Lovely (Desperate Housewives)
Encyclopedia
"Lovely" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season
of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives
, and the 126th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on ABC
in the United States on February 21, 2010. In the episode, former stripper Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz
) interacts with each of the women of Wisteria Lane
, drastically affecting their lives. She grows particularly close to Katherine Mayfair
(Dana Delany
), with whom she shares a kiss during a bar outing.
The episode was written by David Schladweiler and directed by David Warren
. It included the second in a string of guest appearances by Benz, who had recently departed as a regular from the Showtime drama series, Dexter
. "Lovely" introduced an ongoing storyline of Katherine exploring her sexuality, a subplot which was met with enthusiasm by actress Delany. The pairing between Robin and Katherine was the first lesbian
relationship in Desperate Housewives.
"Lovely" received generally mixed reviews, with detractors criticizing it for failing to advance the show's plotlines. According to Nielsen ratings
, the episode was seen by 10.9 million viewers, and matched the series low rating from the previous episode, "The Glamorous Life
", although the subsequent episode, "The Chase
", drew even poorer ratings. Viewership for "Lovely" suffered because of competition from the 2010 Winter Olympics
.
focuses on the lives of several residents on the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane
. In recent episodes, Susan Mayer
(Teri Hatcher
) has encouraged a stripper Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz
) to quit her job and turn her life around. Susan invited Robin to move into her house until she gets back on her feet. Katherine Mayfair
(Dana Delany
) has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after suffering a mental breakdown stemming from the breakup of her relationship with Mike Delfino
(James Denton
), who has since married Susan. Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan
) has recently learned that his wife, Bree Van de Kamp
(Marcia Cross
), was having an affair with Susan's ex-husband Karl
(Richard Burgi
). Orson has been using a wheelchair since Christmas, as a result of a small passenger plane crash landing into a building he and Karl were inside; Karl died as a result of the accident. Angie
(Drea de Matteo
) and Nick Bolen (Jeffrey Nordling
) recently moved onto Wisteria Lane to escape circumstances that are yet to be fully explained; however, Gabrielle
(Eva Longoria
) and Carlos Solis
(Ricardo Antonio Chavira
) overheard the Bolens arguing about their circumstances, and have grown concerned about their niece Ana (Maiara Walsh
) dating the Bolens' son, Danny (Beau Mirchoff
).
Lynette Scavo
(Felicity Huffman
), who is in the middle of celebrating her wedding anniversary with Tom
(Doug Savant
), grows angry when she learns her son Parker (Joshua Logan Moore
) is spying on Robin while she showers next door. Lynette rudely confronts Robin, who tells Lynette that Parker offered her money to have sex with him. Later, Parker tells his parents he is the only one of his friends who have not had sex. Tom assures him it will happen when the time is right, and Lynette apologizes to Robin.
Later, Robin learns Bree has had trouble connecting with Orson due to her recent affair. Robin suggests Bree restart their sex life, prompting Bree to later try giving Orson a lap-dance. The dance proves awkward, especially when Bree falls over and Orson runs over her foot with the wheelchair. Bree explains she wants to become intimate with her husband again, and the two share a romantic moment.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Carlos plot to break up Ana and Danny. Gabrielle arranges for an old photographer friend in New York City to help Ana with her modeling career, but she turns down the offer because of her relationship with Danny. After Robin tells Gabrielle that she gave up a career in ballet for a boy in her youth, only for the boy to break up with her two months later, and that she then got in a car crash ruining her chances of a future in ballet, Gabrielle convinces Robin to tell the story to Ana. Ana breaks up with Danny and leaves for New York, but after Robin realizes she has been used, she speaks to Danny, who secretly leaves town in a taxi to chase after Ana.
Susan grows jealous when Robin starts giving Mike massages to ease his sore back. Susan tries to give Mike a massage, but being the klutz that Susan is, ends up putting him in the hospital. Susan confesses her jealousy to Robin, who decides to preserve their friendship by moving out.
