Zach Young

Infobox character | name = Zach Young


first = Pilot "(episode 1.01)"
last = The Little Things You Do Together "(episode 3.15)"
cause = Stopped stalking Gabrielle Solis
alias = Dana Taylor (birth name)
species =
gender = Male
age = 19 (last appearance)
current status = Living
occupation = Billionaire
title =
family = Mary Alice Young (foster mother; deceased)
Paul Young (foster father)
Mike Delfino (biological father)
Deirdre Taylor (biological mother; deceased)
Susan Delfino (ex-step-mother)
Julie Mayer (ex-step-sister)
Maynard Delfino (half-brother)
spouse = Julie Mayer (ex-girlfriend)
Gabrielle Solis (former obsession)
children =
relatives = Noah Taylor (grandfather; deceased)
Kendra Taylor (maternal aunt)
portrayer = Cody Kasch
Tanner Maguire (age 4)cite episode|episodelink=One Wonderful Day|title=One Wonderful Day|series=Desperate Housewives|serieslink=Desperate Housewives|airdate=2005-05-22|network=abc|American Broadcasting Company]
creator = Marc Cherry

Zachary Young (previously Dana Taylor), is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Cody Kasch.Zach is the mentally unstable adopted son of Paul and Mary Alice, he found love in the form of Julie Mayer who befriended him. Zach eventually got her to agree to let him stay in her bedroom after he had escaped from a juvenile rehabilitation center. This innocent infatuation turned into a strong obsession, and he was dumped by Julie. Early in the show's first season, Zach was disturbed with visions of killing his younger sister, Dana. However, later it was discovered that Zach's original name was "Dana".

In Season 1

Born Dana Taylor in Bountiful, Utah, the future Zachary Young was the child of Deirdre Taylor and Mike Delfino. Mike left Deirdre pregnant with his son when he went to prison for 5 and a half years. Deirdre did not want her son to be raised by her father Noah so she fled to Utah just to have the baby. She gave birth at Dorothy Drake Rehabilitation Center in January of 1990 in Utah. Dana (Zach) is believed to be greatly affected by the black tar heroin his mother's addiction subjected him to for 9 months in utero because he has a chemical imbalance today resulting in his emotional violent outbursts. Deirdre gave up her son to support her drug addiction, selling him to Angela for all the money she had in her house.

Shortly thereafter, Angela and her husband moved to Fairview and changed their names to Mary Alice and Paul. Three years later, Deirdre (now clean and sober) attempts to take Dana back. When Mary Alice and Paul refuse to give Dana to her, she attacks Paul and hits him over the head with a large candle stick, then tells Mary Alice she will give Dana a good home. Before Deidre could land a hit, Mary Alice grabs a knife and stabs her and she falls to floor and dies. Mary Alice goes upstairs and takes Dana's toychest which wakes the young boy up. She takes it downstairs and tells Paul they need to fit Deidre's body in the chest. At that moment, Dana comes downstairs and sees his mother lying dead.

In Season 2

Zach is the biological son of Deirdre Taylor, who was killed by Mary Alice while attempting to take her child back after recovering from drug addiction. It has been confirmed by numerous spoilers, CNN and creator Marc Cherry that Mike is Zach's biological father, however Mike was not aware that Deirdre had a son until "One Wonderful Day", the final episode of the first season. Zach had been missing ever since he held up Susan Mayer in Mike Delfino's home, until he was found in a park by Susan, who took him to lunch and talked about how she wanted to help him, until he mentioned that he still had a very strong obsession with Julie Mayer who he thought still liked him. Susan, visibly shaken by Zach's words, suggested he go to Utah and find Paul Young who Zach still believed was his real father. Susan also supplied him with the money to get him there.

In Season 3

Months later and after Felicia Tilman frames Paul Young for her murder, Paul begs Zach to fetch defense money from Noah Taylor by pleading it for a car. Noah doesn't buy the excuse and informs Zach that he would not be receiving his fortune because of Zach's supposed lack of bravery. Zach, however, turns off Noah's respirator, and finds himself not only having inherited a vast fortune, but also wanting nothing more to do with Paul Young. Zach moved to his grandfather Noah Taylor's mansion.

Zach went unseen for the first ten episodes of Season Three, but appeared in "Not While I'm Around", as Gabrielle's secret admirer. Zach had been semi-stalking Gabrielle Solis. He sends her flowers, a dress, then an expensive bracelet, and reveals himself to Gabrielle when she meets him at a restaurant. Zach tries to impress Gabrielle with luxurious gifts and by mentioning his new wealth, including a chateau in Switzerland, but is unsuccessful.

Later, Zach orchestrated a situation where Gabrielle would be upset enough to drink heavily. She woke up the next morning to find Zach in bed with her, and he claimed that they had had sex; Gabrielle had been too drunk to recall the evening's events. Zach proceeded to use this as an excuse to presume an escalation of their nonexistent romantic relationship. Gabrielle asked her ex-husband Carlos to scare Zach off, but Carlos instead ended up discovering that Zach is so well-endowed that Gabrielle could not possibly have forgotten having had sexual intercourse with him; she never had sex with Zach. Gabrielle lectured Zach about how not to behave towards his friends, and she told him to leave her alone after he proposes to her at the Pizzeria and says they can't even be friends anymore and that she will never love him. Zach goes off in a strop and tells Gabrielle that when she's middle aged and alone, the only person she can blame is herself for her loneliness.

References