Andrew Van De Kamp
Encyclopedia
Andrew Van de Kamp is a fictional character
in the ABC
television series Desperate Housewives
played by Shawn Pyfrom
, and is the son of Bree Van de Kamp
and the late Rex Van de Kamp.
As one of the few LGBT
characters on prime time
television secure with his sexuality, Andrew's storylines have been well-received by gay
groups. However, his early attitude toward his mother and various crimes have also garnered criticism.
" of season one. His first speaking role is arguing with his mother, Bree, over her desire for perfection. He is attached to his father, Rex, and is upset when Bree tries to cover up their impending divorce. When he confronts her about her lies after she discovers he lied to her, she says, "Just because I chose not to share my marital problems with you does not give you the right to be rude!": and Andrew replies, "How about driving my father away? Do I get to be rude then?", and shuts the door in her face. Andrew repeatedly breaks the rules during Season 1, infuriating Bree, who eventually humiliates him by turning up at the strip club he is visiting with his friends while grounded. Bree does later apologize to Andrew (who also admits how much he misses his father) for lying to him, but removes the door to his room in punishment for him smoking marijuana.
His parents' acrimonious divorce results in Rex buying Andrew a car. Bree tries to get him to give it back but Andrew refuses. Later that episode, in his most serious crime, he knocked down Juanita Solis with his car while drunk. Juanita survived this but was in a coma in hospital. His parents help him cover it up but Andrew doesn't feel any remorse for his crime. He continues to misbehave and Bree gets him dropped from the school swim team for smoking marijuana
in an attempt to make him regret his actions. Further angered by her refusal to allow Rex to convalesce from heart surgery at home, Andrew threatens, "You wanna see how long I can hold a grudge? Go ahead and abandon my father because I promise you will be sorry." When he finds out about his father's adultery, however, he apologizes to Bree and is angry with Rex.
When Bree tells Andrew that if he gets his friend Lisa pregnant, he will marry her. Andrew merely laughs as he is actually developing a relationship with Justin, who confesses to Gabrielle Solis
that he and Andrew have been "fooling around" for some time. Andrew later crashes Zach's pool party with Justin and some friends and creates mayhem. However, after everyone else has gone home, Susan Mayer
catches them naked in the swimming pool kissing; Andrew anxiously shouts, "I'm not, I'm not gay!" Susan then walks away, shocked by what she had just seen After, he is expelled from school for drug abuse and his continuing rudeness to Bree, Andrew is sent to a juvenile delinquent boot camp.
Some time later, Bree and Rex visit Andrew at the camp. Andrew asks to see his father alone; Bree thinks this is because he blames her for sending him to the camp and storms into the meeting room to tell him she did the right thing. There, Rex reveals that Andrew wanted to see him alone because he fears he is gay. Bree is horrified, and despite Rex's misgivings, insists Andrew come home with them immediately, saying "Our son just told us that he might be gay. There are two hundred other boys in this camp. Now, I could explain to you what might happen if we left him here, but I'm a lady and I don't use that kind of language." Rex reminds her that he is still her son and Bree tries to comfort Andrew by telling him "I would love you even if you were a murderer".
Bree then invites Reverend Sikes to dinner, who tries to convince Andrew to enrol in Christian
counselling. He refuses, saying "I'm not confused. I know exactly who I am." This deeply upsets Bree, who tells him he has to change or he will not be with her in heaven
; Andrew is shocked and agrees to meet the reverend. In his final scene of the season, after swearing the reverend to secrecy, Andrew states that, not only that he does not believe in God
and lied to his parents about being gay to get out of the camp. This confuses the reverend, who asks him whether he is heterosexual or not: Andrew replies, "Look, I love vanilla ice cream, okay? But every now and then I’m probably gonna be in the mood for chocolate." He then says he will get revenge on Bree for rejecting him by pretending to be a model son and then doing something so awful it is "going to really destroy her".
After George dies, Bree brings Andrew back from the camp, telling him that George killed Rex in order to marry her; Andrew is disgusted that his father is dead because of her. As a result, Andrew invites Justin to sleep over. He confides to him his reasons for hating Bree, saying:
He also confides his wish for his mother to slip up so that he can "take her down". Later, Bree confesses to Andrew that George didn't commit suicide; he overdosed
and asked her to call an ambulance, but she sat and watched him die. Andrew now has the "slip up" that he was waiting for.
When Bree sees Andrew kissing Justin outside her window, she forbids him to bring his boyfriend round again. Andrew mocks her and ensures Bree later walks in them in bed together. Bree threatens to call the police and have Justin forcibly removed, but Andrew replies that he will tell them about what happened to George. This backfires, however, when Bree hires Karl Mayer, a lawyer/friend of the family, who not only explains that Bree has not committed a crime but slams Andrew against a wall and orders him to leave her alone.