Robin becomes a roommate to Katherine, who is still feeling depressed after her recent stint in a mental hospital. Robin encourages Katherine to go out to a bar, and the two have a great time. When two men hit on Robin and show no interest in Katherine, Robin shows them up by kissing Katherine on the lips. Katherine initially laughs at the funny moment, but later learns Robin really is a lesbian. Katherine insists she is not interested in women when Robin suggests she explores the possibility, but later it appears that Katherine may be intrigued by the idea.
. It marked the second in a string of at least four guest appearances by actress Julie Benz as Robin Gallagher, a former stripper seeking a new life. Benz joined the show soon after her departure as a regular cast member from the Showtime drama series Dexter
, where her character Rita Morgan was killed in the fourth season finale, "The Getaway
". Benz said of her role in Desperate Housewives, "I love the show so much, and I am honored to be part of the whole [world] of Wisteria Lane. And to work with all these great, amazing women! I've done a lot of male-dominated movies and television shows, so it's so amazing for me to be a part of a show that is female-dominated."
"Lovely" introduced an ongoing storyline of Katherine Mayfair exploring her sexuality. Actress Dana Delany, who previously played a lesbian character in the Showtime series The L Word
, said she felt the subplot was an excellent idea: "A lot of the ladies on the set have said, 'Why has this not happened before?' I think everybody wanted to be the one who got to do it." In an interview with E! Online
, actress Marcia Cross jokingly said of the kiss scene, "I'm a little jealous that I'm not involved. What is going on?" Delany said she did not know if the character would become a lesbian permanently, because the story lines change so often in Desperate Housewives, but that series creator Marc Cherry
"is interested in playing the complexity of that". The pairing between Robin and Katherine was the first lesbian relationship in Desperate Housewives.
Delany compared Katherine's new realizations to that of actress Meredith Baxter
, who realized she was a lesbian late in her life after entering into a relationship with a woman. Delany said she believed her character would be taken by surprise by the new feelings she is experiencing: "I think that she’s still so emotionally vulnerable from getting out of the loony bin, and I think she and Robin connect on a kind of wounded, emotional level. And I think if anything, she’s feeling this kind of emotional solace with her, and that draws her to Robin in a physical way, and that’s confusing to her." Delany and Benz were both sick when they filmed their kiss scene. Benz said of the scene, "Dana's a great kisser." Delany said more male crew members were present for the filming of the lesbian kiss scene than usual due to the sensuality of the scene.
, which is 20 percent below the season average. Among viewers between ages 18 and 49, it received a 3.7 rating/9 share; a share represents the percentage of households using a television at the time the program is airing. This rating matched the previous episode, "The Glamorous Life
", for the lowest rating for an individual episode of Desperate Housewives in series history. However, it held that distinction only two weeks before "The Glamorous Life", and the subsequent episode "The Chase
", received even lower ratings. "Lovely" continued a downward trend in the ratings: "The Glamorous Life" was seen by 11.82 million viewers, and the previous episode, "How About a Friendly Shrink?
", was seen by 11.2 million viewers and achieved the lowest rating of the series at the time. "Lovely" suffered in the ratings partially due to competition from the NBC
broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics
. The day "Lovely" was originally broadcast, the 2010 Winter Olympics drew an average of 24.67 million viewers during the episode's 9 p.m. timeslot. Desperate Housewives was also outperformed by the CBS
reality series Undercover Boss
which, in its third episode, drew 13.6 million viewers.
"Lovely" received generally mixed reviews. Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
said he was initially skeptical of the Robin and Katherine romance subplot, but said he liked how it was presented. "It wasn’t contrived like other girl-on-girl scenes on television that we see. ... I just hate it when it’s used to seem 'edgy' or to sell an episode, and I hope that isn't the case here." Kennedy said the Bree and Orson scenes led to "a tender moment", but said Susan was annoying and the Lynette plotline was somewhat insulting toward women. Isabelle Carreau of TV Squad said he was surprised Robin's back story was fleshed out so quickly, and speculated it could lead to a permanent role in the series. Carreau said the pairing of Robin and Katherine could be "very interesting", and that the best part of the episode was the comical conversation between Robin and Karen McCluskey
(Kathryn Joosten
) at the end.
