Karen McCluskey

Karen McCluskey
First appearance	Love is in the Air (episode 1.14)
Created by	Marc Cherry
Portrayed by	Kathryn Joosten
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Housewife/Babysitter
Family	Gale (sister)
Spouse	Gilbert McCluskey (husband; deceased)
Children	a son (deceased)

Karen McCluskey is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by Kathryn Joosten, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005.

Season 1

Karen McCluskey is introduced in the series as a neighborhood nemesis of Lynette Scavo. In the first season episode Live Alone and Like It we learn that she suffers from severe arthritis and how Lynette helped her when she collapsed soon after they became good friends. Known as the bickering old woman of the neighborhood, Mrs. McCluskey can be constantly known for bickering and causing ruckus. However, deep down Mrs. McCluskey is a really good woman full of love. It was revealed that she had a son that died at a young age. She offered to babysit the Scavo kids only to be sent home because Lynette found her to be 'ancient'.

Season 2

One time, Mrs. McCluskey accidentally tasered Lynette's co-worker Stu when she believed he was trying to "abduct" Lynette's kids. She was reported to have seen Matthew Applewhite and Danielle Van de Kamp making out at the county park. In episode 15 of season 2, she found a comatose Bree on the front lawn. She subsequently alerted Lynette that Bree was drinking while babysitting her kids. Bree's drinking problems inadvertently improved Mrs. McCluskey's relationship with Lynette, as she now frequently babysits the Scavo kids. Towards the end of Season 2 she supported Lynette, who followed Tom Scavo to Atlantic City in a bid to find out the truth behind Tom's supposed infidelity.

Season 3

She has emerged as a more prominent and visible character in Season 3, often involved in social roles with members of Wisteria Lane and even forming a friendship with Edie Britt. It has also been notable that due to the very separate story that Bree Hodge has this season, Mrs. McCluskey is often seen gathering with the other three main housewives Lynette Scavo, Gabrielle Solis and Susan Mayer. Recently, Mrs. McCluskey gave Mike Delfino his toolbox back (which later got him arrested despite her hiding it), and helped form the protest against the pedophile Art Shephard. In the episode Liaisons, it was revealed that Mrs. McCluskey has her own secret: she has the dead body of her husband, Gilbert, stored in a chest freezer in her basement. In the following episode, God, That's Good Karen breaks her arm, and is taken to hospital. In the mean time, first Parker Scavo, then Ida Greenberg discovers Gilbert's dead body. Karen manages to persuade Parker to keep quiet, but Ida goes to the police, and Karen is put into jail. Mrs. McCluskey is the talk of the town after the news spreads about her husband's body being found in the freezer. She becomes hassled by local kids, who throw eggs at her house, and paint 'Witch' on her door. Lynette also changes baby sitters to keep her away from her children, but Parker continues to defend her and tells Mrs. McCluskey to just tell the truth to make it stop. She goes to Travers' birthday party while the other Wisteria Lane residents are cleaning up and reveals her actions. She explains that she came home at 2 am from a weekend away to find Gilbert had died. Waiting until morning to call the Funeral Home, she checks his pension plan to see he'd signed everything off to his first wife. Mrs. McCluskey, in fear of losing everything, kept his body in the freezer and kept cashing the cheques. Lynette then hires Mrs. McCluskey back as her babysitter. Lynette tells Mrs. McCluskey the family missed her, and Mrs. McCluskey says she missed them too. As she walks into her house Mrs. McCluskey says that she will need a raise as she a lot of money to pay and holds up bills.

Mrs. McCluskey is also present at the wedding of Gabrielle and Victor Lang. She tells Gabrielle she loves the wedding and that it was "very fancy". Questioning Gabrielle about Edie Britt's and Carlos' argument during the ceremony, Gabrielle tells Mrs. McCluskey she doesn't care but if she was to see either of them again that she is to call security.

Season 4

Mrs. McCluskey asks to speak to Carlos and complains to him about the garbage he left out being late and almost foils Edie's fake suicide plan but notices her at the last minute. Later at Katherine Mayfair's barbecue, she questions Katherine as to why she left town twelve years ago without saying any goodbyes to anyone and Katherine is shocked that she remembers so much. We are told that Karen used to babysit Dylan Mayfair, and knew something about her father, even though Dylan insists her father left her when she was a baby.

Karen later gives her opinion on new neighbour's Bob and Lee's water fountain by saying it's "crap". When Katherine and Lynette both run for the job of the leader of the home owners association Karen casts still her vote for Lynette though however Katherine wins.

Behind the scenes

• As Kathryn mentioned on the View, Karen is the only character on Desperate Housewives who can't die, as she had Marc Cherry, producer of the show, promise her. Her character can be written out by moving away.