Dave Williams

"I know it must seem like I've forgotten about you, but you have to know I think about you every day. I live for you, just like always. But I have a plan. So I hope you can wait a little longer. I'll be with you soon. But first, Mike Delfino has to pay for taking you away from me. And I need just the right moment to do it. He destroyed what I loved the most and I want him to feel that hurt. I want him to lose what I lost."

Dave Williams (formerly David Dash) is a seasonal main antagonist and mystery star of Desperate Housewives. Introduced as Edie's third and last husband in season 5, Dave comes to Wisteria Lane with a vendetta plan to put into motion, with the intent of avenging his deceased former family.

Early life
When David Dash was born, he had a brother named Steven Dash. When Dave was about eighteen, Steven got ill and the Dash's used all of the money to help him. Steven however passed away and left the Dash's broke. Dave eventually fell madly in love with Lila Dash and she fell for him as well. They get married and have a daughter named Paige Dash that is born the same day as MJ Delfino. One night, Lila took Paige out for ice cream but Dave stayed home because he had to much work to do. Lila and Paige crash into Susan and Mike Delfino. Susan and Mike survive but Lila and Paige don't. Dave does not make it to the funeral after he suffers a nervous breakdown and is put into a mental hostpital. Dave is put on lots of medication when he is released, and makes a promise to Dr. Heller that he will not return to Fairview. Dave however changes his last name to Williams and moves back to Fairview. He eventually meets Edie Britt who happened to live on Wisteria Lane with the two people who killed his family. Dave and Edie date briefly and elope at City Hall, and then move back to Wisteria Lane after bribing the tenant living in Edie's old house.

Season 5
"He destroyed everything I ever loved, and he was never punished. I need to make things right."

Dave goes to Edie's old house and offers the current resident a large wad of cash in exchange for the house, he initially refuses but Dave is very persistant, when the man continues to turn him down, Dave begins to get scary. He goes back to his car and tells the woman in it that he got the house, it is Edie Britt: his wife. The women realise that Edie has returned to Wisteria Lane with her new husband and are shocked to see how he "tamed" her and they love him for it. He attends the "Welcome Back" party for his new wife and when she starts to make a scene, he pulls her away, she wonders why he was so insistent on Wisteria Lane and he tells her it is because he will be happy there. Later, Dr. Heller calls Dave to asks why he hasn't called him as he is meant to do so every month. It is discovered that he was in a mental hospital due to anger issues. ("You're Gonna Love Tomorrow")

Edie wants to move off of the Lane as she feels that the neighbors are cold towards her, particularly Karen who made fun of her. Dave insists that they will be happy there. He later visits Karen and tells her to back off of Edie, she says "no" initially and he dipicts that she is lonely as she invited him in straight away and talks to her cat like it's a real person. Later, Toby (Karen's cat) goes missing, and she goes looking for him, Dave asks her what is wrong and she explains the situation, she decides that he kidnapped Toby. Later, she apologises to Edie and makes sure she tells Dave, Edie is confused, but does, and Toby reappears to Karen. Karen visits Katherine to use her computer to find out about Dave. ("We're So Happy You're So Happy") Katherine cannot find anything about him and her and Karen take Edie out to lunch and ask her personal questions about Dave, Edie is suspicious but realises she doesn't know, she later tells this to Dave. Later, at the party to celebrate Danielle's return. The question goes back to Dave and Edie is insistent on knowing about his past, she asks where he went to college and he says that he didn't go to college because his father had a drinking problem, Edie apologises. Dave later gives Edie the idea that Karen is going senile as he knows she is on to him. ("Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else")

Dave forms a guy band with Tom and is insistent that Mike join it too, Tom denies this. Dave lashes out when he turns down Edie's idea to buy and rent Mary Alice's old house. He alter gets Mike to move into the house and he joins the guy band. Dave won't let Mike know that he and Edie are his lanlords. ("Back in Business") Dave continues in his plan to make out that Karen is senile. He goes to her house on the night of her surprise party and moves things around, she enters and filps out, she grabs and baseball bat, enters her party, and swings it towards Dave, preaching that he broke into her house, the neighbors rush over to Karen's house and everything is back to normal (thanks to Dave), the people think she is crazy and she is taken to hospital. ("Mirror, Mirror") Karen professes to Edie that her new meds made her go crazy and that's why she attacked Dave, Edie believes her. Karne gets her sister, Roberta, to come to Fairview to investigate Dave. In his guy band, Dave, Tom, Mike and Carlos end practice for the day. Dave does not tell Mike why the band is so important to him. Later, Edie questions Dave about his band logo, Dave tells her that it was the logo for his brothers band and his brother got caught up in drugs and was murdered in prison, Dave says he has his own way of dealing with the pain. ("There's Always a Woman")

