Mike and Susan move back to the lane, and their friends and neighbors decide to host a progressive dinner party to celebrate their return, but things don't go quite as planned. Lynette worries that Tom might leave her, but becomes even more concerned about the feelings that resurface once he's gone, Bree decides to pay a visit to Chuck's wife's boutique, Renee learns that her ex-husband is getting remarried, and Gabrielle decides the time has come to confront her stepfather.
Plot
Previously on Desperate Housewives
Susan's dream came true. Bree had to put her desire on hold. Tom and Lynette's weekend away made things worse. Gaby visited the town where she was born, and, to her surprise, her stepfather followed her home.
One clear moonlit evening, there was a dinner party on Wisteria Lane, and everyone would agree it was a night to remember. They would remember the crisp chardonnay, the tahini salad, and the savory chicken. But the most memorable part of the evening wasn't the food.
Flashes of the guests eating, drinking and enjoying the dinner party are shown during Mary Alice's voice-over. We are also exposed to images of a body being carried around in a big orange bag, leaving a large blood stain on the carpet which someone then attempts to scrub off. We also get to see someone washing blood off their hands, and women in high heels covering the blood-stained carpet with a rug.
Act I
Two Days Earlier
In the year since she had left the lane, Susan Delfino had missed many things: the laughter of happy children, the smile of the cheerful mailman, the smell of Wisteria in bloom. But what Susan missed the most were her friends.
Susan and Mike are unpacking in the kitchen, and she appears to be in a big hurry. As soon as she's done putting dishes in a pantry, she asks Mike if she can go now. He says they have just started unpacking, but she can't wait to go outside and meet the girls, after all, it has been a full year since she was able to do so from right across the street. He asks her if they can at least finish the kitchen, but she, very childishly, stuffs all of the silverware into a drawer, and he tells her she can go already. Susan is beyond ecstatic, and hurries outside.
Bree and Chuck enter the former's house, having finished a jogging session, and apparently Bree won on the race back home. He admits that she appears to be in great shape, and then jokes that he'd rather run behind her than in front of her. Bree tells him that's very sweet, and they proceed to kiss. She says she has to hit the showers, and he says he does to. He tries to rush upstairs with her in tow, but she is surprised, considering initially they weren't to have sex until his divorce was final.
Chuck says he's thought about it a lot over the past 40 seconds and he's done waiting. They try to rush upstairs yet again, but are stopped cold on their tracks when the doorbell rings. Bree answers it, and it's Susan, who cheerfully says "Hey, can you spare a cup of coffee for a new neighbor?". Bree, in a rush, tells her she just finished a run, but they will certainly do it tomorrow. She then closes the door on her friend's face, and tries to go back upstairs with Chuck, but he stops her, saying it must've been some sort of sign the fact that someone showed up on the doorstep the minute they were about to go have sex. He says he doesn't wanna wait, but he's so close to finally getting divorced. Bree asks him how close, and he says he and his wife, Doreen, will be meeting with the attorneys the very next day, and if she's in a good mood, they can finally reach an agreement. He confides in Bree that his wife's clothing store isn't doing very well these days, and the worst her business does, the crankier she gets; the crankier she gets, the more she drags everything out. Bree then tells him that they'll have to shower individually, and he can go first, just so long as he doesn't use up all of the hot water. As soon as she leaves, Chuck says he won't be using any hot water at all.
Lynette and Tom come home from the B&B (see episode 7.22), and she says the kids will be hungry soon enough, then asking if she should order a pizza. He says "Fine" and then puts down his suitcase against a wall in their bedroom. Lynette notices and asks him if he'd like her to unpack it for him, but he asserts there's no need for that. She asks him what's wrong, and he says "Nevermind", and leaves the bedroom.
Lynette gives Susan a hug, before rushing her off.
She follows him downstairs and asks what's up yet again, and he says the company has an apartment near the office, and he thinks he should move in there for a while. Lynette is against that decision, and he asks her if she doesn't agree that some time apart would do them both some good, but she says she knows what it all means, if he walks out that door, he'll never come back. He tells her she can't know that for sure, and she responds that they just endured through a three-hour car ride without exchanging a single word, so she does know that. There's a knock on the door, and Lynette opens it, revealing Susan, who, cheerfully as usual, says "Guess who just moved back on the lane". Lynette pretends to be excited and gives her a hug, saying that's so great, but she's just right in the middle of something so she'll call Susan later. And then she shuts the door on Susan's face.
