Guest reviewer Chris Howard continues his weekly reviews of Desperate Housewives' sixth season on Channel 4...
[SPOILERS] Having been made privy to the identity of the Fairview Strangler in "We All Deserve to Die", we were this week taken back to various key points in his young life to be given some insight into what made amiable friend-to-all, Eddie Orlofsky (Josh Zuckerman), into a woman-killing "monster". It was a necessary step to justify last week's shock reveal (even if it did require putting the rolling stone that is the Bolen/Logan storyline on hold) and for the most part the episode worked well, although it was stretching credibility a little to believe that all five -- yep, even deceased narrator Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) got to show her face for the first time in quite some time -- of the main housewives have, unwittingly, had a hand in shaping a man they so fear. Handy, that.Sat out on the lawn at four years old while his parents, Hank (Kevin Sizemore) and Barbara (Diane Farr), have a blazing row which will end in their separation, a downcast Eddie (played at this age by Nicholas Sarullo) catches the attention of a jogging Mary Alice. Attempting to integrate herself into the single mother and son's life, Mary Alice soon realises that Barbara is going out to get drunk and hook up with guys while leaving poor Eddie locked in at home alone. Barbara would rather live a wild and carefree life than take responsibility for the son she openly brandishes a mistake -- to his face...
Pretty much left to his own devices for his formative years, lonesome Eddie is befriended by new-to-the-street Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria Parker), who is also left to twiddle her thumbs while Carlos (Antonio Chavira) is out at work. Quite the odd couple they make, with Eddie happily painting Gaby's nails, moving boxes for her and cooking the spoilt madam dinner. That is until Carlos gets an unexpected morning off work and Eddie walks in on the frisky couple in the bath together. Shouted out of the house, Eddie takes his frustration out on the Solis's bushes, before running away from Gaby when she suggests that perhaps they should both start making friends their own age...
Susan Mayer's (Teri Hatcher) participation in Eddie's downfall took place prior to and during the start of this very season, and had the most devastating effect of all: realising Eddie's talent for sketching, former children's book artist Susan takes him under her wing, helping him bloom at his passion before presenting him with tickets to a two-week art school; a kindness alien to Eddie, having been told how worthless his talent is by his unsupportive mother. Eddie's return coincides with the day of Susan's second marriage to Mike Delfino (James Denton), as depicted in season opener "Nice is Different Than Good", a move which totally takes the infatuated kid by surprise. When his insistence that Susan should marry him instead of Mike is laughed off, an unstable Eddie takes his revenge that night, but accidentally targets the wrong woman in the house...
Returning to the present day, Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) is concerned that Barbara Orlovsky's drunkenness is having an adverse effect on the introverted Eddie. Talking things through with Tom (Doug Savant), she decides to offer Eddie the opportunity to make a clean break and live with them. Eddie is old enough to move out on his own, but Lynette feels he may be too afraid to, and clearly plans to nurture the damaged lad away from his alcoholic mother. This generous proposal coincides with Barbara's discovery of Eddie's "killer's scrapbook" (surely a guaranteed way to be found out?) under his mattress, and Eddie’s rash silencing of his mother leads to her death. Charitable Lynette is totally oblivious to what horror she has let her and her family in for...
Writer and show creator Marc Cherry did a fantastic job of making us sympathise with Eddie Orlovsky -- if not his unjustifiable actions -- in "Epiphany"; a lifetime of humiliation, rejection, loneliness and domestic discontent are bound to have an unhealthy impact upon a young person's morality and perception of retribution. We are equally sad for and horrified of this nice man transformed into a monster by the monster who "raised" him (I use that word loosely). Unintimidating Josh Zuckerman looked suitably unhinged in the grip of rage, while guest star Diane Farr's downfall was brilliantly portrayed as she became more and more drunk and haggard with every flashback. I was impressed by the way plot progression (in the form of Lynette's proposal) was interwoven into an episode preoccupied with the past, even if, at the end of the hour, nothing is resolved and none of the characters are any wiser to the phantom threat on Wisteria Lane.
WRITER: Marc Cherry
DIRECTOR: David Grossman
GUEST CAST: Josh Zuckerman, Nicolas Sarullo, Diane Farr, Kevin Sizemore, Jamie Sorrentini
AIRDATE/CHANNEL: 16 JUNE 2010 - CHANNEL 4/HD, 9PM
