- Several residents are faced with deadly threats; Adam is held captive by Wayne; Katherine's secret past is finally revealed, after she and Bree are held hostage.
- In the season finale, several residents of Wisteria Lane are faced with deadly threats; Adam is held captive by the deranged Wayne who physically tortures him for information as to Dylan's origins... and what happened to the real Dylan Davis. Ellie, now a fugitive, contacts Gabrielle to help her retrieve a teddy bear from their house. Tom and Lee finally have their commitment ceremony in the form of a block party on Wisteria Lane. Lynette is forced to cater to the party while Tom refuses to help out because of the Kayla case. Meanwhile, Susan realizes she will soon lose someone she loves when Julie is accepted into Princeston University early and will be leaving town soon. Also, Katherine Mayfair's secret about her past and of what happened to Dylan is finally revealed after Wayne takes her and Bree hostage in her house.
- "Desperate Housewives" - "Free" - May 18, 2008
(Originally aired as the second hour of the 2-hour season finale entitled, "The Gun Song; Free." Shown on the ABC website as "The Gun Song, Free - pt. 2", with no opening credits or recap)
A title card that reads "The Next Morning" (this is omitted on the website episode)
We see the seal of a police department, and Mary Alice tells us it's been 14 years since Katherine Mayfair had been in a police station but she remembered the conversation like it was yesterday. We see a bruised Katherine talking to a female cop. Flashback Katherine says she's worried that he will do something to her daughter and asks for help. The female cop sees that Wayne is a patrolman and tells Katherine she could have problems since Wayne has friends on the force. She tells Katherine to get as much money as she can and to run. So she did. We see her running to her aunt's house.
Back in the present Katherine is reporting Adam missing and points out that, as a cop Wayne knows something about committing a crime. The detective recognizes Wayne's name and is now skeptical of Katherine since he's played golf with him. He thinks it's payback for an "ancient domestic dispute." Katherine asks for help and says that Wayne will come after her. The cop is a Class A tool, and dismissively says he'll look into it. Katherine is distraught. She goes home to pack and run. Dylan is confused and says she won't go anywhere until she knows why she should be afraid of her father. Katherine says she'll tell her the truth. We next see Dylan running out of the house as Katherine calls after saying "I had no choice."
As we see a shot of the ladies at the poker table Mary Alice tells us that this ritual of a weekly card game has been observed by her friends for years. Bree is trying to convince the others to let Katherine into the game. The others object. Bree defends her. Lynette says Bree can talk her up all she wants but that Katherine will never be one of them. At that precise moment Katherine runs in. She grabs Bree and tells her she can't help cater the commitment ceremony because she's taking off and she can't tell her why. Bree freaks. Bree tells the girls they have all become her employees.
Back at the Mayer house Susan also enlists Julie, who, after previously being wait-listed, has finally been accepted at Princeton. Julie then tells her mother that she has to go there for a summer internship. Susan says no. Julie says she has to since it's an honor. Susan still says no, saying they can't afford it. Mike pulls Susan aside and says he just inherited five grand from grandpa Maynard and wants to help. Susan thanks Mike for, "...bringing up a very good point" that they don't know who this professor is anyway and says no again.
Lynette brings her bundle of responsibilities back to Tom, saying they have to make 250 mini-pizzas for the commitment ceremony. Tom says he can't since he's in the middle of boxing up Kayla's stuff to bring to her, his daughter who now lives 4 1/2 hours away. Lynette wonders when he'll stop being so angry. Tom says he isn't angry at her but the situation. Lynette accepts the anger and says they still need to make the pizzas.
Gaby dumps a box of wedding favors on Carlos to assemble. Carlos yells at her for shopping so much and maxing out their credit cards. Gaby says when he yells at her, she shops more. Vicious circle. Carlos goes off to read porn in Braille. Ellie calls and Gaby points out that the cops are all over her since they suspect she helped Ellie escape. Ellie asks for one more favor. Ellie wants her teddy bear. Her actual teddy bear, given to her by her father. Gaby retrieves it. It's full of, well, we don't know since we cut to commercial. I'm guessing money.
