Susan Mayer
Encyclopedia
Susan Delfino is a fictional character
played by Teri Hatcher
on the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC) 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. Susan resides on the fictional Wisteria Lane
in Fairview, Eagle State
, the primary setting of the show. One of four lead characters, Susan is characterized as being a "notoriously clumsy" romantic with a "magnetic charm." Her storylines tend to focus on her romantic relationships, most notably with Mike Delfino
(James Denton
), whom she marries twice in the series.
Cherry originally created Susan as a girl next door
archetype and intended for the character to provide an emotional anchor for the series. When developing the character, Cherry drew upon his personal experiences as well as those of single women in his life. The role was originally written for Mary-Louise Parker
, who turned it down; as a result, Hatcher was cast in early 2004. Hatcher's portrayal of the character is both comedic and vulnerable. During the series' debut season, both the character and Hatcher's performance received positive critical reception; however, as the series has progressed, the character has been received less favorably by critics and fans. Hatcher has received both a Golden Globe Award
and Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in the series.
and chose her to convey this image. In the original pilot, the character's surname was spelled "Meyer" but had to be changed to "Mayer" for clearance purposes. Cherry commented, "I knew Susan was going to be my anchor character, and I didn't really know my take on her at first. And then it occurred to me that one of these women should be divorced ... I thought there was something so real about a woman saying, 'I don't have much time left,' and when this available hunky guy moves onto the street, something in her saying 'Let me at him'". The character is a compendium of single mothers in Cherry's life "desperate to land a man". He also drew upon his own personal experiences while creating the character.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
expressed interest in the role, but ABC executives felt she was not right for the part. Actors originally considered for the role include Courteney Cox
, Calista Flockhart
, Heather Locklear
, Mary-Louise Parker
, and Sela Ward
. Cherry wrote the part with Parker in mind, but she rejected the offer, later explaining "it just didn’t feel like I was gonna [sic] serve it as well as someone else might". Teri Hatcher auditioned for the role in January 2004 and impressed Cherry immediately. After a second audition, Hatcher read for the role in front of network executives. Cherry praised her performance, saying "it was the best audition I've ever seen in network". Hatcher later commented, "I don't think they were hot to hire me for Susan ... I was maybe on a B-list, certainly not an A-list". Despite her reservations, Hatcher was the third reported cast member to have been cast in the series on February 18, 2004.
Susan's accident-proneness
is commonly used throughout the series to provide comic relief. Her susceptibility to bad luck and embarrassing situations have created some of the series' most memorable moments, including accidentally burning down Edie's house and being locked out of her own house completely naked. Susan's poor cooking skills have also become a running gag
in the series.
). She was told her father was a United States Merchant Marine who died in the Battle of Hanoi
during the Vietnam War
. She was a cheerleader in high school and graduated as valedictorian
of her class. She graduated from community college
with an art degree. Eventually, Susan began writing and illustrating children's books, the first of which was Ants in My Picnic Basket.
In her early twenties, Susan married Karl Mayer (Richard Burgi
) and gave birth to their daughter, Julie (Andrea Bowen
), at age 26. In 1992, the family moved to Wisteria Lane
in Fairview, Eagle State
, where Susan befriended Mary Alice Young
(Brenda Strong
), her new neighbor. Susan became close friends with Bree Van de Kamp
(Marcia Cross
), Lynette Scavo
(Felicity Huffman
), and Gabrielle Solis
(Eva Longoria
) when they moved to Wisteria Lane. In 2003, Karl left Susan for his secretary, Brandi (Anne Dudek
). The two divorced and agreed to share custody of Julie, although she chose to live primarily with Susan.
(James Denton
), a plumber who has recently moved in across the street. Susan begins dating Mike, despite competition from Edie Britt
(Nicollette Sheridan
). Meanwhile, Susan begins investigating Mary Alice's suicide after she and her friends discover a blackmail note addressed to her. Later, Susan discovers that Mary Alice's husband, Paul
(Mark Moses
), had their son, Zach (Cody Kasch
), committed to a youth mental institution after he broke into the Van de Kamp house and decorated it for Christmas, Julie begins corresponding with Zach without Susan's knowledge and hides him in her room when he escapes from the institution. When Susan finds Zach in her home, she and Mike return him to Paul; however, Julie and Zach continue dating. Paul fabricates unconvincing lies to thwart Susan's efforts to discover his family's secrets.
As her relationship with Mike progresses, Susan becomes suspicious of his past, especially when she finds a gun and large sums of money in his kitchen cabinets. Additionally, evidence connecting Mike to the murder of Wisteria Lane resident, Martha Huber (Christine Estabrook
), surfaces. Susan ends the relationship when police inform her that Mike was convicted of manslaughter
and drug trafficking. However, Susan learns the murder was accidental and the two renew their relationship and agree that Mike will move into Susan's house. While Mike is away on business, Susan finds Zach, armed with a handgun, in Mike's house. He vows to kill Mike when he comes home as he believes Mike killed Paul.