Along with his sister, Andrew notices Bree's increasing alcohol consumption, and uses it against her. When Bree refuses to let Andrew access his trust fund to buy a car, he calls her a "mean old drunk", and she slaps him. Andrew emotionally blackmails Justin into punching him in the same place Bree slapped him. He then hires a lawyer to file for emancipation
from his mother, whom he accuses of hitting him while drunk. Andrew tries to persuade her in "There Is No Other Way" to just let him go, but she refuses saying she hasn't "set him right" yet. Andrew, after consultation with his lawyer, tells Bree in "Could I Leave You?" that he will accuse her of molesting him if he does not get his way.
Bree's father and stepmother arrive, and convince the judge to drop the case. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSqUYrJzcqo# They try to reconcile the two, but Andrew persuades them to let him live with them. Justin is heartbroken when he finds out, and when Bree asks him why, replies:
Bree persuades Justin to supply her with gay magazines and videos, which she plants among Andrew's things for his grandparents to find; they then leave Andrew behind, and revoke his trust fund. In an attempt to make peace, Bree invites Justin to dinner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08E4flKBeSU Andrew, at this point in time, has attempted to cause pain to his mother multiple times for sinister and unjust causes.
Andrew, however, doesn't give up hating his mother or trying to hurt her. He discovers that Peter McMillian, Bree's boyfriend, is a sex addict, and tries to persuade Danielle to seduce him. After she refuses, he lures Peter into bed himself, where Bree finds them. Bree finally gives up and leaves him with a bag of clothes and some money by an abandoned gas station because she can no longer love him unconditionally. In his final scene for the season, Andrew, realizing he really is about to lose his mom, tells her that the only good thing is that he has won, Bree - who had already been hurt and betrayed by Andrew multiple times - decides not to argue with him and simply slips him a "good for you."
Eight months after the end of Season 2, Bree is about to leave for her honeymoon with Orson when she sees a news report on television about homeless teenagers, in which Andrew is interviewed. Horrified at what has happened to him, she cancels her honeymoon and sets out to retrieve Andrew, eventually finding him in a soup kitchen; she asks him to come back but he refuses. When she shouts "I'm your mother, for god's sakes, you're my son!", Andrew replies "No, you dumped your son at a gas station seven months ago. I'm somebody else now", and runs. When Orson sees how guilty Bree feels, he finds Andrew himself and buys him lunch. During their conversation, Andrew admits he worked the streets as a rent boy whenever he was desperate for money, and asks Orson not to tell his mother, before realizing what he's said and correcting himself. Orson does not try to force Andrew to come home but instead points out that the reason he is living on the streets is to punish his mother, and ultimately he will only destroy himself. Andrew does not initially appear to heed this, but returns home the next day at the end of "A Weekend In the Country
". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyKCVrCbHsE#
Bree is delighted, but insists on concocting a reason for Andrew's long absence. Returning to normal social activities, he is disconcerted to see one of his former clients at a school science fair. Orson is worried for Andrew, which Bree notices and asks him about later that night. Wanting no secrets, Orson confesses that Andrew sold himself for money, and that the man he had been talking to was a previous client. Bree, shocked, and a friend of the man's wife, confesses all to her. She takes it badly, and tells Bree in return that Danielle is sleeping with her history teacher. Later, Andrew watches the tail end of her argument with Danielle and, concerned, he tries to comfort Bree, explaining that she did instill moral values, "I mean, we know the difference between right and wrong, we just chose wrong", but also that she pushed them so hard they had to rebel. Bree tries to subtly get him to talk about his prostitution, but he gently brushes her off. Andrew has since got a job working at Tom's
pizzeria, though he takes a fairly lax attitude to his work.
When Andrew overhears the conversation between Bree and Orson about the death of Monique Polier, he believes that it is Orson's fault when his mother suffers a fall from a rigged ladder. Warning Orson that he has never met "bad Andrew", but he will if he harms Bree further, Andrew then tells the nurse that Orson is dangerous and should not be left alone with Bree. Later, Andrew leaves Bree under the care of Danielle who is upset she cannot go to the Scavo's pizzeria. Danielle then decides to leave Bree with Gloria, who unexpectedly shows up with soup. At the pizzeria, Andrew sees Danielle, and she confesses she left Bree with Gloria and he then rushes home. However in "The Little Things You Do Together
", he is knocked out by Gloria Hodge, who actually harmed Bree and intends to kill her. When Andrew comes round, he discovers that Orson has actually been trying to protect Bree, and their relationship returns to normal.
Andrew had no romance this season, though he reveals to Danielle and Julie that he has tried to seduce Austin McCann, Edie's nephew by telling them that Austin isn't even gay after three beers in episode 11 'No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds'. It is Andrew who convinces Austin to leave Fairview after he impregnates Danielle. In the episode "Liaisons
" Andrew reveals he is only working at the Scavo's Pizzeria for $8.50 an hour because he is "doing the beer delivery guy."
In this season Andrew seemed to be quite protective of his mother, it looked like they had mended their rocky relationship.
