PREMIERE SEASON 2010, Part III

Continuing with comments this season of TV premieres, here are my views on the current seasons of House MD, Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother and Brothers & Sisters...

Gossip Girl S4

(Episodes 1-6) After the shocking finale this summer, the Paris episodes that this season opened with were nice, even as I found the elements of the Blair-Serena rivalry a tad tiring. I was glad that end when they see through Juliet’s plotting to cause a rift between them. But before that, we had a new and improved Chuck Bass, as Henry, which was quite refreshing. Seeing him being a nice and humble guy for a change was good, and even though I knew it wouldn’t last too long, I feel like they should have played that out for a while longer. When he goes back to his scheming ways, after Blair drives Eva out of Manhattan, and he declares war on her, it made for some entertaining drama, what with him signing up at Columbia and all, but that too was short-lived as they called a truce at the end of episode 6. That, we all know, happened after Jenny Humphrey, of all people, opened their eyes while pointing out that they were on a path of ‘mutual destruction’. For once, after a long time, I was happy to see Jenny walk away with her head held high, especially after she made a total fool of herself by even thinking that she could compete with Serena for Nate’s affections. Now Nate and Serena might have not ended up together eventually, but that’s a whole other story.

As for Serena, I’m glad to see some stability in her life, after all that she put herself through last season, trying to find herself and her father. It’s good that she’s finally in college, but as we all probably know that the stability will not last. Her budding romance with Colin Forrester I’m sure will lead to catastrophe when we find out what his connection with Juliet is. Speaking of which, the Juliet storyline has grabbed my attention entirely this season. I’m quite sure that her seeking revenge from Serena, on behalf of Ben in prison has to do with the guy Serena killed a long time ago, when she was BBFs with Georgina Sparks, but where Colin fits in to this whole thing, I’m dying to find out! For me, the Juliet angle seems straight out of Desperate Housewives—a mysterious person coming into the characters’ lives, with some secret goal to achieve, in a way that makes them wreak havoc in the lives of the characters. While she almost had Serena expelled from Columbia, she did cause Dan and Vanessa to break up. Not that I’m shocked or depressed about that! Vanessa has always seemed like a fifth wheel among the others, and I really hope they do something more with her character to justify her presence in the show.

Two other characters I’d like to see some substance in are Nate and Dan. Dan lost his importance almost two seasons ago, and in this season, his confused feelings for Serena and Vanessa seemed very uninteresting. As for Nate, he just seems to go along with the flow. I liked him better when he was best friends with Chuck, before Bart Bass died. I hope he has a bigger role to play as the whole Juliet drama unfolds. I’m just waiting for it to unfold, regardless. Even as this season has seen some very gimmicky writing, like Georgina’s baby and all, I think there’s going to a lot more excitement to look forward to.

House MD S7

(Episodes 1-4) The devastation of the previous season catching up with House was stalled with the entrance of Cuddy, and, as it turned out, it took an absolute tragedy to make them put their egos aside, finally admit their feelings for each other. The initial repercussion of this turn of events, I felt was handled very well, where the two characters find comfort in just being with each other, away from the outside world and the reality of their daily lives. At the same time, the writers gave the other doctors a chance to figure out why Hadley was taking a leave of absence. While they managed to shed some light on where she was headed, it turned out eventually that they were wrong, and she had played along. I commend the writers for bringing about this angle of drama with Olivia Wilde’s leave of absence from the show while she’s making movies. I do miss Thirteen though, and I wish Wilde returns soon.

However, even with her gone, life is almost as usual for House’s team. The medical mysteries continue to pose a challenge, and the basic premise of the show is kept alive, with original cases, even after six years. The team has its ups and downs as well. Seeing Chase confront Foreman about his superiority complex was good material, in terms of seeing their relationship as co-workers evolve. While on Chase, I do hope he finds happiness with someone, and moves on from his whoring around with women. I think the temp, Dr Kelly Benedict might be good for him. She seems to not be a very strong person, so I think it might be just right for him to be with someone who he can fix, after being with Cameron, who lived to fix people. I think, that’s going be his path for this season—moving on from his broken marriage, and finally finding someone new. At the same time, nothing has really indicated what path Foreman and Taob will take. I’m waiting to see what it is.