). She tries to establish a relationship with her reluctant father, but her attempts are effectively unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Susan is dismayed to learn that Karl has moved in with Edie. She begins dating her doctor, Ron McCready (Jay Harrington
), who informs her that she has a wandering spleen
and will need a splenectomy
. When Susan learns that her health insurance will not cover the operation, Karl offers to remarry her for his medical benefits. They agree to keep their sham marriage
a secret from Edie and Ron. While under anesthesia
before her operation, Susan professes her love for Mike to Ron, which prompts Ron to break up with her. Soon after, Karl leaves Edie, as his love for Susan has resurfaced. Upon learning that Susan is the other woman
, Edie intentionally sets Susan's house on fire. In this time of need, both Mike and Karl vie for Susan's affections. She chooses to rekindle her relationship with Mike and Karl signs the divorce papers. Susan and Mike then make plans to meet for dinner at nearby Torch Lake, where Mike plans to propose. On his way to dinner, Mike is a victim of a hit-and-run
at the hands of Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan
), a dentist whom Susan had recently befriended.
. Having waited six months for Mike to wake up, she reluctantly enters a relationship with Ian Hainsworth (Dougray Scott
), a British man whose wife, Jane (Cecily Gambrell), has been in a coma for years. When Mike finally awakens, doctors conclude that he now suffers from retrograde amnesia
. While Susan is out of town, Edie convinces Mike that Susan was horrible to him during their relationship. Mike turns Susan away when she returns to Fairview. Having lost hope, Susan continues her romance with Ian. Meanwhile, Susan is suspicious of Orson, who has married Bree and is accused of killing his missing ex-wife, Alma (Valerie Mahaffey). When Mike is arrested for the murder of Monique Polier (Kathleen York
), Orson's former mistress, Edie breaks up with him, leaving him without bail. Susan defends Mike, which frustrates Ian. He promises to pay for Mike's bail if Susan breaks off all contact with him. Mike is eventually acquitted for the crime. Following Jane's death, Susan accepts Ian's marriage proposal.
As he slowly regains his memory, Mike recalls his feelings for Susan and challenges Ian for her affections. When Susan learns that the two had made a bet on her in a game of poker, she calls off the wedding and declares that she does not want to see either of them again. Realizing that letting both of them go is a mistake, Susan decides to take Ian back. However, he tells her that he cannot spend the rest of his life wondering if she is still in love with Mike, and he leaves. Susan and Mike reunite and become engaged. The couple get married in a private ceremony in the woods, with Julie as their only guest.
, one month after her wedding, Susan learns that she is pregnant. While looking into their medical histories for the baby's interest, Mike is forced to tell Susan that he lied about his father being dead. Susan visits Mike's father, Nick (Robert Forster
), who is in jail for murder. Nick warns Susan that Mike is still troubled by demons of his past. With the stress of finances for the baby, Mike begins working overtime, despite an injury resulting from the hit-and-run over a year ago. He begins relying heavily on painkillers. Susan confronts Mike about his addiction, threatening to leave him if he does not enter rehab
; he agrees to admit himself. After a devastating tornado hits Wisteria Lane, Bree, Orson, and their newborn, Benjamin, move into Susan's house temporarily. During his stay, Orson develops a sleep walking habit and unconsciously admits to running over Mike with his car. Susan feels extremely betrayed and Bree, unable to forgive Orson, asks him to move out. Shortly after, Susan gives birth to a baby boy, whom she names Maynard, after Mike's deceased grandfather.
, Susan and Mike are involved in a car crash that kills a mother and her daughter. Although Susan was driving, Mike takes the blame, as Susan did not have her license with her at the time. Susan feels incredibly guilty for taking the lives of Lila (Marie Caldare) and Paige Dash (Madeleine Michelle Dunn), but Mike insists it was not their fault. The argument over the topic becomes so great that it results in divorce. Giving up on love, Susan engages in a casual relationship
with her house painter, Jackson Braddock (Gale Harold
).
(Dana Delany
). Realizing she cannot keep Mike from being happy, she gives the couple her blessing, despite still feeling uncomfortable. Susan and Mike decide to enroll M.J. in private school, and Susan takes a job as an assistant art teacher at the school to help pay for the tuition. With both Susan and Mike employed, M.J. spends more time under Katherine's care, which makes Susan uneasy. She is heartbroken to learn that Mike and Katherine have decided to move in with one another and become engaged.
Susan attempts to console Edie's husband, Dave Williams (Neal McDonough
), following Edie's death. She explains the truth behind her own accident, completely unaware that Lila and Paige Dash were Dave's wife and daughter, respectively, and that he had been seeking revenge on Mike since moving to Wisteria Lane. Meanwhile, Jackson returns to Fairview and proposes to Susan, revealing that his visa
has expired and he needs to marry an American citizen. When Susan learns that Mike, who is engaged to Katherine, will no longer have to pay alimony
once she is married, she explains the false pretenses of her engagement. Dave, who now understands that Susan was driving the car that killed his family, overhears this and reports Jackson to immigration officials. With Jackson out of the picture, Dave invites Susan and M.J. on a fishing trip, planning to kill M.J. just like Susan killed his own child. Mike discovers Dave's plans and is able to save Susan and M.J. After the ordeal, Susan and Mike share a brief, yet romantic kiss. Dave is sent to a psychiatric hospital
in Boston
and two months later, Mike marries an unidentified bride.
. Her marriage to Mike destroys her friendship with Katherine. After the wedding, Julie is strangled outside of Susan's home. Julie slips into a coma following her attack. While waiting for her to awaken, Susan learns that Julie had dropped out of medical school, was involved with a married man, and had a pregnancy scare before her attack. When Julie awakens, she refuses to identify the married man she was seeing. Later in the season, Julie's attacker is revealed to be Eddie Orlofsky (Josh Zuckerman
), a local young adult who is also responsible for a handful of murders in Fairview. Prior to the attack, Susan had taken Eddie on as an art student and he developed a crush on her. When he discovered that she was remarrying Mike and that she did not see him as a romantic suitor, he attacked Julie, mistaking her for Susan.
