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RSSWhat do you think about Lynette and other 'Desperate Housewives' musings
Some of my friends started an email chain this week with the theme being "Why is Lynette always such a bitch?"
They were talking, of course, about Desperate Housewives. There seems to be quite a debate brewing about last Sunday's episode. Who was in the wrong -- Bree or Lynette? I've always found Lynette to be the most relatable character on Wisteria Lane and given the choice of Bree, Susan, Edie, Gaby, Katherine or Lynette, I would definitely chose to be friends with Lynette. Bree is soooo passive aggressive. At least with Lynette you know where you stand.
I think both Bree and Lynette were wrong on Sunday -- Bree for throwing away the pizza and Lynette for making Bree's recipe without the proper ingredients. Although I did find Bree's behavior highly annoying. But I actually think the series is facing a much bigger problem. After starting out strong, Desperate Housewives seems a little aimless of late. Kind of like they can't pursue the Dave storyline full throttle until they're closer to the end of the season so we're in a little bit of a holding pattern. The five year jump hasn't done much to expand the character's world or potential storylines. You know I love Mike but having him with Katherine kind of bores me. I never really believed Gaby would struggle with losing weight and I wish the show would further explore Gaby as a mother. I mean where are her daughters?
The world of Brothers & Sisters is also feeling more and more claustrophobic. As I've long said, we need an episode where no one with the last name Walker raises his or her voice. I really enjoyed Sarah's Greenatopia storyline probably, in part, because it removed her from the day to day minutia of life with the Walkers. Whatever the ulterior motives are for the Tommy storyline, I'm happy to finally see him scheming (albeit illegally) against Holly. And I used to really like Robert but I don't think the Robert we knew would secretly hatch a plan to run for governor, do you?
How are you feeling about Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters these days? Do you still like Lynette? Talk about it below. And for my friend Korbi's take on the Bree/Lynette fight, click here.
Where Have I Seen Them Before?
Bianca Lawson is playing Shawna on The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She was Nikki on Dawson's Creek and Kendra on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Katrina caught Vanessa Marano reprising her roles as Jack's daughter Hanna on Without a Trace. She was April on Gilmore Girls and Franchesca on The Comeback.
Ryan and Mary were the first to recognize John Glover as Saul's boyfriend Henry on Brothers & Sisters. Glover was Lionel Luthor on Smallville, Satan on Brimstone, and most recently Simon Kraft on Numb3rs.
Stewart and Nicholas were the first to catch John Rubinstein doing double duty for ABC Sunday night. First he was the headmaster of the school Susan wanted to send M.J. to on Desperate Housewives and then he was offering Kitty her dream job as a University professor on Brothers & Sisters. Rubinstein has a long list of guest credits but I remember him most as Linwood Morrow on Angel.
Dennis recognized Stephanie Niznik as the doctor who reminded Jack that he had been suspended from the hospital on Lost. Niznik was, of course, Nina on Everwood and the mom last season on Life is Wild. Dennis also caught Jennifer Elise Cox as the woman who was planning to have a baby with Marco's boyfriend on Privileged. Cox is Amy on 10 Items or Less and we all remember her inspired take on Jan Brady in the Brady Bunch movies.
Marisa Coughlan also had a busy week. She was the woman who thought she had married her husband on Medium and then she appeared as FBI Special Agent Payton Perotta on Bones. Coughlan was also Melissa, Alan's secretary, on Boston Legal. Deidre Lovejoy was the agent who turned out to be the gravedigger on Bones. She was Rhonda on The Wire.
Angela recognized M.C. Gainey, Tom on Lost, as the security consultant on Burn Notice. Angela also caught Marla Sokoloff as Melanie, the woman who thought her employer had killed her dad, on Burn Notice. Sokoloff was Alice on Big Day, Lucy on The Practice, and Jody on Party of Five. She was also Claire, Tom and Lynette's nanny, on Desperate Housewives.
Ben Shankman was the husband whose wife ran over him with a car on Grey's Anatomy. We saw him last season as Russell on Canterbury's Law. Jennifer Westfeldt was his wife. Westfeldt was Lauren on Notes from the Underbelly.
Laura Allen was Beth, the woman Owen saw at the end of Grey's Anatomy. Allen was Lily on The 4400 and Julia on Dirt.
Ginni recognized Peter Mackenzie was the patient who had tried "number 9" on Grey's Anatomy. We just saw Mackenzie on My Name is Earl as the father of the son who wouldn't leave home (remember Earl felt responsible for getting the babysitter pregnant) and Ginni remembered him as the Genius al those years ago on Herman's Head.
If there's something familiar about Rose's boyfriend Zachary on Privileged that's because he's played by Dave Franco, the younger brother of actor James Franco. We saw Franco earlier this season as Gus on the thankfully short-lived Do Not Disturb and he's also Gonzo on Greek.
Leonard Roberts was the cop wanting to arrest the shoplifter on ER. He was D.L. on Heroes and Forrest on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Shannon Woodward is Sam's younger sister Kelly on ER. She was DiDi on The Riches.
