- Bree is stunned to learn who dug up Alejandro; Lynette spreads untruths about Jane to Penny; Gabrielle and Carlos must convince Lee and Bob that Juanita and Celia aren't the bad seeds that they used to be; Susan desperately searches her inner self.—ABC Publicity
- "Desperate Housewives" - "Always in Control" - Nov. 6, 2011
In the opening scene, our late narrator from beyond the grave, Mary Alice, tells us that Bree is always in control, no matter what. So on the way back from the empty grave as Gaby and Lynette freak out, Bree calmly tries to work out a plan. Bree thinks Susan dug up the body. Gaby agrees since Susan has always been crazy. They don't want to give themselves away to Susan in case she didn't do it. So Bree is elected to talk to her.
LYNNETTE'S STORYLINE
The next day Penny asks Lynette if Tom and Jane are going to get married, since they seem so happy. Lynette says just cuz people dig each other doesn't mean they're getting married. Tom and Jane show up to take Penny to "Wicked." Jane has a cute nickname for Penny and they have matching french braids. Jane calls them twins. Lynette is clearly disturbed how her daughter is bonding with her husband's new companion. As they leave Renee, who is sitting at the Scavo kitchen table, calls Lynette a doormat, saying she let Jane take her husband and now she's stealing her daughter. She tells Lynette it's time to start playing dirty.
The next day, Penny is about to meet Tom and Jane and Lynette sighs loudly. She's looking at Penny's baby book. She has her look and says "we were really a family then." Penny says they're still a family. Lynette says they are but things will be different now that Jane is in the picture. She says she's not going to bad mouth Jane but then she essentially complains that Jane is stealing her husband and is now trying to steal Penny. Penny says she wants to stay with her and not go with Jane and dad. They exchange "I love you".
Another day later, Tom comes over, angry that he's been getting a lot of messages about Penny not coming over. He asks Penny if she's okay. Penny said she's had a lot of homework. Tom says if it's science Jane lives right upstairs and is a brainiac. Penny says she doesn't want Jane's help. Tom asks if she has a problem with Jane. Tom offers her one on one time the next day, just hanging out in the park. Tom wonders why Penny all of a sudden doesn't like Jane and firmly asks Lynette if she said anything to Penny. Lynette changes the subject by saying that Penny's a big girl and makes her own opinions. Tom reminds her that their problem is between them, not their kids. Lynette says he made his bed-- with someone else-- when he jumped into a relationship.
Later that day, Lynette and Renee pull into a parking lot so Lynette can spy on Penny and Tom and see if Jane came. They realize Penny didn't come at all. Renee says she doesn't need to worry about Jane busting up her family. Lynette realizes she's doing a fine job on her own.
Lynette brings Penny to the park to see her dad. Penny tries to balk and says if he's sad he shouldn't have left them for Jane. Lynette says that's not what happened. He left Lynette and not for Jane but because they didn't make each other happy and Jane makes him happy and he loves Penny so she should go to him. Penny is confused because of what Lynette said. Lynette apologizes and does the right thing saying they're all just people trying to figure things out and her dad is one of them and he loves her and wants to play catch with her. Penny gets out, turns to her mom and says "you're way prettier than her" and then runs to play catch with her dad. Lynette cries in the car.
SUSAN'S STORYLINE
It's portfolio review time in Andre's class. He's being douchey as usual about judging them. He says he doesn't want to see bowls of fruit, portraits of children, frigid winter landscapes, or lush summer vistas, Susan has no paintings to show since this is all she had. He tells her she hasn't grown an inch in his class, she's technically proficient but not surprising. Andre says another student is more real, even though her technique is atrocious.
Back at her house, Susan tries to pain and exclaims frustration at Andre. Bree enters and wonders what's wrong. Susan says she can't his voice out of her head, telling her she's bad. Bree is confused and thinks she means Alejandro. She's about to ask about the gravesite when Mike comes in and says something happened at Ben's site, the whole thing was shut down and it was not good. Bree is alarmed and leaves without taking further with Susan.