Lynette turns to Tom yet again and asks him if where he's getting at is that he's done trying to work things out, and he replies they have been trying. Lynette says they have to keep fighting to save their family. Tom asks her if they're fighting to save it or just fighting, and then calmly insists that she leave the suitcase where it is.
Gabrielle looks out the window of her house and sees Alejandro sitting inside his car, parked out on the street, looking right back at her. Gaby grabs her gun and hides it in her purse, and then Susan knocks on her door and calls her out. Gaby puts the purse away and answers it, and a cheerful Susan cheerfully says "Hi, neighbor. Invite me in for wine so I can get out of unpacking". Gaby says "Susan, hi. I was just about to got out. Raincheck?", before closing the door on Susan's face.
She then heads back to the window, picking up her purse in the process, and notices Alejandros's gone.
Susan heads back to her house, where Mike is still unpacking, and he asks her what she's doing there, considering she missed her friends so much. Susan says "Yeah. Still do", and then just sits there with her arms crossed.
Lynette, Bree, Gabrielle and Renee are all gathered at Susan's doorstep and when the latter answers the door, she says she's just come home from a run, and is about to go out, and is kinda busy right now, and then shuts the door on their faces. The women argue with one another that they knew Susan would be angry for having been ignored the day before. They all come inside anyway, and apologize. Renee tells Susan she was home all day and her bell never rang. Susan then asks them who wants coffee, to avoid the subject.
Later, Susan is telling them the story of how Felicia almost killed both her and Paul, when Renee's cell phone rings, and she says it's her ex-husband Doug, who she says has probably been dumped by his girlfriend and now wants to get back together. She ignores the call, and Lynette tells her not to spoil Susan's moment, and Renee insists she could had told her the story the day before, considering she was home all day long. Bree tells Susan they want to give her and Mike a proper welcome, so they're throwing progressive dinner party in their honor, with each course taking place inside one of their houses: Renee will be serving drinks and appetizers, Lynette will serve the salad, Bree will serve the main course (roast poussins), and Gabrielle will be serving dessert (cheesecake). Susan says that is so nice of them, and she doesn't want to get too emotional, but to be there with them yet again, it means a lot to her. The women all approach to embrace her, and Renee's cell phone rings again, spoiling the moment for the second time around. She tells them they don't need to stop, for she's not going to answer the phone, and the women continue with their sweet moment anyway.
Bree convinces Renee to visit Doreen's boutique with her.
As they come out of Susan's house, Bree tells Renee she plans on going shopping, and she'd like her to tag along. Renee becomes relieved for her friend, and asks whether they will be burning Bree's old clothes before or after they've gone shopping. Bree instead says she thought they'd try a boutique on Lake Street, owned by Chuck's wife. Renee becomes surprised, and tells her that talking to the wife is a very bad idea. Bree explains that Chuck will try to get Doreen to sign a settlement that day, and she will only do so if she's in a good mood, which she will be if the two of them drop by the store and spend a bundle on the clothes she's selling. Renee still doesn't appear to be convinced, so Bree tells her she's buying, so it'll be a win-win situation for them, as Renee will be helping out a friend and she herself will wind up with a new dress to wear to the party.
However, at the store, the two of them immediately realize what Doreen is selling is not their type: it appears to be S&M styled clothing, which Renee claims she wouldn't wear even to a drive-by shooting. Bree tells her Doreen is watching and they are there to lift up her spirit. Renee calls Doreen up and tells her they love her clothes. Bree backs her up, defending that the clothes are very expressive. Doreen is glad, and tells them she was starting to think the boutique was too edgy for Fairview, considering the way the clothes have been selling. Bree grabs some tops, some jeans and a skull purse, intending to buy them on the spot. Doreen asks her if she wouldn't rather try them on first, and Renee insists that she does so. Bree has no other option.
