No One Is Alone (Desperate Housewives)

"No One is Alone" is the 45th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was the 22nd episode of the show's second season. The episode was written by Kevin Murphy and Chris Black and directed by David Grossman. It originally aired on May 14, 2006.

Plot

After the fire at Susan's home, her friends try to help her to the best of their ability by clearing the remains of her home. Most of the neighborhood helps clear debris including Susan's new dentist friend Orson. The wives then recommend Susan stay with Bree since she has more than enough room for Julie and Susan. As this occurs, Edie Britt stands across the street watching as she eats a popsicle. When the insurance agent drops by to alert Susan that she will not be receiving her check, Susan asks the reason why. The broker then proceeds to tell her that the fire department ruled the fire arson and asks if she has any enemies. Susan declares she has none but then looks across the street and sees Edie with her popsicle. Hours later, Susan quietly visits Edie and asks if she was the culprit. Edie admits that she did and gloats that Susan cannot tell anyone since she has no witnesses. Susan then pays Mike a visit and asks if he can find her a wire so that Edie can confess. Mike does so and asks if she would like to move in with him as friends. Susan considers the offer but declines since it would be odd. Another reason for declining is that Susan remembers Edie's words about Susan being weak, that being the reason people help her, not because they love her. Susan then visits Edie the next day and receives the confession she had desired. Edie quickly catches on and chases Susan down the block. Edie is halted when she is stung by a nest of yellowjackets. Susan later visits Edie in the hospital where Susan offers Edie a deal to keep her out of jail. Edie declines and swears ongoing revenge against Susan.

Meanwhile, Bree becomes excited when Susan and Julie move in and attempts to make Danielle feel the same. Danielle is concerned since Andrew left and that Bree is acting weird. When Danielle tells Bree that she forgot her birthday, Bree wants to throw her a 17th birthday and invite her friends. Danielle reluctantly gives in but wants Andrew's room in return. The following morning, Bree over decorates the house with balloons with the number "17". Danielle asks that Bree take them down since she wants a simple party. Bree then begins to pop the balloons by stabbing them which concerns Susan. At Danielle's birthday party, Bree comes to a melting point when one of Danielle's friends runs her finger through the birthday cake's frosting after she worked so hard to make it perfect. Bree causes a scene and embarrasses everybody, including herself. Danielle runs out of the party in tears. Danielle later finds out where Matthew is when she enters the Applewhites' basement through a cellar door. They then plan an escape when Betty returns to feed him. As Betty comes down the stairs, Danielle comes behind and hits her with a crowbar and steals the key. Danielle then writes a letter to Bree informing her that she has run away with Matthew and is unlikely to return. Bree then checks herself into a mental institution because she feels on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Lynette places the children in Mrs. McCluskey's care and follows Tom to Atlantic City. While watching his hotel from her rental car, she receives a phone call from Tom who is standing only a few feet away. Lynette is almost exposed when a car alarm in Tom's vicinity is also picked up by Lynette's cell phone. Later, Lynette follows Tom to a woman's home where he enters, is served wine, and follows her up the stairs. Lynette is devastated, believing Tom is having an affair. Lynette then returns to Fairview to gather the children and leave. Tom returns to an empty home and asks Mrs. McCluskey where his family is. Mrs. McCluskey explains that Lynette followed him to Atlantic City and knows about his woman.

Gabrielle and Carlos successfully inseminate Xiao-Mei, who begins developing morning sickness from Gabrielle's perfume. Gabrielle quickly discovers that Carlos begins treating Xiao-Mei better than herself and demands an explanation. Carlos explains that because Xiao-Mei is carrying their baby that she should be in comfort thus giving up their bed and Gabrielle having to throw out her fragrances. Gabrielle objects to this and shoos Xiao-Mei out of their bedroom after spraying her perfume and hairsprays all over the bedroom. Xiao-Mei immediately becomes sickened when she next enters the room and throws up in the bathroom. Carlos learns what Gabrielle did and is angered. Carlos then goes to the couch to sleep. Xiao-Mei shortly finds him on the couch and makes him a roast beef sandwich. The two then begin to chat about Gabrielle and the pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Felicia Tilman plans her final act of revenge against Paul Young. After sneaking into his home through the backdoor, Felicia searches, locates and steals the spare key to Paul's house. When she hears Paul approaching the kitchen, Felicia hurriedly grabs a bag of flour from one of the kitchen cupboards and heads towards the backdoor as he enters. She tells him that she was shouting at the backdoor for ages and that she needs to borrow flour to make Paul and Zach cookies. Upon discovering her in his kitchen, Paul instructs Zach to throw out all of their food as Felicia may have tried to poison them both. Felicia then calls the police from her home and reports that her neighbor Paul Young has been threatening her. Whilst phoning the police, she is in the process of pumping large quantities of her own blood from her body. The police inform Felicia that no action can be taken against Paul by just making threats, to which she replies that she will just have to deal with the problem herself. That following evening, Paul walks into his kitchen only to slip and discover blood on the floor and on the kitchen walls. Paul then follows the trail of smeared blood on the floor to the garage where the door is ajar. The police quickly come upon the scene and place Paul in handcuffs when they discover two of Felicia's fingers in the trunk of his car. Whilst Paul is escorted to prison, Felicia escapes to the mountains and retreats to a log cabin where she checks in under the alias of her dead sister "Mrs. Martha Huber". When the clerk of the cabin lodge hands her the keys to her cabin she accidentally drops them and when he replaces them in her hand she smiles broadly and says that "Sometimes I'm just all thumbs" whilst rubbing the keys with the remaining fingers of her left hand and experiencing the great satisfaction of finally avenging her sister's murder.

Notes

This episode marks the final appearance of Felicia Tilman, played by Harriet Sansom Harris, this season.
Although credited, Karl Mayer (Richard Burgi), Andrew Van De Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom), and Caleb Applewhite (NaShawn Kearse) do not appear in this episode.
This episode showed viewers a glimpse of Tom's one night stand, Nora, played by Kiersten Warren.
Due to time constraints, the opening credits were cut.

Title reference

The episode title is that of the song "No One Is Alone" which appeared in the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods.

International titles

French: Plus d'un tour dans son sac (More than one trick up one's sleeve)
German: Allein auf der Welt (Alone in the World)
Italian: Solitudine (Loneliness)
Hungarian: Nem vagy egyedül! (You're not Alone)
Polish: Nikt nie jest sam (No One Is Alone)