Coming back to ‘Huddy’, at least in the first four episodes, the writers have done an excellent job of playing out their relationship. While it’s clear that they’re both willing to be honest about their feelings, I was impressed by how they uncovered the insecurity that they both feel, when they both agree that they’re holding back, and being cautious about the relationship. Facing hurdles like these is what can make their union a success. I’m looking forward to seeing them get deeper into an uncomfortable phase, where things aren’t so happy, and the reality of being in a committed, serious relationship sinks in further, and perhaps even the devastation of the last finale catches up with them. What I do miss is Wilson. I feel like he could have played a bigger role with House and Cuddy getting together, but he’s almost been pushed aside, as though House doesn’t require his best friend any more. I do hope they give him more of a role in the show, before his character disappears and Robert Sean Leonard decides he doesn’t want to be a part of it. Regardless of Wilson’s role, there’s a lot to look forward to the rest of this season.

How I Met Your Mother S6

(Episodes 1-2) The beginning of the new season of How I Met Your Mother has had nothing really engrossing to offer that is different from what we’ve seen so far. The premiere started with another gimmick—something that the writers have gotten really good at. However, as much as we would like to know whose wedding it was at where Ted is nervous about his speech, is that really something that’s supposed to hold our attention? I’m not holding my breath! They kept us thinking what the goat was about for almost four whole seasons, so I’m guessing this might just go on even till the end.

Meanwhile, the show goes on as usual. The entertainment factor is still alive. However, I’m not so excited by Lily and Marshall trying to have a baby as being their story for the season. And I’ve almost made peace with the fact that Barney Stinson will never evolve as a character, and will remain a caricature. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Neil Patrick Harris, and I still like seeing him do his job on the show, but if legendary characters like Joey Tribianni and Chandler Bing (Friends) could evolve from being two goofy guys sharing an apartment, I think Barney Stinson needs that too. Even his relationship with Robin did nothing for his character, becoming one of the most pointless storylines of the show. I like seeing his sensitive side at times, like in the episode when he really wants to look up to his half-brother’s father as being his own, but such moments are few and infrequent.

All said and done, I’m still waiting for the magic of ‘Act 3’ of HIMYM take over this season, as Carter Bays’ indicated earlier this year. A lot of people say that they don’t like the show any more because it’s not as good as it used to be, but I feel that if it’s losing its charm, it’s because it’s just like it used to be. I’m dying to see it evolve a bit, as a whole. I hope it does, so that it can be the legendary show that everyone thought it was going to be.

Brothers & Sisters S5

(Episodes 1-4) Whether they did justice to showing the car crash, in last season’s finale or not, or whether the one-year time leap was a strategised move or not, I see the sense that it all makes now, having seen the first few episode of Brother & Sisters S5. All the characters have been affected by the crash in ways that are defining their stories this season, and I’m all for evolution, so I’m loving it! Rob Lowe’s departure from the show is sad, and it was heart-wrenching to see Kitty having to say goodbye to Robert, but even that has been turned around to being something else on the table. Kitty’s desire to find herself, resolving to move on and survive is nice to see, and even though her budding romance with the handyman/carpenter/plumber seems right out of Desperate Housewives (a la Susan and Mike in S1), it’s still interesting.

On the other hand, Kevin seems a little better this season. He seems more mature and a little more willing to confront situations and dealing with problems as opposed to sulking about them. His sense of loss with Robert’s death was moving, and seeing him and Scotty trying to move on from their failed attempt at parenthood is nice. Whether his loss will prevent him from ever wanting to be a parent is something we’re still to find out. I’m still waiting to see what happens with his client who he saved from being sent off to juvenile prison. Scotty and Kevin are also trying to help Saul deal with being HIV+ in their own way, and even though I wanted Saul to die soon, I don’t mind seeing him through this phase for a while before they kill him.

