Desperate Housewives

One day in the suburb of Wisteria Lane, residents are shaken up by the sudden suicide of Mary Alice Young. At her wake, her four close friends and the main characters, Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp and Gabrielle Solis, are introduced. All of them lead seemingly perfect lives, trying to keep their problems from each other. Susan and Edie Britt fight over the new neighborhood resident and plumber Mike Delfino. Lynette's children cause a ruckus in the Youngs' pool, putting her in an embarrassing position. Gabrielle is having an affair with her teenage gardener John Rowland, because she is neglected and treated condescendingly by her busy husband, Carlos. Bree's husband Rex collapses from an allergic reaction at a diner, shortly after asking her for a divorce. Susan accidentally burns Edie's house down, after going over to see if she was with Mike. While the ladies put away Mary Alice's belongings, they discover a mysterious blackmail note addressed to her, leaving them to wonder what she had done.

The ladies contemplate telling Mary Alice's husband Paul about the blackmail note, while he retrieves a mysterious toy chest from underneath his pool. Gabrielle suspects Carlos is catching onto her affair, and that John may be falling in love with her. Bree suggests to Rex that they should enroll in marriage counselling. While helping Edie salvage her belongings, Martha Huber finds a piece of evidence that might implicate Susan – her measuring cup. Edie and Susan continue to fight over Mike's affections as he invites both of them over for dinner, with his dog having to pay the price. Frustrated by her children's behavior, Lynette resorts to an extreme discipline technique, which ultimately backfires. Rex blames Bree for their marital problems in their first counselling session with Dr. Goldfine. Paul throws the toy chest into the town lake.

At Susan's urging, the ladies decide to throw a dinner party in Mary Alice's honor. A little girl catches Gabrielle kissing John and blackmails her into buying her gifts. Lynette's husband Tom volunteers to babysit the kids while she is at the party. Meanwhile, Mary Alice's son, Zach, finds the revolver his mother used to kill herself. Dr. Goldfine suggests private sessions for the Van de Kamps, at the reluctance of Bree. Susan calls her ex-husband Karl over to talk about their problems, which eventually results in her locking herself out of her house naked. At the party, Rex tells everyone about their marriage counselling sessions. In anger, Bree humiliates him in front of the others, causing Rex to move out on her. Susan tells Karl that she is over him, with his lover, Brandi apologizing to her about her involvement in ending their marriage. Bree raids Dr Goldfine's tapes to find out what Rex had said in his session, finding a tape with Mary Alice's name instead. Paul puts up the Youngs' house for sale.

Lynette denies that her twins have attention deficit disorder, but proposes a solution by asking for them to be separated. The housewives listen to Mary Alice's session tape and find out about her real name. Edie attempts to arouse Mike by seductively washing her car, however Susan wins him over when he asks her out. Martha Huber uses Susan's measuring cup as her involvement in Edie's house fire to blackmail her, causing her to compromise her relationship with Mike. She gets her daughter, Julie, to sneak into Martha's house and retrieve the cup. Carlos becomes suspicious that Gabrielle is cheating on him, but goes after the wrong man. Bree struggles with her rebellious son, Andrew, who is angry about Rex moving out. After, the ladies finally tell Paul about the blackmail note, he hires a private investigator named Mr. Shaw to track down who sent it.

A break-in at Wisteria Lane causes distress among the neighbors. Susan is asked out on a date by a police officer, which she accepts after Mike acts coldly towards her. Gabrielle's mother-in-law, Juanita, arrives after being called by Carlos, who wanted her to help him find out if Gabrielle is cheating on him. Unknown to the residents, Mike is revealed to be the burglar, as he left his screwdriver behind. Lynette and Tom consider enrolling the twins into Barcliff Academy, a private school. Lynette tries to tire them out so that they will appear docile when they are brought in for observation. As Rex takes the children away for the weekend, Bree bonds with Zach after inviting him over for dinner, and he reveals to her that he may know why his mother killed herself.