Entertainment Weekly
writer Tanner Stransky
criticized "Lovely" for stringing together several uninteresting and unfunny segments rather than advancing existing plotlines or introducing new ones. He was particularly critical of the Susan and Lynette segments, but said the introduction of Katherine's possible lesbianism was "intriguing for the moment". Gael Fashingbauer Cooper of MSNBC
also criticized the episode for failing to advance the plot, and sarcastically wrote of the Katherine development, "Oh, because lesbian storylines have worked so well on this show in the past, except, never." Cooper said the segment involving Robin and Bree was the only one that didn't feel "stilted and sad".
Desperate Housewives (season 6)
The sixth season of Desperate Housewives, a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 27, 2009 and concluded on May 16, 2010.The season consisted of 23 episodes. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and Wisteria Lane...
of the American comedy-drama 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...
, and the 126th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on 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...
in the United States on February 21, 2010. In the episode, former stripper Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz
Julie Benz
Julie M. Benz is an American actress, best known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and as Rita Bennett on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television...
) interacts with each of the women of Wisteria Lane
Wisteria Lane
Wisteria Lane is the fictional name of a street which the characters of the American drama television series Desperate Housewives live. Desperate Housewives storylines primarily centre around the residents of the street. Wisteria Lane is located inside Universal Studios Hollywood, and is actually...
, drastically affecting their lives. She grows particularly close to Katherine Mayfair
Katherine Mayfair
Katherine Mayfair is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
(Dana Delany
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany is an American film, stage, and television actress, producer, host and health activist.After various roles in the early career, Delany garnered her first leading role in 1987 in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sweet Surrender and achieved wider fame in 1988–1991 as Colleen McMurphy...
), with whom she shares a kiss during a bar outing.
The episode was written by David Schladweiler and directed by David Warren
David Warren (director)
David Warren is an American theatre and television director.-Theatre:Warren has a number of Broadway production directing credits to his name, including Holiday, Summer and Smoke and Misalliance...
. It included the second in a string of guest appearances by Benz, who had recently departed as a regular from the Showtime drama series, Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
. "Lovely" introduced an ongoing storyline of Katherine exploring her sexuality, a subplot which was met with enthusiasm by actress Delany. The pairing between Robin and Katherine was the first lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relationship in Desperate Housewives.
"Lovely" received generally mixed reviews, with detractors criticizing it for failing to advance the show's plotlines. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the episode was seen by 10.9 million viewers, and matched the series low rating from the previous episode, "The Glamorous Life
The Glamorous Life (Desperate Housewives)
"The Glamorous Life" is the 125th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the fourteenth episode of the show's sixth season and aired on January 31, 2010...
", although the subsequent episode, "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...
", drew even poorer ratings. Viewership for "Lovely" suffered because of competition from the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
Back story
Desperate HousewivesDesperate 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...
focuses on the lives of several residents on the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane
Wisteria Lane
Wisteria Lane is the fictional name of a street which the characters of the American drama television series Desperate Housewives live. Desperate Housewives storylines primarily centre around the residents of the street. Wisteria Lane is located inside Universal Studios Hollywood, and is actually...
. In recent episodes, 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...
(Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher is an American actress, writer, and presenter. She is known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on the ABC comedy-drama series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...
) has encouraged a stripper Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz
Julie Benz
Julie M. Benz is an American actress, best known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and as Rita Bennett on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television...
) to quit her job and turn her life around. Susan invited Robin to move into her house until she gets back on her feet. Katherine Mayfair
Katherine Mayfair
Katherine Mayfair is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
(Dana Delany
Dana Delany
Dana Welles Delany is an American film, stage, and television actress, producer, host and health activist.After various roles in the early career, Delany garnered her first leading role in 1987 in the short-lived NBC sitcom Sweet Surrender and achieved wider fame in 1988–1991 as Colleen McMurphy...
) has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after suffering a mental breakdown stemming from the breakup of her relationship with Mike Delfino
Mike Delfino
Michael "Mike" Delfino is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor James Denton.- Season 1 :...
(James Denton
James Denton
James "Jamie" Thomas Denton, Jr. is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Mike Delfino in the television series Desperate Housewives.-Early life:...
