Bang (Desperate Housewives): Difference between revisions
m →Awards notes: Task 16: replaced (1×) / removed (0×) deprecated |dead-url= and |deadurl= with |url-status=; |
m add {{Use American English}} template |
||
(25 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} |
|||
⚫ | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} |
|||
{{Infobox television episode |
{{Infobox television episode |
||
| |
| series = [[Desperate Housewives]] |
||
| |
| image = |
||
| |
| image_size = |
||
| |
| caption = |
||
⚫ | |||
| caption = [[Acquaintances of Bree Van de Kamp#Carolyn Bigsby|Carolyn Bigsby]], holding a gun as she holds the supermarket hostage. |
|||
| |
| episode = 7 |
||
| director = [[Larry Shaw (director)|Larry Shaw]] |
|||
⚫ | |||
| |
| writer = [[Joe Keenan (writer)|Joe Keenan]] |
||
| production = 307 |
| production = 307 |
||
| |
| airdate = {{Start date|2006|11|05}} |
||
| |
| runtime = 45 minutes |
||
| guests = * [[Dougray Scott]] as [[Acquaintances of Susan Mayer#Ian Hainsworth|Ian Hainsworth]] |
| guests = * [[Dougray Scott]] as [[Acquaintances of Susan Mayer#Ian Hainsworth|Ian Hainsworth]] |
||
* [[Brenda Strong]] as [[Mary Alice Young]] |
|||
* [[Kathryn Joosten]] as [[Karen McCluskey]] |
* [[Kathryn Joosten]] as [[Karen McCluskey]] |
||
* [[Laurie Metcalf]] as [[Acquaintances of Bree Van de Kamp#Carolyn Bigsby|Carolyn Bigsby]] |
* [[Laurie Metcalf]] as [[Acquaintances of Bree Van de Kamp#Carolyn Bigsby|Carolyn Bigsby]] |
||
Line 20: | Line 21: | ||
* [[Matt Roth (actor)|Matt Roth]] as Art Shepherd |
* [[Matt Roth (actor)|Matt Roth]] as Art Shepherd |
||
* [[Rachel G. Fox|Rachel Fox]] as [[Acquaintances of Lynette Scavo#Kayla Huntington Scavo|Kayla Huntington Scavo]] |
* [[Rachel G. Fox|Rachel Fox]] as [[Acquaintances of Lynette Scavo#Kayla Huntington Scavo|Kayla Huntington Scavo]] |
||
* |
* Michael Bofshever as Kenny Stevens |
||
* [[Michael Durrell]] as Myron Katzburg |
* [[Michael Durrell]] as Myron Katzburg |
||
* [[Pat Crawford Brown]] as [[List of Desperate Housewives characters#Ida Greenberg|Ida Greenberg]] |
* [[Pat Crawford Brown]] as [[List of Desperate Housewives characters#Ida Greenberg|Ida Greenberg]] |
||
* [[Kathleen Gati]] as Maya |
* [[Kathleen Gati]] as Maya |
||
* |
* Matt Casper as Stockboy |
||
* [[Christine Clayburg]] as Reporter |
* [[Christine Clayburg]] as Reporter |
||
* [[Maile Flanagan]] as Cashier |
* [[Maile Flanagan]] as Cashier |
||
* |
* John C. Moskoff as Judge |
||
* |
* Joe Sabatino as Police Captain |
||
* |
* Anne Bellamy as Female Hostage |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| season_article = Desperate Housewives (season 3) |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
}} |
}} |
||
"'''Bang'''" is the |
"'''Bang'''" is the seventh episode of the [[Desperate Housewives season 3|third season]] of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[television series]] ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'', and the 54th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by [[Joe Keenan (writer)|Joe Keenan]] and directed by [[Larry Shaw (director)|Larry Shaw]], and was first broadcast on November 5, 2006. |
||
The episode received critical acclaim, and is widely considered to be one of the series' best episodes. "Bang" garnered 22.65 million viewers upon its initial broadcast, 6.6% more viewers than [[Sweetheart, I Have to Confess|the previous episode]], which garnered 21.24 million viewers.<ref name=3x07 /><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Medianet |date=October 31, 2006 |url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=103106_10 |title=Weekly Program Rankings |access-date=June 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227104657/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=103106_10 |archive-date=February 27, 2009 }}</ref> [[Felicity Huffman]] submitted this episode for consideration on her behalf in the category of “[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]]” at the [[59th Primetime Emmy Awards|2007 Emmy Awards]], and was later nominated.<ref name="EMMY07">{{cite web|title=2007 Emmys CONFIRMED Episode Submissions |url=http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1106078764/m/53610293 |publisher=The Envelope Forum, [[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=2007-06-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626120429/http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1106078764/m/53610293 |archive-date=26 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="huffman">{{cite web|title=2007 - 59th Emmy Awards|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2007/outstanding-lead-actress-in-a-comedy-series|publisher=Television Academy|access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref> |