Susan goes to Andre's apartment and says he broke her and asks what she needs to do to get him to take him seriously. Just then her classmate Amy walks out of his bedroom in her underwear. Susan says this is why he likes her more in class. Andre says he likes her more in class because she's a better artist, this is why he likes her more in bed. He tells Susan that she's getting an A and everyone else is getting a D. She doesn't want a meaningless good grade, she wants help, not to hear him lying. He says she's lying every time she sits down and doesn't paint her and pain or cares about what someone else thinks. She says she has to go. Andre says he used to think Susan was holding back something, but now he thinks there's nothing there. Either way she shouldn't come back to his class, they're done.
BREE'S STORYLINE
After hearing from Mike earlier about Ben shutting down his construction project, Bree brings Ben a picnic lunch at his worksite. He's more interested in drinking his lunch (lots of beer) since there was a "little problem." He tells Bree that the other day, a few of his men found a body buried in the woods. He hasn't called the police yet. Bree is aghast. Ben says dug it up Halloween night and put it in storage. Ben says he keeps hoping he finds a way out of it since once he reports the body, it becomes a crime scene and causes his a lot of time and money problems. Bree offers many solutions: reburial, dissolving it in acid, wrapping it in chains and dropping it in a lake. He's worried about hiding it and it coming out later since it's a felony. He doesn't want to risk it. Bree tries to convince him but he doesn't see a way out of going to the police. He goes to call the cops, she runs off. He sees her run off. Ben comes to her at the gravesite. Bree tells him what happened and that she helped bury the body there. Bree says that the victim was a horrible man who hurt a child, someone she cared about very much and he was going to hurt her again. Ben asks if she killed him. She says she didn't, but her friend did and she helped bury him. He realizes she wants him to make it go away. She says she knows it's a lot to ask but it is what she wants. Ben says he's sorry, he can't and leaves to call the police. She cries.
When Bree arrives home, Chuck approaches her on the driveway of her house where in a very menacingly tone of voice, he says he's on police business. He clearly still holds a grudge against Bree for their breakup. Chuck holds up a picture of Alejandro and asks if she saw him, maybe two months ago. He points out they both saw him lurking on the street on the night of the dinner party. Bree denies ever seeing the man in her life. Chuck explains about micro-expressions, the brief flashes of a person's true feelings before they have the wherewithal to cover it up. He says he doesn't need to read those with her because he knows when she's lying because he saw it every time he was in her bed and when she said she loved him. He now has her pinned against her car and Ben comes up behind him and pulls him off. Chuck says he's a cop and not to mess with him. Ben says if he keeps harassing this woman he'll be an ex-cop. Chuck tells Ben to watch the tough guy act. Ben says unlike him, it's not an act. Chuck leaves, but makes a parting warning that he will return. Ben hugs Bree. He asks if this has something to do with what they talked about in the woods. Ben tells Bree that she has nothing to be scared about since it'll be hard to build a case without a body. She thanks him and asks why he would do that for her. Ben says maybe one day he'll need something from her. For helping her hide the body, Ben will come to Bree collect the favor.
Ben goes to visit Mike and asks if he remembered when he asked him about needing Mike to color outside the lines from time to time. Mike does. Ben says they found a body out in the woods and it's probably just a homeless guy but it could cause problems for the project. Mike immediately realizes that it was the body of Alejandro that Susan told him about, and he quickly says he'll take care of it. Ben is surprised that it's just like that. Mike says it's better if he doesn't know all the details. Ben says he owes Mike one. Susan comes home as Ben is leaving. She intuits that Mike "got the job." He says he did but just wait until she hears what the job is. Susan goes more crazy.
