Moments in the Woods

"Moments in the Woods"
Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 18
Directed by	David Grossman
Written by	John Paul Bullock III
Original air date	April 17, 2011
Guest stars
Daniella Baltodano as Celia Solis Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van de Kamp Harriet Sansom Harris as Felicia Tilman Orson Bean as Roy Bender Peter Holden as Park Ranger Alison Martin as Dr. Lippman Gregory Itzin as Dick Barrows Johanna Parker as Saleslady Jon Curry as Wally Ping Wu as Phong A.J. Tannen as Dealer Avery Phillips as Kid Sister
Episode chronology
← Previous "Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed" Next → "The Lies Ill-Concealed"
List of Desperate Housewives episodes

"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

Susan arrives at a check-up and discovers that her kidney transplant has gone well. She leaves to see a friend from dialysis, Dick, but the doctor explains that Dick has been admitted to the hospital. Susan goes to see him and Dick admits that he has a viral infection. He tells Susan that she is lucky to get a kidney so quickly and tells her to gamble. He explains that when he is better he will take her to the casino by the airport as he has never won there. However, Susan explains that she is more of a casual poker player. Later, Susan plays poker with the other housewives and keeps winning, even without looking at her cards. She goes to see Dick to tell him about her success but finds his nephew, who reveals that Dick has died. The nephew hands Susan an envelope, which is marked: "Never walk away from a winning streak" and has a $100 chip inside. Susan goes to the casino and meets Roy, who is playing on the slot machines. She explains that she is playing for a friend and goes to play poker. Later, Roy comes to check on her progress and discovers that she has turned her $100 chip into $6,000. She goes all in and wins again, making over $12,000. However, she starts to cry and asks why she keeps winning and being lucky when other people lose - or die. Roy tells her a story about a close miss he had in Korea and tells her not to question it, but to enjoy it. Susan asks what happens when her luck runs out, but Roy tells her: "Why ask?"

Meanwhile, Lynette is thrilled when Tom hands her a cheque for $100,000 - his signing bonus. He tells her to spend $10,000 on something frivolous for herself. They arrange a celebratory dinner for later in the week. Later, Lynette shows off to the other housewives that she has bought a coffee maker but they are unimpressed and tell her to be more adventurous. Renee decides to take her clothes shopping but Lynette is uncomfortable and doesn't feel she belongs. Renee pretends she can buy the boutique to make the shop assistant get them refreshments and Lynette soon falls in love with the boots, jeans and dress she tries on. When she buys the goods, she copies Renee's lead and exerts her power over the shop assistant by making her open earlier the next day. Later, Renee comes over to check out Lynette's preparations for her celebratory dinner. Lynette calls Tom to find out when he will be home and discovers that he has to fly to Montreal on the private jet for a meeting. Lynette is disappointed and Renee points out that this is the real price for being able to buy nice things and have all the perks. Lynette decides to surprise Tom and meets him on the jet to serve him dinner. However, Tom admits that he has lots of preparation to do for his meeting and doesn't have time. Lynette says he deserves some fun, but Tom admits that the job is fun and he is loving every minute. He thanks her for giving him the confidence to take it. Soon, he has to take a phone call and Lynette leaves the plane sadly.

Bree congratulates Andrew for staying sober for 30 days. She advises him to stick to the AA's 12 Steps but Andrew admits that he is struggling with step eight - making amends to people he has harmed. Bree believes that he is referring to her and says people are more forgiving than we give them credit for. However, Andrew reveals that Bree is far down his list. Bree is offended and points out that Andrew has done a lot to harm her, but he explains that top of his list is Carlos - because he ran over his mother. Bree is shocked and follows Andrew as he heads over to the Solis house, begging him not to come clean. Andrew finds Carlos, but before he can confess Bree jumps in and claims that Andrew wanted to thank Carlos for being like a surrogate father when Rex died. Carlos explains that he was also grieving because his mother had died and he is glad they could be there for each other. With Bree by his side, Andrew pretends that was all he wanted to say.

Bree is shocked when Gaby tells her that Carlos and Andrew have gone for a hunting trip together. Bree tells Gaby that she thinks Andrew is about to confess and the pair both fret about how Carlos will react. They can't get through to the men's phones because there is no signal in the woods, so decide to drive up there and Gaby gets Lee to watch the girls. When they arrive, in the pouring rain, they are surprised that Andrew is not in the cabin with Carlos. Carlos explains that he is hiking by the cliffs and says the rocks are slippery, so he hopes he is back soon. Gaby spots blood on Carlos's hands, while Bree notices a shovel. They both jump to conclusions and Gaby asks what he has done to Andrew. Bree explains that it was an accident and Andrew didn't mean to run over Carlos's mother. She tells Carlos to blame her because she helped Andrew get rid of the car. However, at that moment Andrew returns from his hike. He is shocked when he discovers that Gaby and Bree have spilled the beans, explaining he never would have done so alone in the woods. Carlos is furious, but at that point, the park ranger arrives and reveals that a pine tree has fallen across an access road and they will have to stay for the night. Later, Carlos asks Andrew and Bree how they could have come to the funeral and produces a bottle of alcohol. Knowing that Andrew is trying to stay sober, he offers him a drink, before telling him that he has to toast his mother. Bree begs Carlos to stop, pointing out that they have been friends, but Carlos says they are no longer friends. Andrew says the only person Carlos should be angry with is him, not the people who knew about it. Carlos puts two and two together and realises that Gaby knew as well. He angrily storms out of the cabin and walks off as Gaby screams after him.