At the Scavos, Bree and Lynette are going over the commitment ceremony plans with Bob and Lee. Apparently, they're getting a cherub ice sculpture. Lee is mad because he wanted an enchanted castle, complete with a vodka-filled moat. Bob points out they're not 8-year-old girls. They bicker as Orson enters. Bree confronts Orson, who has come to offer his calligraphy sklls for the placecards. She accuses him of approaching her in a moment of weakness.
Lee is in a tizzy and Tom tells him he's doomed for caving on the ice sculpture, setting a doormat tone for his marriage and that it's time to dig in or he'll end up like Tom, pushed around for the last 10 1/2 years. Lee goes back and digs in for the castle. Bob caves. Lee is psyched giving Tom eyebrow thanks. As Lee walks away and Bree says she'll see about the change, Bob says to stick with the cherub, and when Lee bitches he'll just buy him some jewelry. Lynette nods and asks if he's sure he's never been married before.
In the Solis house Carlos is coming downstairs with a theory that karma has whacked them with blindness and poverty and that it's time to start treating other people better. Gaby is busy counting and clearly coveting Ellie's, that right, piles of money. It's 118,000. Carlos says, "hey universe, bite me."
The skeptical detective calls Wayne to give him the heads up that Katherine thinks he's kidnapped Adam. Wayne plays it off. And then turns around to keep beating Adam to make him tell Dylan's whereabouts. Except he has killed him. Or so he thinks as he stalks out. Except that he hasn't as Adam opens his bloody, swollen eyes.
At the commitment ceremony Bree is on the phone checking details of the ice sculpture; apparently it can't be delivered until 6:00 pm, way too late for the ceremony. Lynette, who's doing bad swan napkins is demoted to filling water glasses. Bree goes to pick up the sculpture herself; as she drives back she calls Andrew, her phone battery dies, and she gets a blowout. She goes to change the tire and smears grease on her forehead. She notices the ice sculpture is melting. She commandeers a baby stroller and is walking purposefully down the street as a truck goes by and blows dust all over her and the melting sculpture.
As Carlos and Gaby wrap favors they're arguing about how to use Ellie's money. Carlos is for paying off bills and putting the rest in savings. Gaby says shoes are her kids and no one saves anymore. Ellie calls looking for her bear. Gaby lies and says she couldn't find it. Ellie can tell Gaby is lying and says, "Listen bitch, you do not want to screw with me." Gaby offers to split it 50/50. Ellie says she's coming to get it and if one dime is missing she will throw acid in Gaby's face.
As the melting wings fall off her ice cherub, Bree is miserable on the side of the road and cursing God. Orson shows up to give her a lift.
Katherine comes to the Mayer house looking for Dylan. She admits that Dylan and she had a big fight. Susan tries to reassure her. A fidgety Katherine admits to lying to Dylan. Again Susan says that all parents lie. Katherine, increasingly unhinged, talks about her mountain of lies and runs off.
Katherine runs back to her house, where Wayne is waiting for her. He locks the door. She runs for her gun. He slams her hand in the drawer, then throws her down against the back door. He draws down on her and asks what happened to his daughter. She says she won't tell so he might as well kill her. He believes her but asks what about Dylan, or "that girl who lives here with you?" He bets she would care if he killed her.
Bree shows up with her nearly half-melted, wingless, cherub ice sculpture. She laughs and thanks Orson. He says it was lucky he was there. She asks if he was following her. He says he thought she might need help. She wonders if he thinks she's just being stubborn but he says he just hopes that eventually she'll forgive him. She says she can't forgive what he did to Mike and if she did then she wouldn't be the woman he loved. He asks what can he do then. She says to turn himself in. He says he wants to but he can't -- he won't survive in jail. So Bree says they're back where they were.
