Remember (Desperate Housewives)

"Remember" is the 46th episode of the second season of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. The episode was written by Marc Cherry and Jenna Bans with a story by Tom Spezialy and Alexandra Cunningham and was directed by Larry Shaw. It originally aired on Sunday, May 21 2006.

Guest starring

Special Guest Stars

Co-Starring

Alejandro Patino as Ralph the Gardener
Dougald Park as Xiao Mei's Doctor
Eric Leviton as Orderly
Brian Carpenter as Clerk
Jamie McBride as Cop at Applewhites
Howard S. Miller as Zach's Lawyer
John Callahan as Stan
Craig Tsuyumine as On Site TV Reporter
Hunter Allan as Young Andrew
Savannah McDermott as Young Danielle

Plot

Betty Applewhite and Caleb prepare for their departure from Wisteria Lane in the middle of the night. As they pack, Betty remembers the year prior when Caleb allegedly murdered Melanie Foster. While Betty played a tune on the piano, Matthew broke up with Melanie in the next room. In a desperate bid to win Matthew back, Melanie told him to meet her at the lumberyard later and she would say goodbye as only a bad girl could. Since Matthew didn't want her, Caleb decided to go to the lumberyard, and much to Melanie's chagrin, told her he would be her boyfriend and attempted to kiss her. Melanie then repeatedly struck him with a two-by-four while insulting him. Caleb grabbed the two-by-four from her and struck her back, knocking her to the ground with a bloody head wound and apparently dead. Horrified, he ran home to his mother. In the present, as Betty and Caleb leave their house, the police surround them and they are placed into police cars as the entire neighborhood watches.

Meanwhile, Bree begins her stay at the psychiatric hospital where she meets up with Susan's new friend, Orson Hodge, who is visiting a sick friend. Bree is embarrassed and says she is not like the other people there which Orson accepts graciously. Orson then proceeds to talk to his friend who stares out a window. Bree finds comfort from another patient who is convinced that the doctor is the most psychotic. During a therapy session, the doctor finds Bree troubled but has problems trying to relate to her since Bree will not explain her reasons for admitting herself. Bree receives a phone call from Betty who tells her that she now believes it was Matthew, not Caleb, who killed Melanie and that Bree's daughter Danielle is in danger. When Bree attempts to leave she is put into restraints and is forced to remain in bed. During another session, she throws the contents of a miniature Zen sand garden at the doctor and makes a run for the door. Bree is seen by Orson who looks on without intervening.

Gabrielle plans golf lessons for Carlos and herself but is upset to learn that Carlos must complete his community service. While taking a break at hole 9, Gabrielle visits the bar and is shocked to learn that Carlos has died after being run over by a car. Gabrielle then returns home and tells a confused Xiao-Mei that Carlos has been killed. Xiao-Mei begs a confused Gabrielle not to kill Carlos. Gabrielle soon finds Carlos in the kitchen and demands an explanation. Carlos then tells Gabrielle he paid Ralph, the gardener, to be in his place. Gabrielle is relieved but puzzled by the way Xiao-Mei acted outside and the way Carlos is acting inside. She points out to Carlos that the police have his name as the man who was killed doing community service. Convinced Carlos is having an affair, Gabrielle places baby monitors in suspected places. While visiting Lynette, Penny's baby monitor acquires a frequency coming from the Solis' home which broadcasts Carlos and Xiao-Mei getting it on. Gabrielle rushes over where she sees Carlos and Xiao-Mei making love in the car inside the garage. Gabrielle then throws Carlos' clothes out the window and recommends he find himself a new living arrangement. When he points out that she told him to have an affair, she retorts, "yeah, but not with my baby's mother". When Xiao-Mei asks if she can leave, Gabrielle says that she cannot leave until she gives birth to her (Gabrielle's) baby. Xiao-Mei then vents angrily in Chinese and Gabrielle tells her that if she does not comply she will make it the "worst nine months of her life".