Karen and Roberta continue to investigate Dave's past and find a number that calls him every month. They find out that this belongs to Dr. Heller, a criminal psychiartrist. The call him, posing as an insurance company, and they reveal that Dave is living in Fairview, he is shocked by this and books a plane there. ("What More Do I Need?") Dave's band play at battle of the bands and Dr. Heller finds Dave, he says he is worried about him living in Fairview, Dave lies and tells him that it is because Edie really wanted to move back, Dr. Heller is even more distressed when he sees that "he" is in his band (referring to mike). Later, in the store room, Dave strangles Dr. Heller to death and starts a fire, he performs with his band. The fire is noticed as they are performing and the people escape, dave helps to make sure that everyone gets out safely. He leaves, but when he discovers that Mike is still in there, he runs in and rescues him saying that he has bigger plans for him yet. ("City on Fire") Dave is asked by some cops about the fire and he says that he has no idea who did it. Mike shows grattitude towards Dave for saving his life, Dave says that Mike can be his brother since he lost one. Edie is worried that Dave seems to be obsessed with what happened. dave later goes back to the police and tells them that he saw Porter Scavo in the store room. ("Me and My Town")

Dave is losing his grip. He visulises Paige and Lila across the street and sees them more regularly. He later visits their tombstones and tells them that he will be with them soon, but first, Mike has to pay for what he did to them. It is revealed that they were his wife and child. ("A Vision's Just a Vision") Karen and Roberta visit Dr, Heller's office and Dave switches Dr. Heller's number with his own, so he can take his calls. Dave starts to act strangely and mutter to himself, gulping pills. Edie notices this and startles him, he grabs her and makes a fuss. She is freaked out and he reveals to her that he had a wife before her. Edie is so maddened that he said nothing, that she kicks him out of the house. ("Home is the Place") Dave moves in with Mike and Katherine says that she's thinking of leaving to Baltomore. Mike reveals to Dave that he may be falling in love with Katherine and later, Dave talks to Katherine and invites her on a camping trip with him, Mike and Edie stating that if anything happened to her, it would destroy Mike. Edie takes him back. ("Connect! Connect!")

Edie and Dave return home from a make-up trip and Dave delivers the news that Eli Scruggs, the local handyman, died recently. ("The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened") Dave conforts Tom about the loss of his car due to money trouble and Bob notes to Lee that it is odd as Dave is the one who turned Porter into the police. Edie asks Dave what teh main difference between hisn first and current marriages are, he says that their one is more real as he knows that they will both die someday. Tom finds out from Lee that Dave set up Porter and comes to his house, he punches him in the face but Dave retalliates by putting Tom in an armlock, Tom leaves, frightened of Dave. ("Mama Spent Money When She Had None")

Edie and Dave come home from a jog and make plans for a romantic weekend, but the former is distracted by a strange buzzing sound. It is revealed as the buzzing cell phone of Dr. Heller, who's being contacted by his secretary. Dave realizes he must hurry up with his plans and sets up a camping trip with Mike, trying to make sure Katherine comes with them. Edie isn't willing to go, and Dave begs her not to tell Katherine, because then she wouldn't want to come either. He is then seen prepping up for the trip... which includes packing up a gun. ("In a World Where the Kings Are Employers")

Dave runs into a priest at the supermarket, he talks with him in private and Dave tells him that he is happy with his new life and Edie is suspicious. Later, Edie talks to the priest and he accidentally reveals that Dave's real last name is "Dash". Edie looks up "Dave Dash" on the internet. ("Crime Doesn't Pay") Edie learns from a newspaper store that Dave had a daughter that was killed in the accident. Later, Edie asks Dave how he feels about children, she says he had "a frined" whose daughter died in a car crash and goes into explicit detail of the emotion following it. Back at teh office, a guy finds a headline that says that Mike killed Lila and Paige, but they wait until the next day to give it to Edie. ("The Story of Lucy and Jessie")

