Excited and Scared

"Excited and Scared" is the 140th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It is the sixth episode of the show's seventh season and was broadcast on October 31, 2010.^[1]

Plot

Juanita is at Grace's house. She notices Gaby's necklace and asks Grace where she got it. Grace claims that it was a gift from her aunt, but Juanita is unconvinced and secretly takes it. When Gaby picks her up, Juanita tells her that Grace stole the necklace but she stole it back. Gaby admits that she gave Grace the jewellery as a present because she feels sorry for her as she is poor.

Later, Grace arrives at the Solis's house to celebrate Halloween. Gaby tells Grace that she has never made a costume before but Grace replies that she loves it. "I've never had such a pretty costume before," she says. "You're the best mom ever." Gaby smiles, and Juanita arrives in her puppy costume. "You're adorable," Gaby tells her, but suddenly Grace opens the door in her princess costume. Juanita tries to get Gaby's attention, but Gaby is preoccupied with Grace and styling her hair. Juanita looks on jealously. Later, Gaby takes Grace, Juanita and Celia trick-or-treating and greets Tom's mother, Allison. Allison accidentally suggests that Grace is Gaby's daughter, and Gaby is flustered as she hurriedly explains that Juanita is her child. Juanita is unimpressed and Gaby takes piles of candy for her, explaining that it is cheaper than therapy.

Back at the house, Grace is thrilled with all the candy she got and hands Gaby a peppermint because she said she liked them. Gaby thanks her for being so thoughtful and leaves to give Celia a bath. Grace tugs at her tiara but can't get it out of her hair. Juanita picks up some scissors and offers to help. Gaby is in the bathroom with Celia when she hears a scream. She goes to find out what happened and discovers half of Grace's hair shorn off while Juanita holds a tiara and some hair. "She was having a problem," Juanita says. "I fixed it." When Grace has gone, Gaby shouts at Juanita that her mother was furious but Grace pretended that it was all her idea. She adds that if she hadn't, Grace wouldn't be able to play there anymore. "Who cares?" Juanita asks, adding that she has only known Grace for a month. Gaby tells her that she loves spending time with Grace but Juanita replies: "You do." She adds: "You like her better than me." Gaby insists that that is not true, but Juanita points out that Gaby gave Grace a necklace but won't let her touch the jewellery. "What's so special about Grace?" she yells. Gaby is at a loss for words, and Juanita leaves. Carlos, who has been watching, approaches Gaby and tells her that Juanita knows something is up. He adds that they should stay away from Grace. Gaby refuses, explaining that she will just be more careful. "We have to protect our daughter," Carlos tells her, but Gaby replies: "They're both our daughters."

Susan tells Mike about her work for the Va Va Broom website. She tells him to yell if he wants to, but Mike replies that he should have taken the job on the oil rig in Alaska. He adds that if he had done a better job taking care of them she would not have had to resort to the website. Susan insists it is her fault, adding that she thought no one would ever know. She admits that Paul Young found out and is blackmailing her by forcing her to sell him their house. Mike is furious and picks up a hammer determined to confront Paul, but Susan begs him not to do anything because Paul wants to provoke a reaction from Mike. She climbs onto his back and claims that Paul did them a favor, saying: "I'm not lying now... look, we're closer than ever." Mike doesn't listen, but Susan admits that she has an idea to get Paul to back off.

Susan arrives at Paul's house with a basket of muffins and explains that she wants to move past their row. She claims that he has been a really good tenant and says that she is lucky, but suddenly notices a thumbtack on the wall. She produces Paul's lease agreement and claims that he is in violation by using the tack, adding that she wants him to vacate the premises within 60 days. Paul points out that she is in no position to make demands, but Susan reveals that she told Mike everything. She adds that Mike was furious that Paul was trying to blackmail her and shows him the hammer. "I had to pry it out of his hand so you wouldn't need a paramedic to pry it out of your skull," she warns. She puts a muffin on the counter to demonstrate and smashes it with the hammer. "This is you if you tell anyone and Mike finds out," she threatens. She leaves, adding: "Oh, and enjoy those raisin muffins. I hope they're all raisins - my apartment has rats."