Katherine continues to pursue Mike, believing that he is still in love with her. Mike warns her to leave his family alone and claims he never truly loved her. After he leaves, Katherine calls 9-1-1
asking for an ambulance, and then stabs herself with a knife with Mike's fingerprints on it. Katherine frames Mike for her wound. Susan, realizing that Katherine has suffered a total nervous breakdown, calls Katherine's daughter, Dylan (Lyndsy Fonseca
), who comes to town and has her mother committed for psychiatric observation. Susan later forgives Katherine once she recovers from her breakdown. Soon after, Mike reveals that he has accumulated an immense debt in the past year. Unable to balance their debt, Susan and Mike decide to move off Wisteria Lane and rent their house out temporarily. They move into an apartment across town while Paul Young rents their house on Wisteria Lane.
), to appear on a website in which she does housework in her lingerie in order to make ends meet, though she keeps her new job a secret from her friends and family. Soon after, Maxine's site is merged with a larger company that uses Susan's image to advertise the website on billboards across the country. Susan pays the company $9,000 to have the billboards removed. As a result, she begins working for the website's video chatting
services to earn back the money. Paul discovers her secret and threatens to expose it unless she sells him her home, in which he now lives with his second wife, Beth (Emily Bergl
). Hoping to derail Paul's blackmail scheme, Susan tells Mike about her job on the website. Paul retaliates by spreading the word about Susan's involvement with the website, causing her to lose her teaching job. Strapped for money, Mike accepts a job on an oil rig in Alaska and Susan becomes Lynette's nanny.
After purchasing a majority of the houses on Wisteria Lane, Paul announces that he plans to open a halfway house for ex-convicts on the street. A protest against his plan escalates into a violent riot and Susan is trampled by the unruly crowd. As a result, Susan loses a kidney learns that her second kidney is deformed and she is at severe risk of renal failure
. Susan reluctantly agrees to undergo dialysis
while waiting for a transplant. After Paul throws her out, Beth submits paperwork indicating that in the event of her death, her kidney would be given to Susan, and then commits suicide. Despite initial refusal, Paul allows the operation to move forward and he and Susan reconcile. After discovering that Paul has been depressed following Beth's suicide, Susan begins cooking meals for him with the assistance of Felicia Tilman (Harriet Sansom Harris
), Beth's mother and Martha Huber's sister, who secretly adds antifreeze
to the food in an effort to kill him. Paul nearly dies as a result of the poisoned food. Unaware that Felicia is helping prepare his meals, Paul has Susan arrested for attempting to kill him. Eventually, Susan is released, Paul confesses to the murder of Martha Huber, and Felicia presumably dies in a car crash while fleeing town. Susan and her family move back onto Wisteria Lane. During a dinner party, Gabrielle's former stepfather, Alejandro (Tony Plana
), who raped her during her childhood, attempts to harm Gabrielle until her husband, Carlos Solis
(Ricardo Antonio Chavira
) kills him. Susan, Lynette, and Bree agree to help cover up the crime.
) and discovers that her guilt over the cover-up has provided her with a renewed artistic ability. In a series of paintings, Susan depicts the scene of Alejandro's death and subsequent burial, which arouses the suspicion of Detective Chuck Vance (Jonathan Cake), Bree's embittered ex-boyfriend assigned to Alejandro's missing person report.
called Hatcher's performance in the pilot episode "a huge surprise," commenting that she gives "self-effacing, disheveled and sadly hopeless Susan a spirit that makes you root for her". Robert Bianco
of USA Today
declared that Hatcher delivered "a revelatory performance". Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com
was less enthusiastic, criticizing Hatcher for overacting. In the series' second season, Susan becomes less important as Bree "comfortably moves into position as the show's lead". Many critics noted that the character suffered as a result of the declining quality of the second season. Bianco wrote that the writers were making Susan "too stupid". Hatcher continued to provide comic relief in the third season. By season four, critics thought that Susan's story lines were the least interesting and that she had not "operated at full potential since [her] pivotal role in the debut season". Bianco was more forgiving, stating that while "Susan's silliness sometimes spirals out of control, Teri Hatcher usually manages to keep her likable". As a result of the five-year time jump between seasons four and five, a new direction was taken with Susan's character. The Stat-Legends Alan Sepinwall calls Susan's character arc
in season five the "least annoying storyline she's had in at least three years". However, Tanner Stransky
of Entertainment Weekly
still felt the character was "ever-annoying". In the series' sixth season, Stransky stated that Susan was still "whiny" and he would have rather seen Mike marry Katherine, though he was not surprised when the mystery bride was revealed to be Susan.
