Remember Paul?
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"Remember Paul?" is the seventh season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama television series Desperate Housewives, and the 135th overall episode of the series. It originally aired in the United States on September 26, 2010, on ABC. In the episode, Paul announces his return to Wisteria Lane while Carlos learns that his daughter was accidentally switched with another baby at the hospital eight years earlier.
The episode was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by David Grossman. It included the introduction of Renee Perry (Vanessa L. Williams), Lynette's (Felicity Huffman) former college roommate. "Remember Paul?" also dealt with Bree's (Marcia Cross) divorce and continued the ongoing storylines of Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike's (James Denton).
"Remember Paul?" garnered generally mixed reviews. According to Nielsen ratings, the episode drew just over 13 million viewers, making it the least-watched season premiere for the series to date.
Plot
Background
Desperate Housewives focuses on the lives of several residents in the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane, as narrated by their deceased neighbor, Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong). In past episodes, a local hospital discovered that a nurse had accidentally switched two children at birth years earlier and that one of the involved families lives in town on Wisteria Lane.[1] Bree Hodge (Marcia Cross) decided to confess to Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) that her son, Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom), was driving the car that killed Gabrielle's mother-in-law eleven years earlier. As a result, her husband Orson (Kyle MacLachlan) decided to leave her.[1] Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike Delfino (James Denton) slipped into financial crisis and decided to move to a small apartment across town.[1] Mary Alice's husband, Paul, avenged her suicide by killing her blackmailer, Martha Huber (Christine Estabrook).[2] In response, her sister, Felicia Tillman (Harriet Sansom Harris), framed Paul for her own death and fled town.[3] Ten years later, Paul was released from jail and began renting Susan and Mike's home.[1]
Episode
Felicia's fake murder plot is exposed after she is pulled over for speeding. Paul's return to Wisteria Lane jolts the neighborhood, including Susan, who did not know that she had rented her home to him. Paul expresses interest in buying his old home across the street, despite just having signed a lease for Susan's house. While incarcerated, Felicia swears that Paul will be dead within six months.
Jack Pinkham (Kevin Symons), a lawyer for Fairview Memorial Hospital, tells Carlos Solis (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) that his daughter, Juanita (Madison De La Garza), is not their biological child and was accidentally switched at birth with another baby. Carlos decides to keep this information from Gabrielle to spare her the anguish. Meanwhile, Bree tells Gabrielle that Andrew ran over Carlos' mother, but Gabrielle decides not to risk upsetting Carlos by telling him.
Despite downsizing to a small apartment, Susan and Mike are still struggling financially. Susan receives an offer from her landlord, Maxine Rosen (Lainie Kazan), to appear on an erotic website in which she does housework while wearing lingerie and being filmed. She initially refuses the offer, but when Mike considers taking a job on an oil rig in Alaska, Susan agrees to appear on the website; however, she conceals her new job from her friends and family.
Bree struggles with her impending divorce. However, when Orson reveals that he has already begun dating his physical therapist, Bree takes an interest in her contractor, Keith (Brian Austin Green). Meanwhile, Lynette's old college frenemy Renee Perry (Vanessa L. Williams), wife of New York Yankees player Doug Perry, comes to visit her. Their friendly bickering escalates into an argument. Lynette threatens to kick her out until Renee reveals that Doug has left her for another woman.
Production
"Remember Paul?" was written by series creator and executive producer Marc Cherry. It marked the debut of Vanessa L. Williams as Renee Perry, an old college rival of Lynette Scavo. Williams was offered the job after her recent starring role as her Emmy Award-nominated character Wilhelmina Slater ended on ABC's Ugly Betty. It was announced on May 18, 2010.
Reception
Early reviews for the episode have been generally mixed. Neal Justin of the Star Tribune said, "the premiere is packed with the zippy zingers that made us fall in love with the dramedy in the first place," accrediting the series' improved quality of season six to the return of Mark Moses as Paul Young.[4] He also commented that Vanessa Williams gave "a repeat performance" of her character on Ugly Betty.[4] John Griffiths of Us Weekly gave the premiere a negative review, awarding it only two stars.[5] He stated the show had turned into "a run-of-the-mill sitcom" and criticized the writers for not being able to develop material to match the "venerable cast capable of great things." He called the Paul storyline "corny" and the switched-baby storyline "as compelling as a manicure," and commented that both Williams and Brian Austin Greene deliver underwhelming performances.[5]
Notes
- With this episode Vanessa Williams (Renée Perry) and Darcy Rose Byrnes (Penny Scavo) join the main cast. Meanwhile Mark Moses (Paul Young) re-joins the main cast, for the first time since season two. Recurring cast member Kevin Rahm (Lee McDermott) is credited as a regular for the time. Tuc Watkins (Bob Hunter) does not appear and is not credited.
- Brenda Strong can be seen as Mary Alice Young in this episode. Her first physical appearance for season seven and her fourteenth physical appearance in the show's run.
- The episode sees the return of Felicia Tilman, played by Harriet Sansom Harris. Felicia has not been seen since the second season episode "No One Is Alone".
- This episode was watched by 13.056 million viewers on its first original airing in the USA, on ABC. Despite being the most watched episode since You Gotta Get a Gimmick, which aired on January 10, 2010, this episode is also 10% down from last season's premiere. It also received a 4.3 in the 18-49 demo, making it the twelfth highest rated show of the week, in that demographic.[6]
International Titles
- Arabic: بيتي هو شقة (My House is an Apartment)
References
- ^ a b c d "I Guess This is Goodbye". David Grossman (director), Alexandra Cunningham (writer). Desperate Housewives. ABC. May 16, 2010. Season 6, no. 23.
- ^ "Guilty". Fred Gerber (director), Kevin Murphy (writer). Desperate Housewives. ABC. November 28, 2004. Season 1, no. 8.
- ^ "No One Is Alone". David Grossman (director), Kevin Murphy (writer), Chris Black. Desperate Housewives. ABC. May 14, 2006. Season 2, no. 22.
- ^ a b Justin, Neal (September 25, 2010). "'Housewives' seek substance". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ a b Griffiths, John (September 20, 2010). "Review: 'Desperate Housewives'". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ^ TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: ‘Sunday Night Football’, ‘Glee,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Top Premiere Week. TV by the Numbers. September 28, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2010.