Paul takes Beth on a date to Oakridge School, which is hosting a Halloween event. Paul asks Beth to go and get some pumpkin bread and approaches a parent. The woman asks Paul if he is sending his children there and he admits that he isn't because he has traditional family values. He explains that he heard something "troubling" about one of the teachers. When the woman asks what he knows, he asks: "Are you familiar with Mrs. Delfino?"

Later, Susan is teaching her class when an assistant enters the room and tells her that the principal wants to see her. Later, she arrives home and admits to Mike that she got fired because someone found out about the website. She adds that it wasn't Paul who told the principal, but one of the parents. However, Mike still thinks that Paul had something to do with it. Mike asks what they're going to do, and decides to take the job in Alaska. Susan begs him not to for their son, M.J.'s, sake, but Mike replies: "How much thought did you give M.J. when you were dancing around in your underwear?" He adds that M.J. will probably find out about this now and announces that Susan can no longer make decisions about their family. He tells her to take M.J. trick-or-treating while he calls about the Alaska job.

Beth and Paul arrive home from a date and Beth explains that she liked hearing from the other people at the school about Paul's childhood. "When you talk about the past, it changes how you look," she says. "You're not so intimidating." Paul leans in to kiss her, but Beth asks what he's doing. Paul tells her that he's not an "animal satisfying urges" and explains that he wants to connect with her. "I need a partner by my side," he says. "Someone I can trust. I think you can be that person. The question is, do you?" He kisses her but Beth slaps him. Angry, Paul tells Beth that he wants her to move out by the end of the week. Later, Beth is on the phone to her mother and explains that Paul wants her to leave. "I am trying to make it work," she says. "I swear I do everything he asks me." Beth suggests that she should come home, adding: "Oh yes, I know I made a commitment but I am so unhappy... Of course I want you to be proud of me. OK, I will. I'll try."

Lee finds Susan, who is trick or treating with M.J.. He explains that Paul wanted to ask again if she has any interest in selling her house, explaining: "He said your circumstances recently changed." Susan realizes that Paul was the one who got her fired and asks Lee to take M.J. trick or treating. She takes M.J.'s club from his Halloween caveman costume and knocks on Paul's door. When he opens it, she storms in and explained that she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt when he moved here. "But guess what," she adds. "The benefit of the doubt is over." She uses the club to smash up the kitchen and adds: "You know what, I'm glad I didn't let Mike do this because I'm really enjoying it. Aren't you?" She stands over Paul, who is on the floor, but Beth arrives on the stairs with a gun and tells Susan to get away from him. Susan tells Beth that she doesn't know what he's done or the person that Paul really is. But Beth replies: "I don't care. He's my husband. Now get out of our house!" When Susan has left, Beth asks Paul if he is all right and kisses him.

Mike finishes packing for Alaska and Susan admits that she doesn't want him to go, for M.J. will become even more depressed than he already is without his father. Mike agrees but explains that he can earn enough money to get Paul out of their house and get their lives back. He adds that if he stays, he's afraid he will kill Paul. M.J. and Susan say goodbye to Mike. "The time comes when we all must find out what we're afraid of," Mary Alice says. "The world is a scary place. It's even more terrifying if we have to face it alone."

Meanwhile, Lynette arrives back home and hands her mother-in-law, Allison, her handcream. Allison thanks her, but Lynette asks her where the baby is and Allison explains that she is still asleep. Lynette is annoyed because Allison promised to wake the baby at 3:00 PM and complains that Paige will be up all night. "You stop yelling at me," Allison snaps. Lynette insists that she isn't, but Allison shouts: "You're yelling at me, saying it's my fault, and it isn't! You're a liar!" That night, Lynette is trying to get Paige off to sleep when she notices Allison's handcream on the table. She takes it into the bathroom to put it away and notices that Allison already has ten jars of the product. She wakes up Tom and admits that she is worried about Allison. Tom suggests that she just forgets things because she is older but Lynette adds that she has moodswings as well. Tom defends Allison, but Lynette says: "I get it... she's your mom, you love her. You can look for excuses for every one of these things, but I think there's more going on than just being a little forgetful." She settles down to sleep while Tom looks concerned.

