'Housewives' move fast-forward five years

By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Published May 28, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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Ron Tom, ABC / Associated Press

Felicity Huffman, left, Eva Longoria Parker and Marcia Cross are seen in The Gun Song, the season finale episode of Desperate Housewives on ABC.

Although it was rumored, some viewers were no doubt surprised by the final moments of the May 18 season finale of ABC's Desperate Housewives, which jumped five years into the future.

How come?

"One of the things we always talk about is that in spite of the show sometimes becoming Gothic and soapy and over the top, we always try to return to the roots, the real lives of suburban women," said consulting producer Jeff Greenstein. "We wanted to reset the predicaments of our women in ways that are real and grounded."

To that end, viewers saw Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) looking frumpy and with children, which she swore she'd never have.

Lynette (Felicity Huffman) found herself dealing with the police over her troublesome teenage children.

Bree (Marcia Cross) had become some sort of Martha Stewart, running a business empire with the assistance of son Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) while still married to Orson (Kyle MacLachlan).

Katherine (Dana Delany), now tied in with the show's main characters after her harrowing experience, was still on the street, too.

But the biggest shock was Susan (Teri Hatcher) in the embrace of a man (Gale Harold, Queer as Folk) who was not her husband, Mike Delfino (James Denton).

"We wanted to shake people up," Greenstein said. "The essence of drama is surprise. We wanted to give people a lot to chew on over the summer."

When Desperate Housewives returns in the fall it will remain in the future, with some flashbacks to explain how the women got to the points they are at in their lives.

Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) wasn't shown in the future, but series creator Marc Cherry has hinted that she'll return to Wisteria Lane in a few years, which, of course, have now passed.

Don't be surprised if she returns to stir up trouble.

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