), who has since married Susan. Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan is an American actor. MacLachlan is best known for his roles in cult films Blue Velvet as Jeffrey Beaumont, Showgirls as Zack Carey, as Paul Atreides in Dune, and Ray Manzarek in the Oliver Stone film The Doors...
) has recently learned that his wife, 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...
(Marcia Cross
Marcia Cross
Marcia Anne Cross is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and as Dr...
), was having an affair with Susan's ex-husband Karl
Acquaintances of Susan Mayer
Desperate Housewives is an American television series developed by Marc Cherry, and is broadcast on ABC . The series focuses on the lives of several residents living on Wisteria Lane in the fictional town of Fairview, Eagle State. Teri Hatcher stars as Susan Delfino, one of the four protagonists of...
(Richard Burgi
Richard Burgi
Richard William Burgi is an American film and television actor. He's best known for the roles of Det. Jim Ellinson on The Sentinel and as Karl Mayer on Desperate Housewives.-Personal life:...
). Orson has been using a wheelchair since Christmas, as a result of a small passenger plane crash landing into a building he and Karl were inside; Karl died as a result of the accident. Angie
Angie Bolen
Angela De Luca is a fictional character played by Drea de Matteo on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry and appeared throughout the series' sixth season from September 27, 2009 to May 16, 2010...
(Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo
Drea de Matteo is an American television actress, perhaps best known for her roles Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, and as Adriana La Cerva on the acclaimed HBO TV series The Sopranos, a role for which she won the Primetime Emmy...
) and Nick Bolen (Jeffrey Nordling
Jeffrey Nordling
Jeffrey Richard Nordling is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Jake Manning in Once and Again, Larry Moss in 24, and Nick Bolen in Desperate Housewives; and in the following films: And the Band Played On, Flight 93, Pirates of Silicon Valley, and the film D3: The Mighty Ducks.-Early...
) recently moved onto Wisteria Lane to escape circumstances that are yet to be fully explained; however, Gabrielle
Gabrielle Solis
Gabrielle Solís is one of four main characters on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. She is portrayed by Eva Longoria...
(Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
) and Carlos Solis
Carlos Solis
Carlos Solis is a fictional character on the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Ricardo Antonio Chavira.-Early life:Carlos was born in Guadalajara, Mexico to Juanita and Diego Solis...
(Ricardo Antonio Chavira
Ricardo Antonio Chavira
Ricardo Antonio Chavira is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Carlos Solis on Desperate Housewives.-Early life:...
) overheard the Bolens arguing about their circumstances, and have grown concerned about their niece Ana (Maiara Walsh
Maiara Walsh
Maiara Walsh is a Brazilian American actress and singer known for playing Ana Solis on the sixth season of the hit ABC show, Desperate Housewives, and as Meena Paroom on the Disney Channel sitcom Cory in the House...
) dating the Bolens' son, Danny (Beau Mirchoff
Beau Mirchoff
William Beau Mirchoff is an American actor, best known for starring as Danny Bolen on the sixth season of ABC's Desperate Housewives . He also appeared in films such as Scary Movie 4 and The Grudge 3...
).
Episode
As Robin becomes integrated into Wisteria Lane, she gradually begins to have an impact on the lives of several of her new neighbors.Lynette Scavo
Lynette Scavo
Lynette Scavo is a fictional character on the series Desperate Housewives. The character is playedby actress Felicity Huffman, who won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2005, and was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series...
(Felicity Huffman
Felicity Huffman
Felicity Kendall Huffman is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is known for her role as executive producer Dana Whitaker on the ABC television show Sports Night , which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination, and as hectic supermom Lynette Scavo on the ABC show Desperate...
), who is in the middle of celebrating her wedding anniversary with Tom
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...
(Doug Savant
Doug Savant
Douglas Peter "Doug" Savant is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Matt Fielding on Melrose Place and Tom Scavo on the ABC dramedy series Desperate Housewives.-Career:...