What was truly heartbreaking was the end of Justin and Rebecca’s marriage, even though they were getting tiring as a couple. I love the maturity that he grew into, through his stint in Afghanistan, and I think the writers did a fabulous job of giving their split some kind of closure, with Rebecca wanting to get away from everything just the way he needed to while going back to war. Part of Rebecca’s desire to get away was because of her mother’s inability to recognise and love her, after her loss of memory. It’s really sad to see a strong character like Holly Harper sink into this condition, which actually reminds me a lot of Ellis Grey’s Alzheimer’s in Grey’s Anatomy, especially when she talks to Nora as though they’re still young and she’s still William Walker’s mistress. I’m waiting to see what they do with that storyline. Moving on, one of the strong positives in the Walkers’ lives is Sarah’s story; seeing her and Luc having grown into a mature and serious relationship is nice. I look forward to a wedding soon, among all the other things that I want to see happen this season. I hope they keep up the good progress! 

COMING SOON: Thoughts on the Ugly Betty series finale 

BROTHERS & SISTERS, THE CAR CRASH

Here’s what I thought about the end of Brothers & Sisters S4...

With a disaster episode that seemed right out of Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters S4 came to a close. The setting was interesting, but what I was most looking forward to with the car crash was actually seeing the devastating accident happen. Instead, we only saw the cars and container truck after the crash, with all the Walkers and Harpers involved. The most disturbing turn of events was seeing Robert trapped in the driver’s seat, with a head injury and blood dripping, and Kitty trying her best to stop him from surrendering to what seems like death. Does he die? I hear he gets into a coma, but I also hear that Rob Lowe is not a part of S5. If he’s actually not coming back, I think it’s just tragic. Lowe is a fantastic actor, and Robert is such a likeable character. From having seen his relationship with Kitty right from the beginning, and seeing all the ups and downs, as it evolved, it’ll be sad to see that relationship dead. And if the writers did it to further explore Kitty’s love-life, it’s just stupid! One thing I just didn’t get towards the end of the season was Robert trying to get a job in national security, after wanting to renounce a career in politics, for a lighter, happier life!

Another good relationship that’s as good as dead is Justin and Rebecca’s. What started as something nice has turned into such a mess. I can’t stand them together anymore! They don’t understand each other, and they’re both so touchy about everything. They have zero tolerance for anything. Rebecca can’t understand Justin going through a hard time, and she’s selfish for the most part, and Justin doesn’t even try to help her understand. They’re never on the same page, and him holding it against her for not wanting to go to Haiti with him was just plain unreasonable. I really wouldn’t mind if they split up. I’ve had enough of them. And while on relationships, I’d really like to see Sarah’s relationship with Luc evolve, and go beyond what has seemed quite unconvincing so far, with him moving to Pasadena from France for her, after a brief summer romance! I’d like to see some ups and downs there, and then a wedding maybe. As for Kevin and Scotty, how I WISH Kevin would stop being so sulky all the time, and just be happy for his partner! He is so annoying. I just hope he finds that direction he’s looking for so that he can stop being so piss-headed all the time! That brings me to Saul. I’m glad he’s got AIDS and I hope he dies soon. In fact, if he dies in the one-year time period between S4 and S5, it’ll be even better. I don’t want to see him again! 

Another major turn of events this season was the shutting down of Ojai Foods and Walker Landing. I hope they had a good reason to do it. The premise of the family business worked well for the show, so without a good reason in the Walkers’ future for shutting shop, even the drama, which came from fighting to keep the company open, will seem pointless. Another thing that seemed to fall flat was the entry of Ryan Lafferty. He did whatever damage he did to the company, donated bone marrow to Kitty, and was off, without impacting the Walkers or the show in any way that contributed to the story significantly. That makes it clear that introducing him was just for the sake of having a cliffhanger when they did. The writers really need to follow through with storylines, even if the introduction was a gimmick to keep viewers watching; only then can the writing be called good.

That being said, I still have to say that I liked this season anyway. One big reason was the focus on the in-laws bonding this season. While Robert and Nora dealing with Kitty’s cancer together was in focus, Robert also bonded in a big way with Kevin, as his political career was ending. Kitty, on the other hand, became Rebecca’s confidante, becoming the first Walker to find out about Rebecca’s pregnancy. Even Scotty bonded with Nora and even Saul this season. Now, with so much changing after the car crash, I hope the writers take the changes forward well, because without Ojai and Robert and a year-long time leap, things can go terribly wrong if not handled well. I wish S5 lives upto expectations. 

COMING SOON: Premiere Season 2010, Part III

PREMIERE SEASON 2010, PART II

I continue my reviews of the premieres this season... 

