Katherine Mayfair
Encyclopedia
Katherine Mayfair is a fictional character
created by television producer
and screenwriter
Marc Cherry
for the ABC
television series Desperate Housewives
. The character is played by Dana Delany
and first appeared in the series' fourth season premiere
on September 30, 2007 as the focus of the yearly mystery.
Katherine is generally characterized by her cold demeanour and impressive domestic skills. Though initially a homemaker
, Katherine started a catering business with neighbour, Bree Hodge
(Marcia Cross
), with whom she shares "a heated rivalry." She has been married twice, to Wayne Davis (Gary Cole
) and Adam Mayfair (Nathan Fillion
), but both relationships ended in divorce. Katherine has had two children: Dylan Davis (Hailee Denham), her daughter who died as a young child, and Dylan Mayfair (Lyndsy Fonseca
), her adoptive daughter. Delany left the series during the sixth season
, and the character has relocated to Paris
indefinitely.
Delany's portrayal of the character has received critical praise. Many critics attributed the improved quality of season four to Delany's performance. Delany was a critics' favourite for an Emmy Award
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2008. The character received media attention when she was involved in the series' first lesbian relationship. She is set to return during the final series in 2011/2012.
. The role eventually went to Marcia Cross
, Cherry's second choice. Delany reportedly regretted not accepting the part.
When Cherry was developing Katherine, a character with "a lot of Alpha female qualities and some slyness and darkness," he offered Delany the role. She accepted the role and remained on the series until the end of the sixth season
. Following her multi-episode guest role on another ABC series, Castle
, network executives offered Delany the lead in a new pilot for the 2010-2011 television season
. Delany filmed the pilot for Body of Proof
in April 2010; her absence in Desperate Housewives was explained by having Katherine and her girlfriend, Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz
), leave town indefinitely. In May, ABC picked up Body of Proof for thirteen episodes; thus, Delany will not return for the seventh season
of Desperate Housewives as a series regular. Delany admits that her exit from the series was quick, but insists that she may return to the series at some point, regardless of whether or not her new series is successful. She will return during the final series in 2012.
(Marcia Cross
), in that both prided themselves on their domestic skills. Cherry noted that Katherine "was clearly different" before her arrival in the fourth season, which Susan confirms when she claims Katherine is "not as fun as she used to be." Her cold exterior is noted by many characters, including Gabrielle Solis
(Eva Longoria Parker
), who remarks that Katherine is "smug and 'holier than thou'" and is "getting a reputation around [the neighbourhood] for having a stick up [her] ass!" Though Katherine immediately conflicts with the other women on the street, most notably Bree, she eventually develops close friendships with her neighbours. Nevertheless, her rivalry with Bree continues but as a natural part of their sisterly relationship. In the sixth season, however, Katherine "[morphs] into the person the housewives have to hate" in the absence of Edie Britt
.
Katherine appears to be dependent on a romantic partner. Her first husband, Wayne, was abusive but she eventually left him and married Adam Mayfair. When he leaves, she tries convincing him to come home, saying that she is "lonely," despite having discovered that he had an affair. Later, in the fifth season, Katherine contemplates leaving Fairview because she is single, later revisiting the option in an attempt to force Mike to realize he loves her. She also resorts to trickery in order to ensure that Mike does not end their engagement. When Mike leaves Katherine for Susan, she suffers a complete nervous breakdown. When she becomes romantically involved with a woman, she puts her life in Fairview on hold indefinitely while trying to evaluate everything during an extended vacation in Paris.
). Together, they had a daughter named Dylan (Hailee Denham). Wayne became increasingly violent, forcing Katherine to flee with Dylan (Hailee Denham), and seek refuge with her aunt, Lillian Simms (Ellen Geer
). While living on Wisteria Lane, Katherine befriends her neighbours, Mary Alice Young
and Susan Mayer
. One night, Katherine returned to find Wayne had visited Dylan and gave her a new doll. Katherine put the doll on top of a dresser
. and got into a fight with Wayne, hitting him with a candlestick. After Wayne left, Katherine and Lillian discover Dylan had tried to retrieve her doll and died when the dresser fell on top of her. Fearing Wayne’s wrath, Katherine and Lillian buried Dylan in nearby woods and left Wisteria Lane, telling Susan and Mary Alice that she had taken a job offer in Chicago.