After Andrew hears his mother talking about how she looks forward to this new chance to finally raise a child correctly, he becomes upset. He decides to move out of his mother's house and get his own apartment. Bree feels guilty and brings food to his house. Andrew tells his mother that he is not angry anymore and has forgiven her, he's moved out in order to try and turn his life around and stand on his own. Bree and Andrew are finally able to reach a full reconciliation. Andrew then makes Bree use a coaster for her drink, providing a humorous moment between the two as she thinks he is becoming more like her. In the season finale, in a scene set five years in the future, Andrew is in business with Bree, who is now a successful author.
Five years later, Andrew is now the personal assistant of his mother, Bree, who, with her new cookbook, is a rising public figure similar to Martha Stewart
. He has appeared to have matured and is usually seen alongside his mother wearing a suit. He apparently makes a decent living as he owns a sports car.
Orson Hodge's plastic surgeon, Alex Cominis, is Andrew's fiancé. When Bree discovers that Alex was once in gay porn, she tells Andrew and is surprised to learn that Andrew already knew and did not judge Alex for his past mistakes as he himself has a "sordid past" (referring to the feud between himself and his mother following the death of his father, and his work as a rent boy seven years earlier).
Andrew accuses Bree of being too protective by investigating Alex. She admits to this, and Andrew — to her surprise — is glad. It is then insinuated that Bree has come to accept her son's sexuality and plans on handling the wedding. When Andrew's soon-to-be mother in-law comes to town, in order to out-do her Bree decides to buy Andrew and Alex the former home of Martha Huber and Felicia Tilman, which is only two houses down and on Wisteria Lane.
He first returns in "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues
" to visit Julie Mayer while she is in the hospital. There he reveals to her mother, Susan Delfino, that she dropped out of Medical School and has been a waitress while figuring out what to do with her life. He also reveals that she has been involved with a married man who turns out to be Angie's husband, Nick.
Andrew appears in a non-speaking cameo, gardening with Bree in "You Gotta Get a Gimmick
".
In "The Chase"
, Bree's new employee Sam Allen (Samuel Page
) suggests that Andrew has been sleeping with incompetent employee Tad (Eric Ian Colton). Andrew admits to Sam and his mother that he had a one-time affair with Tad, and defends his actions by stating he had been drinking when Tad came on to him. Bree mentions that Andrew still lives together with Alex, insinuating he is practically committing adultery. Andrew takes this as an opportunity to throw his knowledge of Bree's own affair with Karl Mayer in her face. It becomes clear that Andrew and Sam do not like each other, and that Sam's place with the company will be a source of conflict between Andrew and Bree. Sam soon reveals that he is Rex's son and Bree welcomes him into the family. Andrew isn't happy with his presence and he and Orson are both suspicious of Sam's true intentions and decide to investigate. Bree soon realizes Sam is emotionally unstable and tries to fire him. However, Sam has discovered (via a drunken Danielle) how Andrew killed Carlos' mother and blackmails her into signing over the company to him. Orson, who had been unaware of Andrew's crime, is upset at Bree covering for her son while demanding Orson turn himself in for his hit-and-run of Mike and leaves Bree. Realizing Orson is right, Bree tells Andrew she has to tell Gabrielle the truth.
, and they agree not to tell Carlos for the sake of Andrew's safety and the Solis marriage (Andrew does not appear in this episode). In You Must Meet My Wife
Bree accidentally hits Juanita with her car, Bree and Andrew go to the hospital to make sure Juanita is fine. There, Andrew thanks Gaby for not telling Carlos, but she yells at both him and Bree for trying to run down her whole family. Later on, she forgives them both.
Andrew next appears in Down the Block There's a Riot
. Lynette knocks on Andrew's door to make sure Andrew has no intention of selling his house to Paul Young
. Andrew acts insulted and asks "do you really think I would do that to my mother?" and Lynette replies "I don't know, you were pretty nasty as a teenager". Andrew is also seen at the homeowners meeting, and during the riot.
In Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed
, Bree fears Andrew is showing signs of alcoholism and it is revealed by Alex that he has indeed been drinking everyday. Bree later confronts Andrew about his addiction and learns that Alex has left him over it. Bree convinces Andrew to attend AA and allow her to help him, by talking to each other.
In Moments in the Woods
, Andrew is seeking to make amends, and decides to tell Carlos about running over his mother, over Bree's objections. When Carlos invites Andrew on a camping trip, Bree and Gabrielle fear the worst and follow them. Finding Carlos with a bloody towel and a dirty shovel, Bree jumps to conclusions and blurts out what Andrew did, just as her son enters the cabin. Carlos is outraged at Andrew and Bree for hiding this, trying to force Andrew to drink in his mother's memory. Carlos leaves the cabin and the trio track him down to his mother's grave. When Bree tries to take responsibility for Andrew's condition, he tells her it's time he finally stood up for his own mistakes. He and Carlos talk and Carlos is able to forgive him for a teenage mistake (although he does blame Bree for hiding it all this time).
himself, who copied much of Bree's dialogue from his own mother's reaction when he came out to her. Andrew can be selfish and manipulative, and regularly uses other people to get what he wants, for example, persuading his boyfriend Justin to hit him so he can claim Bree is abusing him. He has also committed a range of crimes, from being expelled from school for smoking marijuana, to running over
Mamá Solis while drunk. After Bree hushed up the accident for him, he then refused to feel bad, reasoning "She's an old lady! I have my whole life ahead of me!" Marc Cherry has referred to him as being sociopathic
. In Season 3, however, Andrew seems to have matured after spending eight months living on the streets.