Dexter S5

It was good to see the Miami Metro Homicide team back in action with the opening of S5 of Dexter. This time, however, as Maria LaGuerta put it, they were investigating a death of ‘one of their own’, which also, eventually, became the reason why she handed the investigation over to the FBI. And while she felt that their team was too attached to be a part of the investigation, Quinn was not convinced, and found reason to be suspicious of Dexter. I like his character’s role in the show. While he did replace Doakse on the team, two seasons ago, he even replaced him as the guy to be wary of Dexter and not always trust him like everyone else on the team. From the premiere, it looks like this season will bring that out stronger than ever. I’m looking forward to it all the more because I suspect that the writers will even explore the Deb and Quinn angle further, so he being suspicious of her brother will make for good material on the show.

That brings me to point out that the premiere didn’t have the kind of energy that the show usually has. While there were a few moments that were good, I felt that they could have done a lot more with the premiere, given the marvellous opportunity they gave themselves with the premise of this season. Rita’s death seemed to have had a bigger impact on everyone than it does on her kids. The actress who plays Astor acted terribly while reacting to the news of the death. I surely felt that they could have handled Rita’s family finding out in a much better way. Also, not having a main villain this season seemed like a good idea, but if they don’t get things moving on what they want this season to be about, the season can turn out to be a disappointment. With just twelve episodes a season, I don’t think they have the luxury of having lean episodes.

The premiere did have a few positives though. It was nice to get a bit of Dexter’s back story with Rita and it was interesting to know that Deb had actually set them up. I liked seeing Dexter’s darkness when he’s trying to escape from it all. I do wonder if him killing that man in the public restroom will have any further role to play in the season, because it was one of his sloppiest murders, given how he’s probably left evidence of his crime. I also liked how everyone came together to grieve Rita’s death, and how it affects them, especially LaGuerta and Batista. I do hope their relationship evolves this season. I like them together. I loved the Quinn-Deb hook-up. It was just waiting to happen, I feel. They’re both hot and the sexual tension between them was bound to snap one day. With these many positives, I can still say that I enjoyed watching the premiere, but I have to also say that it fell short of my expectations. However, I’m still interested in finding out what the season has in store.

Private Practice S4

I think Shonda Rhimes keeps the best writers in her staff for Grey’s Anatomy. PP seems to get an almost step-child-like treatment. While S3 was a good one for the show, I felt that the S4 opener fell flat. It had nothing that was premiere material (even regular episodes are better!) It was tepid and disappointing, especially after the way S3 ended. Dell’s death was the biggest shocker last season, and I felt that the writers didn’t even do justice to that in the season opener. The unveiling of his epitaph became an occasion for everyone to gossip about the latest events in their lives. They didn’t even show his funeral. I feel like his character could have been given a better send off, with some closure for his daughter.

Another thing lacking was the heat between Sam and Addison, after almost an entire season of them fighting their feelings for each other, they finally hooked up in the end, and we saw no chemistry or heat between them. While the montage in the beginning of the episode, of Cooper making love to Charlotte, and Pete making love to Violet was very artistically done, I think it seriously lacked frames of Sam making love to Addison. That brings me to the couples update! I like that Cooper and Charlotte are finally being mature in their relationship, and I have high hopes for this couple. I hope they have a nice big wedding, properly planned, sometime mid-season. I want them to have everything a couple should have, which excludes an elopement. As for Pete and Violet, I think they need to grow up a little. Her having cold feet before their wedding was unnecessary, given that she did go through with the wedding finally. The wedding was where I thought that Sam and Addison would break the news about their relationship to Naomi, but that didn’t happen. Maybe they’re saving the drama of that for later, but I felt that the premiere could have really used some of it.

As for new full-time characters, this season we have Sheldon and Amelia becoming series regulars. While Sheldon’s being on the show doesn’t have much of an impact, because his character is not impressive in the least. I think one can almost be indifferent to him, so if Rhimes wants his promotion on the show to be worthwhile, she really needs to give him some better storylines. As for Amelia, I think she’s an interesting character, and that’s not just because she’s Derek Shepherd’s sister. So I am looking forward to Amelia storylines, especially the crossover. Speaking of which, I expected more of a reaction from Addison and Amelia to the news of the shootout at Seattle Grace-Mercy West, especially since Derek had been shot, and because Addison’s friends were in the middle of it, especially Richard Webber and Miranda Bailey.