), grows angry when she learns her son Parker (Joshua Logan Moore
Joshua Logan Moore
Joshua Logan Moore is an American actor best known for playing Parker Scavo in the popular American series Desperate Housewives.Parker Scavo is the youngest son of Lynette and Tom Scavo. He has two brothers, Preston and Porter, who are twins. and two sisters, Penny, and Paige...
) is spying on Robin while she showers next door. Lynette rudely confronts Robin, who tells Lynette that Parker offered her money to have sex with him. Later, Parker tells his parents he is the only one of his friends who have not had sex. Tom assures him it will happen when the time is right, and Lynette apologizes to Robin.
Later, Robin learns Bree has had trouble connecting with Orson due to her recent affair. Robin suggests Bree restart their sex life, prompting Bree to later try giving Orson a lap-dance. The dance proves awkward, especially when Bree falls over and Orson runs over her foot with the wheelchair. Bree explains she wants to become intimate with her husband again, and the two share a romantic moment.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle and Carlos plot to break up Ana and Danny. Gabrielle arranges for an old photographer friend in New York City to help Ana with her modeling career, but she turns down the offer because of her relationship with Danny. After Robin tells Gabrielle that she gave up a career in ballet for a boy in her youth, only for the boy to break up with her two months later, and that she then got in a car crash ruining her chances of a future in ballet, Gabrielle convinces Robin to tell the story to Ana. Ana breaks up with Danny and leaves for New York, but after Robin realizes she has been used, she speaks to Danny, who secretly leaves town in a taxi to chase after Ana.
Susan grows jealous when Robin starts giving Mike massages to ease his sore back. Susan tries to give Mike a massage, but being the klutz that Susan is, ends up putting him in the hospital. Susan confesses her jealousy to Robin, who decides to preserve their friendship by moving out.
Robin becomes a roommate to Katherine, who is still feeling depressed after her recent stint in a mental hospital. Robin encourages Katherine to go out to a bar, and the two have a great time. When two men hit on Robin and show no interest in Katherine, Robin shows them up by kissing Katherine on the lips. Katherine initially laughs at the funny moment, but later learns Robin really is a lesbian. Katherine insists she is not interested in women when Robin suggests she explores the possibility, but later it appears that Katherine may be intrigued by the idea.
Production
"Lovely" was written by David Schladweiler and directed by David WarrenDavid Warren (director)
David Warren is an American theatre and television director.-Theatre:Warren has a number of Broadway production directing credits to his name, including Holiday, Summer and Smoke and Misalliance...
. It marked the second in a string of at least four guest appearances by actress Julie Benz as Robin Gallagher, a former stripper seeking a new life. Benz joined the show soon after her departure as a regular cast member from the Showtime drama series Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
, where her character Rita Morgan was killed in the fourth season finale, "The Getaway
The Getaway (Dexter)
The Getaway is the fourth season finale of the American television drama series Dexter, and the 48th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Showtime on December 13, 2009. In the episode, Dexter goes to great lengths to stop Arthur, who now knows Dexter's true identity...
". Benz said of her role in Desperate Housewives, "I love the show so much, and I am honored to be part of the whole [world] of Wisteria Lane. And to work with all these great, amazing women! I've done a lot of male-dominated movies and television shows, so it's so amazing for me to be a part of a show that is female-dominated."
"Lovely" introduced an ongoing storyline of Katherine Mayfair exploring her sexuality. Actress Dana Delany, who previously played a lesbian character in the Showtime series The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, said she felt the subplot was an excellent idea: "A lot of the ladies on the set have said, 'Why has this not happened before?' I think everybody wanted to be the one who got to do it." In an interview with E! Online
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
, actress Marcia Cross jokingly said of the kiss scene, "I'm a little jealous that I'm not involved. What is going on?" Delany said she did not know if the character would become a lesbian permanently, because the story lines change so often in Desperate Housewives, but that series creator Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...
"is interested in playing the complexity of that". The pairing between Robin and Katherine was the first lesbian relationship in Desperate Housewives.
Delany compared Katherine's new realizations to that of actress Meredith Baxter
Meredith Baxter
Meredith Baxter , also known for some years as Meredith Baxter-Birney, is an American actress and producer. She is known for her acting roles including three television series: Family , an ABC television-network drama, Family Ties , an NBC television-network situation comedy, and Dan Vs. , a...
