Customer Reviews

Desperate Housewives: The Complete Fifth Season (Collector's Edition with Bonus Disc)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I'm having a difficult time understanding why this season is rated so much lower than all the rest. First of all, Desperate Housewives is one of the most consistently good shows on TV and every season is solid. However, season five is special in that it revamped and refreshed the series by beginning five years ahead of where season four left off. This technique provides the viewer with a slew of new storylines:

Susan: In season five, we find Susan and Mike divorced after a terrible incident tears them apart. Connected through their five year old son, Susan and Mike struggle with old feelings while beginning new relationships, Susan with her much younger house painter and Mike with Katherine Mayfair.

Lynette: Tom and Lynette continue to struggle raising their four children, specifically their teenaged twins Porter and Preston. On top of that, Tom finds himself in a midlife crisis and Lynette discovers the woes of returning to the world of advertising at age 50.

Bree: No longer a mere housewife, Bree is now an established cookbook author and businesswoman, owning her own catering company with Andrew and Katherine by her side. However, success comes with a price as she struggles to maintain her marriage to Orson, now a former convict.

Gabby: The beginning of season five finds Gabby as a harried mother of two young girls; now a house frow, she is far from the glamorous fashion model she once was. When Carlos regains his sight, Gabby and Carlos find themselves at a crossroads as they begin to simultaneously adopt and question their former lifestyle.

Edie: After being banished from Wisteria Lane five years prior, Edie returns with a new husband in tow. This husband is at the center of season five's mystery, as he has manipulated Edie into moving back to the lane so he can exact revenge on several main characters.

In all honesty, the only critique I have of this season is the mystery. In fact, I didn't find it to be all that mysterious, as I figured pretty much the entire thing out the night the premiere aired. It still remains, however, an interesting storyline to watch unfold.

There you have it. If you enjoyed seasons 1-4 of Housewives, you should definitely enjoy this. It's my second favorite season after season two, which interestingly enough was also unpopular among many fans. Negative reviews aside, this is an extremely solid season with captivating storylines and the same mix of comedy and drama we have come to expect from the show. To avoid spoilers for those of you who haven't seen the season yet, I'll just say that the finale gives us many things to look forward to in the fall, as each housewife's life takes an interesting turn.

Hope this helps,

Justin M. Green

Prior to purchasing the first four seasons of Desperate Housewives I had never watched any of the episodes on TV. By the commercials I had seen though I had a feeling it would be something I'd like. Recently I've taken the time to watch all four seasons and I'm chomping at the bit now waiting for Season five. I don't know how I'll make it all the way to September!!!

This show is different than most, at least to me. I thought it was going to be more of a "Soap Opera" type but it's more of a drama with comic undertones. It'll make you laugh mostly, make you cry sometimes and make you sit there with your mouth hanging open thinking "I can't believe she did that!".

I find this series thoroughly enjoyable and addictive!!

In my opinion, in its first four years on the air, "Desperate Housewives" has had three out of four really good seasons. The first, third, and fourth seasons were excellent. Only the second season wasn't quite as good. So going into the fifth season of this hit show I wondered if it was going to match the greatness of its best years. Sad to say it didn't. The fifth season of "Desperate Housewives" was its weakest season yet. I still liked the fifth season of the show, and I'm giving it 4 stars out of 5 (it falls more under 3 1/2 stars than 4). But I've got a feeling that it might be running out of gas down the road in its later years to come.

For the most part, "Desperate Housewives" season five is still pretty good. There are plenty of moments that are funny, sexy, and suspenseful. There was nothing wrong with the acting. The regular cast is back and the acting is fine as usual. There was nothing wrong with the presence of Teri Hatcher (Susan), Marcia Cross (Bree), Felicity Huffman (Lynette), Eva Longoria Parker (Gabrielle), Nicolette Sheridan (Edie), and season four newcomer Dana Delany (Katherine) on the screen. Same goes for the other cast members as well. Along the way in season five there were some newcomers. The most notable newcomer to season five was Neal McDonough, who plays Edie's new husband Dave. This character provides most of the story arc to season five which means that this character has a deep dark secret that plays out during the season (quite similar to Dana Delany's character in season four). McDonough is very good here and there's no fault in his character's storyline.

There were other newcomers to season five, and many of the new faces were provided thanks to the five year jump that this show took at the end of season four. There are now older actors who are playing the Scavo kids (Lynette's three sons and one daughter). Susan and Mike's son, born at the end of season four, is now five. And Gaby and Carlos have two daughters (also shown at the end of season four). The storyline with the five year jump into the future I think might have hurt the show a little. I think I liked it better with the way it was. It's obvious that "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry wanted to make some changes so that way the show can stay fresh. Not a bad idea, but for me changes don't always cut it.