Lee freaks when he sees the ice sculpture and goes to yell at Bob.
Susan gives Julie a cell phone so she can reach her while she's doing her internship. Julie is pleased she changed her mind. Susan admits that she was freaked by her leaving and wondered how she'll get by without her. They get teary. Julie tells Susan how much Susan has grown since the days after Carl left her, and "My work here is done."
Bob and Lee fight about the ice sculpture in front of everyone and Lee points out that Tom was right that if he doesn't assert himself he's doomed. Tom says he doesn't think he used the word "doomed" in response to Lynette's raised eyebrow. The spat leads to the cancellation of the commitment ceremony. Lynette tells Tom they need to fix this before Bree finds out. The Scavos get the boys together. Tom stands by his advice, saying that if something trivial like an ice sculpture could break up their marriage then they shouldn't get married. If they can't handle the little stuff, what's going to happen when the big stuff comes along - tornados, cancer, kid problems? He tells them (and Lynette) that if no disease or disaster could break them up, then they're ready. Lynette looks at the boys and asks, "Well, are you??" They say they are ready. Tom and Lynette kiss and all is well.
A bruised, bloody, and limping Adam bursts out of his jail and carjacks a guy who offers help.
Gaby talks over the phone to police officers outside as Carlos is getting ready upstairs, Ellie shows up in the room, but Carlos acts as if he doesn't know she is there. Carlos tells Gaby he heard Ellie breathing in the room. Gaby comes upstairs to get the money and wrestles over it with Ellie. The two fighting girls tumble down the stairs. Carlos, thinking the closet door is the front door, opens it and yells for help. Gaby finally calls the police in while hiding the money behind her back. We assume Ellie runs out the back way.
Ellie blends in at the commitment ceremony.
Meanwhile, a tied-up Katherine sits on the floor of her kitchen, taunting Wayne asking, who he's going to pin it on. Just then Ellie comes in, sees Wayne, grabs a knife and threatens him. She doesn't see Katherine on the floor. Placing a pillow over the muzzle, Wayne shoots Ellie with Katherine's gun. He says he just found his alibi.
McCluskey compliments Katherine and Bree on the ceremony. When Bree says Katherine bailed, McCluskey points out that she just saw Katherine an hour ago. Bree strides off to Katherine's house.
Wayne works it out: Ellie was on the run, she broke in and stabbed Katherine, Katherine shot her. He says it's as if the Alibi Fairy left him a present. Katherine wonders about Dylan not coming back. Dylan is the only leverage Wayne has in making Katherine tell the truth. He goes to pistol whip her as Bree bangs on the door.
Outside the door we see Bree pulled inside as McCluskey tells the cops - all three facing the other direction - that she saw Ellie go the opposite way and hopes some maniac isn't running around the neighborhood.
Wayne now has Bree and Katherine hostage. Katherine apologizes to Bree. Wayne threatens Bree to get Katherine to tell the truth. He puts the gun to Bree's knee.