|||
Due to time constraints, the opening credits were completely cut from the episode. |
|||
==Plot== |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
===Background=== |
|||
Earlier that morning, [[Lynette Scavo]] discusses her nightmare from the previous night about [[Mary Alice Young]] with [[Susan Mayer|Susan]] and [[Gabrielle Solis|Gabrielle]]. |
|||
''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' focuses on the lives of several residents in the suburban neighborhood of [[Wisteria Lane]]. In previous episodes, [[Nora Huntington]] ([[Kiersten Warren]]) kisses married man [[Tom Scavo]] ([[Doug Savant]]) before being threatened by his wife [[Lynette Scavo|Lynette]] ([[Felicity Huffman]]).<ref name="Sweetheart">{{Cite episode |title=Sweetheart, I Have to Confess |episode-link=Sweetheart, I Have to Confess|series=Desperate Housewives |series-link=Desperate Housewives |network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |airdate=October 29, 2006|season=3 |number=6}}</ref> [[Julie Mayer (Desperate Housewives)|Julie Mayer]] ([[Andrea Bowen]]) meets [[Edie Britt]]'s ([[Nicollette Sheridan]]) nephew [[Austin McCann (Desperate Housewives)|Austin McCann]] ([[Josh Henderson]]).<ref name="Two">{{Cite episode |title=It Takes Two |episode-link=It Takes Two (Desperate Housewives)|series=Desperate Housewives |series-link=Desperate Housewives |network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |airdate=October 1, 2006|season=3 |number=2}}</ref> [[Susan Mayer]] ([[Teri Hatcher]]) makes plans to go to [[France]] with [[Ian Hainsworth]] ([[Dougray Scott]]).<ref name="Sweetheart" /> [[Carlos Solis]] ([[Ricardo Antonio Chavira]]) and [[Gabrielle Solis|Gabrielle "Gaby" Solis]] ([[Eva Longoria]]) reunite.<ref name="Sweetheart" /> [[Bree Van de Kamp]] ([[Marcia Cross]]) finds out that her husband, [[Orson Hodge]] ([[Kyle MacLachlan]]) hit his ex-wife [[Alma Hodge|Alma]] ([[Valerie Mahaffey]]) and Harvey Bigsby ([[Brian Kerwin]]) admits to Orson that he cheated on his wife [[Carolyn Bigsby|Carolyn]] ([[Laurie Metcalf]]).<ref name="Sweetheart" /> |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | Earlier that morning, Bree Van de Kamp confronts her husband Orson Hodge about the police report from the night he supposedly beat his first wife Alma. He convinces her that she suffered her injuries due to a fall after attacking him. Bree reveals that Carolyn gave her the report, and Orson mentions that Carolyn's husband is cheating on her. Bree tells Carolyn that Harvey has been cheating on her. She rings Harvey at the supermarket, and tells him she knows about the affair. He tries to tell her that Monique is dead. Carolyn then goes to a drawer and takes out a gun, and Harvey calls Susan about what happened. |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | In the supermarket, Nora Huntington tells Lynette and her husband Tom that she is moving to [[Mexico]] with [[Kayla Huntington|Kayla]], her daughter with Tom, despite their opposition. Nora begins threatening Lynette to not apply for custody of Kayla, and the two begin to fight when a gunshot is heard. |
||
⚫ | Gabrielle and her husband [[Carlos Solis|Carlos]] are settling the final terms of their separation. Carlos reveals that Gabrielle seduced him in order to stall the divorce as she believed he was coming into some money. The judge decides Carlos gets everything in the house and Gabrielle only gets the house. When they arrive home, each tries to destroy the property left to the other in the settlement. |
||
⚫ | Gabrielle and her husband [[Carlos Solis|Carlos]] are settling the final terms of their separation. Carlos reveals that Gabrielle seduced him in order to stall the divorce as she believed he was coming into some money. The judge decides Carlos gets everything in the house and Gabrielle only gets the house. When they arrive home, each tries to destroy the property left to the other in the settlement. Gabrielle tells Carlos she hates the people they've become and that she could easily be in Carolyn's place at the supermarket. |
||
Bree tells Carolyn that Harvey has been cheating on her. She rings Harvey at the supermarket, and tells him she knows about Monique. He tries to tell her that Monique is dead. Carolyn then goes to a drawer and takes out a gun. Harvey calls Susan about what happened. |