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Comedy Series in 2005, beating out fellow cast members Marcia Cross
and Felicity Huffman
. Also that year, Hatcher received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2005, Hatcher, along with Cross and Huffman, received a nomination for a Satellite Award in the Best Television Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, but was beaten out by Huffman. In 2006, Hatcher was once again nominated for the Golden Globe Award in the same category, along with Cross, Huffman, and Eva Longoria
. All four Desperate Housewives stars lost to Mary-Louise Parker. Hatcher was also nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress and a People's Choice Award for Favorite Female TV Star.
in which the character of Susan made a controversial remark about Filipino
doctors. When her gynecologist suggests that she may be entering menopause
, Susan responds "OK, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Just to make sure they aren't, like, from some med school in the Philippines?" Following its broadcast, viewers demanded an apology from the network. ABC issued an apology on October 3, but the controversy grew to an international concern and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III of Manila
publicly sought an apology from the series' producers. Protests against the network and series were staged, prompting ABC to remove the episode from digital and online platforms in order to apply edits. As a result, the line of controversy was removed from all future broadcasts of the episode, as well as from DVD productions. However, protests continued even after this action was taken. The scene with the line in question is still viewable on YouTube
.
portrayed Susan in a Desperate Housewives parody on an episode of MADtv
. Susan's klutziness is mocked in the skit. Colette Whitaker voices Susan in the Desperate Housewives computer game
, which was released in October 2006. In 2007, Madame Alexander
released a line of 16-inch fashion dolls of the series' titular characters, including Susan.
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...
played by 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...
on the American Broadcasting Company
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...
(ABC) 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 was 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:...
and first appeared in the pilot episode of the series on October 3, 2004. Susan resides on the fictional 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 Fairview, Eagle State
Fairview (Desperate Housewives)
Fairview is the fictional setting for the American television comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives.-Location:The state in which Fairview resides is ambiguous, however more than likely it is suburban Mississippi...
, the primary setting of the show. One of four lead characters, Susan is characterized as being a "notoriously clumsy" romantic with a "magnetic charm." Her storylines tend to focus on her romantic relationships, most notably 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 (actor)
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:...
), whom she marries twice in the series.
Cherry originally created Susan as a girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
archetype and intended for the character to provide an emotional anchor for the series. When developing the character, Cherry drew upon his personal experiences as well as those of single women in his life. The role was originally written for Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker is an American actress, known for her current lead role on Showtime's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin, for which she has received several nominations and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2006...
, who turned it down; as a result, Hatcher was cast in early 2004. Hatcher's portrayal of the character is both comedic and vulnerable. During the series' debut season, both the character and Hatcher's performance received positive critical reception; however, as the series has progressed, the character has been received less favorably by critics and fans. Hatcher has received both a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
and Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in the series.
Development and casting
While developing the series, Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry envisioned Susan as a girl next doorGirl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
and chose her to convey this image. In the original pilot, the character's surname was spelled "Meyer" but had to be changed to "Mayer" for clearance purposes. Cherry commented, "I knew Susan was going to be my anchor character, and I didn't really know my take on her at first. And then it occurred to me that one of these women should be divorced ... I thought there was something so real about a woman saying, 'I don't have much time left,' and when this available hunky guy moves onto the street, something in her saying 'Let me at him'". The character is a compendium of single mothers in Cherry's life "desperate to land a man". He also drew upon his own personal experiences while creating the character.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....
expressed interest in the role, but ABC executives felt she was not right for the part. Actors originally considered for the role include Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
, Calista Flockhart
Calista Flockhart
Calista Kay Flockhart is an American actress who is primarily recognized for her work in television. She is best known for playing the title character in the Fox comedy-drama series Ally McBeal for which she won a Golden Globe Award...
, Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
, Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker
Mary-Louise Parker is an American actress, known for her current lead role on Showtime's television series Weeds portraying Nancy Botwin, for which she has received several nominations and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2006...
, and Sela Ward
Sela Ward
Sela Ann Ward is an American movie and television actress, perhaps best known for her television roles as Teddy Reed on the American TV series Sisters and as Lily Manning on Once and Again...
. Cherry wrote the part with Parker in mind, but she rejected the offer, later explaining "it just didn’t feel like I was gonna [sic] serve it as well as someone else might". Teri Hatcher auditioned for the role in January 2004 and impressed Cherry immediately. After a second audition, Hatcher read for the role in front of network executives. Cherry praised her performance, saying "it was the best audition I've ever seen in network". Hatcher later commented, "I don't think they were hot to hire me for Susan ... I was maybe on a B-list, certainly not an A-list". Despite her reservations, Hatcher was the third reported cast member to have been cast in the series on February 18, 2004.
Personality and characteristics
Susan is primarily characterized as the girl next door. Teri Hatcher called the character "a great representation of what [everyone] deals with daily. Our responsibilities can be overwhelming and things often don't go as you planned, so you have to roll with it. Susan celebrates rolling with it". She is a hopeless romantic and often expresses her more openly and vulnerably than the other characters in the series. The series begins a year after Susan's first divorce, when she is still emotionally raw. Throughout the series, several other characters have confronted Susan about her inability to live happily and without drama. Susan has a close relationship with her daughter, Julie, who often acts as the parent figure in the relationship.Susan's accident-proneness
Accident-proneness
Accident-proneness, also known as clumsiness, is the conception that some people might have predisposition, or that they might be more likely to suffer accidents, such as car crashes and industrial injuries, than other people...
is commonly used throughout the series to provide comic relief. Her susceptibility to bad luck and embarrassing situations have created some of the series' most memorable moments, including accidentally burning down Edie's house and being locked out of her own house completely naked. Susan's poor cooking skills have also become a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the series.
Overview
Susan Bremmer was raised by single mother Sophie Bremmer (Lesley Ann WarrenLesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
). She was told her father was a United States Merchant Marine who died in the Battle of Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. She was a cheerleader in high school and graduated as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of her class. She graduated from community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
with an art degree. Eventually, Susan began writing and illustrating children's books, the first of which was Ants in My Picnic Basket.