Katherine adopted a girl very similar to Dylan from a Romanian orphanage. Katherine began raising her adopted daughter, Dylan (Lyndsy Fonseca
), and they moved to Chicago. Eventually, Katherine married gynecologist Adam Mayfair (Nathan Fillion
). Katherine tells Adam that Wayne killed her biological daughter and he agrees to keep her secret and protect them from her ex-husband. Years later, the Mayfairs move to Wisteria Lane to care for Lillian, now terminally ill, and escape the humiliation of Adam's alleged sexual harassment of one of his patients.
Lillian moves into the Mayfairs' guest bedroom and writes a detailed account of the original Dylan’s death in a note addressed to Dylan Mayfair, but dies before she can give it to her. Sylvia Greene (Melora Walters
), the woman who accused Adam of sexual harassment in Chicago, visits him - hoping to rekindle their romance. Katherine thinks Sylvia's accusations are false but Adam admits having had an affair with her, which is why he settled out of court and they "lost everything" in Chicago. Katherine kicks Adam out of the house. While packing, he finds Lillian's note and leaves after confronting Katherine about her lies and she throws the note in the fire. However, Dylan salvages a few pieces and deducts that Katherine killed Wayne. She calls Adam for more answers but he calls Katherine. He promises to give her one last alibi and lie to Dylan but their marriage is still over.
Katherine and Bree put aside their rivalry to start a catering business. Meanwhile, Wayne tracks down Dylan and the two start meeting in private; eventually, she reintroduces the two. Hoping to drive Wayne away, Katherine tells him that Dylan is not his daughter and a DNA test confirms that. Adam learns that Wayne has located Katherine and Dylan and offers to help them escape, deciding to take Dylan on a graduation trip and never return but Wayne kidnaps Adam. Fearing Wayne has killed Adam, Katherine begs Dylan to leave immediately but Dylan demands the entire truth. Katherine tells her, prompting Dylan to walk out. Later, Wayne corners Katherine and takes her hostage. Before he can shoot her, Adam arrives. Knowing Wayne will always track her, Katherine shoots him. Bree, Susan, Lynette, and Gabrielle tell the police that her actions were in self-defence and Katherine is finally integrated into their social group. Dylan returns and reunites with her mother.
), leaves for jail.Katherine's rivalry with Bree continues despite their shared business. Katherine is unhappy when she realises that Bree has used her recipes in her cookbook and leaves her to run the business while she publicises it. Her resentment deepens when Bree hires Orson as an employee. Yearning for romance, Katherine secretly begins dating Mike Delfino
(James Denton
), Susan's ex-husband. Eventually, Susan finds out about the relationship and feels betrayed. She eventually gives them her blessing but is uncomfortable with their relationship.
Katherine begins spending more time with Susan and Mike's son, M.J. (Mason Vale Cotton
) and move in together. Susan tells Mike and Katherine that she's marrying Jackson but is horrified to learn that Mike will no longer have to pay her alimony. Katherine deceives Susan by letting her think Mike will pay alimony regardless. When Susan wants to thank Mike herself, Katherine admits not telling him that Susan's engagement to Jackson isn't real, afraid that he would leave her for Susan. The couple elope to Las Vegas
, but Mike leaves Katherine at the airport when he learns that their neighbour, Dave Williams (Neal McDonough
), plans to kill M.J. in revenge. M.J. escapes unharmed and Mike and Susan share a passionate kiss following the ordeal.
, it is revealed that Mike married Susan, not Katherine. When Susan is out, her wedding dress is delivered to Katherine's house. Katherine wears it while cooking to annoy Susan. She also demands that Susan publicly apologize to her for taking Mike away. Susan initially refuses and locks her in a closet, Katherine then breaks free and crashes the wedding. Susan then apologizes, but Katherine's feelings remain bitter. When Susan is away, Katherine visits Mike, gives him a kiss and tells him she'll be there for him. Katherine then tells Orson that Mike made a pass at her, hoping this will get back to Susan. Bree becomes concerned when she sees Katherine spying through Susan and Mike's windows one night. After an incident at a wedding they were catering, Bree fires Katherine and advises her to seek professional help. Furious, Katherine scratches Bree's car.