Moments later, Doreen rings up the purchase and tells them they have just made her day. Bree replies that she made theirs too, as she's checking herself in the mirror dressed in a completely anti-Bree attire. When Doreen gives her the credit card back, she reads it and says "Thank you so much... Bree", to which she responds "You're welcome, Doreen". Doreen goes to get the paper bags with the clothes in them and asks her how she knows her name, and Bree says she doesn't, but Doreen isn't fooled, and tells her she just said it to her. Bree says she read it on her name tag, but soon realizes that Doreen doesn't have one. As she tries to rush out, Doreen overhears Renee saying "That's why we don't check out the wife". Doreen then understands that Bree and Chuck are an item now. She asks her if they came to get a good luck at the wife of the man she's screwing, and Renee answers that Bree is a class act, not that one could tell at the moment with her dressed in such clothing. Bree tells Doreen that Chuck hasn't slept with her yet and he won't while he's still married, and both Doreen and Bree can't believe her. Bree defends that he has high ethical standards, and so does she. Doreen apologizes for misjudging her, and she accepts her apology and tells her that she hopes, both for her sake and Doreen's, that she and Chuck can reach an understanding so they can all go on with their lives. Doreen says she thinks they just might, and Bree says "Wonderful". She and Renee leave and Doreen calls Arthur, her attourney, and tells him to tear the agreement she had said she'd sign, as she now thinks they can do better.
As she prepares to leave her home, Gabrielle picks up her purse, containing the gun inside, and walks to her car. She notices that Alejandro is there and drives away. He goes right after her. Gaby parks her car in a deserted area, puts her gun in the pocket of the coat she's wearing, and walks into the woods. He parks the car next to hers and follows his former stepdaughter. He stumbles upon a clearing and she walks up from behind a bush turned to his back. She says "I thought you were dead". Alejandro turns to her and says that's the good thing about a small town: you can start a rumor a hundred miles away and no one checks its veracity. She asks him why he's there and what it is that we wants, and Alejandro tells her he knows she was in Las Colinas stirring things up again. It took him a long time to start fresh somewhere else and he doesn't need another witch hunt. He starts to get too close to her and she takes the gun out of her pocket and points it at him, telling him not to come near her. He doesn't take her seriously, so she shoots at a tree behind him, a little to the left, to prove she means business. Gaby says she's not the little girl who knows how to defend herself anymore. He asks her what is going on, and she replies that she's trying to think of a reason not to kill him.
He starts to say that he knows they've had their share of problems, but Gaby interrupts him, saying she doesn't remember him having any problems, she instead remembers him getting drunk on tequila and coming into her room and putting his hand over her mouth and raping her. She was fifteen, and a virgin. He asks her what she wants, and she tells him to get on his knees. He obliges, and tells her not to do this. She remembers saying exactly the same thing, and it doesn't work. She taps him on the back with the gun and he drops to the floor, as she tells him to think of something else. He becomes angry, recovering himself, and says "I'm... I'm sorry". Gaby asks him say what he's sorry for, and kicks him to the ground again, and he turns to her and says "Raping you". Gaby then keeps aiming at him, about to shoot him, but changes her mind and tells him to get up instead and start walking. He gets back into his car and Gaby, still pointing the gun at him, tells him to never come near her again. "Go back to being dead", she says. He drives away, and she throws up due to her nervousness.
Act III
Back at the Solis house, Carlos tells his wife he doesn't want to go the progressive dinner (which he doesn't get) due to having been on the road for a week, and because Bree will be there. Gaby asks how long his hatred towards Bree will go on, and he says for as long as his mom is dead. Gaby replies that it could be forever. He says she should go by herself, and he'll get back to the office and catch up on some work. Gaby tells him to forget Bree, as he doesn't even have to talk to her, the party is about doing something nice for Susan. Carlos then comes back to the bedroom and asks her why she has a gun, to which she promptly responds that Alejandro found her. Carlos says "What? I thought he was dead!", and Gaby responds that he's alive. He asks her what Alejandro wanted, whether he laid a hand on her and why she didn't call him. Gaby tells him he's gone, she took care of it. Carlos starts to ask her if she killed him, to which Gaby answers that she could have, after all, she had the gun pointing at him, but she couldn't go through with it, she just needed to know that she could. Carlos holds her in his arms and tells her it wouldn't have been enough for him. After what he did to her, he would had shot him like a dog.