|||
Carolyn holds the shoppers hostage, including Lynette, Nora, Julie Mayer, Edie Britt's nephew Austin McCann and new resident Art Shepard ([[Matt Roth (actor)|Matt Roth]]) after she cannot enter Harvey's office, in which Edie has also taken refuge. Nora tells Carolyn that Lynette is trying to steal her child and Lynette argues that Nora tried to [[Sweetheart, I Have to Confess|seduce her husband]]. Carolyn immediately shoots Nora in the chest. As Nora dies, she asks Lynette to take care of Kayla for her, and Lynette promises to do so. Carolyn quarrels with Lynette about Nora and Harvey, and eventually tries to shoot Lynette, but she is knocked off balance, only shooting Lynette in her left arm and dropping the gun. Carolyn and Austin struggle for it until one of the hostages picks it up and shoots Carolyn in the head. The hostages are released, and reunited with their loved ones waiting outside. |
|||
Nora begins threatening Lynette to not apply for custody of Kayla. The two begin fighting when a gunshot is heard. This brings the story to the point at which the episode began. After Carolyn finds she can’t get into Harvey's office, in which Edie Britt has also taken refuge, she turns around and takes the horrified shoppers hostage, including Lynette, Nora, Julie Mayer, Edie's nephew Austin McCann and new resident Art Shepherd. |
|||
==Production== |
|||
Gabrielle tells Carlos she hates the people they’ve become and that she could easily be in Carolyn’s place at the supermarket. He agrees that they should stop being “those people”. |
|||
[[File:LaurieMetcalfFeb08 cropped.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The episode featured [[Laurie Metcalf]]'s ''(pictured)'' fourth and final appearance in ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' following her character's death.]] |
|||
"Bang" was written by [[Joe Keenan (writer)|Joe Keenan]] and directed by [[Larry Shaw (director)|Larry Shaw]]. Due to time constraints, the opening credits were completely cut from the episode. Although credited, [[James Denton]] who portrays [[Mike Delfino]], does not appear in the episode due to his character being hospitalized following a hit-and-run.<ref name="Remember">{{Cite episode |title=Remember, Part 2 |episode-link=Remember (Desperate Housewives)|series=Desperate Housewives |series-link=Desperate Housewives |network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |airdate=May 21, 2006|season=2 |number=24}}</ref><ref name="Rain">{{Cite episode |title=Listen to the Rain on the Roof |episode-link=Listen to the Rain on the Roof|series=Desperate Housewives |series-link=Desperate Housewives |network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |airdate=September 24, 2006|season=3 |number=1}}</ref> [[Brenda Strong]] makes a physical appearance as [[Mary Alice Young]], appearing in Lynette's dream at the beginning and end of the episode, marking her only physical appearance in the season. |
|||
The episode marked the first in a string of four guest appearances by actor [[Matt Roth (actor)|Matt Roth]] in the role of Art Shepard, a new resident of [[Wisteria Lane]].<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Movieweb|date=September 21, 2006|url=https://movieweb.com/kathleen-york-and-matt-roth-join-desperate-housewives/|title=Kathleen York and Matt Roth Join Desperate Housewives|access-date=July 1, 2023}}</ref> Roth is best known for his role on the ABC series ''[[Roseanne]]'' as Fisher, the abusive boyfriend of Jackie Harris, who is portrayed by [[Laurie Metcalf]], actress of [[Carolyn Bigsby]] and Roth's wife at the time.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[E! News]]|date=September 21, 2011|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/265062/roseanne-star-laurie-metcalf-getting-divorced|title=Roseanne Star Laurie Metcalf Getting Divorced|access-date=July 1, 2023|last=Finn|first=Natalie}}</ref> Incidentally, this episode marks the final appearance of Metcalf in the series, as her character is killed off in the episode. |
|||
In the supermarket, Nora tells Carolyn that Lynette is trying to steal her child. Lynette then says that Nora tried to [[Sweetheart, I Have to Confess|seduce her husband]]. That hits too close to home for Carolyn, and she immediately shoots Nora in the chest. As Nora is dying, she asks Lynette to take care of Kayla for her. Lynette says she will raise Kayla as her daughter. |
|||
[[Kiersten Warren]], who portrays [[Nora Huntington]], also made her final appearance until her brief [[cameo appearance|cameo]] in the [[Finishing the Hat (Desperate Housewives)|series finale]]. |