Katherine's rivalry with Susan intensifies as she continues pursuing Mike. Things come to a head at a neighborhood watch meeting after Susan ignores Katherine when she tries to volunteer, escalating into Susan publicly threatening Katherine if she doesn't leave her and Mike alone. Realizing the danger Katherine poses, Susan begins suspecting Katherine attacked her daughter, Julie Mayer, out of revenge. Though Katherine has an alibi, Susan and Mike's fears about Katherine are soon realized. When Mike hears Katherine told M.J. that Susan is a bad mother, he coldly tells her that he never loved her. When he leaves, Katherine stabs herself in the stomach with a knife that has Mike's fingerprints on it. Katherine frames Mike and he is sent to jail while she is in hospital. Susan worries that Katherine has suffered a nervous breakdown
and asks Dylan to visit and have her mother committed for psychiatric observation. She then learns that Katherine has been telling Dylan that she, not Susan, was married to Mike. When Katherine realizes she's been caught, she has a complete breakdown. Katherine is institutionalized for a couple of months.
When Katherine returns to Wisteria Lane, she develops a friendship with Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz
), a former stripper who moves in with Susan and Mike. In order to preserve her friendship with Susan, Robin moves in with Katherine. Katherine is surprised to learn that Robin is a lesbian and begins to develop a physical attraction to her, as well as an emotional connection. Katherine is very confused by these new feelings. Soon, the two become sexually involved. When their relationship is made public, Katherine decides that she cares too much about what others think and suggests that she and Robin take a vacation in Paris while they work on defining their relationship. Robin agrees and the two leave town that night.
of USA Today
praised Delany's portrayal of the character, noting that the season was "shaping up to be the best since the first" due to performance. Other critics agreed that Delany's performance helped the series return to the quality of its first season. Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly
confessed that while he is not a fan of Delany's acting, she is "perfect for this role and looks to be a choice adversary for Bree."
in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category, though she did not receive a nomination. In 2009, Delany received a Prism Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Series.
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...
created by television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...
for 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...
. The character is played by 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...
and first appeared in the series' fourth season premiere
Now You Know (Desperate Housewives)
"Now You Know" is the fourth season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 71st episode overall. The episode premiered on ABC on September 30, 2007...
on September 30, 2007 as the focus of the yearly mystery.
Katherine is generally characterized by her cold demeanour and impressive domestic skills. Though initially a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
, Katherine started a catering business with neighbour, Bree Hodge
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...
), with whom she shares "a heated rivalry." She has been married twice, to Wayne Davis (Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
) and Adam Mayfair (Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
), but both relationships ended in divorce. Katherine has had two children: Dylan Davis (Hailee Denham), her daughter who died as a young child, and Dylan Mayfair (Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca is an American actress known for playing Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, Dylan Mayfair on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, and Ted Mosby's daughter on How I Met Your Mother. She also played Katie Deauxma in the 2010 superhero film...
), her adoptive daughter. Delany left the series during the sixth season
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...
, and the character has relocated to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
indefinitely.
Delany's portrayal of the character has received critical praise. Many critics attributed the improved quality of season four to Delany's performance. Delany was a critics' favourite for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2008. The character received media attention when she was involved in the series' first lesbian relationship. She is set to return during the final series in 2011/2012.
Development and casting
Delany auditioned for the series' pilot episode in 2004 for the role of Bree Van de Kamp. Creator Marc Cherry thought she delivered "a fantastic audition." Delany was offered the role but rejected it three times. Delany has since insisted that she was not ready to do another television series at the time and that the character of Bree was too similar to her character on PasadenaPasadena (TV series)
Pasadena is an American primetime soap opera originally broadcast in the U.S. from September to November 2001 on Fox.-Summary:The series starred Alison Lohman as Lily McAllister, an initially naïve young woman who witnesses a stranger's suicide and begins to investigate the secrets being hidden by...
. The role eventually went to 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...
, Cherry's second choice. Delany reportedly regretted not accepting the part.