Renee is lighting scented candles in her place for the opening part of the progressive dinner, and the bartender is checking out a photo of hers. She asks him if he shouldn't be behind the bar, and he asks her if that's a picture of him with Doug Perry of the Yankees. Renee tells him Doug is her ex-husband, and Edgar, the bartender, asks her what he's like. Renee answers that she doesn't usually talk to the help, but she'll make an exception in his case, promptly telling him to shut up. Lee and Bob arrive, and Renee is glad that the gays are there because the party can now begin. Lee tells her she looks amazing as she greets them, and Bob tells her it's good to see her holding up so well. Renee asks him what he's talking about, and he says he's referring to Doug remarrying, a piece of news that is all over ESPN. Renee is shocked and confused, and Lee realizes she didn't know, apologizing for the revelation immediately afterwards and blaming Bob, telling that's what happens when people watch sports. Renee realizes that's why he's been calling, he's getting married. She asks to be excused and sits at the bar, and the bartender asks her if she'd like red or white wine, to which she replies "Brown" and pours herself a drink.
Lynette is applying make-up in her bathroom and sprinkles some powder on Penny's nose as a joke. She tells her mom she looks really pretty, and Lynette thanks her and asks her whether his father is dressed yet, to which she responds that he's not back yet. She asks her from where, and she says she doesn't know, he left while Lynette was in the shower. Lynette puts away her make-up and walks into her bedroom, noticing the suitcase isn't there anymore. She asks her daughter if she's seen it, and Penny says she hasn't. Lynette gets sad. Penny asks her if she can try on her lipgloss, to which her mom says "Sure" as she continues to look to the wall in front of her, with nothing leaning against it.
Gaby gets to Renee's home and meets Mike and Karen McCluskey, who are having drinks and chatting. She asks him how the party's going and Mike says it's okay, but she might want to stay clear of the living room, with Karen joking that Judy [Garland] is a little "over the rainbow". They both chuckle, and Gaby goes to said room to see what's going on. An inebriated Renee is sitting on top of the piano singing "My Funny Valentine" and has trouble singing it well. Once the song ends, she tells the piano player to do it once more from the top, but Lee has a talk to her, saying "My Funny Valentine" is not so funny the forth time around. They sit on the sofa and he tries to comfort her, saying Doug is a dog and he's not even worth thinking about. He tells her she'll meet someone, but Renee says all the good men are either married or gay. Lee is flattered, but Renee says she was talking about Bob.
"Cheeseburger?"
Chuck enters the house and Bree greets, saying everyone's dying to meet him. He asks if he can have a drink first, as he's just finished talking to Doreen and her lawyer, and apparently it didn't go well. They were very close to settling and suddenly she asked for the lake house, which her own lawyer agreed to be too much. Chuck says that somehow she knows he's desperate to end this so she can ask for anything. Bree says that's awful, and asks if he'd like a mini cheeseburger to avoid the topic. Lynette then comes in and approaches Susan and Gabrielle, who asks her where Tom is. Lynette says she doesn't think he can make it, as he's got some work stuff to do, and Gaby says the same thing happened with Carlos. She then turns to Susan and tells her that's the bad thing about being married to rich guys, but the good thing is that they're rich, before being reminded that Susan herself isn't married to one of those guys. Gaby apologizes and walks away, and Susan tells Lynette she should have a talk with Penny, who was over watching MJ that day and seemed to be a little upset. Lynette asks her about what, and Susan says that she's not sure if she'd seen her parents arguing, but she had it in her mind that they were splitting up, and Susan reassured her that nothing would ever happen to break her parents up. However, she then notices her friend's reaction, and realizes what is going on. Lynette tells Susan that Tom left her, and her friend is shocked.
Susan and Lynette walk down the lane, headed to the latter's house. Lynette tells her friend she had seen it coming, she just never pictured it'd be that night. Susan tells her she's very sorry, and asks her how is she even keeping it together. Lynette tells her right now she's just thinking about making salad for 15. Susan tells her she knows hard it is, but whatever should happen Lynette will get through it because she's still got her friends... and Tom. Yes, because they head inside and Susan notices that Lynette's husband is in the kitchen preparing the salad. She then says they don't need three people to make a salad, so she will be going back to Renee's and they can get together later on. She leaves. Tom asks his wife if she wants to get the forks, but Lynette asks him where he's been, and Tom reminds her that the recipe called for mandarin oranges, so he went out to get some, liked she had asked him to. She says she'd asked him the day before, and she'd gotten some herself earlier. Tom says he didn't know that, so now they have extra. She tells him she didn't see his suitcase, and Tom says it's in the closet. Lynette says she'll get the forks, because people will be coming soon.