While fans have heatedly debated his sexual orientation, Shawn Pyfrom has denied that Andrew is totally homosexual, implying he is bisexual. When asked whether Andrew was specifically gay or bisexual, Pyfrom stated "I really don’t even know at this point. I mean, he did make that statement [that’s he’s bisexual]. I think he’s a little more gay than he is straight, though." In "My Husband, the Pig
", he refers to Austin as a "dog" and himself as a "dog-lover". Whatever Andrew is, he is one of a few LGBT teens on television secure with his sexuality. Marc Cherry has commented, "Andrew Van de Kamp is perhaps the most empowered gay teen in the history of television. He's gay and he doesn't care."
From Andrew's hurt reaction to his mother's rejection of him, it appears that he deeply loves his mother, as his determination to hurt her in Season 2 is so he can "stop loving her first". He also loves and respects his father, and only Rex who can get him to stop tormenting Bree in Season 1, albeit briefly. Later on in Season 2, Karl, another strong male figure, has some similar success in forcing Andrew to stop harassing Bree temporarily. In Season 3, it is Orson, and not Bree, who persuades Andrew to return home and whom he continues to respect throughout the season.
Andrew is very protective of his mother, as is shown in Season 2 when he attacks George after George tries to kiss Bree against her will, and then in Season 3 where he threatens Orson under the belief that Orson may hurt Bree. By the fifth season, a more mature Andrew has inherited traits that he once ridiculed his mother for having, such as blunt sarcasm. His relationship with his mother has also changed dramatically for the better.
in a pool in the episode "Impossible
", gay groups applauded a primetime television show willing to show a romantic gay kiss; only six network television shows had done so in the past twenty years, as opposed to thirty for lesbian kisses. Despite the fact that Christian and conservative groups had protested Desperate Housewives before it had even aired, few prominent leaders said anything about the kiss.
Shawn Pyfrom has stated that he has received many letters from gay teens who have been encouraged by Andrew's ease with his sexuality as one of the few secure and confident LGBT
teenage characters on television. Marc Cherry has expressed bemusement at this, saying, "to young people, Andrew is something of a role model which is a little appalling to me because he's something of a sociopath
!" However, Pyfrom commented that he saw this as a good thing:
Andrew's relentless torment of his mother and other devious exploits have been negatively received by critics, with one declaring him a "Class-A jerk". The Parent's Television Council named "I Know Things Now
" as their "Worst Episode of the Week", in part due to Andrew's seduction of Bree's boyfriend. However, his improved behavior and deep love for his mother in Season 3 has also disappointed some critics, with one saying "if he has any lines at all, he's a little angel...as if he's become something of a Stepford son!"
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
played by Shawn Pyfrom
Shawn Pyfrom
Shawn Caminiti Pyfrom is an American actor who has appeared in several television series and movies, and is best known for his portrayal of Andrew Van de Kamp on ABC's Desperate Housewives-Life and career:...
, and is the son of Bree Van de Kamp
Bree Van De Kamp
Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, played by Marcia Cross. Actress Marcia Cross was nominated from 2005 to 2007 for a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy...
and the late Rex Van de Kamp.
As one of the few LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
characters on prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
television secure with his sexuality, Andrew's storylines have been well-received by gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
groups. However, his early attitude toward his mother and various crimes have also garnered criticism.
Season 1
Andrew first appears in the "PilotPilot (Desperate Housewives episode)
The pilot episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives premiered on October 3, 2004 on the ABC network. It was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Charles McDougall. The pilot introduces the residents of the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane...
" of season one. His first speaking role is arguing with his mother, Bree, over her desire for perfection. He is attached to his father, Rex, and is upset when Bree tries to cover up their impending divorce. When he confronts her about her lies after she discovers he lied to her, she says, "Just because I chose not to share my marital problems with you does not give you the right to be rude!": and Andrew replies, "How about driving my father away? Do I get to be rude then?", and shuts the door in her face. Andrew repeatedly breaks the rules during Season 1, infuriating Bree, who eventually humiliates him by turning up at the strip club he is visiting with his friends while grounded. Bree does later apologize to Andrew (who also admits how much he misses his father) for lying to him, but removes the door to his room in punishment for him smoking marijuana.
His parents' acrimonious divorce results in Rex buying Andrew a car. Bree tries to get him to give it back but Andrew refuses. Later that episode, in his most serious crime, he knocked down Juanita Solis with his car while drunk. Juanita survived this but was in a coma in hospital. His parents help him cover it up but Andrew doesn't feel any remorse for his crime. He continues to misbehave and Bree gets him dropped from the school swim team for smoking marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
in an attempt to make him regret his actions. Further angered by her refusal to allow Rex to convalesce from heart surgery at home, Andrew threatens, "You wanna see how long I can hold a grudge? Go ahead and abandon my father because I promise you will be sorry." When he finds out about his father's adultery, however, he apologizes to Bree and is angry with Rex.