In her early twenties, Susan married Karl Mayer (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:...
) and gave birth to their daughter, Julie (Andrea Bowen
Andrea Bowen
Andrea Lauren Bowen is an American actress who is best known for playing Julie Mayer on Desperate Housewives . She has won two SAG Awards.-Biography:...
), at age 26. In 1992, the family moved to 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 Fairview, Eagle State
Fairview (Desperate Housewives)
Fairview is the fictional setting for the American television comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives.-Location:The state in which Fairview resides is ambiguous, however more than likely it is suburban Mississippi...
, where Susan befriended 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...
(Brenda Strong
Brenda Strong
Brenda Lee Strong is an American actress and yoga instructor, known for her roles as as Capt. Deladier in the 1997 hit movie Starship Troopers and Mary Alice Young on the television show Desperate Housewives....
), her new neighbor. Susan became close friends with 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...
), 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...
), and 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
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
) when they moved to Wisteria Lane. In 2003, Karl left Susan for his secretary, Brandi (Anne Dudek
Anne Dudek
Anne Louise Dudek is an American actress, known for her role as Dr. Amber Volakis on the television show House and her leading role on UK television series The Book Group as well as playing Francine Hanson in the series Mad Men...
). The two divorced and agreed to share custody of Julie, although she chose to live primarily with Susan.
Season One
A year after her divorce, Susan takes an interest in 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 :...
(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:...
), a plumber who has recently moved in across the street. Susan begins dating Mike, despite competition from 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...
(Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan is an English film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives and as Paige Matheson on Knots Landing.-Early life:...
). Meanwhile, Susan begins investigating Mary Alice's suicide after she and her friends discover a blackmail note addressed to her. Later, Susan discovers that Mary Alice's husband, Paul
Paul Young (Desperate Housewives)
Paul Young is a fictional character on ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor Mark Moses. He is the widower of Mary Alice Young, the show's narrator, as well as the widower of Beth Young....
(Mark Moses
Mark Moses
Mark W. Moses is an American actor, known for his roles of Paul Young on Desperate Housewives and Herman "Duck" Phillips on the AMC series Mad Men.-Life and career:...
), had their son, Zach (Cody Kasch
Cody Kasch
-Early life:Kasch was born of Scottish heritage in Santa Monica, California and raised in Ojai, California on a working ranch until he was nearly fourteen, when he moved to Camarillo, California.-Movie career:...
), committed to a youth mental institution after he broke into the Van de Kamp house and decorated it for Christmas, Julie begins corresponding with Zach without Susan's knowledge and hides him in her room when he escapes from the institution. When Susan finds Zach in her home, she and Mike return him to Paul; however, Julie and Zach continue dating. Paul fabricates unconvincing lies to thwart Susan's efforts to discover his family's secrets.
As her relationship with Mike progresses, Susan becomes suspicious of his past, especially when she finds a gun and large sums of money in his kitchen cabinets. Additionally, evidence connecting Mike to the murder of Wisteria Lane resident, Martha Huber (Christine Estabrook
Christine Estabrook
Christine Estabrook is an American television and film actress. She has been featured in several motion pictures mostly in supporting roles...
), surfaces. Susan ends the relationship when police inform her that Mike was convicted of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
and drug trafficking. However, Susan learns the murder was accidental and the two renew their relationship and agree that Mike will move into Susan's house. While Mike is away on business, Susan finds Zach, armed with a handgun, in Mike's house. He vows to kill Mike when he comes home as he believes Mike killed Paul.
Season Two
When Mike arrives home, Zach's murder scheme backfires and he runs away. Mike informs Susan that he recently learned that Zach is his biological son. Susan agrees to help Mike search for Zach and finds him in a nearby park. When Zach expresses hope of rekindling his romance with Julie, she gives him money to look for Paul in Utah. When Mike finds out about her betrayal, he ends their relationship. Susan decides to write an autobiography following the break-up. While researching her father, she learns that her mother lied and her father is local business owner Addison Prudy (Paul DooleyPaul Dooley
-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
). She tries to establish a relationship with her reluctant father, but her attempts are effectively unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, Susan is dismayed to learn that Karl has moved in with Edie. She begins dating her doctor, Ron McCready (Jay Harrington
Jay Harrington
Jay H. Harrington III is an American actor. His most recent role was the title character in the ABC sitcom Better Off Ted.- Personal life :...
), who informs her that she has a wandering spleen
Wandering spleen
Wandering spleen is a rare medical disease caused by the loss or weakening of the ligaments that help to hold the spleen.-Background:...
and will need a splenectomy
Splenectomy
A splenectomy is a surgical procedure that partially or completely removes the spleen.-Indications:The spleen, similar in structure to a large lymph node, acts as a blood filter. Current knowledge of its purpose includes the removal of old red blood cells and platelets, and the detection and fight...
. When Susan learns that her health insurance will not cover the operation, Karl offers to remarry her for his medical benefits. They agree to keep their sham marriage
Sham marriage
A sham marriage or fake marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into with the intent of deceiving public officials or society about its purpose. Arranging or entering into such a marriage to deceive public officials is itself a separate violation of the law of some countries...
a secret from Edie and Ron. While under anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
before her operation, Susan professes her love for Mike to Ron, which prompts Ron to break up with her. Soon after, Karl leaves Edie, as his love for Susan has resurfaced. Upon learning that Susan is the other woman
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
, Edie intentionally sets Susan's house on fire. In this time of need, both Mike and Karl vie for Susan's affections. She chooses to rekindle her relationship with Mike and Karl signs the divorce papers. Susan and Mike then make plans to meet for dinner at nearby Torch Lake, where Mike plans to propose. On his way to dinner, Mike is a victim of a hit-and-run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
at the hands of 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...
