton then remembers a note and he pulls it out of his jacket pocket. He gives Bree the note and she reads it, it says “Bree, I understand and I forgive you”. Bree asks where he got the note, and Barton says at Rex’s bed when he died. Disgusted and horrified, Bree sits down onto a chair as she examines the note. Barton then sits down beside her, he tells her that he thinks Rex felt guilty for what he did to Bree and that’s why he forgave her, because he understood why she poisoned him. Bree asks how Rex could’ve believed this theory. Barton, trying to get Bree to confess, says that his wife cheated on him and he knows how much it hurts and so will a judge. He then tells Bree that if she doesn’t admit to it, then she looks more like a cold blooded killer and he says he knows that isn’t her. He then takes the note of Bree and tells her she needs to tell the truth, but Bree is just frozen with disgust and horror. But, she suddenly snaps out of it and shoves all her emotions to the side. She apologizes to Barton and says she needs to go. She then approaches Rex’s gurney and goes to push it, but the brakes are on. Barton tells her it’s obvious that Rex loved her so she owes it to him to admit the truth. Bree says that she knows exactly what Rex deserved and then she asks him to unlock the brakes. Barton reluctantly kicks up the wheel brakes and Bree thanks him. She then starts to walk out of the hospital with Rex’s body.

Act V
At the prisons visitor room, Gabrielle and David are both sat at a table waiting for Carlos to be brought to them. When Carlos comes through the door, he sees David and asks what he’s doing at the prison. Gabby looks at David with desperation, and he tells Carlos that he has a pitch for him to show why he should represent him. Carlos stays silent, so Gabby tells Carlos to at least listen to David. Carlos reluctantly agrees, so he sits down. David tells Carlos that he doesn’t have a problem with him being a lawyer because the problem with him seems more personal. Carlos says he senses right. David says Carlos is interested in knowing if he wants to sleep with Gabby, and he says the answer is yes. Gabrielle looks at David with horror and then forces a loud and awkward laugh, to indicate that David must be joking. She tells David to tell Carlos he’s kidding, but Carlos tells Gabby to shut up. David tells Carlos that Gabby is wilful, self-centred and manipulative but that she’s beautiful enough to be worth the trouble. He then tells Carlos that the minute they leave this room he will aggressively pursue her and have dinner when he succeeds. He then tells Carlos that it will only happen if he fires him, but if he keeps him as his lawyer then she’s off limits. David then concludes and says he’ll let them both think about it, so he leaves the visiting room. When he’s gone, Gabrielle apologizes to Carlos for David’s behaviour and she calls him insane. Carlos then tells Gabrielle that David will be his lawyer and he too leaves the visiting room.

Later that night, Lynette and Nina are back at O’Donnell’s. Nina is being asked by a man for a dance, which she accepts, while Lynette sits by and watches. Lynette says she’s been out every night so she hasn’t been home to tuck in her kids, so she wants to leave. However, Nina doesn’t allow it, saying she’s got all weekend to play with the kids. Nina then gets up to dance with the man, leaving Lynette to watch her purse and watch Nina dance and have the time of her life. Suddenly, a man approaches Lynette and sits down beside her. He introduces himself as Chuck, but Lynette, with a sulkishy face, tells him she’s happily married. However, Chuck says that he is too. She then turns her head away from him in disgust, but he moves his hand about under the table. She tells him to get his hand off her thigh, but he moves it up, so she tells him to get off and that she isn’t that easy. Chuck then asks what she’s doing in a pick-up bar at ten-thirty at night. Lynette says she doesn’t usually do this, but Chuck says he’s seen her here every night this week. He then gets up and leaves the table, leaving Lynette to think to herself.

"''At that moment it occurred to Lynette that Chuck, though inebriated, had a valid point. The time had come to declare a war of independence. And the surest path to victory would require an aggressive campaign of shock and awe."

Lynette enters the toilet of the bar; she drops her purse, loosens her hair, puts on lipstick and takes off her shirt, leaving just a vest. She then exits the toilets, just as Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band. She throws her purse to the bartender and starts to dance beside Nina and a man she’s dancing with. The man then looses interest in Nina and starts to dance with Lynette, making Nina become insecure again. Throughout then song, Lynette continues to dance around, take shots with groups of men and then eventually dance on top of the bar. Everyone in the bar cheers Lynette on, except Nina, who watches by the side with shock. When the song finishes, Lynette walks over to Nina, who’s sat at a table, and says it’s crazy in O’Donnell’s tonight and she asks if Nina wants to dance, but she says she doesn’t want to. Lynette then smiles proudly at her accomplishment, she then says she loves the song that’s playing and she runs back onto the dance floor, telling Nina to watch her purse. Nina watches as she leaves, hugging the purse insecurely.

"''Lynette savoured her victory, confident that she would never again have to engage her opponent on this particular battlefield."