When Bree tells Andrew that if he gets his friend Lisa pregnant, he will marry her. Andrew merely laughs as he is actually developing a relationship with Justin, who confesses to Gabrielle Solis
Gabrielle Solis
Gabrielle Solís is one of four main characters on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. She is portrayed by Eva Longoria...
that he and Andrew have been "fooling around" for some time. Andrew later crashes Zach's pool party with Justin and some friends and creates mayhem. However, after everyone else has gone home, Susan Mayer
Susan Mayer
Susan Delfino is a fictional character played by Teri Hatcher on the American Broadcasting Company television series Desperate Housewives. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry and first appeared in the pilot episode of the series on October 3, 2004...
catches them naked in the swimming pool kissing; Andrew anxiously shouts, "I'm not, I'm not gay!" Susan then walks away, shocked by what she had just seen After, he is expelled from school for drug abuse and his continuing rudeness to Bree, Andrew is sent to a juvenile delinquent boot camp.
Bree then invites Reverend Sikes to dinner, who tries to convince Andrew to enrol in Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
counselling. He refuses, saying "I'm not confused. I know exactly who I am." This deeply upsets Bree, who tells him he has to change or he will not be with her in heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
; Andrew is shocked and agrees to meet the reverend. In his final scene of the season, after swearing the reverend to secrecy, Andrew states that, not only that he does not believe in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and lied to his parents about being gay to get out of the camp. This confuses the reverend, who asks him whether he is heterosexual or not: Andrew replies, "Look, I love vanilla ice cream, okay? But every now and then I’m probably gonna be in the mood for chocolate." He then says he will get revenge on Bree for rejecting him by pretending to be a model son and then doing something so awful it is "going to really destroy her".
Season 2
Set just weeks after Rex's death, Andrew's first opening shot in Season 2 is to claim Bree is incapable of having murdered his father because "it takes guts to kill somebody". He resents George Williams for dating Bree while Rex was still alive, and is very rude to him when he sees him with Bree. Andrew shaved his head after the 1st season. Bree blackmails Andrew with swim club subs into attending dinner with George. In response, Andrew imitates Bree's pleasure moan to provoke George, who tries to send him to his room but will not tell Bree why, and she refuses to punish Andrew without a reason. George decides to get rid of Andrew by kissing his mother during his swim meet, which angers him so much that he jumps out of the pool and attacks George. That evening, Andrew packs his bags for Camp Hennessey a second time.He also confides his wish for his mother to slip up so that he can "take her down". Later, Bree confesses to Andrew that George didn't commit suicide; he overdosed
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
and asked her to call an ambulance, but she sat and watched him die. Andrew now has the "slip up" that he was waiting for.
When Bree sees Andrew kissing Justin outside her window, she forbids him to bring his boyfriend round again. Andrew mocks her and ensures Bree later walks in them in bed together. Bree threatens to call the police and have Justin forcibly removed, but Andrew replies that he will tell them about what happened to George. This backfires, however, when Bree hires Karl Mayer, a lawyer/friend of the family, who not only explains that Bree has not committed a crime but slams Andrew against a wall and orders him to leave her alone.
Along with his sister, Andrew notices Bree's increasing alcohol consumption, and uses it against her. When Bree refuses to let Andrew access his trust fund to buy a car, he calls her a "mean old drunk", and she slaps him. Andrew emotionally blackmails Justin into punching him in the same place Bree slapped him. He then hires a lawyer to file for emancipation
Emancipation of minors
An emancipated minor is a minor who is allowed to conduct a business or any other occupation on their own behalf or for their own account outside the influence of a parent or guardian. The minor will then have full contractual capacity to conclude contract with regard to the business. Whether...
from his mother, whom he accuses of hitting him while drunk. Andrew tries to persuade her in "There Is No Other Way" to just let him go, but she refuses saying she hasn't "set him right" yet. Andrew, after consultation with his lawyer, tells Bree in "Could I Leave You?" that he will accuse her of molesting him if he does not get his way.
Bree's father and stepmother arrive, and convince the judge to drop the case. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSqUYrJzcqo# They try to reconcile the two, but Andrew persuades them to let him live with them. Justin is heartbroken when he finds out, and when Bree asks him why, replies:
Bree persuades Justin to supply her with gay magazines and videos, which she plants among Andrew's things for his grandparents to find; they then leave Andrew behind, and revoke his trust fund. In an attempt to make peace, Bree invites Justin to dinner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08E4flKBeSU Andrew, at this point in time, has attempted to cause pain to his mother multiple times for sinister and unjust causes.
