Seven Year Itch

But as the seventh season gets set to launch in India,it’s clear that the series has become formulaic and the ladies are more or less Botoxed into looking like they have walked in from the last season. TV host Aaliya Khan says she started getting bored of the show after the fourth season. “Everyone goes through a phase when they love sexy,bitchy shows like Desperate Housewives,” she says,“Unlike Sex and the City,it focused on women,rather than fashion. But you begin to wonder why they’re portraying women in this way. Women are not always out to grab each other’s husbands or boyfriends,” she adds.

There is lot of focus on the rivalries between the women and the romantic tangles on the show are beginning to rival those on The Bold and the Beautiful. For a few fans,however,such questions no longer matter. Actress Kashmera Shah loves that it shows women as they are — strong,sexy and confident. “This is probably the first show where all the female protagonists are over 40. How many shows have strong female characters in that age group?”

For singer Manasi Scott,what works for the show is its sly humour. She says that even though groundbreaking shows such as Dexter have begun airing,she continues to remain interested in Desperate Housewives. “I watch Dexter too. You can’t compare the two shows: they both have their own little niches and are successful in them.”

The story so far

Desperate Housewives is the story of four,40-plus friends living on Wisteria Lane in a charming American suburb. Their story is narrated by their friend Mary Alice Young,who killed herself in its first episode and has since followed their life and tribulations right until now. These ladies are desperate for various reasons: perfectionist Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) is struggling to keep together her family. The harried Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) is a former successful career woman and has four unruly children to look after. Susan Myers (Teri Hatcher),ditzy illustrator with a messy divorce behind her and a sensible daughter to lean on,is looking for true love. The youngest of the four is Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria),still pining for her days as a successful model.

New Frenemy on the block

Each season has a new housewife join them to liven things up on Wisteria Lane. One of the most prominent was Edie Britt,infamous ‘maneater’ as dubbed by Susan,who went on to be the fifth lead on the show until her death in the fifth season. Other housewives have been Katherine Mayfair,with an abusive husband in her past,and Betty Applewhite,an over-protective mother. The housewife in the latest season is Renee Perry,played by small screen star Vanessa Williams. Renee is Lynette’s college friend and in the middle of a divorce.

Mystery element

Going against tradition,the mystery of this season does not revolve around the latest lady on the block. This time around,the centre of all attention is a guy — Paul Young,the absconding widower of Mary Alice. In fact,Mary Alice returns on the season’s premiere episode as a cameo to re-introduce him. Played by Mark Moses,Paul had been one of the crucial characters until Season 2. He returns with his new wife Beth on Wisteria Lane — in Susan and her husband Mike Delfino’s house who have rented it out and moved into a small apartment due to financial crisis. Paul looks for ways to buy out that house. It remains to see what is the motive behind his actions.

Heartbreak central

Bree is shattered yet again after her divorce. Lynette,who has just had another baby,is trying to cope with husband Tom’s post-partum depression. And when his mother is called in to help with babysitting,conflict between the two women is inevitable. The Solis’ also struggle to stay together as Gabrielle and Carlos discover that their real daughter was switched for Juanita at childbirth. As the rest of the characters deal with emotional struggles,Susan becomes the next big thing on an adult website,but it’s a secret she’s keeping from her family and friends.

Romance in the air

Renee’s high-heeled appearance is supposed to spice up the lives of the 40-something wives and it begins with her competing for Bree’s latest flame Keith Watson (Brian Austin Green). Renee then diverts her attentions towards Tom,now on marijuana prescription to cope with his depression. She is the sounding board that Lynette lacks the patience to be. And then,of course,is her relationship with Tom from the past,which Tom is eager should stay buried.