8x09 Putting It Together

This is perhaps the most “complicated” episode of the show, because it’s impossible to get through it without feeling angry at almost every character. The only one that doesn’t cause this is Bree, precisely because she’s being a VICTIM of an injustice at the hands of her said friends and seeing all of them slamming the door in her face as if she were a big monster. This opening scene showing Bree’s effort to get support from the girls, and receiving lame excuses, closed curtains and almost a “you’re fake and you deserve what you’re going through” is absolutely frustrating.

I was more understanding with Susan and Lynette, but now I think they’re both acting 100% over the top. I don’t know how they see Bree’s omitting some things as something mean, something harmful, and her justification was plausible: they were both having other serious problems, especially Susan, and that would only alarm them more. Other than choosing to hide, Bree was carrying a giant burden ALONE, having to deal with this harassment from Chuck, him closing in and all that on HER, not the others. He only had a suspicion that Bree was covering up for someone, but he had no way of proving or implying anything. What changed this situation was precisely SUSAN! Painting those faithful depictions of her friends, she put herself, Lynette and Gaby at the center of his investigation. So, how angry is Susan really? I mean, what’s the point of her anger anyway? What she did was far more serious than Bree hiding over the letter, and no one turned their backs on her. They are all being inconsistent and hypocritical!

But the worst is Gaby. She’s always been selfish, that’s a fact – and I say this with a lot of love for this character. She improved considerably in Season 5, then went back to being petty again, and is now at her peak. “It’s all happening because of you, Bree.” How can it be because of her? Because of Chuck? She was involved with him before this crime and at the time she couldn’t have foreseen that he was a spiteful and vengeful man. The one who encouraged Bree to end the relationship was Gaby herself. Bree did it. And now Gaby accuses her? I think it’s worse that Gaby considers Bree “guilty” when she knows that Carlos is the one who killed Alejandro, all of this is happening because of what HE did. Bree took the initiative to cover up, but always aiming for the good of her friend and that family, which would be destroyed. Since then she has only tried to help in the best possible way, only to be abandoned now. You can question the value of this friendship, right?

So as a result, we have Bree giving up her sobriety again. The last time this happened, which was when Orson turned himself in to the police and Danielle took Benjamin away, she had Katherine to help, who moved in with her and everything to support her. And now? Bree felt so lost that she decided to take such an extreme step. I always cry with this whole final sequence, for her expressions and for the dialogue with Mary Alice, I think it’s very strong. Bree remembering how perfect life was before, and questioning if Mary Alice was happy. The answer, “I’m not unhappy”, is SOOOO reflective and impactful if you think about it in the context of the situation. And the camera zooming away with that soundtrack as Bree takes the gun one more time, always leaves me shivering and distressed, no matter how many times I watch it. For me, one of the most memorable scenes in the series.

In addition: how funny Susan saying that “before she looked out the window and saw a true friend”. Now everyone has turned fake for not wanting to harm her mental health. She forgot everything they did before, she forgot that BREE would donate her kidney if it wasn’t for what Beth did. She forgot that they organized a joint effort on the street to test everyone and find donors. Everything is in the past, now they are all fake! Other than that I thought it was pretty hypocritical for her to go after the money for the paintings and making plans to use it for a trip, maybe to move, since there’s Bree’s money there and she just bought it to try to prevent anyone from understanding what the paintings really are about. Susan has to return the money to Bree and Gaby, not spend it on personal things. On the other hand, as angry as I am right now, I understand her wanting to run away/move. It was already bad in the head, with the investigation getting closer to her, so... It won’t solve anything if something is proven, but I can understand her desperation. Just this one.

How I hate it when Jane approaches Tom to say that he needs to see “what Lynette is doing”. Now she put her claws out for good. But I loved what happened, and I hope she stays alone waiting for Tom to arrive in Paris, to learn. The hatred I feel is even greater when Lynette apologizes and he subtly asks her to shut up. Fucking bastard, he has no respect for the woman he shared half his life with and with whom he had five children, one of whom is still a baby. I can’t stand what Tom has become. Lynette deserves better! But anyway, it was tense for her to tell everything about Alejandro’s case, but necessary. Whether he likes it or not, the kids still need him.

The parts where Gaby wasn’t being hypocritical to Bree were great. I die with her infiltrated in that family meeting to intern the alcoholic boy, pretending that she was his girlfriend. Her trying to hit on the gay nurse was funny too. And another tense moment was Chuck revealing that he discovered the link between her and the dead man, who now went by the name “Ramon Sanchez”. It made it even more complicated for her.

To finish: someone with sense did the favor of running over Chuck, trying to get him out of circulation right away. And the possibilities are in the air. We have Carlos, Ben and Bree as possible suspects. Maybe Gaby, who left to look for Carlos. Whoever it was, that person deserves an award.