People are surprised to see Renee and her date: the bartender.
Everyone is now gathered at Lynette's place, and Susan is serving herself. Karen tells her it's good to have her back on the lane, and Susan appreciates that and gets chatty, and thus Karen tells her to hurry up for she's holding up the line, she can talk and serve at the same time.
Lynette asks Bob and Lee where Renee is, and the former tells her she is pretty devastated because she just found out her ex-husband is getting remarried, and so they probably won't be seeing her again that night. However, Renee immediately shows up with her bartender, and introduces him to the crowd as his date. She says he's not only a bartender but also a model, and he tells everyone they may have seen him posing for "Fairview Herald" as "guy checking watch". Renee tells him to show them, and Edgar makes a pose, checking the time on his wristwatch. The two of them engage in a passionate kiss, much to everyone's surprise, and Roy refers to Renee as his type of girl: drunk off her ass, and not afraid to show it.
Bree goes outside to see Chuck, who is on the phone with his wife. Bree prepares to tell him about her visit to Doreen's boutique, but Chuck stops her speech, and tells his wife that she can take both the money and the lake house. It'll all be worth it if it means he can finally get rid of her for good. Bree says he shouldn't have done that, but he insists he had to, he couldn't let that drag on for one more day. Bree says it's not right of him to give up a vacation home just so that they can have sex. Chuck says that's not why he did it: the lake house is full of memories of her, and it'd make no sense to hold on to it, particularly when he plans on building new memories with Bree. But also, he wants to have sex with her. Bree tells him they will as soon as the party's over, and they kiss. Chuck then asks her how many courses there are left, and Bree smiles and says they can skip the salad. They rush back to her home, and right past Alejandro. Chuck greets him with a "Good evening", and the man replies in the same manner.
Back at Lynette's, Renee wants to tell Karen the story of how she and Edgar met, but McCluskey says there's no need, because they were all there when it happened an hour before. Lee takes Renee on a sidebar, and asks why she is with that guy. Renee tells him "that guy" is the best thing that ever happened to her, and if he doesn't mind his manners he might just not be invited to the wedding, which is an option she's considering because she can totally see herself as Mrs. Renee... and then she is reminded that she doesn't know Edgar's last name, so she tells Lee she'll be right back.
Lynette spots Tom heading to a different room and pouring himself a drink. He asks her if she wants one too. She says she doesn't want one, she needs it. Tom hands her a glass, and she asks him why it took him two hours to find mandarin oranges. He says he was leaving, and she asks him what made him come back. Tom says he couldn't do it that way, he kept picturing her all by herself at the party, with people asking Lynette where he'd gone off to and getting answers she'd make up. It didn't seem right.
Lynette and Tom discuss their forthcoming separation.
Lynette tells him her biggest fear about marriage was that some day he'd leave her. She grew up in a home where people left and she had to clean up afterwards, and she couldn't face going through that again. And so, when she did see his suitcase, she thought "Well, here it is, my worst fear: he's gone". And then she thought that Paige's car seat was in her husband's car and she'd have to get a new one. He had just left her and she was busy thinking about a car seat. It felt weird, she kept waiting to feel devastated, but instead she felt something she couldn't put a name to. And then, when she walked in and saw that he was back, she suddenly realized what she had been feeling the whole time he was gone: it was relief. She was relieved. Gaby pops up and tells them they're gonna have a riot on their hands should they not put out some more croutons. Tom asks Lynette, after Gaby's gone, what they will be telling people. Lynette says nothing, for the time being, for it is Susan's night. Tom agrees, and says they shouldn't tell anyone before they've told the kids first. Lynette then realizes what it'll mean for their family, and says "Oh, God, the kids", very upset. Tom drinks up.
Bree and Chuck are done having sex, and exchange compliments. Bree then notices the time, and realizes she should had taken the chickens out of the oven twenty minutes before. She hopes it's not too late, but then the smoke alarm goes off and she panicks. They rush downstairs, and the kitchen is filled with smoke. The chickens are all burnt, and the guests arrive immediately. They get out of Lynette's house, with Roy asking Karen if they have to move again. She tells him they're heading over to Bree's for the main course, and he asks her if this is supposed to be fun, to which she answers "Not fun, Roy, just free". Renee tells Edgar they really should go and he does the watch bit, joking it's that "time". Renee isn't too thrilled over his repetition, and he says she used to love it when he did that. Renee says that people change.