, who realized she was a lesbian late in her life after entering into a relationship with a woman. Delany said she believed her character would be taken by surprise by the new feelings she is experiencing: "I think that she’s still so emotionally vulnerable from getting out of the loony bin, and I think she and Robin connect on a kind of wounded, emotional level. And I think if anything, she’s feeling this kind of emotional solace with her, and that draws her to Robin in a physical way, and that’s confusing to her." Delany and Benz were both sick when they filmed their kiss scene. Benz said of the scene, "Dana's a great kisser." Delany said more male crew members were present for the filming of the lesbian kiss scene than usual due to the sensuality of the scene.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on February 21, 2010, "Lovely" was seen by 10.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, which is 20 percent below the season average. Among viewers between ages 18 and 49, it received a 3.7 rating/9 share; a share represents the percentage of households using a television at the time the program is airing. This rating matched the previous episode, "The Glamorous Life
The Glamorous Life (Desperate Housewives)
"The Glamorous Life" is the 125th episode of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. It is the fourteenth episode of the show's sixth season and aired on January 31, 2010...
", for the lowest rating for an individual episode of Desperate Housewives in series history. However, it held that distinction only two weeks before "The Glamorous Life", and the subsequent episode "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...
", received even lower ratings. "Lovely" continued a downward trend in the ratings: "The Glamorous Life" was seen by 11.82 million viewers, and the previous episode, "How About a Friendly Shrink?
How About a Friendly Shrink?
"How About a Friendly Shrink?" is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives, and the 124th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on January 17, 2010...
", was seen by 11.2 million viewers and achieved the lowest rating of the series at the time. "Lovely" suffered in the ratings partially due to competition from the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. The day "Lovely" was originally broadcast, the 2010 Winter Olympics drew an average of 24.67 million viewers during the episode's 9 p.m. timeslot. Desperate Housewives was also outperformed by the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
reality series Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss is a television franchise series that has been released in multiple countries, originating in 2009 on the British Channel 4...
which, in its third episode, drew 13.6 million viewers.
"Lovely" received generally mixed reviews. Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said he was initially skeptical of the Robin and Katherine romance subplot, but said he liked how it was presented. "It wasn’t contrived like other girl-on-girl scenes on television that we see. ... I just hate it when it’s used to seem 'edgy' or to sell an episode, and I hope that isn't the case here." Kennedy said the Bree and Orson scenes led to "a tender moment", but said Susan was annoying and the Lynette plotline was somewhat insulting toward women. Isabelle Carreau of TV Squad said he was surprised Robin's back story was fleshed out so quickly, and speculated it could lead to a permanent role in the series. Carreau said the pairing of Robin and Katherine could be "very interesting", and that the best part of the episode was the comical conversation between Robin and Karen McCluskey
Karen McCluskey
Karen McCluskey Bender is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by Kathryn Joosten, who won the Emmy Award twice for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2008.-Overview:Karen McCluskey was born in 1943, quickly wed and...
(Kathryn Joosten
Kathryn Joosten
Kathryn Joosten is an American television actress best known for her regular role as Karen McCluskey in Desperate Housewives and for her recurring role in The West Wing as Dolores Landingham.-Early life:...
) at the end.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
writer Tanner Stransky
Tanner Stransky
Tanner Stransky is a journalist and television critic for Entertainment Weekly. In 2005, he moved to New York City and took a job as an editorial assistant at Direct TV. He later received an offer from the New York Post to write about weddings and relationships...
criticized "Lovely" for stringing together several uninteresting and unfunny segments rather than advancing existing plotlines or introducing new ones. He was particularly critical of the Susan and Lynette segments, but said the introduction of Katherine's possible lesbianism was "intriguing for the moment". Gael Fashingbauer Cooper of MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
also criticized the episode for failing to advance the plot, and sarcastically wrote of the Katherine development, "Oh, because lesbian storylines have worked so well on this show in the past, except, never." Cooper said the segment involving Robin and Bree was the only one that didn't feel "stilted and sad".
External links
- "Lovely" at ABC.comAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...