"The Ladies Who Lunch" is the 16th episode of 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 episode was the 16th episode for the show's first season. The episode was written by Alexandra Cunningham

Alexandra Cunningham

Alexandra Cunningham is an American screenwriter and television producer, most known as a writer and producer for ABC Studios' dramedy Desperate Housewives, having written more episodes of the show than any other writer besides showrunner Marc Cherry....

 and was directed by Arlene Sanford

Arlene Sanford

Arlene Sanford is an American film and television director.Sanford has directed for several notable television series and several motion picture and television films which include A Very Brady Sequel , I'll Be Home for Christmas and Twelve Men of Christmas .Sanford has been nominated for two...

. It originally aired on Sunday, March 27, 2005.

Plot

After Maisy Gibbons is arrested for solication, word gets out about her humiliating escapades. As the neighborhood shares in her embarrassment, rumors are revealed that Maisy kept a "little black book" of all of her former clients which includes of course, Rex Van De Kamp. When Bree finds out about this she tries to get Rex cleared from the list by visiting Maisy in jail. Maisy asks after all the years of supposedly being friends that Bree would not help her and did not give her the support when Harold lost his job. Maisy refuses to cross Rex's name off the list and Bree is seen as a target while out with Rex. Meanwhile, Lynette tries to get re-invited to a very posh party thrown by a friend of the twins. But when a lice outbreak occurs, the other parents point fingers at Lynette that her children have lice. Lynette then receives word from the school nurse that the party host's child is the original spreader of the lice. Gabrielle's plumbing breaks and the two are forced to use their backyard and a port-a-john for bathroom use. Edie tries to get Susan to get over her break-up with Mike by taking her to a bar to pick up a man. Instead, Susan tells Edie about the Mary Alice/Dana mystery. Edie then tells Susan she has a key to Paul's house which they could use to find some evidence. When they arrive there, they find a video which is titled "Angela". Susan decides to watch it and sees a congratulations party for Angela (Mary Alice) with Felicia in attendance. Edie and Susan are forced to leave when Paul surprisingly arrives home. Edie quickly devises a plan and kisses Paul in order for Susan to escape. The following day, instead of renewing her membership to her country club, Bree decides to give the money to Gabrielle to get her plumbing fixed.

Title reference

The episode title The Ladies Who Lunch comes from the Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...

 musical, Company

Company (musical)

Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....

.