The housewives discuss the sudden disappearance of Zach, who is later revealed to have been checked into a juvenile rehabilitation facility by Paul. Carlos, with his mother's help, becomes desperate to find out with whom Gabrielle is having affair. Lynette argues with another mother named Maisy Gibbons at Barcliff Academy about her decision to make a "politically correct" play about Little Red Riding Hood. Gabrielle worries that John may be losing interest in her when she sees him with Bree's daughter, Danielle. Susan investigates more into the mystery surrounding the Young family. Dr. Goldfine suggests that the Van de Kamps hire a "sex surrogate", much to Bree's disbelief. Gabrielle takes advantage of Juanita's gambling problem to spend more time with John. Lynette take some of the twins' ADD medication to help her prepare the costumes for the play. Julie helps Susan by breaking in to Zach's ward, where he mentions the name "Dana".

Susan tells the other housewives about the name "Dana". Juanita discovers that Gabrielle is seeing John and becomes more determined to catch them together. Paul suspects through that Edie might have sent the blackmail note to his wife. Lynette steadily becomes more dependent on the twin's medication. Rex reveals to Bree that he has filed for a divorce and tries to win over the children with gifts. Mike has an unexpected house guest named Kendra, causing him to cancel his date with Susan. Unknown to her, Kendra was sent by her father who has hired Mike to find her missing sister. Gabrielle offers Danielle a modeling job in New York City as an effort to get her away from John. Lynette sabotages Tom's promotion while under the influence of the medication. An intoxicated Andrew Van de Kamp runs over Juanita, moments after she photographed John and Gabrielle having sex.

Bree discovers that Andrew's drunk driving has put Juanita in a coma, and she and Rex try to save him from prosecution by covering up the crime. But later, Bree is shocked when Andrew shows no remorse for what he has done. Meanwhile, John tells Gabrielle that he confessed their affair to a priest. Susan decides to find out the real reason Mike has moved to Wisteria Lane. Susan watches Mikes house while he is away and discovers a gun and a few wads of cash, but later gets stuck in his bathroom floor. When Mike finds her along with his things, he realizes Susan cannot trust him and breaks up with her. Lynette reaches the breaking point of her addiction to the A.D.D. pills and comes clean about it to Bree and Susan. After a confrontation with Edie, Mr. Shaw learns that Martha Huber was Mary Alice's blackmailer. Mike makes up with Susan and they have sex for the first time, while Paul confronts and strangles to death the remorseless Martha Huber for her involvement in his wife's suicide.

Gabrielle decides to hold a charity fashion show on the street. While looking for dresses, the women discuss the sudden disappearance of Martha Huber, while Paul buries her in a forest. Lynette uses her business skills to "poach" herself a nanny. Bree and Rex try to figure out the best way to punish their sociopath son Andrew when he continues to show no guilt after putting Juanita in a coma, and for finding marijuana in his room. Meanwhile, Susan confronts Gabrielle after finding out about her and John, forcing her to come clean. John's mother, Helen, also finds out that he is seeing a housewife. However, she assumes it is Susan. Paul is told that Zach has escaped from the mental institution, only to be found in Julie's room. After Susan is humiliated at the fashion show by Helen, Gabrielle finally tells her about the affair. Carlos is arrested, claiming he was "set up" by his business partner.

Maisy Gibbons returns, and her secret life of being the neighborhood prostitute intersects with Bree's, when she finds out Rex has been seeing her after he has a heart attack. Gabrielle has a financial downturn after Carlos is sentenced for importing goods manufactured by slave labor. Edie becomes suspicious of Martha Huber's whereabouts. A jealous Lynette videotapes her new nanny Claire, fearing that she is getting along too well with her kids. Susan and Mike discover that Zach is being taken care of by Julie, after they find him sneaking around the house. Gabrielle resorts to stashing her belongings in Bree's garage after her car is repossessed. Julie feels that Susan has betrayed her by sending Zach back to his father.

Edie organizes a neighborhood search for Martha Huber, while her sinister sister Felicia Tillman comes to Wisteria Lane to investigate her disappearance. Now separated from Rex, Bree asks the local pharmacist George Williams out on a date, much to Rex's envy. Mike fears that Susan may be still in love with her ex-husband, Karl. Paul plants Martha's stolen jewelry in Mike's garage, fearing that the police may discover his secret. After accidentally seeing Claire sneaking around the house naked, Tom is aroused and has sex with Lynette. When she finds out about the incident, she fires Claire. Gabrielle, desperate for money, decides to return to modelling.

