The Little Things You Do Together
Encyclopedia
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
. It aired on February 18, 2007.
pushing him off the parking-lot border at the end of the last episode
, he starts to flash back about what happened the night when Monique Polliet died. Orson returns home to find Monique on the floor surrounded in blood, with his mother Gloria standing right next to her with one of Mike’s plumbing tools. The doorbell rings. Mike is at the door waiting for Monique to answer but before he walks in the house to find Orson in a rather suspicious position, Orson and Gloria quickly hide Monique’s body behind the kitchen counter and Gloria goes into hiding. In order to stop Mike seeing anything, he quickly tips Mike off and says he can carry on the plumbing job from there. Mike leaves, and soon after Gloria and Orson are at the country club digging a hole, Orson gets into a row with his mother, as his mother is trying to remove Monique’s teeth (so she cannot be identified by dental records, which Orson regards as disrespectful to the corpse) and instead of burying Monique, he pushes Gloria into the ditch, causing her to break her hip (which explains why she walks with the aid of a stick). It cuts back to Orson just as he is about to meet his death, but he’s in luck. A tree breaks his fall and paramedics standing by call for help. The narrator Mary Alice
states that Orson’s departure into the “white light” was not scheduled for this day.
It is opening day at the Scavos’ pizzeria, but Lynette
ends up getting into some big trouble with her husband Tom
. A contract guy shows up with some baby seats but brings more than what is required. However, there are not enough normal seats, so Lynette has to borrow some from a hungover Gabrielle Marquez
who ended up spending the night with Zach Young.
Gabrielle is a little taken aback when her ex-husband Carlos
confesses to her that he is still not yet over her, but is stunned to learn that Zach spent the night with her. – That is until he takes a trip to the toilet and cannot help noticing the big size of Zach’s penis. Carlos informs Gabrielle of what he saw in the toilet reassuring her nothing happened between her and Zach, because even if she was under the influence of alcohol, she would have remembered. Gabrielle though using Carlos’s feelings for her tries to persuade him to scare off Zach – but this fails to work.
Susan Mayer
meanwhile takes her relationship with Ian to the next level, but whilst on her way to collect Ian’s dead wife Jane’s things with him, Andrew Van de Kamp
informs her of his mother Bree’s fall from a ladder. Bree is delighted that Susan is willing to be her friend again after telling Susan she knows Mike Delfino was not to blame but does not let on to Susan who really did it.
Later on that night, the residents of Wisteria Lane, all except Bree, Orson, his ex-wife Alma and his mother Gloria turn up at the opening of Pizzeria Scavo where some bizarre things occur. After Tom and Lynette say their thankyous, Ian and Zach both have some propositions of their own. Ian proposes to Susan in a typical “Susan Mayer moment” and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile Ian’s proposal encourages Zach to propose marriage to Gabrielle. She is absolutely horrified and takes Zach outside and tells him she does not want to be his friend anymore because she knows he would always be wanting more than a friendship from her.
Back at the Hodge house, Gloria arrives to take care of Bree whilst she is in hospital. Gloria gives Bree’s daughter Danielle some of her homemade soup upstairs to Bree – unbeknown to Bree and Danielle, Gloria put something in it. Danielle then goes to the pizzeria. On her way out, Alma tries to escape from the attic Gloria locked her in. While Alma is on her roof, she tries to get Danielle’s attention, but accidentally loses her balance and falls off the roof shortly after realizing that Orson did not love her, and that she was going to move on with her life, much to the disapproval of Gloria. Danielle fails to notice Alma’s fall and goes onto the pizzeria.
When Bree wakes, after being sedated by spiked soup, Gloria admits to that it was easy to kill Monique as she was a “slut” and that she will feel remorse after killing Bree, remarking she is "a good Christian woman" who got caught up in the affairs of the Hodge family. She believes, the vows Orson made to Alma under the eyes of God are still sacred, and that Orson's divorce from Alma meant nothing, making Bree Orson’s mistress. Gloria goes to run Bree a bath, and stages it with photographs of Orson and Bree together, as well as candles. Gloria’s idea is that she will get Bree into the bath, and cut her wrists, making it look like a suicide.
Andrew is stunned when Danielle turns up at the pizzeria and shouts at her for leaving Bree when she is most in need, Danielle tells him to calm himself, as she left Bree with Gloria. Suspicious of Gloria, Andrew heads for the house. Orson, meanwhile has escaped from the hospital and is intent on getting home, to rescue Bree from Gloria. Gloria hears Andrew come through the door and he runs up the stairs to try and rescue Bree. Gloria hits him with her walking stick and he takes a fall, rendering him unconscious. Orson comes to Andrew’s rescue and confronts Gloria as she is about to slit Bree’s wrists. It strikes him as to the fact that Bree’s staged suicide resembles his own father’s. He then realizes that his mother was responsible for that death also. Gloria used Orson’s father's alleged suicide as something against him, as she told him that he could have saved his father's life. He pushes Gloria away from Bree. Gloria falls and has a stroke, leaving Orson and Andrew free to rescue Bree. Bree wakes up and begins having nightmares about Gloria. Orson fills her in on what happened. He left Gloria (who is unconscious after the stroke) next to Alma’s body as well as the fake suicide note, which she wrote when trying to attract Orson's attention, and the bag of teeth belonging to Monique, removed by Gloria.