Bree's roast poussins become a little too roasted.
When the guests arrive, Bree tells Chuck to button up his shirt, but he no longer has buttons due to the fact that she ripped them off. The two of them enter the living room, and Bree explains to her guests that the oven malfunctioned and thus the chickens are burnt, something that happened when Chuck and her went to the cellar to get some wine. Roy asks Chuck what's wrong with his shirt, and he explains that he took off his shirt to fan away the smoke, and waved it so vigorously that all the buttons came off. Mike quietly asks Susan if he should offer to loan him a shirt, and Lee tells him not to dare to do such a thing. Bree and Chuck rush off to buy chickens elsewhere, and the former tells her guests to enjoy the wine as they will be right back, and they finally leave, sporting big smiles.
While they wait, Renee pours herself another drink, and Edgar isn't too pleased, asking her if she thinks she really needs another one. She asks him if he's counting her drinks now, but Edgar says he doesn't think he can count that high. Renee tells him he knew she drank when they met, he was the bartender. Edgar tries to apologize, and asks her what has happened to them, they never used to fight. She says she thinks this has been over for a long time, and he asks her if she's dumping him. Renee tells him it's not him, it's her, but it's mostly him.
She then meets Lynette in the kitchen, and tells her she and Edgar broke up, to which her friend replies they will always have the salad course. Renee admits that what happened was all about Doug. When he cheated on her with Tina, she assumed he was just tired of being married and wanted to screw around, but now he's marrying her which means what he was sick of was her. Lynette becomes emotional, and Renee says that either she is the most sympathetic friend of all time or something else is going on. Renee wants her to tell her what it is, and Lynette says that she and Tom are separating. Renee is horrified, and can't believe it, she says "No, no, not you guys". Lynette tells her she thinks it's for the best, and Renee holds her best friend in her arms as she cries.
During the main course, Gaby tells Bree, who is sitting at one end of the table, she should run and get dessert ready, but Susan tells her to wait, because she has something she wants to say. She and Mike wanna thank everyone for planning that wonderful dinner in their honor. She tells Renee they really enjoyed the drinks, and she seemed to enjoy the bartender. People laugh, and she then addresses Lynette, saying she and Tom make a great salad and an even better team. And, for the first time ever, Bree burnt the main course, which was a perfect tribute to Susan herself. She then proceeds to say that living away from them, mostly because she knew that when friends live apart they sometimes grow apart too. However, no matter how crazy or busy their lives are, something seems to happen to bring them all back together, and that started tonight with that dinner. She becomes emotional and says "May we have many, many more". She tears up and says she almost made it, and Gaby says she will be leaving before she too loses it.
At her house, Gaby gets some napkins from a chest, and when she turns around Alejandro pops up and says "Hola, Gaby". She is scared, and drops the napkins to the floor. She asks him what he's doing there, and he said he knows she told him not to come back, but he's betting she won't be so tough without her gun. He puts his hand under his coat, near his heart, to indicate that's where he's concealing the gun. He then takes off his hat and throws it away, and Gaby becomes even more scared.
Gaby reminds Alejandro that she had told him to leave, which he claims he did: he got 50 miles out of town, but he just couldn't stop thinking of all the things she said, she made him sound like a monster. She insists she only said the truth, but he tells her he almost had to laugh at her claim that she was a virgin. Gaby is shocked that he would think otherwise, but he reminds her of the skimpy skirts and tops she wore, then referring to her old self as "little slut". Gabrielle calls him a "sick bastard" and tries to get past him, but he grabs her and throws her against the chest, after saying that it was his turn to do the talking.
Carlos comes home and sees them through the window, instantly noticing his wife is in panick. Inside, Gaby tells Alejandro to stay away from her, and he reminds her of that night they spent together in her room. He grabs her by the wrists, and she tearfully begs him to stop. Alejandro then explains that he had to cover her mouth so her mother wouldn't hear how much she was enjoying it.
Alejandro drops to the floor after being knocked over the head.