|||
Carolyn quarrels with Lynette about Nora and about Harvey. Carolyn eventually tries to shoot Lynette, but Art throws a can at Carolyn, knocking her off her balance and making her only shoot Lynette in her left arm. After dropping the gun, Carolyn and Austin struggle for it and one of the hostages picks it up and shoots Carolyn in the head. The hostages are released, and reunited with their loved ones waiting outside. |
|||
==Accolades== |
|||
In the hospital Lynette has a final dream of Mary Alice. Lynette asks Mary Alice if she is okay; Mary Alice says she’s fine but Lynette knows she is lying. Mary Alice says she has to “enjoy this beautiful day, as we get so few of them.” As Lynette turns around, Mary Alice has disappeared. In a voiceover, she says that it is the last time Lynette would ever dream of her and for her sake she is grateful. |
|||
"Bang" warranted [[Felicity Huffman]] a nomination in the [[59th Primetime Emmy Awards]] for her portrayal of [[Lynette Scavo]].<ref name="EMMY07" /><ref name=huffman /> [[Matt Roth (actor)|Matt Roth]] chose this episode for consideration in the category of “[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series]]”, as did [[Brenda Strong]], who instead submitted this episode in the category of “[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]]”.<ref name="EMMY07" /> |
|||
== |
==Reception== |
||
===Ratings=== |
|||
*This is the first special disaster episode of the series. |
|||
The episode premiered on November 5, 2006, and garnered 22.65 million viewers. According to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], "Bang" was the second most watched episode of the series' [[Desperate Housewives season 3|third season]], behind "[[Listen to the Rain on the Roof]]", and the most watched episode of its premiere week.<ref name="3x07">{{cite web|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] Medianet|date=March 14, 2006|url=http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=110706_05|title=Weekly Program Rankings|access-date=June 9, 2010|archive-date=March 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311233345/http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=110706_05|url-status=live}}</ref> |
|||
*Although credited, Mike Delfino ([[James Denton]]) does not appear in this episode. |
|||
*Lynette ([[Felicity Huffman]]) is held at gunpoint again, later on during this season. (in episode 3.21 "Into the Woods") |
|||
*Mary Alice Young ([[Brenda Strong]]) is seen in this episode, her only appearance in season 3. |
|||
*This episode marks the final appearance by [[Kiersten Warren]] (Until the series finale) and [[Laurie Metcalf]]. |
|||
*This episode was the 2nd most watched episode of [[Desperate Housewives (season 3)|season 3]] and the most watched episode of its premiere week. |
|||
=== |
===Critical reception=== |
||
{{Quote box |bgcolor=#FFFFF0 |salign=center |width=205px |align=right |
|||
⚫ | "Bang" received critical acclaim. The Futon Critic listed "Bang" as the 40th best television episode of 2006.<ref>Sullivan, Brian Ford (January 2, 2007). [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/reviews/2007/01/02/the-50-best-episodes-of-2006-number-40-31-23174/20070102_bestof2006/ "The Best Episodes of 2006: #40-31"]. The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 28, 2012.</ref> In 2015, Gavin Hetherington of SpoilerTV reviewed the episode as one of the best episodes of the series, as well as the best disaster episode of the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/03/throwback-thursday-desperate-housewives.html|title=Throwback Thursday - Desperate Housewives - The Disaster Episodes - Review|last=Hetherington|first=Gavin|publisher=SpoilerTV|date=March 12, 2015| |
||
| quote = The highest-rated episode of ''Desperate Housewives'' is "Bang," which has a 9.5 rating. It's interesting that this episode is the seventh episode of season 3. It's not a season finale or even the series finale. It makes sense why this episode got such a high rating: it has a compelling storyline that is pretty scary to watch. |
|||
| source = '''Aya Tsintziras, ''[[Screen Rant]]'''''<ref name="aya" /> |
|||
===Title Reference=== |
|||
}} |
|||
The title of the episode, "Bang", is also the title of a song cut from [[A Little Night Music]]. |
|||