As for which episodes were the best, I'd have to say the very best episode of season five was the show's 100th episode, titled "The Best Thing That Could Have Ever Happened" (in the show's fifth season, it's episode #13). Here's an episode that takes a total departure from its regular storyline to focus on Wisteria Lane's local handyman, wonderfully played by Beau Bridges. The handyman dies of a heart attack at the beginning of the episode, and the ladies flashback on how this man affected their lives over the years. Bridges' guest appearence provided "Desperate Housewives" with one of its only two Emmy nominations that it received this year. Another good episode was #8: "City on Fire". This was supposed to be the big episode of the season, following on the heals of the tornado episode from season four and the supermarket hostage crisis episode from season three, which rank as the two best episodes of the show so far. In this episode, a nightclub fire puts the housewives and their husbands in danger. However this episode (even though its a good one) isn't quite up to the tornado and hostage crisis episodes from the previous seasons.

Besides Bridges, other familiar guest stars from season five include: Gale Harold ("Queer as Folk") as Susan's new boyfriend Jackson (the mystery man Susan was kissing just as season four ended); Lily Tomlin as Mrs. McCluskey's sister Roberta; Gail O'Grady ("NYPD Blue") as a promoter who Lynette thinks her husband Tom is having an affair with, but it turns out she's having the affair with one of the Scavo twins; Frances Conroy ("Six Feet Under") as one of Carlos' massage clients who integrates herself into the lives of the Solis family which in the process upsets Gaby; Steven Weber ("Wings") as Julie Mayer's much older new beau (Andrea Bowen, who played Julie in the first four seasons but is not a regular in season five reprised her role for this one episode); and Swoosie Kurtz ("Sisters") as a worker at a school that Susan goes to work at who turns out to be a closeted lesbian. Besides Bowen, other regular "Desperate Housewives" actors from the past turn up, including Richard Burgi as Susan's ex-husband Karl; Steven Culp in a flashback scene as Bree's late husband Rex; and Christine Estabrook (also in a flashback) as season one neighbor Mrs. Huber.

Season five of "Desperate Housewives" has some problems. First of all the storyline, even though it's good, isn't as good as past storylines. This lead to a couple of episodes that were just downright dull. Plus a couple of minor storylines were kind of ridiculous. The most absurd was Bree's current husband Orson becoming a kleptomaniac, where he was breaking into houses on Wisteria Lane and stealing items from each house. Another problem was Gaby's selfish behavior, which was funny in earlier seasons but in season five was starting to get tiresome. One of the dumbest scenes of all time on this show comes in season five's first episode, where Gaby plays a game with one of her chubby daughters. It's where Gaby wants her daughter to lose weight by having her chase Gaby's car while Gaby drives a little bit away just as her daughter reaches up to the car. Then the daughter, very tired from all the chasing that her mom is making her do, gets on a bus and takes the bus home much to the chargin of Gaby. This is not "Desperate Housewives" at its best. Plus, Lily Tomlin isn't hardly given anything to do as Mrs. McCluskey's sister Roberta. Tomlin is one of our finest comediennes. Couldn't the writers given her something more to do?

Let's hope that season six of "Desperate Housewives" will be an improvement, but I'm not all that enthusiastic. Nicolette Sheridan is now gone, thanks to her late season departure. That's a shame because Edie was one of the very best characters on the show. But at least a familiar face has joined the cast for season six: Drea de Matteo, best known for her brilliant Emmy winning role as Adriana on the superb HBO series "The Sopranos", will be coming to Wisteria Lane. I'm looking forward to seeing if she can give this once great show a much needed boost.

The main ingredients to a memorable and successful TV series are good storytelling, well-drawn characters, (their peculiar and lovable foibles), and that itty-bitty incentive to keep audiences on edge every week. During the fifth season of Desperate Housewives, change was inevitable. The basis for that inescapability this year was the five-year jump into the future. And what a brilliant idea.

Writing for television is an intense, problematical, and always frustrating, weekly endeavor. To keep a series like Desperate Housewives scandalous, witty, dramatic, and afloat, the script writing can never be the same. Especially when the ensemble cast includes highbrow actors and actresses such as Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria Parker, Felicity Huffman, Nicollette Sheridan, and Dana Delany. Not to mention guest stars throughout the five-year run (and counting): the toast of comedy, Lily Tomlin; the incomparable, Dixie Carter; HBO's "Six Feet Under" star, Frances Conroy; film, TV, and theatre actress, Lesley Ann Warren; "Queer as Folk's" star, Gale Harold, and quirky Swoosie Kurtz, who gets a cameo this year in an unforgettable role. The list goes on.