Carlos sneaks up behind him and hits Alejandro over the head with a candle stick. Gaby screams as her former stepfather drops unconscious to the floor. Gaby starts crying and Carlos holds her. She tells him she was so scared, but she didn't do anything. Gaby tells him they should call the police before Alejandro wakes up, but Carlos notices he is completely motionless and kneels down by him, checking his pulse. There isn't one. "He's dead, I killed him.", he says.
The girls come in and notice the body on the floor.
Gaby says it was self-defense, he had her gun, but Carlos tells her he had put the gun in the safe. Gaby insists that he had it, and they search his body for it, but can't find it. Alejandro was bluffing. Carlos realizes he has just killed an unarmed man. Bree, Susan and Lynette then come inside, and are shocked to see an inanimate man lying on their living room floor. Bree asks them who that is, and Gaby says it's her stepfather. Lynette rapidly realizes it's the man who raped her. Susan asks if he's dead, and Carlos says he killed him. Gabrielle acknowledges that the situation is really bad, but Bree tries to console them, saying that the man was in her house and he did really bad stuff to her. However, a panicked Gaby confesses that no one knows what happened, she never reported him, the only thing they'll know is that he was there, unarmed, and Carlos killed him, and now he's gonna go to jail because he was trying to protect her. Lynette tells her to calm down, they will just need time to think. Susan looks out the window and says they don't have time because everyone is coming, including Bree's detective boyfriend. Carlos says he killed the son of a bitch who hurt his wife, and if he has to go to prison he will. Bree assures him that that's not gonna happen. They all realize what needs to happen as they stare down at the body.
Epilogue
The chest.
The dessert course is taking place at Gaby's house, and the guests seem to be enjoying themselves. Bree approaches Chuck, who tells her this has been fun, he likes her friends. Bree tells him she's glad, and then she notices a bit of blood on the candlestick Carlos used. She rubs it off with a napkin right under Chuck's eyes, saying, with a smile, "Strawberry sauce gets everywhere". During Mary Alice's subsequent voice-over, Chuck and Mike have a talk, Lee consoles Renee with a kiss on the forehead, Carlos holds Bree's hand in appreciation over the decision to help him out, and Gaby talks to Karen, who puts her plate over the chest. Gaby stares at it, and thus it is implied that is where they are keeping Alejandro's body.
There are many things that bind friends together: sharing a laugh over an embarassing incident, comforting each other in times of need, finding it in our hearts to forgive. But the thing that binds friends together the most is a secret that changes everything.
"Come on Over for Dinner" was written by executive producer Bob Daily and directed by series regular Larry Shaw. Marc Cherry (series creator) was originally planning to end his run on the show after this episode, as he had begun work on another series for ABC. However, ABC did not to pick up his new show, and so Cherry decided to stay on with Desperate Housewives for another season. Although, it has since been announced that Cherry has indeed stepped down from his position to rework his concept for a new show, while Bob Daily takes his place.
Reception
The episode was watched by 10.27 million viewers (making it the least viewed season finale in the series' run) and received a 3.1 rating in the key demographic,[1] as well as gaining mixed reviews from critics yet overwhelmingly positive opinion from fans. Christian Blaulvelt, recapper/reviewer for EW.com, praised the ending of the episode (and the season) and the possibilities it offered for season 8, saying "the fact that all the Housewives are going to be involved as partners in crime in next year’s caper instantly makes it more compelling than anything this show has given us in years. Finally, DH is getting back to basics, crafting a mystery that utilizes the entire ensemble rather than splitting the cast into a web of barely-connected, tangential story-threads." [2]
Trivia
This episodes marks the first time since the second season finale that executive producer Larry Shaw served as director for the very last episode in a season.
The final scene may be a nod to Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope", where a dead body is hidden in a chest throughout an entire dinner party, and it also constitutes a nod to the mystery that started the series: Deirdre Taylor's chopped up body was stuffed in a chest as well.
This episode marks the second season finale in the series that the housewives cover up a murder.
Bloopers and continuity errors
When Doreen Vance calls her lawyer, Arthur, on the phone, she starts talking immediately after dialing. There wouldn't be enough time for Arthur to answer the call or for it to go to voice-mail.
Quotes
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Bree: For the entry, I am making my famous roast poussins. (nobody understands) It's French for "baby chickens".
Gabrielle: I'm serving cheesecake. It's American for "dessert".