Definitely falling short of my expectations, the Private Practice season opener was quite a disappointment. I do hope it’s not an indication of what the rest of the season will be, because I’m not ready to lower my expectations from this show.

Glee S2

Glee’s season opener began with the expected—the future of New Directions being threatened, but this time, by another force—Shannon Beist, the new football coach. I loved her; she’s more interesting and definitely more powerful than Ken Tanaka was. I think I’m going to like her role on the show. I especially liked Will and Sue teaming up to fight, and as much as I know that they can’t be on the same side for too long, I do feel that they should have kept their partnership for longer than one episode. It would have been fun to watch.

Those were the positives of New Directions being threatened, again. Otherwise, I really feel that the show needs to move on from writing the same premise every time. The entire first season was about the Glee Club trying to prove itself, being an unpopular minority and all. This season, I really wish that would stop. Enough of that, because it’s getting old! I understand that Sue Sylvester has to be the anti-Glee person and Will Shuester’s enemy, but I really feel that the writers need to find other reasons for her being anti him; probably even bring Teri Shuester as a teacher at McKinley and team up with Sue to bring Will down. Speaking of popularity, of course the show is quite flimsy in many ways, but I feel that the whole thing about holding a certain position in a football team or a cheerleading squad making your popularity level soar is taken to another level of exaggeration. It was ridiculous to show Finn suddenly becoming unpopular because of being dropped from the team. He even thinks it was grounds for Rachel to break up with him and he even tries out for the cheerleading squad!

While on Rachel, I like her new look; the bangs suit her, and almost make her nose look smaller and more bearable to look at. Somehow, she wasn’t even that annoying in the premiere. In the beginning she was, but I liked the writers’ way of adding another element of competition from Vocal Adrenaline, in the form of Sunshine, the new Philippine exchange student. Another new student this season is Sam Evans, the new quarterback in the football team, who Finn is trying to woo for New Directions. I think there might be some interesting storylines with that guy.

I hear that this season will explore a love-life for Kurt. I can’t wait for that. I’m also looking forward to more moments of Figgins’ hilariousness. I feel that he’s an under-rated character. I think this season will be fun. The music is still great (especially the performance of ‘New York’ in the school yard), and the new characters are promising. But where’s Emma? I hope they haven’t axed Jayma Mays from the show. That would be very disappointing.

90210 S3

I’ve seen the first three episodes of 90210 S3, so I’m going to be talking about all three here. Let’s start with the most shocking thing that happened last season—Naomi being raped by Mr Cannon. We got a glimpse of that in a disturbing flashback in the season premiere, during the earthquake that hits Beverly Hills. The few seconds that the quake lasts were probably few of the best seconds on the show. It took me by surprise, and it put the characters in situations where they had to confront someone or something, the most impactful being Naomi freaking out, while being gripped by Mr Cannon, as he tries to calm her down. The horror of the rape haunts her with his touch, and that’s when she decides that she needs to do something about it. It’s eerie to see Cannon turn into a monster who tells her that she’ll never be able to prove that he raped her, and at the same time, who eyes Silver. I think that and the darkness that Naomi is in will bring a whole lot of drama to the season, similar to Annie living in the aftermath of having killed a man in the previous season. What makes this situation scarier is that Cannon is almost right. Silver didn’t believe Naomi when she told her that Cannon raped her. Eventually, she sees Cannon for the freak that he is and goes to Naomi’s aid, only to find her passed out after downing sleeping pills with wine (that’s till where I’ve seen). I wonder what’s going to happen now. Will Cannon have to pay for his actions, or will they play this storyline out for a while? I hope they bring out some more darkness before they put that story to rest.