), a dentist whom Susan had recently befriended.
Season Three
As a result of the hit-and-run, Mike falls into a comaComa
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. Having waited six months for Mike to wake up, she reluctantly enters a relationship with Ian Hainsworth (Dougray Scott
Dougray Scott
-Early life:The son of Elma, a nurse, and Alan Scott, an actor and salesperson, Stephen Dougray Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife and attended Auchmuty High School...
), a British man whose wife, Jane (Cecily Gambrell), has been in a coma for years. When Mike finally awakens, doctors conclude that he now suffers from retrograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia is a loss of access to events that occurred, or information that was learned, before an injury or the onset of a disease....
. While Susan is out of town, Edie convinces Mike that Susan was horrible to him during their relationship. Mike turns Susan away when she returns to Fairview. Having lost hope, Susan continues her romance with Ian. Meanwhile, Susan is suspicious of Orson, who has married Bree and is accused of killing his missing ex-wife, Alma (Valerie Mahaffey). When Mike is arrested for the murder of Monique Polier (Kathleen York
Kathleen York
Kathleen "Bird" York is an actress, screenwriter and Oscar nominated songwriter-recording artist.As a screenwriter, York has written projects for John Wells Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount and has just completed a one hour pilot for Fox Television Studios...
), Orson's former mistress, Edie breaks up with him, leaving him without bail. Susan defends Mike, which frustrates Ian. He promises to pay for Mike's bail if Susan breaks off all contact with him. Mike is eventually acquitted for the crime. Following Jane's death, Susan accepts Ian's marriage proposal.
As he slowly regains his memory, Mike recalls his feelings for Susan and challenges Ian for her affections. When Susan learns that the two had made a bet on her in a game of poker, she calls off the wedding and declares that she does not want to see either of them again. Realizing that letting both of them go is a mistake, Susan decides to take Ian back. However, he tells her that he cannot spend the rest of his life wondering if she is still in love with Mike, and he leaves. Susan and Mike reunite and become engaged. The couple get married in a private ceremony in the woods, with Julie as their only guest.
Season Four
In the fourth season premiereNow 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...
, one month after her wedding, Susan learns that she is pregnant. While looking into their medical histories for the baby's interest, Mike is forced to tell Susan that he lied about his father being dead. Susan visits Mike's father, Nick (Robert Forster
Robert Forster
Robert Forster is an American actor, best known for his roles as John Cassellis in Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, and as Max Cherry in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, the latter of which gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.- Early life :Forster was born Robert Wallace...
), who is in jail for murder. Nick warns Susan that Mike is still troubled by demons of his past. With the stress of finances for the baby, Mike begins working overtime, despite an injury resulting from the hit-and-run over a year ago. He begins relying heavily on painkillers. Susan confronts Mike about his addiction, threatening to leave him if he does not enter rehab
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
; he agrees to admit himself. After a devastating tornado hits Wisteria Lane, Bree, Orson, and their newborn, Benjamin, move into Susan's house temporarily. During his stay, Orson develops a sleep walking habit and unconsciously admits to running over Mike with his car. Susan feels extremely betrayed and Bree, unable to forgive Orson, asks him to move out. Shortly after, Susan gives birth to a baby boy, whom she names Maynard, after Mike's deceased grandfather.
Five-year jump
In the five years that take place between seasons four and fiveDesperate Housewives (season 5)
The fifth season of Desperate Housewives, an American television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on ABC on September 28, 2008 and concluded on May 17, 2009...
, Susan and Mike are involved in a car crash that kills a mother and her daughter. Although Susan was driving, Mike takes the blame, as Susan did not have her license with her at the time. Susan feels incredibly guilty for taking the lives of Lila (Marie Caldare) and Paige Dash (Madeleine Michelle Dunn), but Mike insists it was not their fault. The argument over the topic becomes so great that it results in divorce. Giving up on love, Susan engages in a casual relationship
Casual relationship
A casual relationship, colloquially known as a fling, is a physical and emotional relationship between two people who may have a sexual relationship or a near-sexual relationship without necessarily demanding or expecting the extra commitments of a more formal romantic relationship...
with her house painter, Jackson Braddock (Gale Harold
Gale Harold
Gale Morgan Harold III is an American actor widely known for his roles on Queer as Folk, Desperate Housewives and Hellcats.-Early life:...
).
Season Five
While Susan manages to keep her relationship with Jackson a secret from her friends and her son, nicknamed M.J., Jackson seeks a deeper connection with her. Soon enough, Mike and M.J. learn about the relationship. Jackson makes the sudden announcement that he is moving to nearby Riverton for work and asks Susan to come with him. After much consideration, Susan decides that she is unsure of what she wants and turns down Jackson's offer. Also, Mike moves across the street from Susan and begins dating her close friend and neighbor, Katherine MayfairKatherine 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...
). Realizing she cannot keep Mike from being happy, she gives the couple her blessing, despite still feeling uncomfortable. Susan and Mike decide to enroll M.J. in private school, and Susan takes a job as an assistant art teacher at the school to help pay for the tuition. With both Susan and Mike employed, M.J. spends more time under Katherine's care, which makes Susan uneasy. She is heartbroken to learn that Mike and Katherine have decided to move in with one another and become engaged.