⚫ | "Bang" received critical acclaim. ''[[The Futon Critic]]'' listed "Bang" as the 40th best television episode of 2006.<ref>Sullivan, Brian Ford (January 2, 2007). [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/reviews/2007/01/02/the-50-best-episodes-of-2006-number-40-31-23174/20070102_bestof2006/ "The Best Episodes of 2006: #40-31"]. The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 28, 2012.</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' writer Lindsay Soll praised Metcalf's portrayal of Carolyn Bigsby as "an over-the-edge wife who just found out her seemingly faithful husband cheated", and wrote that it was a "great episode overall".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2006/11/06/desperate-housewives-supermarket-shootings/|title=''Desperate Housewives'': Supermarket shootings|last=Soll|first=Lindsay|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=November 6, 2006|access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref> In 2015, Gavin Hetherington of ''SpoilerTV'' reviewed the episode as one of the best episodes of the series, as well as the best disaster episode of the show. He also noted that Felicity Huffman deserved an Emmy win for her performances in this episode and "[[Something's Coming (Desperate Housewives)|Something's Coming]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/03/throwback-thursday-desperate-housewives.html|title=Throwback Thursday - Desperate Housewives - The Disaster Episodes - Review|last=Hetherington|first=Gavin|publisher=SpoilerTV|date=March 12, 2015|access-date=March 12, 2015}}</ref> In 2022, Aya Tsintziras of ''[[Screen Rant]]'' listed "Bang" as the highest-rated episode of the series, describing the episode's storyline as "compelling".<ref name="aya">{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/desperate-housewives-best-episodes-ranked-imdb/#quot-bang-quot-s3-e7---9-5|title=Desperate Housewives: 10 Best Episodes, Ranked By IMDb Rating|last=Tsintziras|first=Aya|publisher=[[Screen Rant]]|date=October 26, 2022|access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref> |
||
==International titles== |
|||
*Croatian: ''Beng!'' (Bang) |
|||
*French: ''La mort aux courses'' (Death at the grocery store) |
|||
*French: ''Un jour comme les autres'' (A Day Like Others) |
|||
*French (Canada): ''Bang'' |
|||
*German: ''Peng'' (Bang) |
|||
*Hebrew: ''‏בנג!‏'' (Bang!) |
|||
*Hungarian: ''Bumm!'' (Bang) |
|||
*Italian: ''Bang'' |
|||
*Polish: ''Strzał'' (Shot) |
|||
*Spanish: ''Adiós'' (Goodbye) |
|||
==Awards notes== |
|||
*[[Felicity Huffman]] submitted this episode for consideration on her behalf in the category of “[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series]]” at the 2007 [[59th Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy Awards]].<ref name="EMMY07">{{cite web|title=2007 Emmys CONFIRMED Episode Submissions |url=http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1106078764/m/53610293 |publisher=The Envelope Forum, [[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=2007-06-18 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626120429/http://goldderbyforums.latimes.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1106078764/m/53610293 |archivedate=26 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
|||
*[[Matt Roth (actor)|Matt Roth]] also chose this episode for consideration in the category of “[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series]]”.<ref name="EMMY07"/> |
|||
*[[Brenda Strong]] also submitted this episode for consideration of her work in the category of “[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]]” for the [[59th Primetime Emmy Awards|2007 Emmy Awards]].<ref name="EMMY07"/> |
|||
== References == |
== References == |
||
{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
||
== External links == |
|||
* {{IMDb episode}} |
|||
{{Desperate Housewives episodes}} |
{{Desperate Housewives episodes}} |
||
[[Category:2006 American television episodes]] |
[[Category:2006 American television episodes]] |
||
[[Category:Desperate Housewives |
[[Category:Desperate Housewives season 3 episodes]] |
Latest revision as of 07:01, 2 January 2025
"Bang" | |
---|---|
Desperate Housewives episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 7 |
Directed by | Larry Shaw |
Written by | Joe Keenan |
Production code | 307 |
Original air date | November 5, 2006 |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Bang" is the seventh episode of the third season of the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, and the 54th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by Joe Keenan and directed by Larry Shaw, and was first broadcast on November 5, 2006.