In the morning they are found. The police believe Alma committed suicide because she felt guilty for killing Monique and that Gloria found her and had a stroke. The doctors tell Orson that his mother, though completely paralyzed physically, still has the same mental capacity. Orson feels relief that the fact that he was an accomplice in Monique’s burial will remain secret and with his mother. He tilts her head so that she can see him walk out of her life for the last time. On leaving the hospital he imagines his future life with Bree.
), and Parker Scavo (Zane Huett
) do not appear in this episode.
This is the last appearance from Zach Young until season seven. This is also the last appearance of Marcia Cross
as Bree Hodge until the season finale, Bree appears in the beginning of the next episode, however she is portrayed by a stunt double.
This episode marks the final appearance of Dixie Carter
as Gloria Hodge, who died on April 10, 2010.
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...
. It was also the fifteenth episode of the show’s third season. It was written by Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...
and Joe Keenan
Joe Keenan (writer)
Joe Keenan is an award-winning screenwriter, television producer and novelist and openly gay American.-Early life:Keenan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His family is Irish American and Roman Catholic. He has a twin brother, John, and two other siblings Ronald and Geraldine. He grew up in...
and directed by David Grossman
David Grossman (director)
David Grossman is an American film and television director known most notably for his work on the ABC series, Desperate Housewives which he also serves as co-executive producer, his first series as a producer....
. It aired on February 18, 2007.
Plot
Just as Orson Hodge is falling off the hospital roof, due to Mike DelfinoMike 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 :...
pushing him off the parking-lot border at the end of the last episode
I Remember That
"I Remember That" is the 61st episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It was also the fourteenth episode of the show's third season. The episode was written by John Pardee and Joey Murphy and directed by David Warren. It aired on February 11, 2007...
, he starts to flash back about what happened the night when Monique Polliet died. Orson returns home to find Monique on the floor surrounded in blood, with his mother Gloria standing right next to her with one of Mike’s plumbing tools. The doorbell rings. Mike is at the door waiting for Monique to answer but before he walks in the house to find Orson in a rather suspicious position, Orson and Gloria quickly hide Monique’s body behind the kitchen counter and Gloria goes into hiding. In order to stop Mike seeing anything, he quickly tips Mike off and says he can carry on the plumbing job from there. Mike leaves, and soon after Gloria and Orson are at the country club digging a hole, Orson gets into a row with his mother, as his mother is trying to remove Monique’s teeth (so she cannot be identified by dental records, which Orson regards as disrespectful to the corpse) and instead of burying Monique, he pushes Gloria into the ditch, causing her to break her hip (which explains why she walks with the aid of a stick). It cuts back to Orson just as he is about to meet his death, but he’s in luck. A tree breaks his fall and paramedics standing by call for help. The narrator Mary Alice
Mary Alice Young
Mary Alice Young is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actress Brenda Strong and narrates the series from beyond the grave; the character's suicide in the pilot episode served as the catalyst of the series...
states that Orson’s departure into the “white light” was not scheduled for this day.
It is opening day at the Scavos’ pizzeria, but Lynette
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...
ends up getting into some big trouble with her husband 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...
. A contract guy shows up with some baby seats but brings more than what is required. However, there are not enough normal seats, so Lynette has to borrow some from a hungover Gabrielle Marquez
Gabrielle Solis
Gabrielle Solís is one of four main characters on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. She is portrayed by Eva Longoria...
who ended up spending the night with Zach Young.
Gabrielle is a little taken aback when her ex-husband Carlos
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...
confesses to her that he is still not yet over her, but is stunned to learn that Zach spent the night with her. – That is until he takes a trip to the toilet and cannot help noticing the big size of Zach’s penis. Carlos informs Gabrielle of what he saw in the toilet reassuring her nothing happened between her and Zach, because even if she was under the influence of alcohol, she would have remembered. Gabrielle though using Carlos’s feelings for her tries to persuade him to scare off Zach – but this fails to work.
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...
meanwhile takes her relationship with Ian to the next level, but whilst on her way to collect Ian’s dead wife Jane’s things with him, Andrew Van de Kamp
Andrew Van De Kamp
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....
informs her of his mother Bree’s fall from a ladder. Bree is delighted that Susan is willing to be her friend again after telling Susan she knows Mike Delfino was not to blame but does not let on to Susan who really did it.
Later on that night, the residents of Wisteria Lane, all except Bree, Orson, his ex-wife Alma and his mother Gloria turn up at the opening of Pizzeria Scavo where some bizarre things occur. After Tom and Lynette say their thankyous, Ian and Zach both have some propositions of their own. Ian proposes to Susan in a typical “Susan Mayer moment” and she agrees to marry him. Meanwhile Ian’s proposal encourages Zach to propose marriage to Gabrielle. She is absolutely horrified and takes Zach outside and tells him she does not want to be his friend anymore because she knows he would always be wanting more than a friendship from her.