Andrew, however, doesn't give up hating his mother or trying to hurt her. He discovers that Peter McMillian, Bree's boyfriend, is a sex addict, and tries to persuade Danielle to seduce him. After she refuses, he lures Peter into bed himself, where Bree finds them. Bree finally gives up and leaves him with a bag of clothes and some money by an abandoned gas station because she can no longer love him unconditionally. In his final scene for the season, Andrew, realizing he really is about to lose his mom, tells her that the only good thing is that he has won, Bree - who had already been hurt and betrayed by Andrew multiple times - decides not to argue with him and simply slips him a "good for you."
Season 3
A Weekend In the Country (Desperate Housewives episode)
"A Weekend in the Country" is the 50th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was also the third episode of the show's third season. The episode was written by Bob Daily and directed by Wendey Stanzler...
". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyKCVrCbHsE#
Bree is delighted, but insists on concocting a reason for Andrew's long absence. Returning to normal social activities, he is disconcerted to see one of his former clients at a school science fair. Orson is worried for Andrew, which Bree notices and asks him about later that night. Wanting no secrets, Orson confesses that Andrew sold himself for money, and that the man he had been talking to was a previous client. Bree, shocked, and a friend of the man's wife, confesses all to her. She takes it badly, and tells Bree in return that Danielle is sleeping with her history teacher. Later, Andrew watches the tail end of her argument with Danielle and, concerned, he tries to comfort Bree, explaining that she did instill moral values, "I mean, we know the difference between right and wrong, we just chose wrong", but also that she pushed them so hard they had to rebel. Bree tries to subtly get him to talk about his prostitution, but he gently brushes her off. Andrew has since got a job working at Tom's
Tom Scavo
Thomas "Tom" Scavo is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, played by actor Doug Savant.Tom originally was a recurring throughout the first season but became a regular in season two. Early storylines often revolve around Tom's working habits and that he is alway...
pizzeria, though he takes a fairly lax attitude to his work.
When Andrew overhears the conversation between Bree and Orson about the death of Monique Polier, he believes that it is Orson's fault when his mother suffers a fall from a rigged ladder. Warning Orson that he has never met "bad Andrew", but he will if he harms Bree further, Andrew then tells the nurse that Orson is dangerous and should not be left alone with Bree. Later, Andrew leaves Bree under the care of Danielle who is upset she cannot go to the Scavo's pizzeria. Danielle then decides to leave Bree with Gloria, who unexpectedly shows up with soup. At the pizzeria, Andrew sees Danielle, and she confesses she left Bree with Gloria and he then rushes home. However in "The Little Things You Do Together
The Little Things You Do Together
The Little Things You Do Together is the 62nd episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was also the fifteenth episode of the show’s third season. It was written by Marc Cherry and Joe Keenan and directed by David Grossman...
", he is knocked out by Gloria Hodge, who actually harmed Bree and intends to kill her. When Andrew comes round, he discovers that Orson has actually been trying to protect Bree, and their relationship returns to normal.
Andrew had no romance this season, though he reveals to Danielle and Julie that he has tried to seduce Austin McCann, Edie's nephew by telling them that Austin isn't even gay after three beers in episode 11 'No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds'. It is Andrew who convinces Austin to leave Fairview after he impregnates Danielle. In the episode "Liaisons
Liaisons (Desperate Housewives)
"Liaisons" is the 65th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was also the eighteenth episode of the show's third season. The episode was written by Jenna Bans and Alexandra Cunningham and directed by David Grossman...
" Andrew reveals he is only working at the Scavo's Pizzeria for $8.50 an hour because he is "doing the beer delivery guy."
In this season Andrew seemed to be quite protective of his mother, it looked like they had mended their rocky relationship.
Season 4
Andrew accidentally leads his grandmother to discover that Bree is not really pregnant. He is there when his sister, Danielle, gives birth to her son.After Andrew hears his mother talking about how she looks forward to this new chance to finally raise a child correctly, he becomes upset. He decides to move out of his mother's house and get his own apartment. Bree feels guilty and brings food to his house. Andrew tells his mother that he is not angry anymore and has forgiven her, he's moved out in order to try and turn his life around and stand on his own. Bree and Andrew are finally able to reach a full reconciliation. Andrew then makes Bree use a coaster for her drink, providing a humorous moment between the two as she thinks he is becoming more like her. In the season finale, in a scene set five years in the future, Andrew is in business with Bree, who is now a successful author.
Season 5
This season Shawn Pyfrom is promoted from "also-starring" to "starring".Five years later, Andrew is now the personal assistant of his mother, Bree, who, with her new cookbook, is a rising public figure similar to Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
. He has appeared to have matured and is usually seen alongside his mother wearing a suit. He apparently makes a decent living as he owns a sports car.
Orson Hodge's plastic surgeon, Alex Cominis, is Andrew's fiancé. When Bree discovers that Alex was once in gay porn, she tells Andrew and is surprised to learn that Andrew already knew and did not judge Alex for his past mistakes as he himself has a "sordid past" (referring to the feud between himself and his mother following the death of his father, and his work as a rent boy seven years earlier).