The episode received critical acclaim, and is widely considered to be one of the series' best episodes. "Bang" garnered 22.65 million viewers upon its initial broadcast, 6.6% more viewers than the previous episode, which garnered 21.24 million viewers.[1][2] Felicity Huffman submitted this episode for consideration on her behalf in the category of “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series” at the 2007 Emmy Awards, and was later nominated.[3][4]
Plot
[edit]Background
[edit]Desperate Housewives focuses on the lives of several residents in the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. In previous episodes, Nora Huntington (Kiersten Warren) kisses married man Tom Scavo (Doug Savant) before being threatened by his wife Lynette (Felicity Huffman).[5] Julie Mayer (Andrea Bowen) meets Edie Britt's (Nicollette Sheridan) nephew Austin McCann (Josh Henderson).[6] Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) makes plans to go to France with Ian Hainsworth (Dougray Scott).[5] Carlos Solis (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) and Gabrielle "Gaby" Solis (Eva Longoria) reunite.[5] Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) finds out that her husband, Orson Hodge (Kyle MacLachlan) hit his ex-wife Alma (Valerie Mahaffey) and Harvey Bigsby (Brian Kerwin) admits to Orson that he cheated on his wife Carolyn (Laurie Metcalf).[5]
Episode
[edit]The episode begins with Carolyn Bigsby shooting at her husband Harvey in the grocery store he owns because he has been having an affair. He locks himself in his office, and she holds the supermarket shoppers at gunpoint.
Earlier that morning, Bree Van de Kamp confronts her husband Orson Hodge about the police report from the night he supposedly beat his first wife Alma. He convinces her that she suffered her injuries due to a fall after attacking him. Bree reveals that Carolyn gave her the report, and Orson mentions that Carolyn's husband is cheating on her. Bree tells Carolyn that Harvey has been cheating on her. She rings Harvey at the supermarket, and tells him she knows about the affair. He tries to tell her that Monique is dead. Carolyn then goes to a drawer and takes out a gun, and Harvey calls Susan about what happened.
In the supermarket, Nora Huntington tells Lynette and her husband Tom that she is moving to Mexico with Kayla, her daughter with Tom, despite their opposition. Nora begins threatening Lynette to not apply for custody of Kayla, and the two begin to fight when a gunshot is heard.
Gabrielle and her husband Carlos are settling the final terms of their separation. Carlos reveals that Gabrielle seduced him in order to stall the divorce as she believed he was coming into some money. The judge decides Carlos gets everything in the house and Gabrielle only gets the house. When they arrive home, each tries to destroy the property left to the other in the settlement. Gabrielle tells Carlos she hates the people they've become and that she could easily be in Carolyn's place at the supermarket.
Carolyn holds the shoppers hostage, including Lynette, Nora, Julie Mayer, Edie Britt's nephew Austin McCann and new resident Art Shepard (Matt Roth) after she cannot enter Harvey's office, in which Edie has also taken refuge. Nora tells Carolyn that Lynette is trying to steal her child and Lynette argues that Nora tried to seduce her husband. Carolyn immediately shoots Nora in the chest. As Nora dies, she asks Lynette to take care of Kayla for her, and Lynette promises to do so. Carolyn quarrels with Lynette about Nora and Harvey, and eventually tries to shoot Lynette, but she is knocked off balance, only shooting Lynette in her left arm and dropping the gun. Carolyn and Austin struggle for it until one of the hostages picks it up and shoots Carolyn in the head. The hostages are released, and reunited with their loved ones waiting outside.
