The Big Picture
- Takeaway 1: Desperate Housewives was a successful, funny, and addictive dark comedy that relied on an engaging cast and witty writing.
- Takeaway 2: Tom Scavo, Lynette’s husband, is a level-headed guy who provides support, although he isn’t the funniest character in the show.
- Takeaway 3: Karen McCluskey, the nosey neighbor, delivers biting and memorable lines with effortless comedic energy, becoming integral to the show’s success.
Desperate Housewives is among the most recognizable and successful shows of the noughties. The show starred Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman, and Eva Longoria as four housewives living in the suburbs and dealing with increasingly dramatic events, from deaths to murders, blackmail, and more.
Although infamous for its over-the-top drama, Desperate Housewives was also quite funny, employing a unique blend of biting humor and camp. The show relied on an endlessly engaging cast and wickedly witty writing to deliver a fun, funny, addictive dark comedy that made the most out of its ludicrous scenarios, cementing itself as an audience favorite.
10 Tom Scavo
Doug Savant plays Tom Scavo, Lynette’s husband and arguably the best guy in the show. Tom is a successful businessman who opens a pizzeria during a midlife crisis, leading to his separation from Lynette. The two eventually find their way back to each other and move to New York City and the end of the show.
Tom is level-headed and laid back, allowing Lynette to handle the house and their six children and settling for being her support. Most of his humor revolves around his chaotic interactions with Lynette, whom he supported out of comfort rather than conviction. Still, Tom is a pretty great guy compared to the other husbands – just not the funniest.
9 Lynette Scavo
Lynette Scavo is one of the four original housewives. Played by Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Felicity Huffman, Lynette is the most neurotic housewife, introduced as a struggling and frustrated woman drowning in the responsibilities of her four-children household.
Huffman is one of two main cast members to win an Emmy for her performance. Curiously, Lynette isn’t the funniest character, although she does receive some incredibly comedic scenes, especially in the first three seasons, as Lynette’s frustrations get the best of her. The ending to Desperate Housewives sees her moving to New York to become a CEO, finally getting the career she always wanted.
8 Karen McCluskey
The late Kathryn Joosten played nosey neighbor Karen McCluskey throughout Desperate Housewives‘ eight-season run. Starting as a guest performer before being bumped to recurring, Joosten became a series regular in season 7. McCluskey is infamous in Wisteria Lane for her combative nature, forming a rivalry with Lynette before becoming close friends with all the housewives.
Joosten won two Emmys for her performance, albeit in the Guest Actress category. McCluskey is a spitfire, delivering witty and acidic takedowns while keeping things light and funny. She becomes integral to the series’ success in later seasons, delivering some of the most biting and memorable lines with effortless comedic energy.
7 Carlos Solis
Gabrielle’s husband, Carlos Solis, starts the show as a successful businessman. He proposed to Gaby on their third date, leading to a passionate and genuine marriage that still goes through numerous ups and downs, including cheating from both sides.
Played by Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Carlos is one of the few male partners to stay a series regular throughout the show’s eight seasons. Carlos is sarcastic and biting, showing little patience for Gaby’s whims but still putting up with them. He is quite selfish, and his mercurial dynamic with Gaby is the source of most of his comedic scenes. However, Carlos is funny by himself, thanks to his ironic persona.
6 Susan Mayer
Teri Hatcher plays Susan Mayer in Desperate Housewives. Susan is notoriously clumsy and romantic, the girl-next-door who grew up but retained her winsome charm. She is the most easy-going of the four main housewives, a loving mother and supportive friend with a quirky personality.
Susan is often unintentionally funny. Her silly, awkward persona makes her an accident magnet, leading to comedic mayhem. Susan became among the most unlikable characters on television as the show progressed, but her glory days of season 1 remain there for fans to see. Hatcher won a Golden Globe for her performance, the only cast member to be anointed by the HFPA.
5 Edie Britt
Edie is often considered among the main housewives, although the show goes to great lengths to treat her separately from the core four. Played by the ever-underrated Nicollette Sheridan, Edie is initially a secondary antagonist meant to bother the four main housewives. Following an increase in prominence in season 3, Edie effectively becomes the fifth housewife until her untimely death in season 5.
Sheridan is hilarious in the role, which could’ve easily been another man-eating femme fatale. The actress injects genuine vulnerability and pathos into Edie, making her relatable and sympathetic. Above all, Edie is hysterical, thanks to her no-nonsense, unabashed behavior. She is shameless and cleverly mean, delivering insults left and right while remaining self-aware enough to laugh at her own expense.
4 Andrew Van de Kamp
Bree’s son, Andrew, is one of Desperate Housewives‘ most chaotic characters. He starts the show as a troubled teenager struggling with his sexuality. Andrew has an extremely contentious relationship with Bree that leads to their brief distancing. However, they become closer in his adulthood, ending the show living together.
Shawn Pyfrom is a hilarious devil as Andrew. The character is messy, troublesome, often mean, and sassy, meaning he is endlessly entertaining. Andrew steals nearly every scene he’s in; whenever he’s with Bree, their strong-willed personalities clash, leading to cutting and riotous exchanges that rank among the show’s best.
3 Orson Hodge
Television icon Kyle MacLachlan plays the mysterious Orson Hodge in Desperate Housewives. Although his complicated backstory is central to season 3’s mystery, Orson doesn’t leave the show once that’s resolved. Instead, he remains married to Bree, creating one of the show’s most infamous dynamics.
MacLachlan is a riot as Orson. Although the character starts as a sinister presence in the women’s lives, he soon becomes another of Wisteria Lane’s eccentric inhabitants. Like many other characters, Orson is petty and sassy, making him an excellent addition to an already topsy-turvy cast. His relationship with Bree is incredibly messed up, but they do make an excellent team – provided they’re on the same side.
2 Gabrielle Solis
Eva Longoria plays the youngest housewife of the group, former model Gabrielle Solis. Gaby is demanding, petulant, selfish, materialistic, and utterly unforgettable. She is as bold and impulsive as the other housewives, although she has a more fiery personality. Gabrielle is unafraid to speak her mind and pursue her interests, no matter who gets in her way.
Gabrielle stars in many of Desperate Housewives‘ most iconic moments. Whether fighting a manipulative nun inside a church or delivering scathing takedowns to her enemies – and sometimes even to her friends – Gabrielle is a spitfire. Out of the four main housewives, Longoria was the only one to not be nominated for an Emmy, a travesty considering she is among the show’s funniest characters.
1 Bree Van de Kamp
Breen Van de Kamp has a place of honor in the pantheon of great TV housewives. The picture of suburban perfection, Bree is the most collected of the housewives, a stereotypical stay-at-home mom who always has a pie in the oven and flowers on every table.
Like most other characters in Desperate Housewives, Bree becomes more unhinged with the seasons; she will shoot her obsessed lover through a window while hosting a dinner party and fake a pregnancy to maintain her family’s status quo. Bree doesn’t know the meaning of the word “no,” and she will do everything to get her way. Marcia Cross is outstanding as the overbearing and resourceful Bree, crafting a wicked and hysterical portrayal that effortlessly blends humor and pathos.