- Mary Alice Young

Act VI
The next morning, Susan, Gabrielle, Lynette and Edie are all gathered around Rex’s open grave. They suddenly see Bree, and Susan tells them they were wondering where she was as she is late. Bree tells them that she was attending to some last minute details and then she walks past the grave to another area. Gabrielle asks where they’re going, and Bree tells them to Rex’s grave site. Edie says she thought they were just there, but Bree says she’s changing it. Susan asks why and Bree says because he upset her and she wants him gone. Gabby asks what he did, but Bree says it’s unpleasant so she doesn’t want to say. Bree then points out that some of the graves are from the 1800s. Lynette asks Bree to explain as Rex is dead, so she wants to know how he could upset her. Bree comes to a halt and turns to the four women. She tells them that Rex, whom she spent 18 years with, died thinking she murdered him. The four women are shocked, and Susan asks what she’s talking about. Bree says the cardiologist shared the theory with Rex, and Rex believed him. Gabby asks if she’s sure and Bree says because he left a note saying “Bree, I understand and I forgive you”. She then gets emotional and asks how Rex could not know her after eighteen years. Edie comfortingly says that he may have been forgiving her for something else. That one kind comment suddenly makes Bree erupt with anger and she yells that she has done nothing to be forgiven for. While she shouts, nearby gardeners watch with curiosity. Bree yells that she was a fantastic wife and she growls Rex has the nerve to understand and forgive her. She then says the joke is on him because she does not understand and does not forgive. She then stands scowling at the other women; meanwhile Susan tells the curious gardeners that they’re just going to a funeral. Upset, Bree then leads the women to Rex’s grave. They soon arrive at a random area of field near a construction site. Bree tells some men to lower Rex’s coffin into a hole. Gabby asks if she’s going to regret this, she then says Rex can decompose with strangers. With that she takes off her wedding ring and she throws it into the grave with Rex’s body. She then walks away, and the other women follow her.

Epilogue
We see a montage while of Bree walking away from Rex’s grave with Edie, Susan, Lynette and Gabrielle following her and comforting her, Carlos and David sat together in the prison visitors room going over paper work and Lynette finally arriving home to her family and taking Penny off Tom and playing with her. We then see Lonny, alone, sat at his empty house at a table eating a cheap pizza from a cardboard box. And finally, we see inside Mary Alice’s house that there is a pile of letters mailed to Zach Young. It’s the same pile of letter that was in the box outside the house. We then see somebody opening and searching through the letters; it’s Paul Young, determined to find Zach.

"''Everyone in the world needs someone they can depend on. Be they faithful friends, determined advocates, or a loving family. But occasionally in life, the people we thought would always be there for us leave. And if that happens, it’s amazing the lengths we’ll go to, to get them back."

- Mary Alice Young

Production
The episode was the fifth episode for the show's second season and was written by Alan Cross and was directed by David Grossman. Wallace Shawn guest stars as Lonny Moon.

Reception
On its original airing on ABC, "They Asked Me Why I Belive in You" was watched by 25.220 million viewers, ranking as the second most watched show that week. It received positive reviews from critics and fans.

Trivia

 * Lynette dances on a bar to the song "Boogie Shoes." When Felicity Huffman starred on the series "Sports Night", it was said that if her character, Dana Whitaker, "gets like half a margarita in her, there's a better than even chance that she'll get up on a table and start dancing to 'My Boogie Shoes.'" Later, she does just that.
 * Right as Lonny walks up to Susan's house, Susan is in her kitchen watching TV and doing the dishes. She sets down the dish to go and greet him, but not before the camera focuses on the television for a few seconds. The reporter states that there is a "new development in the Melanie Foster case." This is a hint as to the season's main mystery. Thus, this episode marks the first (non-physical) appearance of Melanie, via photograph.
 * In one point in the episode, Susan asks "Who in this room hasn't committed a felony?", referencing the fact that nearly all of the main characters of the show have broken the law at some point or another (although when Susan says it, Mike and Julie are the only ones in the room).
 * Although credited, Cody Kasch (Zach Young), Richard Burgi (Karl Mayer), Shawn Pyfrom (Andrew Van de Kamp), Joy Lauren (Danielle Van de Kamp), Brent Kinsman (Preston Scavo), Shane Kinsman (Porter Scavo), Zane Huett (Parker Scavo) and Roger Bart (George Williams) are absent from this episode.
 * The episode's title, "They Asked Me Why I Believe in You", is a song written by Stephen Sondheim for Elaine Carrington's unproduced television play, I Believe in You.
 * French Title: On n'enterre que deux fois (You Only Bury Twice)
 * German Title: Treue Gefährten (Stanch Fellows)
 * Italian Title: Mi hanno chiesto perchè credo in te (They Asked Me Why I Believe in You)
 * Hungarian Title: Miért is hittem benned?! (Why Did I Believe in You?!)
 * Polish Title: Dlaczego w ciebie wierzyłam? (Why Did I Believe in You?)

Bloopers and continuity errors

 * An elderly woman is seen coming out of Ida Greenberg's house as if it were her own.
 * In a flashback one can see Lonny and Susan in her house's corridor before heading to the hospital. In the second season finale, however, we learn that Susan didn't move in to that house until after Julie was born.
 * When the attendant brings Rex's body to Bree, he dashes off because he "forgot some forms". He clearly does not activate the wheel brake on the gurney. However, when Bree tries to move the gurney a few moments later, she has to ask the detective to "be a dear" and release the wheel brake.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.