Desperate Housewives

Series Finale:     
Episode 180 — Finishing the Hat
It all started many years ago when Martha Huber started asking questions about Mary Alice Young. She knew her new neighbor was hiding something. She had to find out her secret. Mary Alice reveals what this all meant in another one of her famously intuitive voiceovers. She says, “This was the beginning of the end.”

So much has happened on Wisteria Lane over the years. So many people have come and gone. Gaby, Bree and Lynette are shock to learn that Susan will soon be leaving, too. They receive this news moments before an old friend returns. Katherine Mayfair is back. She’s no longer with Robin. Part of the reason is because she’s not into women anymore. She’s channeled all her energy into an enormously successful food distribution company. She wants Lynette to run the New York division of her business.

Karen wants the song “Wonderful, Wonderful” to be played at her funeral. She tasks Bree with finding an old 45 of the record. That’s not going to be easy. It also isn’t easy ignoring Tripp, as he keeps calling her. Bree wants nothing to do with him. She feels she can’t trust him. A short time later, Bree sees that Roy found the record Karen wanted. Actually, it was Tripp who dug it up. He searched through 20 different stores once he heard that’s what Karen wanted. Nice.

Lynette can’t even consider taking Katherine’s job offer now that she and Tom have just gotten back together. Her attitude changes after running into an old friend who is a successful businesswoman. Lynette is afraid that she won’t be happy if she doesn’t give this job a try. Tom is crushed. He believes that Lynette is always looking for something to make her complete. Unfortunately, he doesn’t believe anything ever will.

Carlos realizes that Gaby is becoming just like he used to be after she gets a huge promotion at work. He would always buy her jewelry to compensate for being a lousy husband. Things certainly have changed. To make a point, Carlos hires a new gardener. She’s a sexy young thing named Carmen. Needless to say, Gaby is not happy. She later tells Carlos that he shouldn’t make jokes about the most shameful moment of her life. The two of them agree that they’ll never drift away from each other ever again.

Renee is late for her wedding as Gaby, Susan and Julie put her into the limo. As for Julie, she’s a little early. By that we mean her water breaks all over Renee’s wedding dress. Gaby wants them to swing by her store to pick up a new dress. Julie’s cool with that since her contractions are still pretty far apart. Susan, however, isn’t. She drives Julie to the hospital in the limo leaving Renee and Gaby behind. They have no choice but to walk to the ceremony. Actually, they run since they can’t pay for Renee’s new, stolen wedding gown.

Tripp shows up at the reception as Ben’s guest. Bree thanks him for what he did for Karen. She also wonders why he wants to be with her after everything he knows. Tripp says that all Bree’s flaws only make her human. He says this after planting a passionate kiss on her. Then he drags her out to the dance floor while he tries to get up the courage to ask her out on a date. Her kiss lets him know what her answer will be.

Susan tries to hook up her daughter with her obstetrician because she knows how hard it is to find a man when you’re a single mom. Julie points out that she found Mike. They both agree that she was very lucky. This leads to a discussion about all the good time she had on the lane. She’ll always be content to wrap herself up in those fond memories.

Lynette gives a speech at the reception. It’s supposed to be a toast to Renee and Ben, but it’s really a heartfelt message to Tom. It’s a message of love. It’s a message that lets him know that she’s happy. Tom is, too. In fact, he’s pretty sure they can both be happy anywhere—even in New York.

As Roy plays “Wonderful, Wonderful” for his beloved Karen, we’re treated to a montage of events that include Julie going into the final stages of labor, Renee and Ben rushing off on their honeymoon, Gaby and Carlos dancing with their kids and Lynette and Tom racing to witness the birth of their grandchild. At the end of the montage, Julie has her baby as Karen takes her final breath. A new life is born as another fades away.

Mary Alice lets us know that Susan spent one last afternoon playing poker with her friends before she left Wisteria Lane. The ladies vowed that just because they seem to be going their separate ways, they’ll still get together from time to time. Sadly, this isn’t what was meant to be.

Lynette moved to New York to become a successful CEO. She and Tom bought a penthouse overlooking Central Park. That’s where Lynette would take her six grandchildren to play years later. Gaby left the neighborhood after getting her own TV show on the Home Shopping Network. She and Carlos got a mansion in California where they argued happily ever after. Bree moved away to Kentucky. Her new husband, Tripp, encouraged her to get into politics. This led to her becoming a state senator.

As for Susan, she was the first to move away from Wisteria Lane. Before she left, she introduced herself to the woman who moved into her house. Susan then took one last spin around the block. She had a feeling she was being watched. As it turns out, she was. The ghosts of those who have been a part of her street were there, as they always are, hoping that the living will always remember that even the most desperate life is still so wonderful.

Of course, only the lucky ones realize the gift they’ve been given. Most people live their lives day after day consumed by their troubles and their secrets. This looks like it may be the case with the woman who moved into Susan Delfino’s house. We see a distressed look on her face as she opens a memory box. We have no idea what’s inside as the container is closed and hidden in a safe place. This woman is obviously hiding a secret. That’s why we know she’ll fit right in on Wisteria Lane.
Courtesy ABC.
First aired: May 13, 2012.