Dave takes Mike and Katherine on the hunting trip and he goes up high, while they're on a hike, with a rifle and shoots at them, he misses but they are incredibly freaked out and decide to go home. Later, Edie finds out about Mike killing Dave's family and confronts him, he wonders how she found out and she tells him that it was through research. He asks him whether or not he came there just to hurt Mike, he says that Mike needs to pay for what he did, Edie attempts to leave and Dave attempots to strangle her, she slips free and runs out the door to warn Mike. She is diling in her cell phone and driving at the same time and crashes into a utilitl pole. She gets out of the car and receives an electric shock. ("A Spark. To Pierce the Dark") Edie dies and Dave sends the girls to go and deliver the ashes to her son, Travers. ("Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know")

Susan visits Dave and he reveals that he is selling the house and is putting it in a trust for Travers as he believes it is what Edie would have wanted. Susan finds a gun and thinks that Dave wants to commit suicide, she takes all of his knives, belts, pills, ties and the gun and takes them away, She is arrested while driving with them and the cops keep everything except the ties and belts which she returns to Dave. She reveals to him that she was the one driving the car that killed a mother and daughter and Mike took the fall for her. Dave's plan is back on and he is seen telling MJ not to play in the street as something might happen to him and that would really kill his mom... ("Rose's Turn")

Dave comes over to Susan's house and invites her over for a fishing trip on the weekend. He is later questioned by two detectives and they find out that Jackson was in the back of the club, they have found Dr. Heller's body. He comes home, telling Susan that the fishing trip begins at 6:00AM but she says she cannot go as she is marrying Jackson. ("Bargaining") Susan still refuses to go on the fishing trip but Dave is insistent. He turns Jackson in to immigration to free her up. ("Marry Me a Little")

Dave records a video tape explaining his reason as to why he killed an innocent child. He begins to invision his old family, Edie and Dr. Heller who offer their suggestions as to what Dave should do, he eventually agrees with Edie in that he should kill MJ and let Susan suffer like he did. He goes up to MJ with the intention of killing him but Susan stops him and decides that she will go on the fishing trip with him after all. Mike receives Dave's tape and is heading off for his wedding, he puts it in a drawer. The police find out everything about Dave. ("Everybody Says Don't")

Susan and MJ are driving to the lake with Dave. Mike, who has now seen the tape, calls Susan warning him that Dave is the guy whose wife and child they killed. Susan does not react but gives MJ a juice box. MJ, as Susan planned, needs to use the bathroom. Susan wants to go to a service station but Dave stops at a forest and tells MJ to go there. Susan knocks Dave out but needs to get the car keys. She tries to get them from his pocket but her grabs her. Susan runs from Dave with MJ and trips over. She tells him to run and hide as it is a game. Dave goes to the cemetery and sees MJ there, he lures him out with promises and MJ agrees and goes with Dave and his mom. Dave puts them both in the car and takes them to the very same interstate that Lila and Paige died in; Susan notices this. He ties up Susan and reveals that Mike will be hurling down the interstate as he pulls out of a car with MJ and Mike will kill his own child. Susan yells at him not to do it and asks him, "What if your daughter could see you now?! Is this how you'd want her to see you, as a killer?!" This gets to Dave and as he is in the car with MJ, he sees him as his own daughter. Susan gets free and tries to warn Mike to stop as he is driving down the road, he is too late and Dave's car comes out of no where. The two cars collide and Susan is crying over MJ. MJ, however, soon comes running out saying that Dave told him to get out of the car. Susan hugs him and then checks that Mike is okay, he is and the two kiss. In his car, Dave imagines how it should have been on the night his wife died; how he should have asked her to stay. He is last seen in a mental hospital, wearing a smirk. ("If It's Only in Your Head")

Season 6
Dave is not mentioned by any of the housewives after he leaves. He is briefly referenced by Susan to Eddie stating that a madman kidnapped MJ and now she and Mike are re-marrying. ("Epiphany")

Trivia

 * Dave is one of only six main characters (along with Ana, Angie, Ben, Chuck and Renee) who only appeared in the post-time jump era of the series.
 * Both Lila and Edie's (Dave William's wives) deaths involved a car accident.
 * The name Dave Williams had been mentioned before: during "Next", Ida Greenberg is holding a bottle that has Dave Williams labeled on it.