The residents of Wisteria Lane finally discover Martha Huber's body. After finding out that she left behind a journal, Susan confesses to Edie about burning down her house as a last resort. When Bree and George go shooting, George attempts to kiss Bree, but ends shooting himself in the foot. Lynette enrolls in a yoga class, but has problems putting her children into the day care center. Carlos is released on bail, but to Gabrielle's discontent, he cannot resume working due to being under house arrest. Mike's reason is moving in is revealed when he meets with Noah Taylor, his employer, who wants him to find "Deirdre", who has been missing for more than 10 years.

When Lynette's father-in-law Rodney Scavo visits, she learns that he has been cheating on his wife and that Tom has known about it. Susan dislikes Julie's growing romance towards Zach, and decides to chaperon the school dance to watch over them. Paul ensures that Susan does not know too much about the secret surrounding the Youngs. Bree ignores Rex's attempts to resolve things, while their divorce lawyers sort out their possession, claiming she wants "revenge" for cheating on her. Gabrielle is approached by John's parents, who ask her to convince him to go to college, as he is already eighteen. John, however, plans to leave home and proposes marriage to Gabrielle, which she declines, claiming she still loves Carlos.

Susan looks forward to a romantic Valentine's Day with Mike. Mike, however, gets himself shot while breaking into a house searching for answers about "Deirdre". Bree reconciles her relationship with Rex, saying that she is ready to work on improving their marriage, but she is shocked when he reveals his sexual desires. Lynette's neighbor across the street, Mrs. McCluskey, complains that her boys have been stealing from her. Gabrielle continues to look for work as in the mattress store, as well as the cosmetics department. Felicia Tillman stumbles upon a clue to the Young family's past when she recognizes Mary Alice in a photo as a Utah hospital nurse by her real name, Angela. Lynette shows Susan a piece of Martha Huber's jewelry that her boys stole from Mike's garage, arousing Susan's suspicion that Mike might have killed her.

Mike is arrested for the murder of Martha Huber. Susan bails him out by telling the police that they were together on the night of the murder, but is later heartbroken when she discovers his criminal record and soon breaks up with him. John's roommate Justin blackmails Gabrielle into having sex with him by becoming their new gardener. Tom has a promotion as vice president of his company, but Lynette discourages him from taking it, fearing that she will have to look after her wild children for longer hours. After finding a condom in the laundry, Bree discovers that Danielle is planning to lose her virginity to John, and persuades him to break up with her. While Zach is throwing a pool party for the neighborhood teenagers, Julie is disturbed by his sadistic mentality and ends their relationship. Susan discovers Andrew and Justin making out in the pool, forcing Andrew to claim that he is not gay.

When Maisy Gibbons is arrested for solicitation, Bree attempts to bribe her to remove Rex's name from her book of clients, before it goes public. Gabrielle and Carlos face a sewage disaster but cannot afford to fix it. Lynette tries to defend her twins, when they are suspected for a head lice outbreak at Barcliff Academy. She discovers, however, that the outbreak was caused by another student and tries to get his mother to stop spreading rumors about her twins. Depressed over her break-up with Mike, Susan bonds with Edie. She confides in her grief with Edie and suggests to her they break into Paul's house to find evidence about his involvement in Martha Huber's murder.

Juanita Solis finally awakens from her coma, but dies after falling down the stairs before she could reveal Gabrielle's affair with John to Carlos. The residents attend Juanita's funeral, where Gabrielle argues with Carlos about getting his mother a crypt. However, Gabrielle also finds out that the hospital was negligent of mother-in-law's death and in return, they offer her a seven-figure settlement. Lynette befriends a deaf woman named Alisa Stevens (Marlee Matlin) whose daughter attends Barcliff Academy with the twins, but is infuriated by her husband who takes advantage of her disability to insult her behind her back. After a series of violent outbursts by Andrew, Bree and Rex contemplate putting him in Camp Hennessy, a teenage rehabilitation camp. Susan finds herself attracted to Edie's new contractor, but Edie prevents her from dating him. Mike tries to explain his past by giving Susan a confession letter, which she hesitates to read.