Zach Young visits Paul in jail and is bullied by an abusive Paul to go to his grandfather Noah for money, ostensibly for a car but really for a lawyer for Paul. Zach does not want to do this because he dislikes his grandfather and thinks he's creepy, but does when Paul brings up his deceased mother. Zach fails in his attempt when Noah quickly realizes the money is not for him but for Paul. When Zach becomes distraught, Noah mocks Zach for being weak and tells him he is disinheriting him as he can't abide weakness. Zach then pulls the plug on Noah's ventilator and sits down to watch him die. All of Noah's assets quickly go to Zach who is the heir apparent. When Paul calls and asks about the money, Zach says Noah would not give it to him. Paul becomes more abusive and demands that Zach come visit him. Zach says he is busy and hangs up. Zach then hands his phone to his new retainer and tells the man to get him a new phone with a new phone number.

Lynette checks into a motel with the children but they soon become impatient that their father never arrives. Porter becomes truculent when Lynette tells him he cannot go in the pool again. As he defiantly evades Lynette, he stradles the balcony's railing and falls over the side. Porter is then rushed to the hospital where Tom meets them. Lynette informs Tom that Porter only endured an arm injury. Tom then asks Lynette why she left and apologizes for his actions. Tom then reveals to Lynette that years prior before they met, Tom inadvertently impregnated a woman on a cruise and lost contact with her. The woman, Nora, has an 11-year-old daughter named Kayla who lives in Atlantic City. Lynette then shoves Tom into a row of chairs and agrees to meet the woman. Quickly, the two are at odds and have nothing in common. Nora then threatens to sue Tom for years of child support. Lynette and Tom quickly come up with a settlement, however, Nora is still not happy. Nora surprisingly announces that she has purchased a home in Fairview and will be moving in. Nora then tries to settle her animosity with Lynette who is still angry with her.

Susan moves into a motor home with Julie temporarily until she can get her home fixed. Karl soon learns that Susan is living in a trailer and attempts to help "his girls" by convincing Susan to move into something much more liveable. One morning, Karl breaks into the trailer and drives them to a house which Karl has purchased for them, which Susan, after waffling for a little, accepts. Mike soon finds out and gets into a fight with Karl since Karl knew he was planning on proposing to Susan. When Susan appears to be more concerned with Karl than with him, he becomes upset with Susan that she would accept a house from Karl when she would not accept an offer to stay at his place. Susan decides not to move into the house after the news that Mike was going to propose. Instead, she invites him for a romantic dinner where she will propose. On his way to meet Susan, he is followed by Orson who purposefully runs over him after he stops to buy roses. He is left lying in the road, unconscious.

At the police station, Betty is shown a picture of Melanie's dead body. Betty quickly notices Matthew's jacket on her body and warns the police that the jacket belongs to her other son. A flashback then shows Matthew arriving to find Melanie alive and conscious. When Melanie vindictively tells Matthew that she is going to go to the police and have Caleb put away, Matthew picks up the two-by-four and finishes Melanie off. Later, Matthew and Danielle, in need of money, return to Wisteria Lane for to rob Bree's safe. When Danielle learns that the combination has been changed, Matthew returns to his home for a sledge hammer. Matthew is soon confronted by Betty who knows that it was he who killed Melanie and not Caleb. Matthew leaves and breaks into the safe while Betty calls the police. Bree soon catches both of them and warns Danielle that Matthew is a killer. Danielle just takes this as more of her mom's craziness. Matthew then puts Bree at gunpoint and threatens to kill her if she does not move. Bree comes closer and tells him that if that's what it takes to show her daughter what he is, then fine. Before Matthew pulls the trigger, he is shot by a police squad and killed. Matthew's body is then wheeled into an ambulance as the neighborhood watches. The following morning, Betty and Caleb leave Wisteria Lane for good. Bree is then visited by Orson who presents her with flowers and congratulates her on the escape. Pleased with his kind gestures, Bree invites Orson into her home. As the door closes behind them, the view turns toward the sky as ominous music begins to play.