Speaking of darkness, after watching Jasper torch Liam’s boat last season, I expected him to be back, haunting Annie some more, while Liam tries to protect her from him; but Jasper’s nowhere to be seen. I hope they bring him back for some added drama. Liam and Annie finally admit their feelings for one another, but they’re really being childish about it. I mean, of all the characters, I’d expect them to be a little mature about being together; but Annie’s reasons for not letting herself be with him are annoying. I wish they grow up! Among the other couples, besides the fact that I don’t like Dixon, I feel that he and Ivy are the most boring couple, and I don’t know what the writers are trying to do with this new Oscar character. Besides the drama that can come about from him having slept with Laurel, I don’t see him serving any purpose. As for Navid and Adrianna, their relationship needs to evolve; it’s getting old to see them going down the same path—her being disturbed by something, and him protecting her and being her strength! And what was with killing off Javier? It seemed like a very Marc Cherry thing to do—kill off the complication! I hope his death serves some greater purpose!

And now for the one thing that I think everyone was looking forward to in this season—Teddy switching sides and coming out of the closet. As his relationship with Silver goes downhill, we discover that he went to bed with a dude. For a storyline like that, I expected more drama; the discovery was very random, poorly handled. I hope they revisit how he landed up with a guy; otherwise it just wouldn’t make sense.

With that, there’s a lot of drama up for us this season, and I wish they handle the rape horror and the discovery of sexuality giving them the treatment they deserve. Oh, and I hope Harrison comes back; I miss Rob Estes! 

COMING SOON: Gossip Girl, House MD, How I Met Your Mother

PREMIERE SEASON 2010

So here goes... The new TV season brings not just new settings, but even new dimensions to characters that we might not have imagined. Here, I start rounding up the season premieres, and I had to start with Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, two shows that I am most partial to.

Grey’s Anatomy S7

The official promotional poster for Grey's Anatomy S7

‘Let the healing begin’ is the tagline for Grey’s Anatomy S7. After ‘The season that changed everything’, this seems apt. With the mass murders in the S6 finale, the writers not only had great material for drama, but also to explore unknown dimensions of all the characters involved. And that has become evident from the first episode itself. I don’t think anyone does flashbacks better than creator Shonda Rhimes. Having started this season set a few months after the previous one ended, she takes the characters back to the days after the shootout in an almost chilling manner, with each of them reliving the horror, as they need to be deemed fit for surgery, by a psychiatrist, given the mental trauma each one of them went through. The surgery clearance makes a fantastic backdrop for the episode, as it shows us everyone’s story, doing complete justice to their experiences during the shootout, and to who they are as people. Being cleared for surgery is also representative of the first big step that everyone takes towards moving on. It’s what they all need to do, to pick up the pieces.

But we all know that as much as they all want to pick up the pieces and make the nightmare go away, it’s not going to be easy in any way. The most impactful of it all was Bailey’s story. From seeing her being reminded of the disaster by her co-passenger on the plane, to revisiting the shot of her being dragged out from her hiding place under the bed by the shooter was spine-chilling. Seeing the way the tragedy affected a level-headed person like her, making her irrational in her approach to her relationship with her boyfriend was heartbreaking, as she even wishes for him to have been there to be able to understand what all of them went through. Lexi dealt with it all in her own way. The flashbacks reveal the end of her relationship with Alex, also a result, in a way, of the horror that they went through. Now she’s back to her brunette look, but she’s taking her time with starting over. I have a feeling that she and Mark will work things out; because of the way he seemed to get her better than Alex did through the recovery period.

Clearance for surgery comes to everyone eventually, and Derek is on the top of the world with his yellow slip, ready to be a surgeon again, in a bigger way. He steps down from the position as Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace-Mercy West, and Richard Webber gets reinstated as Chief. I was happy to see that happen, because Derek wasn’t chief material the way Webber is, and I believe that Webber’s new tenure will see him being more responsible. I look forward to seeing more of him as Chief.

Meredith has her own set of skeletons. Besides watching her husband getting shot, and living through the same nightmare as everyone else, she also had the miscarriage—something that she still hasn’t told Derek. Her inability to get clearance initially had a lot to do with suppressed feelings about that, and I think she’s going to take her time to deal with it. Derek and Meredith actually starting a family is something I don’t see happening for a while, as they both aren’t in a place where they’re mentally ready to handle being parents. And while Meredith was yet to get clearance, she walks in on Teddy Altman making out with Dr Perkins, the psychiatrist. That angle is something we’re all yet to understand, but it’s quite clear that Teddy is ready to move on, so when she’s telling Owen that she’s happy for him and Christina making a commitment, it’s actually believable.