GABY'S STORYLINE
Celia and Juanita fight and argue before dinner. Gaby says daddy is taking a nap. Juanita asks if they can rent the cabin on the lake for vacation in spring. Gaby says they don't know what they'll be doing then. Gaby snaps at them. And then goes to Carlos and says she's worried about planning for the future since they might be in jail. Carlos says it's been two months and nothing's happened so she should relax. He asks where this is coming from. She says a cop could show up and ruin their lives and they have no guardians for the kids. He says in their will it's Susan. She points out Susan will be in jail with them. Gaby elects Bob and Lee. Carlos says they'll ask them and to not worry they're not going anywhere. She says he can't promise that.
Carlos and Gaby go to Bob and Lee and they wonder why they're not picking closer friends, like Susan. Gaby says Susan is a racist. Bree an alcoholic with a house full of guns. Carlos wonders if they have a problem with their girls. Lee and Bob call them monsters (more then a little true). Gaby tries to claim they're different people now, so well-behaved.Lee says to have them over for dinner and they can see how well-behaved they truly are. Gaby and Carlos reluctantly agree.
Gaby tries to whip the girls into shape and barks at them about toeing the line. She's kept them home from school to teach them to be courteous and gracious. It is not going well. Celia has a lollipop in her hair. Gaby realizes that all the years of spoiling and mistreating her daughters has led to this.
The dinner starts well, with Juanita saying grace as Gaby bribes them with money and sweets. Juanita also claims she loves musicals, especially "West Side Story." As Carlos and Gaby walk Bob and Lee out after the successful dinner Carlos notices the garage door is open. He puts it down and it says "Gays R Stupid" painted on it. Bob and Lee leave. Afterwards, Gaby angrily asks why Juanita did this, she's confused. Juanita asks if Carlos is dying since they've been acting different and daddy sleeps alot and everyone seems sad. Gaby says no, daddy's fine and so is she. Juanita wants to know why she wants her to go live with Bob and Lee. Gaby says it's just in case something happens to both of them, and everything is going to be okay. Juanita asks her to promise. Gaby crosses her heart... but Gaby is clearly not sure about this.
EPILOGUE
Bree, Gaby, and Lynette are having wine as Bree explains that Ben is disposing of the body and that they're in the all clear. Just then the crazy klutz Susan arrives and explains what happened about Ben discovering Alejandro's body, and they all try to fake, briefly, that they didn't know. They then explain everything that happened. Susan is confused as to why they didn't tell her. They explain that they didn't want to worry her for she would become more mentally unbalanced. Susan becomes angry that she's been out of her mind with guilt, plus there's a major complication that could involve her and her family and they didn't tell her. She asks what that means. Bree, Gaby and Lynette all harshly explain to Susan that she's a loose cannon wanting to tell Mike and cannot keep herself calm. Susan points out it was Carlos who told Mike about what they did... which they didn't know. Lynette points out that they're all in the clear now so it doesn't matter. "As long as we don't get another letter" says Gaby. Bree points out that they didn't tell them about the letter, and Gaby (too late) realizes her slip. Bree then reveals to Susan and Lynette about receiving an annymous letter a few weeks earlier which was similar to the one Mary Alice got before she committed suicide, meaning that someone may know their secret. This is too much for the crazy Susan. She says their pact was to keep this a secret, not keep secrets from each other. Susan says they're done. Gaby asks her departing back if she doesn't think she's overreacting. When Susan walks out, Lynette says she doesn't think he is, and wants to know Bree and Gaby's excuse for not telling her about the letter. Bree and Gaby tell Lynette that since she was also stressed out in going through the tough stuff with Tom and they wanted to protect her. Lynette also becomes angry and says she had a right to know and she feels like everything in her life that she could count on is going away. Bree says to Lynette that she can count on them. Lynette says apparently she can't and storms out, leaving Bree and Gaby looking on.
Susan goes home and begins feverishly painting on a canvas on her floor.
Mike buries the body on a plot where cement is poured for a foundation the next day.
Lynette folds and smells Penny's clothes.
Gaby washes the "gays r stupid" off the garage.
Susan shows her painting to Andre who says she's finally getting it. We see the canvas: it is four familiar female figures standing over the grave of a skeleton.
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