When Cherry was developing Katherine, a character with "a lot of Alpha female qualities and some slyness and darkness," he offered Delany the role. She accepted the role and remained on the series until the end of the sixth season
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...
. Following her multi-episode guest role on another ABC series, Castle
Castle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
, network executives offered Delany the lead in a new pilot for the 2010-2011 television season
2010–2011 United States network television schedule
The following is the 2010–2011 network television schedule for the five major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2010 through May 2011. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new...
. Delany filmed the pilot for Body of Proof
Body of Proof
Body of Proof is an American medical drama television series created by Chris Murphey and produced by ABC Studios. Starring Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, the series premiered on March 29, 2011 on ABC....
in April 2010; her absence in Desperate Housewives was explained by having Katherine and her girlfriend, 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...
), leave town indefinitely. In May, ABC picked up Body of Proof for thirteen episodes; thus, Delany will not return for the seventh season
Desperate Housewives (season 7)
The seventh season of Desperate Housewives, a television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on September 26, 2010 and concluded on May 15, 2011. The deceased Mary Alice Young continues to narrate the events in the lives of her friends and Wisteria Lane residents, Susan Delfino, Lynette...
of Desperate Housewives as a series regular. Delany admits that her exit from the series was quick, but insists that she may return to the series at some point, regardless of whether or not her new series is successful. She will return during the final series in 2012.
Personality
When Katherine was introduced to the series, many critics noted that she was very similar to Bree HodgeBree 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...
), in that both prided themselves on their domestic skills. Cherry noted that Katherine "was clearly different" before her arrival in the fourth season, which Susan confirms when she claims Katherine is "not as fun as she used to be." Her cold exterior is noted by many characters, including 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...
(Eva Longoria Parker
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
), who remarks that Katherine is "smug and 'holier than thou'" and is "getting a reputation around [the neighbourhood] for having a stick up [her] ass!" Though Katherine immediately conflicts with the other women on the street, most notably Bree, she eventually develops close friendships with her neighbours. Nevertheless, her rivalry with Bree continues but as a natural part of their sisterly relationship. In the sixth season, however, Katherine "[morphs] into the person the housewives have to hate" in the absence of Edie Britt
Edie Britt
Edie Britt Williams is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
.
Katherine appears to be dependent on a romantic partner. Her first husband, Wayne, was abusive but she eventually left him and married Adam Mayfair. When he leaves, she tries convincing him to come home, saying that she is "lonely," despite having discovered that he had an affair. Later, in the fifth season, Katherine contemplates leaving Fairview because she is single, later revisiting the option in an attempt to force Mike to realize he loves her. She also resorts to trickery in order to ensure that Mike does not end their engagement. When Mike leaves Katherine for Susan, she suffers a complete nervous breakdown. When she becomes romantically involved with a woman, she puts her life in Fairview on hold indefinitely while trying to evaluate everything during an extended vacation in Paris.
Overview
Before the series, Katherine was married to abusive police officer Wayne Davis (Gary ColeGary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
). Together, they had a daughter named Dylan (Hailee Denham). Wayne became increasingly violent, forcing Katherine to flee with Dylan (Hailee Denham), and seek refuge with her aunt, Lillian Simms (Ellen Geer
Ellen Geer
Ellen Ware Geer is an American actress, professor, screenwriter, film director and theatre director.-Personal life:Geer was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of actors Herta Ware and Will Geer. She is currently married to children's musician Peter Alsop, and was previously married to...
). While living on Wisteria Lane, Katherine befriends her neighbours, Mary Alice Young
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...
and 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...
. One night, Katherine returned to find Wayne had visited Dylan and gave her a new doll. Katherine put the doll on top of a dresser
Chest of drawers
A chest of drawers, also called a dresser or a bureau, is a piece of furniture that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above another...
. and got into a fight with Wayne, hitting him with a candlestick. After Wayne left, Katherine and Lillian discover Dylan had tried to retrieve her doll and died when the dresser fell on top of her. Fearing Wayne’s wrath, Katherine and Lillian buried Dylan in nearby woods and left Wisteria Lane, telling Susan and Mary Alice that she had taken a job offer in Chicago.
