The women of Wisteria Lane stayed there long enough to endure a tornado, a plane crash, multiple murders, and dozens of affairs. Then after eight seasons, they all finally just moved away. When ABC launched the primetime soap Desperate Housewives in 2004, the critical and ratings smash about four women's torrid suburban lives revitalized the network and became a watercooler staple. Though the show's popularity has waned, its final two-hour episode, which aired Sunday night, was typically packed with dramatic twists: A murder trial, an emotional death, a wedding disaster, and the birth of a baby. Was Desperate Housewives' swan song satisfying?
It was nearly perfect: The final two hours "may have struck some as sappy and pat," says Robert Bianco at USA Today, but the show wisely left its major characters happy and settled: "A happy ending is what most fans want to see." All four women were given juicy send-offs — highlights included a ridiculous caper with Gaby and Renee stealing a wedding dress, and a finely written emotional monologue about love from Lynette — and "you can't help thinking that Sundays may be just a little less fun without them."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