And that brings me to the one most shocking turn of events in the premiere—Christina marrying Owen. Spoilers that did the rounds earlier revealed that detail, but I didn’t see it happening in the first episode itself. That, however, is explained perfectly in the flashbacks. The disaster seems to have affected Christina the most, as she loses control of herself, willing to let herself take Owen’s support, to deal with the literal nightmares that she has. As the episode drew to a close, I wondered if they would actually go through with the wedding, but they did. I don’t know if the marriage will work, or if it’ll just dawn on her later, that it was just a rebound from the disaster...we’ll just have to wait and watch. That said, I cannot wait to watch the rest of the season; the healing has begun, in the best premiere I’ve seen so far this season, and as the healing brings out new sides to everyone, there’s a lot to look forward to.

Desperate Housewives S7

The official promotional poster for Desperate Housewives S7

When the S6 of Desperate Housewives ended, everyone I know who watched the show, including me, made guesses about the switched babies. Earlier, I wrote here that for there to be greater repercussions from the switching of the babies, beyond the obvious emotional turmoil, the writers would have to choose the child wisely. Juanita Solis was not on my mind at all, given all of that, but I now realise that it makes perfect sense. Gaby didn’t have anything big lined up this season, so Juanita being the switched kid is what’s going to keep her busy. While on that, I loved the situational irony between her and Carlos, both harbouring secrets that they want to protect the other from. I was very happy with how they handled Bree telling Gaby that Andrew had caused her mother-in-law’s death. It wouldn’t make sense for Gaby to get upset about it, because she always hated her mother-in-law, so showing her to be more concerned about telling Carlos was just perfect. I wonder how long the secrets between the Solises will remain secrets, but according to previews, Gaby will soon find out that she is not Juanita’s mother. Lots of drama there!

I liked that they picked up with this season from where they left off at the end of S6. Paul Young’s return had our narrator Mary Alice give us a recap of their lives on the street, and it gave me a feeling of the show going back to its roots; after all the new and twisted neighbours, it’s like they’ve done a full-circle and come back to the Youngs. I loved the way Paul made his entry and how the news of his return spreads like wild fire, and before we know it, Susan comes back to Wisteria Lane when she finds out. While they’re all willing to accept him as their neighbour, I do feel the housewives should be a little wary of his return, because he certainly has something major up his sleeve. And while he’s buying his old house back, Felicia Tillman is getting the justice she deserves, in prison. I’m glad they brought her back, because Paul’s story would be incomplete without her. She’s got some tricks on her mind as well, and I can’t wait to find out more. I do hope they bring back Zach, because I think Paul had maximum unfinished business with his son!

When I heard that Susan would enter a new money-making venture, I assumed it had to do with something illegal, so when she was introduced to her landlady’s adult video making setup, I sure was surprised. It’s a little crazy that she needed to do it, so that Mike wouldn’t have to ‘go work at an oil rig in Alaska’, but let’s see where they’ll go with that. I’m willing to play along for now.

On the other hand, we’ve been introduced to a former wild side of Lynette, through the words of Renée Perry (Tom overhearing her speaking about Lynette having had a threesome was just priceless!). I don’t have any strong opinions on Renée yet, but what I can say is that I love Felicity Huffman’s chemistry with Vanessa Williams. I can’t wait for more Lynette-Renée scenes. It’ll be fun material for the season. I’m dying to know which house she will move into and how she’ll do up her place, given her expensive taste, and I’m looking forward to what her character adds to the show even more!

Lastly, I honestly didn’t think it was actually the end of Bree’s marriage to Orson. I thought that eventually they would reconcile, but seeing Kyle McLachlan’s name among ‘special guest stars’ in the credits convinced me that it was actually over. Bree now literally has to start over. The last time she was in a similar situation, when Orson went to prison, she worked on building her business, but this time, she doesn’t even have that. But what she does have is a desire to redecorate, and I’m really looking forward to seeing some sparks between her and her contractor Keith. Bree starting over, Gaby dealing with finding out about Juanita not being her biological child, Lynette raining a fifth child, and rediscovering herself with Renée around, and Susan dealing with her financial crisis... I have a feeling this season will be awesome!

Please leave your comments below. I would love to know what you guys thought of the premieres!

COMING SOON: Dexter, Private Practice, Glee and more