Katherine adopted a girl very similar to Dylan from a Romanian orphanage. Katherine began raising her adopted daughter, Dylan (Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca is an American actress known for playing Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, Dylan Mayfair on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, and Ted Mosby's daughter on How I Met Your Mother. She also played Katie Deauxma in the 2010 superhero film...
), and they moved to Chicago. Eventually, Katherine married gynecologist Adam Mayfair (Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
). Katherine tells Adam that Wayne killed her biological daughter and he agrees to keep her secret and protect them from her ex-husband. Years later, the Mayfairs move to Wisteria Lane to care for Lillian, now terminally ill, and escape the humiliation of Adam's alleged sexual harassment of one of his patients.
Season Four
Twelve years after leaving Wisteria Lane, Katherine, Adam and Dylan move in to Lillian's house. Susan introduces Katherine to Bree, Lynette and Gabrielle, her friends and neighbours; Katherine immediately clashes with each of them, particularly Bree. Meanwhile, Dylan doesn't remember living on Wisteria Lane. Katherine begins integrating herself into Susan's circle of friends but continues to conflict with Bree, Gabrielle and Lynette. Katherine's mysterious and cold exterior and Dylan’s lack of memories about life on Wisteria Lane raise the suspicions of their neighbours. Dylan questions Katherine about her birth father but Katherine only says that he is too dangerous to let back into their lives.Lillian moves into the Mayfairs' guest bedroom and writes a detailed account of the original Dylan’s death in a note addressed to Dylan Mayfair, but dies before she can give it to her. Sylvia Greene (Melora Walters
Melora Walters
Melora Walters is an American actress.-Personal life:Walters was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia to American parents. She was partly raised there and in Holland. Walters attended high school at Lake Forest Academy-Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois...
), the woman who accused Adam of sexual harassment in Chicago, visits him - hoping to rekindle their romance. Katherine thinks Sylvia's accusations are false but Adam admits having had an affair with her, which is why he settled out of court and they "lost everything" in Chicago. Katherine kicks Adam out of the house. While packing, he finds Lillian's note and leaves after confronting Katherine about her lies and she throws the note in the fire. However, Dylan salvages a few pieces and deducts that Katherine killed Wayne. She calls Adam for more answers but he calls Katherine. He promises to give her one last alibi and lie to Dylan but their marriage is still over.
Katherine and Bree put aside their rivalry to start a catering business. Meanwhile, Wayne tracks down Dylan and the two start meeting in private; eventually, she reintroduces the two. Hoping to drive Wayne away, Katherine tells him that Dylan is not his daughter and a DNA test confirms that. Adam learns that Wayne has located Katherine and Dylan and offers to help them escape, deciding to take Dylan on a graduation trip and never return but Wayne kidnaps Adam. Fearing Wayne has killed Adam, Katherine begs Dylan to leave immediately but Dylan demands the entire truth. Katherine tells her, prompting Dylan to walk out. Later, Wayne corners Katherine and takes her hostage. Before he can shoot her, Adam arrives. Knowing Wayne will always track her, Katherine shoots him. Bree, Susan, Lynette, and Gabrielle tell the police that her actions were in self-defence and Katherine is finally integrated into their social group. Dylan returns and reunites with her mother.
Season Five
During the five years between seasons four and five, Katherine remains on Wisteria Lane. Katherine briefly moves in with Bree, a recovering alcoholic who relapses when her husband, Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlanKyle 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...
), leaves for jail.Katherine's rivalry with Bree continues despite their shared business. Katherine is unhappy when she realises that Bree has used her recipes in her cookbook and leaves her to run the business while she publicises it. Her resentment deepens when Bree hires Orson as an employee. Yearning for romance, Katherine secretly begins dating 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:...
), Susan's ex-husband. Eventually, Susan finds out about the relationship and feels betrayed. She eventually gives them her blessing but is uncomfortable with their relationship.
Katherine begins spending more time with Susan and Mike's son, M.J. (Mason Vale Cotton
Mason Vale Cotton (actor)
Mason Vale Cotton is a young American actor. He portrays Maynard "M.J." Delfino on the television series Desperate Housewives.Cotton was born in San Diego, California...