Season four ended with a bang--literally. Katherine Mayfair shot her ex-husband and has since moved on to happier times, as have the other women of Wisteria Lane, hence the five-year jump. On the surface, anyway, life looks bright and forgivable for these women. Until we discover how unhappy people in Fairview really are behind closed doors. To keep audiences tuned in every Sunday night, there is the love triangle between Mike, Susan and Katherine. The script calls for a twisted plan to turn one woman into a wife, and the other a desperate loner. The season finale is a nail-biter for those of us who are glued to our TV sets every Sunday. You'll just have to wait until the show returns in the fall 2009 to find out who Mike decides to marry.

Lynette and Tom have their hands tied with their children's out of control adolescent angst. Their son, Porter, decides to sleep with a married woman, and life throws him a curve ball. He discovers she is pregnant, or is she, and life turns upside when Lynette takes charge of the situation herself.

Gabrielle and Carlos now have two young girls to raise. For Gabby, her work as a mother proves spiritual and rewarding. The days of sexy Gabrielle and one night stands are behind her. For now. She and Carlos seem the happiest of all the couples, and less shallow than before. A new day has come for Gabby and Carlos, with a few exceptions of "Grandma Nut Job," played by the wonderful Frances Conroy. But hey, we all have our bad days.

Bree and Orson have gone into business together, for better and for worse. Unfortunately for Katherine, the changes prove disastrous in more ways than one. She doesn't like the idea of Orson being hired as an employee, not a partner, to work for Bree's rising career in the publishing and food business. Nor does Katherine like the idea of anyone taking control of Bree's enormous enterprise. But when Bree matches Katherine up with one of Orson's "school" buddies, life for Katherine takes another dive into cold waters.

Every series has its flaws. Disappointments, if you may. In season five the lethargic storyline between the new couple to Wisteria Lane, Bob and Lee, is a let-down. Their airtime is few and far between, and the writers do not seem to know what to do with the fresh blood. The couple had a better run with their inception to the show last year, and with their civil unions ceremony at the end of season four. However, in season five the two characters seem like cardboard cutouts written in a pedestrian script. Let us hope Marc Cherry and his minions can keep Bob and Lee active and on screen during the subsequent seasons. Another annoyance in season five is the misuse of two brilliant and funny actresses, Lily Tomlin and Swoosie Kurtz. They both can deliver one-liners like nobody else, but their on-screen performances are short-lived. Yet, a highlight in season five is when the sister-duo of Roberta and Mrs. McClusky scheme their way into Dave's mysterious past. Also, Kurtz and Hatcher's (Susan) scenes are decidedly funny and their storyline, too, fizzles out into nothingness. However, watching these wonderful actresses play off each other is a joy. Nonetheless, the problem that the writers have on "Desperate Housewives" is trying to incorporate too many characters at one time. The writing becomes tedious, as does the loose ends in every season. Thank goodness season five wraps up many unanswered questions from season four, like the car crash between Susan, Mike, and Dave's former wife and child. In this case, the five-year leap into the future makes perfect sense and we can understand why Marc Cherry decided to utilize it.

A highlight for many DH fans will be the flashback scenes throughout the season, where characters from prior seasons will make an appearance to shed light on a few incidences that were not yet solved.

The mystery this year was not much of a mystery, as other viewers will attest. By the second episode, we all know, roughly, that something is amiss with Dave Williams. We don't know for sure who he is plotting against, or why, but by the eighth episode, "City on Fire", we get a better idea. But when the fall of Edie Brit arrives to Wisteria Lane, we are left aghast (at least this viewer was), our mouths agape, and wondering, why? Why Edie: the vivacious schemer of Wisteria Lane with a sharp tongue and no regrets. Like her or not, she will be missed.

Desperate Housewives is meant to be a fun, no-brainer of a comedy/drama series, not that of a thought-provoker. All in all, season five is a winner, a look into the future in Fairview. The show promises better things to come: new neighbors with dark secrets, in-depth storylines to keep the audience tuned in every week, and most importantly, the return to Wisteria Lane where nothing is ever as it seems.

9/5/09
T.B. Grant

This season was great!!! A lot of twists and turns with all of the cast!!! And a great build up to the season finale, which left me speechless!!! Although Edie was not a main part or the 4 main wives, I will miss her character..And with Bree, Gabby, Lynette, and Susan all getting more cunning and funnier, it makes a great season!!!! A definate must have for ANY DH fan!!!! cant wait to see what season 6 brings!!!!