Susan attempts to console Edie's husband, 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...
), following Edie's death. She explains the truth behind her own accident, completely unaware that Lila and Paige Dash were Dave's wife and daughter, respectively, and that he had been seeking revenge on Mike since moving to Wisteria Lane. Meanwhile, Jackson returns to Fairview and proposes to Susan, revealing that his visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
has expired and he needs to marry an American citizen. When Susan learns that Mike, who is engaged to Katherine, will no longer have to pay alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
once she is married, she explains the false pretenses of her engagement. Dave, who now understands that Susan was driving the car that killed his family, overhears this and reports Jackson to immigration officials. With Jackson out of the picture, Dave invites Susan and M.J. on a fishing trip, planning to kill M.J. just like Susan killed his own child. Mike discovers Dave's plans and is able to save Susan and M.J. After the ordeal, Susan and Mike share a brief, yet romantic kiss. Dave is sent to a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and two months later, Mike marries an unidentified bride.
Season Six
Susan is identified as Mike's bride 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...
. Her marriage to Mike destroys her friendship with Katherine. After the wedding, Julie is strangled outside of Susan's home. Julie slips into a coma following her attack. While waiting for her to awaken, Susan learns that Julie had dropped out of medical school, was involved with a married man, and had a pregnancy scare before her attack. When Julie awakens, she refuses to identify the married man she was seeing. Later in the season, Julie's attacker is revealed to be Eddie Orlofsky (Josh Zuckerman
Josh Zuckerman (actor)
Joshua Ryan "Josh" Zuckerman is an American actor. Perhaps he is known for playing Mark Hughgrant in the science fiction TV series Kyle XY, Eddie Orlofsky for Desperate Housewives both aired into ABC and currently Max Miller in the spin-off of 1990's TV adaption 90210 aired on The CW.-Life and...
), a local young adult who is also responsible for a handful of murders in Fairview. Prior to the attack, Susan had taken Eddie on as an art student and he developed a crush on her. When he discovered that she was remarrying Mike and that she did not see him as a romantic suitor, he attacked Julie, mistaking her for Susan.
Katherine continues to pursue Mike, believing that he is still in love with her. Mike warns her to leave his family alone and claims he never truly loved her. After he leaves, Katherine calls 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
asking for an ambulance, and then stabs herself with a knife with Mike's fingerprints on it. Katherine frames Mike for her wound. Susan, realizing that Katherine has suffered a total nervous breakdown, calls Katherine's 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...
), who comes to town and has her mother committed for psychiatric observation. Susan later forgives Katherine once she recovers from her breakdown. Soon after, Mike reveals that he has accumulated an immense debt in the past year. Unable to balance their debt, Susan and Mike decide to move off Wisteria Lane and rent their house out temporarily. They move into an apartment across town while Paul Young rents their house on Wisteria Lane.
Season Seven
Susan accepts an offer from her landlady, Maxine Rosen (Lainie KazanLainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...
), to appear on a website in which she does housework in her lingerie in order to make ends meet, though she keeps her new job a secret from her friends and family. Soon after, Maxine's site is merged with a larger company that uses Susan's image to advertise the website on billboards across the country. Susan pays the company $9,000 to have the billboards removed. As a result, she begins working for the website's video chatting
Videotelephony
Videotelephony comprises the technologies for the reception and transmission of audio-video signals by users at different locations, for communication between people in real-time....
services to earn back the money. Paul discovers her secret and threatens to expose it unless she sells him her home, in which he now lives with his second wife, Beth (Emily Bergl
Emily Bergl
Anne Emily Bergl is an English-born American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her role as Rachel Lang on the film The Rage: Carrie 2 , Annie O'Donnell on the ABC television show Men in Trees , Beth Young on Desperate Housewives and Tammy Bryant on the TNT drama series...
). Hoping to derail Paul's blackmail scheme, Susan tells Mike about her job on the website. Paul retaliates by spreading the word about Susan's involvement with the website, causing her to lose her teaching job. Strapped for money, Mike accepts a job on an oil rig in Alaska and Susan becomes Lynette's nanny.
After purchasing a majority of the houses on Wisteria Lane, Paul announces that he plans to open a halfway house for ex-convicts on the street. A protest against his plan escalates into a violent riot and Susan is trampled by the unruly crowd. As a result, Susan loses a kidney learns that her second kidney is deformed and she is at severe risk of renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
. Susan reluctantly agrees to undergo dialysis
Dialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
while waiting for a transplant. After Paul throws her out, Beth submits paperwork indicating that in the event of her death, her kidney would be given to Susan, and then commits suicide. Despite initial refusal, Paul allows the operation to move forward and he and Susan reconcile. After discovering that Paul has been depressed following Beth's suicide, Susan begins cooking meals for him with the assistance of Felicia Tilman (Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris
Harriet Sansom Harris , often credited as "Harriet Harris" is an American actress best known for her portrayals of Bebe Glazer on Frasier and Felicia Tilman on Desperate Housewives. She won a Tony Award in 2002 as a Featured Actress in a Musical for playing the evil white slaver Mrs. Meers in...