) and move in together. Susan tells Mike and Katherine that she's marrying Jackson but is horrified to learn that Mike will no longer have to pay her alimony. Katherine deceives Susan by letting her think Mike will pay alimony regardless. When Susan wants to thank Mike herself, Katherine admits not telling him that Susan's engagement to Jackson isn't real, afraid that he would leave her for Susan. The couple elope to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, but Mike leaves Katherine at the airport when he learns that their neighbour, Dave Williams (Neal McDonough
Neal McDonough
Neal P. McDonough is an American film, television and voice actor.-Career:In 1991, McDonough won the Best Actor Dramalogue for "Away Alone". McDonough has made many television and film appearances since then, including Band of Brothers, Boomtown, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report and The...
), plans to kill M.J. in revenge. M.J. escapes unharmed and Mike and Susan share a passionate kiss following the ordeal.
Season Six
In the sixth season premiereNice is Different Than Good
"Nice Is Different Than Good" is the sixth season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 112th overall episode of the series. It originally aired in the United States on September 27, 2009, on ABC...
, it is revealed that Mike married Susan, not Katherine. When Susan is out, her wedding dress is delivered to Katherine's house. Katherine wears it while cooking to annoy Susan. She also demands that Susan publicly apologize to her for taking Mike away. Susan initially refuses and locks her in a closet, Katherine then breaks free and crashes the wedding. Susan then apologizes, but Katherine's feelings remain bitter. When Susan is away, Katherine visits Mike, gives him a kiss and tells him she'll be there for him. Katherine then tells Orson that Mike made a pass at her, hoping this will get back to Susan. Bree becomes concerned when she sees Katherine spying through Susan and Mike's windows one night. After an incident at a wedding they were catering, Bree fires Katherine and advises her to seek professional help. Furious, Katherine scratches Bree's car.
Katherine's rivalry with Susan intensifies as she continues pursuing Mike. Things come to a head at a neighborhood watch meeting after Susan ignores Katherine when she tries to volunteer, escalating into Susan publicly threatening Katherine if she doesn't leave her and Mike alone. Realizing the danger Katherine poses, Susan begins suspecting Katherine attacked her daughter, Julie Mayer, out of revenge. Though Katherine has an alibi, Susan and Mike's fears about Katherine are soon realized. When Mike hears Katherine told M.J. that Susan is a bad mother, he coldly tells her that he never loved her. When he leaves, Katherine stabs herself in the stomach with a knife that has Mike's fingerprints on it. Katherine frames Mike and he is sent to jail while she is in hospital. Susan worries that Katherine has suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and asks Dylan to visit and have her mother committed for psychiatric observation. She then learns that Katherine has been telling Dylan that she, not Susan, was married to Mike. When Katherine realizes she's been caught, she has a complete breakdown. Katherine is institutionalized for a couple of months.
When Katherine returns to Wisteria Lane, she develops a friendship with 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...
), a former stripper who moves in with Susan and Mike. In order to preserve her friendship with Susan, Robin moves in with Katherine. Katherine is surprised to learn that Robin is a lesbian and begins to develop a physical attraction to her, as well as an emotional connection. Katherine is very confused by these new feelings. Soon, the two become sexually involved. When their relationship is made public, Katherine decides that she cares too much about what others think and suggests that she and Robin take a vacation in Paris while they work on defining their relationship. Robin agrees and the two leave town that night.
Critical
Katherine's arrival to the series in the fourth season received positive reviews. Robert BiancoRobert Bianco
Robert Bianco is an American television critic. He currently works for USA Today and has an online column. He began his career as a restaurant critic in Pittsburgh and eventually became a television critic at the Pittsburgh Press.-References:...
of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
praised Delany's portrayal of the character, noting that the season was "shaping up to be the best since the first" due to performance. Other critics agreed that Delany's performance helped the series return to the quality of its first season. Tim Stack of 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...
confessed that while he is not a fan of Delany's acting, she is "perfect for this role and looks to be a choice adversary for Bree."
Awards
Following the 2007-2008 television season, Delany was a promising contender for an Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category, though she did not receive a nomination. In 2009, Delany received a Prism Award for Best Performance in a Comedy Series.