Andrew accuses Bree of being too protective by investigating Alex. She admits to this, and Andrew — to her surprise — is glad. It is then insinuated that Bree has come to accept her son's sexuality and plans on handling the wedding. When Andrew's soon-to-be mother in-law comes to town, in order to out-do her Bree decides to buy Andrew and Alex the former home of Martha Huber and Felicia Tilman, which is only two houses down and on Wisteria Lane.
Season 6
Shawn Pyfrom has quit Desperate Housewives and will not be returning as a series regular. He will, however, continue to make occasional guest appearances.He first returns in "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues
The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues
"The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" is the 115th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the fourth episode of the show's sixth season and aired on October 18, 2009.-Plot:...
" to visit Julie Mayer while she is in the hospital. There he reveals to her mother, Susan Delfino, that she dropped out of Medical School and has been a waitress while figuring out what to do with her life. He also reveals that she has been involved with a married man who turns out to be Angie's husband, Nick.
Andrew appears in a non-speaking cameo, gardening with Bree in "You Gotta Get a Gimmick
You Gotta Get a Gimmick
"You Gotta Get a Gimmick" is the 123rd episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the twelfth episode of the show's sixth season and aired on January 10, 2010.-Plot:...
".
In "The Chase"
The Chase (Desperate Housewives)
"The Chase" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives, and the 127th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on February 28, 2010...
, Bree's new employee Sam Allen (Samuel Page
Samuel Page
Samuel Page is an American actor. He is credited under the name Sam Page.-Early life:...
) suggests that Andrew has been sleeping with incompetent employee Tad (Eric Ian Colton). Andrew admits to Sam and his mother that he had a one-time affair with Tad, and defends his actions by stating he had been drinking when Tad came on to him. Bree mentions that Andrew still lives together with Alex, insinuating he is practically committing adultery. Andrew takes this as an opportunity to throw his knowledge of Bree's own affair with Karl Mayer in her face. It becomes clear that Andrew and Sam do not like each other, and that Sam's place with the company will be a source of conflict between Andrew and Bree. Sam soon reveals that he is Rex's son and Bree welcomes him into the family. Andrew isn't happy with his presence and he and Orson are both suspicious of Sam's true intentions and decide to investigate. Bree soon realizes Sam is emotionally unstable and tries to fire him. However, Sam has discovered (via a drunken Danielle) how Andrew killed Carlos' mother and blackmails her into signing over the company to him. Orson, who had been unaware of Andrew's crime, is upset at Bree covering for her son while demanding Orson turn himself in for his hit-and-run of Mike and leaves Bree. Realizing Orson is right, Bree tells Andrew she has to tell Gabrielle the truth.
Season 7
Bree reveals the truth to Gabrielle in Remember Paul?Remember Paul?
"Remember Paul?" is the seventh season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama television series Desperate Housewives, and the 135th overall episode of the series. It was originally broadcast in the United States on September 26, 2010, on the American Broadcasting Company...
, and they agree not to tell Carlos for the sake of Andrew's safety and the Solis marriage (Andrew does not appear in this episode). In You Must Meet My Wife
You Must Meet My Wife
"You Must Meet My Wife" is the 136th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the second episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on October 3, 2010.-Plot:...
Bree accidentally hits Juanita with her car, Bree and Andrew go to the hospital to make sure Juanita is fine. There, Andrew thanks Gaby for not telling Carlos, but she yells at both him and Bree for trying to run down her whole family. Later on, she forgives them both.
Andrew next appears in Down the Block There's a Riot
Down the Block There's a Riot
"Down the Block There's a Riot" is the 144th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the tenth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on December 12, 2010.-Plot:...
. Lynette knocks on Andrew's door to make sure Andrew has no intention of selling his house to Paul Young
Paul Young (Desperate Housewives)
Paul Young is a fictional character on ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Mark Moses. He is the widower of Mary Alice Young, the show's narrator, as well as the widower of Beth Young....
. Andrew acts insulted and asks "do you really think I would do that to my mother?" and Lynette replies "I don't know, you were pretty nasty as a teenager". Andrew is also seen at the homeowners meeting, and during the riot.
In Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed
Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed
"Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed" is the 151st episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the seventeenth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on April 3, 2011.-Plot:...
, Bree fears Andrew is showing signs of alcoholism and it is revealed by Alex that he has indeed been drinking everyday. Bree later confronts Andrew about his addiction and learns that Alex has left him over it. Bree convinces Andrew to attend AA and allow her to help him, by talking to each other.
In Moments in the Woods
Moments in the Woods
"Moments in the Woods" is the 152nd episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the eighteenth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on April 17, 2011.-Plot:...
, Andrew is seeking to make amends, and decides to tell Carlos about running over his mother, over Bree's objections. When Carlos invites Andrew on a camping trip, Bree and Gabrielle fear the worst and follow them. Finding Carlos with a bloody towel and a dirty shovel, Bree jumps to conclusions and blurts out what Andrew did, just as her son enters the cabin. Carlos is outraged at Andrew and Bree for hiding this, trying to force Andrew to drink in his mother's memory. Carlos leaves the cabin and the trio track him down to his mother's grave. When Bree tries to take responsibility for Andrew's condition, he tells her it's time he finally stood up for his own mistakes. He and Carlos talk and Carlos is able to forgive him for a teenage mistake (although he does blame Bree for hiding it all this time).