Susan's eccentric mother, Sophie Bremmer, pays an unexpected visit after she and her boyfriend, Morty, break up. The police find the toy chest Paul threw into the lake, with the remains of a body inside it. When questioned about the chest, Zach defends his father. After finding out about the hospital settlement check, Carlos physically forces Gabrielle to sign a post-nuptial agreement as he prepares to serve his prison sentence. As a result, Gabrielle goes back to John. Lynette's close friendship with Bree is tested after Bree spanks Porter while babysitting Lynette's children. Rex and Bree visit Andrew at Camp Hennessy, where he reveals that he might be gay. Felicia Tillman tells Zach more sinister details about his family's past, and he discovers that "Dana" was his birth name.

Lynette befriends her cranky old neighbor Mrs. McCluskey, after saving her from a collapse. However, she starts to regret it when Mrs. McCluskey does not leave her alone. Bree struggles to cope with Andrew's sexual orientation as he comes home from Camp Hennessy. At his mother's request, Andrew consults with a priest, to whom he reveals his sadistic ideas to emotionally destroy his mother. Mike discovers from Noah Taylor that the remains inside Paul Young's toy chest were Deirdre's. Gabrielle resumes her affair with John after being financially declined by Carlos. Sophie decides to get dates for her and Susan, as an effort to help her daughter get over Mike, who gets beaten up by corrupt detective. Carlos finally decides to tear up the post-nup, and regains Gabrielle's respect.

Gabrielle plans a "farewell party" for Carlos, who is about to serve his eight-month jail sentence, but she later retaliates in rage after discovering that she is pregnant after he tampered with her birth control pills. George Williams returns and tries to steal Bree away from Rex. Bree is unaware that George has an ulterior motive. Lynette is jealous when an ex-girlfriend of Tom's is now working in his company and asks Edie for advice. Zach starts stalking Julie in order to resolve their relationship. Edie blames Susan when Paul questions her about breaking into his house, causing him to lie to Susan and fabricate a false history about Mary Alice, which she does not believe. When Susan's kitchen catches fire, she blames Paul as the arsonist. After finding out about the toy chest and who it belonged to, Mike decides to investigate Paul and tells the already suspicious Susan to stay away from him.

Edie spies on Bree having dinner with George and confronts her about it, making her feel guilty about being intimate with him. Rex's health starts to depreciate after George tampers with his heart medication. Lynette tries to revitalize her sex life with Tom, whom she fears is losing interest due to his busy work schedule. Susan hires Mr. Shaw to investigate the Young family, unaware that he is already working for Paul. After confronting Noah Taylor, Susan learns that Mike shot a police officer in self-defense and decides to forgive him. When questioned about the birth control pills, Carlos lies to Gabrielle and claims that his mother tampered with them. Gabrielle tells John about her pregnancy, making him worry that he may be the father. Sophie's boyfriend Morty proposes marriage to her and asks her to move out, which relieves Susan from taking care of her. Felicia plots to drive Paul out of the neighborhood, to help Zach know the truth about his family.

Edie is annoyed when Susan and Mike move in together, and tries to intervene via the other wives. Lynette tries to keep Tom's ex-girlfriend Annabel from coming between them, and her actions result in him losing his job. George lies to Bree about information he finds regarding her and Rex's sex life, and when Bree confronts Rex about it, he has another heart attack. Carlos' prison sentence is increased to eight years, after he beats up John's roommate Justin thinking that he is the one having an affair with his wife, while Gabrielle decides to leave Carlos after discovering he was really the one who tampered with her pills. Mike pursues Paul after Felicia gives him Martha Huber's journal detailing Mary Alice's past and about what happened to Deirdre, and Susan decides to follow him. Felicia takes Zach into her home, while Martha Huber's journal lands in the hands of Susan and Julie. Betty Applewhite moves in to Wisteria Lane with her adolescent son, Matthew in the middle of the night.