While this season wasn't quite up to par with the last one, that by no means this season was bad at all. The fact that this is set 5 years after the last season certainly does spice things up. I never thought that Gabby would have kids, and I have to admit, I feel really bad for Bree. Orson was such the perfect guy at first, and now... dang it. I certainly never expected Susan and Mike and Katherine to be involved in a triangle, but hey, it's all fair in love and war. it all leads into what is (so far, at least as of Dec 2009) a wonderful Season 6. Keep up the good work, guys and gals!

Season five was far superior to the current season six, so far. Centering on six gorgeous women, many of the episodes hit emotional highs by a mix of intelligent dialog and summation narration. One episode in particular - I think that it was #13 entitled "The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" - was worth the price of admission alone. It was heart-wrenching throughout, centering on a handyman's life and his influence upon the lives of the six leading ladies. My wife and I had missed the whole season and bought this to catch up, and we were very glad we did. Especially after that episode.

I have been a fan of Desperate Housewives since Season 1, and although Season 2 was a huge disappointment, I still held on as a viewer. And it paid off. When I started watching Season 5, I was so impressed how the writers took a sagging show and spun it into a whole new light, as well as level. It is really interesting and refreshing to see the characters 5 years later on Wisteria Lane. Season 6 (playing now on TV) is just as good- I look forward to it every week!

this is another good series to go with the others ,if you have watched the other 4 series then this is a must .brian

There are many who watch TV & Movies who want to know the entire story, from start to finish, and in just that order. There are also those of us who don't mind a story ending in a question, causing you to think and use your imagination. Thus, I felt it was brilliant of Marc Cherry & "Desperate Housewives" to flash forward 5 years, making viewers wonder what had happened in the meantime to put the lead characters in the situations being shown: Edie Britt is now married to a too-good to be true man; perfect couple Susan and Mike are divorced and she is having an affair with her housepainter; Gabrielle has become the frumpy mother of two overweight children; Bree has become a famous TV personality; and Lynette struggles with her teenage sons.

At the end of Season 4, the show was dangerously close to "jumping the shark" by almost going over the top with some of their storylines. Jumping ahead 5 years and adding a number of surprising plot twists has kept the audience guessing. For those who love a little mystery in their TV diet, this season will keep you very full! As always, it's the ensemble cast and leading ladies that give the laughter, tears, and originality to this show created by the brilliant (and sometimes twisted!) Marc Cherry.

SPECS: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (good and clean; doesn't make a lot of demands on your speaker system though); Spanish & French subtitles; Widescreen (1.78:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 TVs (picture is excellent; bright colors, sharp details)

BONUS FEATURES:

-"What More Do I Need?" A Very Good Read: Behind the scenes look at how the process unfolds from script to screen. See the cast at a very large table, doing a "table read." The one time that the entire cast is together rehearsing each episode. As Marc Cherry says, "It's the first moment where I realize--Good! This is going to work!" Excellent featurette and very interesting. (11:15)

-"I Know Things Now: DH Celebrates 100" (20:49): Take a look back at 100 episodes. As narrator Brenda Strong says, "100 episodes? Did that really happen that fast?" Richard Burgi (Karl Meyer) correctly credits Marc Cherry for the series' success and longetiviy. Especially amazing in this day of focus on youth is that the leading ladies are all over 25, and definitely some of the most dynamic womeon on TV today. Their camaraderie and depth creates a synergy seldom seen. This show has the perfect blend of comedy and drama. It is obvious from the interviews that the cast truly enjoys being part of this ensemble.

-"So Very Teri" (8:04): I wonder if the other ladies are slightly jealous of this featurette focusing on Teri Hatcher. However, her comedic skills and ability to do drama are pretty fantastic. See some of her best scenes and learn how she compares her acting to "dancing."

-Cherry-Picked: Creator Marc Cherry's Favorite Scenes (with or without Cherry's commentary): Definitely watch these 7 scenes with Cherry's narration: Gaby's New Game, Croquembouche, Pot Roast, Fire!, Edie & Eli, Quote The Ad Wiz, Jackson?

-Bloopers (6:24): The typical flubs and hijinks that you would expect from a blooper reel

-Deleted Scenes: 8 scenes, including What More Do I Need? (alternate opening), Out In The Open, Memory Lane (fun scene with Edie & Eli), Aversion Therapy (Bree at her demented and controlling best), Last Call (VERY funny yet also touching scene with Edie & Lynette), Mike Takes The Blame, Goo Goo Eyes, The Right Choice

-Sneak Previews: Extract, Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, Old Dogs, Life On Mars, Cheri, Castle (1st Season)

Excellent set with some very cool extras - get it today!