One of my favorite actors Ty Burrell, Gary last season on Back to You and Oliver on Out of Practice, was the representative for the energy committee who let the merger go through on Damages.
Debbie recognized Billy Burke as the lawyer who turned out to be the serial rapist on The Closer. Burke is Bobby's older brother Jack on My Boys and I'll always remember him as Gary Matheson from the second season of 24. Actually because he played Gary on 24, I always just assume he's the bad guy when I see him in an hour long drama.
Some Fun Links
You can get a preview of FOX's Friday night line up and send Valentine's Day e-cards inspired by Cameron and Echo by clicking here for Terminator and here for Dollhouse.
If you live in New York City and want to attend a premiere party for the second season of The Real Housewives of New York City at Sephora, check out http://bravotv.com/sephora
Check out an interview with Ray Wise of Reaper by clicking here and an interview with Misha Collins of Supernatural by clicking here.
If you head over to TheWB.com you can catch Valentine's Day themed episodes of Smallville, Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Everwood, Veronica Mars, and The O.C. TheWB.com also has the first five episodes of Pushing Daisies available for viewing and they will eventually have all the first season episodes available on the site.
That's all for today. I'm back on Friday with quotes of the week and a review of Dollhouse. Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week or a topic for discussion? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com. Talk to you on Friday.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
Great Column Amy,
I really like Brothers & Sisters. I agree with you about the Greenatopia story line. I would like to have Kitty quit being so winey - but since I come from a large family I understand that you cannot avoid winey siblings=)
Pietro
I remember John Rubenstein most from Crazy Like a Fox decades ago. That was a good show. I think Billy Burke was on a few eps of Gilmore Girls until he suddenly just...disappeared.
I agree that Desperate Housewives, even with that five year jump, is kind of stagnating. The thing is, I don't find any of these women particularly likable, but with the skill of the actresses involved, they can be entertaining. Felicity Huffman makes Lynette, even at her worst, believable and relatable. But there's only so much the actresses can do--the writing has got to be a little more adventurous and a little less obvious.
Brothers and Sisters also needs something of a shake-up, and I'm not sure introducing Ryan or writing out Tommy will do it. Exploring the Saul/Henry relationship? Getting Nora a long term relationship? More on Greenatopia, like you say Amy? Dunno.
Sorry for the lengthy post, but one more thing. I like John Rubinstein, but it was a little disconcerting seeing him do back-to-back double duty on DH and B&S. Sort of takes me out of the story to concentrate on the fact it's the same actor I just saw in a very similar role.
OK, I'm done. For now. :-)
Lynette is a freak. That is all.
I'll miss George, but I won't miss Izzie. I've always thought the character was dangerously unstable.
There are a couple more familiar faces from this week's episode of Medium. Sam Trammell played the ghost who kept showing up at the crime scenes. He plays Sam Merlotte on HBO's True Blood. Also, Emily Bergl played the woman who blackmailed the murderer. She played Annie in Men in Trees and Francie in Gilmore Girls.
I have been watching The Secret Life, and I was really surprised to see Bianca Lawson was cast as the new girlfriend for Jack, who is supposed to be 16 years old. I remember the actress playing a teenager in BtVS and Dawson's Creek TWELVE YEARS AGO! She's going to be 30 years old in March, and the show wants us to believe that she's a 20 year old dating a high school student! Surely, they could have found another actress that looked younger!YUCK!!! :-(
John Glover has recently been Goren's psych profiling mentor Declan Gage on L&O:CI.
Lynette Scavo is the most reprehensible character on tv. Moreso because I get the feeling the viewer is supposed to see her as righteous, which I can never understand.
We're talking about a woman who hated the fact her husband was having some fun playing in band because the noise annoyed her. Anything that annoys Lynette is "bad". Her solution? Lay the guitar in the path of a car and frame their child. People relate to this character? I can't stand watching her.
In this last episode, Bree gives her $20,000. Lynette then promotes an event at their restaurant (which does more for Lynette than it does for Bree) and markets their pizza as using Bree's recipe while using substandard ingredients that would actually do potential harm to Bree's business. She does all this without even asking Bree. Bree had two choices - announce that the pizzas were not affiliated with her in any way or fix it. She fixed it. Lynette became self-righteous while taking zero responsibility (as always).
There is no male character I feel more sorry for on tv than Tom Scavo.
Westfeld is also Jon Hamm's girlfriend
I'm fairly certain I remember John Rubenstein as Meredith Baxter Birney's husband on FAMILY - which may have been before you were born, Amy. :)
Im afraid that Brothers and Sisters is starting to annoy m. I have never seen so many grown adults whine like they do on that show. It has been relagated to If I Miss It Oh Well status.
I will always remember John Rubenstein as Merideth Baxter Birneys husband on Family.
Also you missed that Marisa Coughlin's husband on Medium was played by Max Casella who was Neil Patrick Harrises best friend Vinnie on Doogie Houser, M.D.