You Gotta Get a Gimmick

"You Gotta Get a Gimmick" is the 123rd episode of Desperate Housewives.

Susan
After his death, Karl leaves an interest in a strip club to Susan and she's astonished to find that Mike is a regular customer! Even though he's only there to work on the plumbing, she forbids him from ever going back. He bristles at being told what to do, so Susan decides to do her own strip routine after summoning Mike to the club for a bogus job. When he sees other men trying to slip dollars into her bra, he gets her point.

Julie plans to leave town, as Karl has left her a substantial amount of money in his will, and she wants to visit with cousins on the East coast, "Until they catch the guy who attacked me, I just don't feel safe here," she tells Danny. She asks Danny about his suicide attempt and he assures her, "I'm better now." Ana convinces her she's serious about Danny, so Julie helps try to get them together. Danny shows no interest until Ana bluntly refers to his overdose as a "stupid stunt." He tells her he likes her better when she's blunt.

Lynette
Gabrielle and Carlos can't thank Lynette enough for saving Celia's life. Since they're going to keep paying Lynette her salary until after she has the baby, Tom suggests that he fill in for Lynette. Lynette hates the idea. She is even more upset when Tom does a spectacular job and when she learns that he expects her to stay home with the baby when it comes. Tom, honestly thought that's what she'd want because they'd lost the other twin and that makes this baby all the more precious. Lynette admits that the thought of only seeing one when there should be two terrifies her and she will need to go back to work. He tries to get her to talk about their loss but she says that just make things worse. Tom finally agrees to step down after the baby is born and takes a bottle of wine and drinks it on the porch alone.

Bree
Bree is trying to atone for her sins, so her priest tells her to take Orson back in, now that he's paralyzed. Orson's response: "I'd rather be helped by a flatulent helper monkey." Bree whisks Orson back home anyway. He refuses to talk to her at first but then he realizes he can get his revenge by making her wait on him hand and foot, including an indulgent dessert he knows will take Bree over an hour to make. When Bree protests he simply wheels himself out slightly and comments that he cannot do it himself. Bree makes the crème brulée without further comment.

Gabrielle
Gabrielle is thrilled when Juanita is accepted into the prestigious private school where Susan works. The director says he's happy to have a Mexican student. Juanita blurts out, 'I'm Mexican? So we're like those people who sell oranges on the side of the road?" Carlos decides it's time to instill some ethnic pride and votes for Juanita to go to a public school with more Latinos. Gaby doesn't want her going to school with "those people" and Carlos accuses Gabrielle of being ashamed of Mexican. She admits that, because of her upbringing, she equated being Mexican with being poor. Gaby explains her father worked hard and always promised them a better house but died trying, and she does not want her daughters to know that she used to live like that. As they gaze at a photo of her with her proud papa, Carlos tells her, "Whatever dreams my kids achieve, they should know it started on the shoulders of a strong, proud, Mexican man."

International Titles

 * Italian: Maschere (Masks)
 * German: Alles Fassade (All facade)
 * French: Déshabillez-vous (Take it Off)