Production
[edit]"Bang" was written by Joe Keenan and directed by Larry Shaw. Due to time constraints, the opening credits were completely cut from the episode. Although credited, James Denton who portrays Mike Delfino, does not appear in the episode due to his character being hospitalized following a hit-and-run.[7][8] Brenda Strong makes a physical appearance as Mary Alice Young, appearing in Lynette's dream at the beginning and end of the episode, marking her only physical appearance in the season.
The episode marked the first in a string of four guest appearances by actor Matt Roth in the role of Art Shepard, a new resident of Wisteria Lane.[9] Roth is best known for his role on the ABC series Roseanne as Fisher, the abusive boyfriend of Jackie Harris, who is portrayed by Laurie Metcalf, actress of Carolyn Bigsby and Roth's wife at the time.[10] Incidentally, this episode marks the final appearance of Metcalf in the series, as her character is killed off in the episode.
Kiersten Warren, who portrays Nora Huntington, also made her final appearance until her brief cameo in the series finale.
Accolades
[edit]"Bang" warranted Felicity Huffman a nomination in the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Lynette Scavo.[3][4] Matt Roth chose this episode for consideration in the category of “Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series”, as did Brenda Strong, who instead submitted this episode in the category of “Outstanding Voice-Over Performance”.[3]
Reception
[edit]Ratings
[edit]The episode premiered on November 5, 2006, and garnered 22.65 million viewers. According to ABC, "Bang" was the second most watched episode of the series' third season, behind "Listen to the Rain on the Roof", and the most watched episode of its premiere week.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]The highest-rated episode of Desperate Housewives is "Bang," which has a 9.5 rating. It's interesting that this episode is the seventh episode of season 3. It's not a season finale or even the series finale. It makes sense why this episode got such a high rating: it has a compelling storyline that is pretty scary to watch.
"Bang" received critical acclaim. The Futon Critic listed "Bang" as the 40th best television episode of 2006.[12] Entertainment Weekly writer Lindsay Soll praised Metcalf's portrayal of Carolyn Bigsby as "an over-the-edge wife who just found out her seemingly faithful husband cheated", and wrote that it was a "great episode overall".[13] In 2015, Gavin Hetherington of SpoilerTV reviewed the episode as one of the best episodes of the series, as well as the best disaster episode of the show. He also noted that Felicity Huffman deserved an Emmy win for her performances in this episode and "Something's Coming".[14] In 2022, Aya Tsintziras of Screen Rant listed "Bang" as the highest-rated episode of the series, describing the episode's storyline as "compelling".[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. March 14, 2006. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ^ "Weekly Program Rankings". ABC Medianet. October 31, 2006. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "2007 Emmys CONFIRMED Episode Submissions". The Envelope Forum, Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
- ^ a b "2007 - 59th Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Sweetheart, I Have to Confess". Desperate Housewives. Season 3. Episode 6. October 29, 2006. ABC.
- ^ "It Takes Two". Desperate Housewives. Season 3. Episode 2. October 1, 2006. ABC.
- ^ "Remember, Part 2". Desperate Housewives. Season 2. Episode 24. May 21, 2006. ABC.
- ^ "Listen to the Rain on the Roof". Desperate Housewives. Season 3. Episode 1. September 24, 2006. ABC.
- ^ "Kathleen York and Matt Roth Join Desperate Housewives". Movieweb. September 21, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ Finn, Natalie (September 21, 2011). "Roseanne Star Laurie Metcalf Getting Divorced". E! News. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Tsintziras, Aya (October 26, 2022). "Desperate Housewives: 10 Best Episodes, Ranked By IMDb Rating". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ Sullivan, Brian Ford (January 2, 2007). "The Best Episodes of 2006: #40-31". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ Soll, Lindsay (November 6, 2006). "Desperate Housewives: Supermarket shootings". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
- ^ Hetherington, Gavin (March 12, 2015). "Throwback Thursday - Desperate Housewives - The Disaster Episodes - Review". SpoilerTV. Retrieved March 12, 2015.