Back at the Hodge house, Gloria arrives to take care of Bree whilst she is in hospital. Gloria gives Bree’s daughter Danielle some of her homemade soup upstairs to Bree – unbeknown to Bree and Danielle, Gloria put something in it. Danielle then goes to the pizzeria. On her way out, Alma tries to escape from the attic Gloria locked her in. While Alma is on her roof, she tries to get Danielle’s attention, but accidentally loses her balance and falls off the roof shortly after realizing that Orson did not love her, and that she was going to move on with her life, much to the disapproval of Gloria. Danielle fails to notice Alma’s fall and goes onto the pizzeria.
When Bree wakes, after being sedated by spiked soup, Gloria admits to that it was easy to kill Monique as she was a “slut” and that she will feel remorse after killing Bree, remarking she is "a good Christian woman" who got caught up in the affairs of the Hodge family. She believes, the vows Orson made to Alma under the eyes of God are still sacred, and that Orson's divorce from Alma meant nothing, making Bree Orson’s mistress. Gloria goes to run Bree a bath, and stages it with photographs of Orson and Bree together, as well as candles. Gloria’s idea is that she will get Bree into the bath, and cut her wrists, making it look like a suicide.
Andrew is stunned when Danielle turns up at the pizzeria and shouts at her for leaving Bree when she is most in need, Danielle tells him to calm himself, as she left Bree with Gloria. Suspicious of Gloria, Andrew heads for the house. Orson, meanwhile has escaped from the hospital and is intent on getting home, to rescue Bree from Gloria. Gloria hears Andrew come through the door and he runs up the stairs to try and rescue Bree. Gloria hits him with her walking stick and he takes a fall, rendering him unconscious. Orson comes to Andrew’s rescue and confronts Gloria as she is about to slit Bree’s wrists. It strikes him as to the fact that Bree’s staged suicide resembles his own father’s. He then realizes that his mother was responsible for that death also. Gloria used Orson’s father's alleged suicide as something against him, as she told him that he could have saved his father's life. He pushes Gloria away from Bree. Gloria falls and has a stroke, leaving Orson and Andrew free to rescue Bree. Bree wakes up and begins having nightmares about Gloria. Orson fills her in on what happened. He left Gloria (who is unconscious after the stroke) next to Alma’s body as well as the fake suicide note, which she wrote when trying to attract Orson's attention, and the bag of teeth belonging to Monique, removed by Gloria.
In the morning they are found. The police believe Alma committed suicide because she felt guilty for killing Monique and that Gloria found her and had a stroke. The doctors tell Orson that his mother, though completely paralyzed physically, still has the same mental capacity. Orson feels relief that the fact that he was an accomplice in Monique’s burial will remain secret and with his mother. He tilts her head so that she can see him walk out of her life for the last time. On leaving the hospital he imagines his future life with Bree.
Cast
Although credited, Preston Scavo (Brent Kinsman), Porter Scavo (Shane KinsmanShane Kinsman
Shane Kinsman is an American child actor who typically plays a rambunctious twin alongside his identical twin brother Brent. He played Kyle Baker in the 2003 film Cheaper by the Dozen and its 2005 sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2...
), and Parker Scavo (Zane Huett
Zane Huett
Zane Alexander Huett is an American child actor.Zane is most famous for his featured role on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives playing the role of Parker Scavo, the younger son of Lynette and Tom Scavo. He plays the youngest Scavo boy, yet is older by six months than the actors Brent...
) do not appear in this episode.
This is the last appearance from Zach Young until season seven. This is also the last appearance of 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...
as Bree Hodge until the season finale, Bree appears in the beginning of the next episode, however she is portrayed by a stunt double.
Arc significance
Usually the season's big mystery is solved by the season finale. However, due to Marcia Cross' (Bree) pregnancy, it had to be resolved earlier.This episode marks the final appearance of Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
as Gloria Hodge, who died on April 10, 2010.
Title reference
- The episode title, The Little Things You Do Together is a song taken from the Stephen SondheimStephen SondheimStephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
musical, CompanyCompany (musical)Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
.
International titles
- Español: Las cosas que hacemos (The Things That We Do)
- French: Une vie sans secret (A life without secrets)
- French Canadian: Un hôte indésirable (An Undesirable Host)
- German: Teuflisch (Devilish)
- Hebrew: הדברים הקטנים שאנחנו עושים יחד (HaDvarim HaKtanim SheAnachnu Osim Yachad; The Little Things We Do Together)
- Hungarian: Az utolsó pillanatban (In the Last Moment)
- Italian: Le piccole cose che si fanno insieme (The Little Things You Do Together)
Awards notes
- Shawn PyfromShawn PyfromShawn 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 Kyle MacLachlanKyle MacLachlanKyle 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...
both submitted this episode for consideration in the category of “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama SeriesThis is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.-1960s:*1960: no award*1961: Roddy McDowall – Not Without Honor*1962: no award*1963: no award...
” on their behalf for the 2007 Emmy Awards59th Primetime Emmy AwardsThe 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
.