), Beth's mother and Martha Huber's sister, who secretly adds antifreeze
Antifreeze
Antifreeze is a freeze preventive used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters....
to the food in an effort to kill him. Paul nearly dies as a result of the poisoned food. Unaware that Felicia is helping prepare his meals, Paul has Susan arrested for attempting to kill him. Eventually, Susan is released, Paul confesses to the murder of Martha Huber, and Felicia presumably dies in a car crash while fleeing town. Susan and her family move back onto Wisteria Lane. During a dinner party, Gabrielle's former stepfather, Alejandro (Tony Plana
Tony Plana
Tony Plana is a Cuban-American actor and director. He is well known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC show Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
), who raped her during her childhood, attempts to harm Gabrielle until her husband, 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:...
) kills him. Susan, Lynette, and Bree agree to help cover up the crime.
Season Eight
As a result of covering up Alejandro's death, Susan begins to withdraw from her friends and family out of guilt. When Mike suspects that she is unhappy in their marriage, Susan considers telling him about the cover-up, but Bree discourages her, pointing out that Mike will be implicated if they are ever caught. She and Carlos bond over their mutual guilt. When Mike begins to suspect Susan and Carlos are having an affair, they decide to tell him the truth about the cover-up. Soon after, Susan begins taking an art class with the renowned painter Andre Zeller (Miguel FerrerMiguel Ferrer
Miguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
) and discovers that her guilt over the cover-up has provided her with a renewed artistic ability. In a series of paintings, Susan depicts the scene of Alejandro's death and subsequent burial, which arouses the suspicion of Detective Chuck Vance (Jonathan Cake), Bree's embittered ex-boyfriend assigned to Alejandro's missing person report.
Critical
In the first season of Desperate Housewives, the character of Susan was a critics' favorite and generally regarded as the series' most prominent role. Hatcher's portrayal as Susan received praise in the series' first year. Tim Goodman of the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
called Hatcher's performance in the pilot episode "a huge surprise," commenting that she gives "self-effacing, disheveled and sadly hopeless Susan a spirit that makes you root for her". Robert Bianco
Robert 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...
declared that Hatcher delivered "a revelatory performance". Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
was less enthusiastic, criticizing Hatcher for overacting. In the series' second season, Susan becomes less important as Bree "comfortably moves into position as the show's lead". Many critics noted that the character suffered as a result of the declining quality of the second season. Bianco wrote that the writers were making Susan "too stupid". Hatcher continued to provide comic relief in the third season. By season four, critics thought that Susan's story lines were the least interesting and that she had not "operated at full potential since [her] pivotal role in the debut season". Bianco was more forgiving, stating that while "Susan's silliness sometimes spirals out of control, Teri Hatcher usually manages to keep her likable". As a result of the five-year time jump between seasons four and five, a new direction was taken with Susan's character. The Stat-Legends Alan Sepinwall calls Susan's character arc
Character arc
A character arc is the status of the character as it unfolds throughout the story, the storyline or series of episodes. Characters begin the story with a certain viewpoint and, through events in the story, that viewpoint changes. A character arc generally only affects the main character in a...
in season five the "least annoying storyline she's had in at least three years". However, 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...
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...
still felt the character was "ever-annoying". In the series' sixth season, Stransky stated that Susan was still "whiny" and he would have rather seen Mike marry Katherine, though he was not surprised when the mystery bride was revealed to be Susan.
Awards
Hatcher won the Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Comedy Series in 2005, beating out fellow cast members 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...
and 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...
. Also that year, Hatcher received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2005, Hatcher, along with Cross and Huffman, received a nomination for a Satellite Award in the Best Television Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series. She was also nominated 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...
for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, but was beaten out by Huffman. In 2006, Hatcher was once again nominated for the Golden Globe Award in the same category, along with Cross, Huffman, and Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
. All four Desperate Housewives stars lost to Mary-Louise Parker. Hatcher was also nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress and a People's Choice Award for Favorite Female TV Star.
Controversy
ABC and the Desperate Housewives producers faced criticism following the September 30, 2007 fourth season premiereNow 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...
in which the character of Susan made a controversial remark about Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
doctors. When her gynecologist suggests that she may be entering menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
, Susan responds "OK, before we go any further, can I check these diplomas? Just to make sure they aren't, like, from some med school in the Philippines?" Following its broadcast, viewers demanded an apology from the network. ABC issued an apology on October 3, but the controversy grew to an international concern and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
publicly sought an apology from the series' producers. Protests against the network and series were staged, prompting ABC to remove the episode from digital and online platforms in order to apply edits. As a result, the line of controversy was removed from all future broadcasts of the episode, as well as from DVD productions. However, protests continued even after this action was taken. The scene with the line in question is still viewable on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Cultural influences and merchandise
Nicole ParkerNicole Parker
Nicole Frances Parker is an Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show MADtv. In July 2009, she concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked...
portrayed Susan in a Desperate Housewives parody on an episode of MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
. Susan's klutziness is mocked in the skit. Colette Whitaker voices Susan in the Desperate Housewives computer game
Desperate Housewives: The Game
Desperate Housewives: The Game is a life simulation adventure game developed by Liquid Entertainment and released by Buena Vista Games in October 2006. It is based on the television series Desperate Housewives. The player takes the part of a housewife with amnesia who has recently moved with her...
, which was released in October 2006. In 2007, Madame Alexander
Madame Alexander
Madame Alexander is a brand of American collectible dolls introduced in 1923.Madame Alexander is also the business name of Beatrice Alexander, who was born Bertha Alexander, later changed her name to Beatrice, married Philip Behrman and then started her doll business...
released a line of 16-inch fashion dolls of the series' titular characters, including Susan.