The next morning, Gaby, Andrew and Bree arrive home but have not found Carlos. Lee confronts Gaby, complaining that she left her kids with him all night without warning. He reveals that Carlos called to check he could look after them for a few more hours because he was going to another town. Gaby realises that he has gone to his mother's tomb and they go after him. When they find him, Bree tries to apologise but Andrew asks her not to defend him, explaining he needs to do it himself. He goes to sit next to Carlos and Bree tells Gaby that she is proud of her son. Later, she bakes some muffins and takes them over to Carlos to thank him for forgiving Andrew. He tells her to go to Hell, explaining that he forgave Andrew because he was just a kid but Bree was an adult and his friend and covered it up. He says they are no longer friends and bans Bree from being friends with Gaby. Gaby tries to protest, but he overrules her. "You're not even going to wave to us on the street," he says. "That's how it's going to be." He slams the door and Gaby and Bree stare at each other through the glass.

Paul is shocked to discover that the door of one of his houses is open. He heads over and discovers Felicia, who has inherited the house from Beth as Paul bought it in her name. Paul is even more annoyed when he discovers that Felicia has taken Beth's ashes. Later, Felicia goes to Paul's house and apologises for the way she behaved. She says that she wants them to scatter Beth's ashes together at a lake Beth used to like. She claims that she wants Paul to come because Beth loved him - and she doesn't have a car yet. Paul reluctantly agrees. The next day, the pair begin the drive to the lake and Felicia suggests that Beth would be glad they are spending time together as their hate killed her. Felicia then asks Paul if her sister, Martha, suffered when Paul killed her. Paul refuses to answer and Felicia acknowledges that Martha drove Mary-Alice to kill herself. Paul is surprised that Felicia has admitted that, but Felicia explains that Paul loved Mary-Alice so killed Martha, and she loved Martha so tried to destroy Paul. She says that Beth paid the price and she hopes they can put a stop to the cycle and get closure. Paul agrees, but is seen hiding a gun.

The pair arrive at the lake and start bickering until Paul says he doesn't trust Felicia. Felicia reveals that she knows Paul brought a gun with him, but eventually pulls it on him, having taken it from him earlier. She points out that she could shoot him right there as it his gun and she could claim self-defence. However, instead she throws it into the lake. She claims that she doesn't want them to fear each other anymore and wants everything to be over. Paul scatters Beth's ashes. The pair return to Wisteria Lane but when Felicia arrives home it emerges that Paul has not scattered Beth's ashes, but just some ashes from the fire. Felicia sifts Beth's real ashes back into the urn and promises to make Paul pay for what he did to her. She tells Beth's ashes that shooting Paul would be too quick and death is the easy way out.

Reception

On its original broadcast on ABC, the episode scored 9.105 million of viewers and achieved a 2.7 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic.^[1] With the DVR Rating, this episode is up 2.2 in million of viewers (rising to a total of 11.3 million of viewers) and it's up 1.0 in the adults 18-49 demographic (rising to a total of a 3.7 rating).^[2] This episode scored an all-time series low with a 2.7 rating in the key demo and an estimated 9.11 million viewers. However, despite the bad ratings, the episode received very positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

Trivia

• The title of this episode comes from the song of the same name taken from the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.
• Bree delivers her signature muffins to Carlos at the end of the episode. This is the second time she has offered muffins to a neighbor this season.
• Felicia tricks Paul by giving him an urn filled with dust rather than ashes similar to how Lynette tricked Ida Greenberg's family in "Welcome to Kanagawa".
• It is revealed in this episode that Paul still owns all the houses he previously bought earlier in the season, despite the fact that he no longer needs them, as his plan of revenge failed in "Down the Block There's a Riot".
• Very little of this episode actually takes place on Wisteria Lane. Many scenes were shot at different locations, unlike most episodes of the series.
• Although credited, James Denton (Mike Delfino) does not appear in this episode.
• Kathryn Joosten (Karen McCluskey), Tuc Watkins (Bob Hunter), Charlie Carver (Porter Scavo), Joshua Logan Moore (Parker Scavo), Darcy Rose Byrnes (Penny Scavo) and Mason Vale Cotton (M.J. Delfino) do not appear and are thus not credited in this episode.

Notes

• Although credited, James Denton (Mike Delfino) does not appear in this episode.
• Kathryn Joosten (Karen McCluskey), Tuc Watkins (Bob Hunter), Charlie Carver (Porter Scavo), Joshua Logan Moore (Parker Scavo), Darcy Rose Byrnes (Penny Scavo) and Mason Vale Cotton (M.J. Delfino) do not appear and are not credited in this episode.
• Andrew didn't actually kill Carlos's mom. She died by falling down stairs at the hospital, after waking up from the coma and slipping on a wet floor, though he thinks he did because she would still be living if he hadn't run her over and it's guilt talking.
• In the last episode of the second season Lynette mentioned that they (she and Tom) had a retirement account. In this episode Lynette said, that they will start a retirement account.

International titles

• Un momento en el bosque (Latin America)
• Моменти во шумата (Macedonia)
• تغيرت بعض الأشياء كل شيء (Arab World)
• Una fortunata serie (Italy)
• German: Momente im Wald (Moments in the woods)

References

1. ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/10/26/sunday-finals-brothers-plus-amazing-race-undercover-boss/69693
2. ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/04/19/sunday-finals-celebrity-apprentice-amazing-race-undercover-boss-extreme-makeover-60-minutes-adjusted-up/89904/