Katherine spills: After she left Wayne, a few months passed and she convinced herself that he had forgotten about them. We flash back to see Katherine and her aunt (the one who was terminally sick and Katherine smothered earlier in the season) coming home to babysitter Mary Alice, who says Dylan was an angel but is worried she did something wrong. Wayne visited while they were out and gave Dylan a bike and a doll. Katherine started packing to run again. Her aunt, looking out the window, announced that Wayne had arrived and asked if they should call the police. Katherine says no; it was time to let Wayne know he wasn't welcome, and she tells her aunt to let him in. As Dylan sleeps, Katherine grabs the doll he gave Dylan and puts it up on a high bureau. She confronts a drunk Wayne who says she's gotten sassy with her newfound freedom. Wayne asks for his daughter back. Katherine fears it's only a matter of time before he starts hitting Dylan; so she tells him to get out, pushes away his advance and then whacks him with a candlestick. (This is what Susan's cousin [the accountant] saw, right?) Wayne says that he'll be back for his daughter. Katherine promises there is nothing she won't do to keep Wayne away from Dylan. He leaves. Katherine's aunt breaks out the ten year old scotch to celebrate Katherine's finally standing up to him. Katherine thought it was over. Later we see her awaken to the screams of her aunt, who has found Dylan crushed underneath the bureau. The implication being she climbed up to get the doll and the bureau toppled onto her. Auntie digs a grave in the woods as Katherine shivers. She told Katherine not to go to the police because Wayne would make it seem like she killed her. She knew Wayne wouldn't stop coming, so she adopted a child from a Romanian orphanage who looked just like Dylan. Back in the present she peels back the carpet to reveal a deep gouge in the floor (the same gouge she cried over at the end of episode 3, "The Game"). She is crying, saying she never told anyone this, not even Adam; instead, she's spent the past twelve years telling one lie after another. Bree cries with her.
Adam drives up but the street is blocked off for the ceremony. A man is explaining this to him, not making much mention of his bloodied, disheveled appearance. Back in the house Wayne is saying, "So you just let her die?" Adam backs up then drives through the barricade and the tables, barely missing people, at the ceremony. Inside the house, Wayne is incensed that Katherine let his daughter die like a dog and that she buried her like one. Bree points out it was an accident. Wayne levels the gun at Katherine as Adam pulls up on the lawn. Wayne backs up and runs downstairs to confront Adam. As Bree struggles to untie Katherine, they hear sounds of a struggle downstairs then a loud crash. Adam walks up the stairs with the gun as Bree unties Katherine. Adam goes to call the police and Bree offers to clean him up as Katherine holds the gun on Wayne. He taunts her to go ahead and call the cops and to ask for one of his good buddies, saying they'll take care of him. He says even if he does time, he will come back and make her pay. She says she knows he will. As we see Bree tending to Adam, we hear a gun go off. They run in; Katherine has shot Wayne. Bree walks out front. Lynette and Susan run up to her. Bree tells them they don't have much time until the police arrive and they need to talk. Gaby finds Susan and Susan fills her in.
We see the police all around and Katherine sitting on her couch in handcuffs. She won't talk to the police. Outside, Bree is telling the police that Katherine wrestled the gun away from Wayne as he moved towards them all. Susan is telling another police officer that she knew Wayne was the reason Katherine moved away, and that when she came back he started stalking her again. Gaby tells another that Katherine was always terrified of him. Lynette tells yet another that they always knew he'd do something like this, and he did. Turns out Lynette is talking to Wayne's golfing buddy, the skeptical detective. He now says it was obviously self defense. He orders that Katherine be uncuffed and taken to the hospital. As she walks by the crowd of supportive neighbors, she sees the four friends smiling kindly at her; then Dylan runs up and embraces her and apologizes as she heads for the ambulance.
Title Card: Five Years Later
We see the card table from above again, now with five players, as Mary Alice tells us about the card/chat ritual again. Each woman looks pretty much the same except Bree has a bun, Lynette's shoulder-length hair looks real and Katherine is in on the game now. Mary Alice says besides cards and chats the game serves as a weekly reminder that there is nothing more important than friendships that endure. What has changed: Gaby goes upstairs to find that her two (!) daughters have gotten into her make-up (the older one looks much older than 5); Bree has a cookbook about to be published. A suit-clad Andrew, apparently her assistant, has the New York Times on the phone waiting for an interview; and she's back with Orson, who calls from upstairs; At the Scavo house, Porter has become a delinquent, having done time in juvie-but Lynette returns home to find out that Preston is the one who's been arrested this time; Katherine has a message from Dylan, who says she has just gotten engaged under the Eiffel Tower; and, whammo, Susan has a new husband??
See ya next year! (Or make that five years?)
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