Characterization
Andrew is partially based on writer Marc CherryMarc Cherry
Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...
himself, who copied much of Bree's dialogue from his own mother's reaction when he came out to her. Andrew can be selfish and manipulative, and regularly uses other people to get what he wants, for example, persuading his boyfriend Justin to hit him so he can claim Bree is abusing him. He has also committed a range of crimes, from being expelled from school for smoking marijuana, to running over
Anything You Can Do (Desperate Housewives episode)
"Anything You Can Do" is the seventh episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. The episode was the seventh episode for the show's first season. The episode was written by John Pardee and Joey Murphy and was directed by Larry Shaw...
Mamá Solis while drunk. After Bree hushed up the accident for him, he then refused to feel bad, reasoning "She's an old lady! I have my whole life ahead of me!" Marc Cherry has referred to him as being sociopathic
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
. In Season 3, however, Andrew seems to have matured after spending eight months living on the streets.
While fans have heatedly debated his sexual orientation, Shawn Pyfrom has denied that Andrew is totally homosexual, implying he is bisexual. When asked whether Andrew was specifically gay or bisexual, Pyfrom stated "I really don’t even know at this point. I mean, he did make that statement [that’s he’s bisexual]. I think he’s a little more gay than he is straight, though." In "My Husband, the Pig
My Husband, the Pig
“My Husband, the Pig” is the 63rd episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was also the sixteenth episode of the show’s third season. It was written by Brian A. Alexander and directed by Larry Shaw...
", he refers to Austin as a "dog" and himself as a "dog-lover". Whatever Andrew is, he is one of a few LGBT teens on television secure with his sexuality. Marc Cherry has commented, "Andrew Van de Kamp is perhaps the most empowered gay teen in the history of television. He's gay and he doesn't care."
From Andrew's hurt reaction to his mother's rejection of him, it appears that he deeply loves his mother, as his determination to hurt her in Season 2 is so he can "stop loving her first". He also loves and respects his father, and only Rex who can get him to stop tormenting Bree in Season 1, albeit briefly. Later on in Season 2, Karl, another strong male figure, has some similar success in forcing Andrew to stop harassing Bree temporarily. In Season 3, it is Orson, and not Bree, who persuades Andrew to return home and whom he continues to respect throughout the season.
Andrew is very protective of his mother, as is shown in Season 2 when he attacks George after George tries to kiss Bree against her will, and then in Season 3 where he threatens Orson under the belief that Orson may hurt Bree. By the fifth season, a more mature Andrew has inherited traits that he once ridiculed his mother for having, such as blunt sarcasm. His relationship with his mother has also changed dramatically for the better.
Critical reception
As Andrew is a minor character in Desperate Housewives, he is rarely mentioned by critics. However, his storylines have occasionally attracted press coverage. In 2005, when Andrew kissed character Justin while engaging in late night foreplayForeplay
In human sexual behavior, foreplay is a set of intimate psychological and physically intimate acts between two or more people meant to create desire for sexual activity and sexual arousal. Either or any of the sexual partners may initiate the foreplay, and they may not be the active partner during...
in a pool in the episode "Impossible
Impossible (Desperate Housewives episode)
"Impossible" is the 15th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. The episode was the 15th episode for the show's first season. The episode was written by Marc Cherry and Tom Spezialy and was directed by Larry Shaw. It originally aired on February 20, 2005.-Plot:Susan decides to...
", gay groups applauded a primetime television show willing to show a romantic gay kiss; only six network television shows had done so in the past twenty years, as opposed to thirty for lesbian kisses. Despite the fact that Christian and conservative groups had protested Desperate Housewives before it had even aired, few prominent leaders said anything about the kiss.
Shawn Pyfrom has stated that he has received many letters from gay teens who have been encouraged by Andrew's ease with his sexuality as one of the few secure and confident LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
teenage characters on television. Marc Cherry has expressed bemusement at this, saying, "to young people, Andrew is something of a role model which is a little appalling to me because he's something of a sociopath
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is described by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition , as an Axis II personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood...
!" However, Pyfrom commented that he saw this as a good thing:
Andrew's relentless torment of his mother and other devious exploits have been negatively received by critics, with one declaring him a "Class-A jerk". The Parent's Television Council named "I Know Things Now
I Know Things Now (Desperate Housewives episode)
"I Know Things Now" is the 44th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was the 21st episode of the show's second season. The episode was written by Kevin Etten and Bruce Zimmerman and directed by Wendey Stanzler. It aired on Sunday May 7, 2006...
" as their "Worst Episode of the Week", in part due to Andrew's seduction of Bree's boyfriend. However, his improved behavior and deep love for his mother in Season 3 has also disappointed some critics, with one saying "if he has any lines at all, he's a little angel...as if he's become something of a Stepford son!"