Flashbacks

The episode also features several flashbacks to the women on the day they moved to the neighborhood. They include:

1990: Mary Alice and husband Paul (aka Angela and Todd Forrest) move to Wisteria Lane with baby Zach. (as revealed in One Wonderful Day)
1992: Susan Mayer and her husband Karl along with 2 year old Julie move to Wisteria Lane. While taking boxes out of the truck, she locks herself in as baby Julie watches from her stroller. Susan then tries to yell for help and meets Mary Alice Young who invites her in for coffee.
1994: Bree Van de Kamp and her husband Rex move in with children Andrew (6) and Danielle (4). Bree then introduces herself to Mary Alice and forces her son Andrew to apologize when he stole a garden frog statue.
1998: A pregnant Lynette Scavo and husband Tom Scavo quarrel while bringing baby items into their home. When the other ladies introduce themselves, they quickly become friends with Lynette since they fear her as an enemy.
2003: Newlyweds Gabrielle and Carlos Solis move in. They are then greeted by the other wives while Gabrielle unpacks in her underwear. The situation becomes awkward when Carlos recommends he and Gabrielle have sex in the kitchen.

The episode also flashes back to other pivotal moments in the lives of the wives prior to Mary Alice's suicide:

2001: Rex has his prescriptions filled by his pharmacist (and future murderer) George Williams. Bree compliments George for having a solid upbringing as she argues with Rex about Danielle's hair color.
2004: Penny Scavo, Tom and Lynette's fourth child is born.
2004: Gabrielle successfully seduces John Rowland, her gardener after being angered at Carlos' continued absences.
2005: Betty Applewhite prepares to flee from Chicago after discovering that Caleb may have supposedly murdered Melanie Foster / Matthew murders Melanie.

Quotes

Nora: "I just couldn't stand to look at her face on that long plane trip, so I dumped her at the neighbors. But hey, come on, you got me."
Nora: "See, Lynette? See? It's not all about money. It's not even a little bit about money. It's about family. Cause we're all a big family now."
Nora: "What is your problem with me, lady? I don't understand. You don't know me! You don't know what I can do!"
Nora: "I think that we should all work on this, because I don't want every Christmas to turn ugly just because you and I don't get along.
Lynette: (shocked) "Yeah, that would be a shame."
Nora: (to Lynette) "I guess it'd be weird if we hugged."
Operator: "911. What's your emergency?"
Betty: (to Operator) "I need the police."
Matthew: (to Bree) "What's wrong with you?!! I'm gonna shoot you!!"
Betty: (to Matthew) "You did it. You killed Melanie. You put your jacket on her body. I saw it, Matthew. The police showed me the pictures!"

Notes

This is the show's first two-hour episode. It is being aired as two episodes in syndication.
When the episode aired in the UK as two episodes, some scenes were aired in a different order, e.g. Zach claiming Noah's fortune was moved to the second hour.
Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong) is seen in this episode, for the second and last time in season 2.
This episode marks the return of former cast member Steven Culp as a special guest star, reprising the role of Bree's husband Dr. Rex Van de Kamp in flashbacks. Former cast member Jesse Metcalfe, who has not been seen since the third episode of the second season, also returns. Roger Bart who played George Williams, also returns for a brief cameo when the episode flashes back to 2001.
Although credited, Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan) and Andrew Van De Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom) do not appear in this episode, although Andrew does appear in a flashback at age 6.
For the second time, the season finale features flashbacks from before Mary Alice's suicide which opened the show.
The third season premiere took place six months after the events of this season's finale.
This is the last episode featuring Alfre Woodard as Betty Applewhite, Mehcad Brooks as Matthew Applewhite and NaShawn Kearse as Caleb Applewhite.

Trivia

In the scene where Mike is at Orson Hodge's dental surgery, the diploma on Hodge's wall says he has the degree of Doctor of Dental Medicine. However, the initials on his white lab coat are DDS; the abbreviation of Doctor of Dental Surgery, an identical degree albeit with a different name.
Part of this episode conflicts with "Running To Stand Still." In that episode, it shows Gabrielle disagreeing with her mother in law's choice of Carlos and Gabby's wedding music as they're sitting in their house on Wisteria Lane. However, in "Remember," they've already been married 4 months when they move in. "Running To Stand Still" also shows Gabrielle disagreeing with her mother in law's choice of the house colour, but this episode shows them moving in, when the house is already painted that colour.

Title reference

The episode title Remember is the title of a song sung by the quintet in the Stephen Sondheim musical, A Little Night Music.

International titles

French: Les tourbillons de la vie (The Twisters of Life)
German: Erinnerungen (Memories)
Italian: Ricordare (Remember)
Hungarian: Emlékezz! (Remember)
Polish: Pamięć (Memory)