The next morning, Tom asks Allison if she is alright and explains that she has seemed "scattered" lately. Allison replies that he has always been a worrywart and reminds him of the time he went to camp but wanted to come home because he was worried his family would be hurt by a hurricane. She goes up to get dressed and Tom tells Lynette that his mother is remembering things that he forgot about. Lynette replies that she has been doing research about senile dementia in which a person's long-term memory remains more or less intact, their short-term memory escapes them. Lynette also found out about "sundowning", where senile people deteroriate later in the day and when their short-term memory goes, eventually their long-term memory will go as well. Tom continues to insist that his mother is not senile, adding that Lynette has been trying to get her out of the house since she arrived. Lynette denies that this is a tactic, adding that she's starting to get worried and isn't comfortable leaving her with the baby. "There's nothing wrong with my mother, OK?" Tom yells. "So just drop it."

When the children on Wisteria Lane start trick-or-treating, Allison warns that they are about to run out of candy. Tom explains that he has lots left in the cupboard. However, later, Allison repeats again that they are running out of candy and decides to go to the store. Penny insists that there is more somewhere but Allison promises her that she will take care of it and leaves as Penny looks on, worried. Later, Tom is watching horror movies with his sons (the thumb-cutting scene from Two Thousand Maniacs!) when the doorbell rings. Tom shouts to Allison to answer it, but Penny explains that she went out to get more candy. Tom goes to find her, explaining to the children that it's just a little late for Allison to be out. He walks through the crowd of trick-or-treaters looking for her, but doesn't notice her sitting on the curb looking scared and confused. Meanwhile, Lynette is talking to Lee at Renee's party when she receives a call from Carlos and promises that she will be right there. At the Solis house, she finds Allison sitting on the porch. "Oh thank God," Allison says. "I was walking, I must have got turned around. I made it up to Claire Graham's place but the lights were out." Lynette gently tells her that there is no Claire Graham on the street and suggests that they go home. Tom arrives and watches as Allison snaps, yelling: "Let go of me! You're doing this to me, you're making me feel crazy. I said let go!" Allison slaps Lynette across the face, and immediately apologizes. She spots Tom, who says: "It's OK, mom. I'm here."

The next morning, Tom announces that the car is loaded and ready to go and Allison replies sadly: "To the nursing home." Tom insists that she is not going to a nursing home, explaining that it is "assisted living", but Allison asks him: "When do I get to leave? When do I get to go home?" She adds that she knows lots of elderly people who have gone to these places and not come back. Tom explains that Allison can't live alone anymore and adds that if something bad happened he would never forgive himself. "The only bad thing happening here is what you're doing to me," Allison tells him. Tom admits that he doesn't know what else to do. "When you called me from that camp you were scared," Allison says. "You kept saying, 'I want to come home, mom'. And I said, 'Tommy, if you mean that, I'll come get you'. That's what you do." She gets up and Lynette comforts a tearful Tom.

Meanwhile, Keith takes Bree back to his apartment and when he opens the door she is shocked at how clean and tidy it is. "I had this whole frozen smile ready," she admits. When Keith explains that he just switched his pot pourri, Bree tells him: "Take me right now on the table." They begin kissing but are interrupted when Keith's female roommate Mimi walks through the apartment. Bree is surprised that Keith has a roommate and says: "It looks like that frozen smile came in handy after all." The next morning, Bree wakes up in Keith's apartment and meets Mimi in the kitchen. She apologises and explains that Keith never told her that he had a female roommate. She adds: "He said you never slept together except those two times." Mimi squeals that they have never had sex and Bree admits that Keith told her that but she needed to see her reaction to know it was true. "Nicely done," Mimi replies. "You don't need to worry about other women. The guy never stops talking about you." Bree is pleased, and Mimi asks her to give Keith his mail. Bree agrees but as she flicks through the envelopes she notices one from the department of corrections. Later, Bree finds Renee and asks her if she ever thought Keith might be a "little crazy". She admits that she found out he is on probation for assault. Renee tells her that Keith was just standing up for his girlfriend at the time when a man started hitting on her. She explains that she found out from the barman. "It's nice to know chivalry isn't dead," Bree smiles. Renee tells her that if she wants to find out if Keith is violent, she should start a fight with him and see if he hits her.

Later, Bree and Keith arrive at Renee's party. Bree, who is dressed as a cheerleader, is approached by a man dressed as a football player and they joke about their costumes. The football player asks if he gets a kiss for scoring the winning touchdown, but Bree explains that someone else is taking her to the prom. When he persists, Bree tells him that their skit is over and eventually calls over Keith. She explains that the man won't leave her alone and Keith makes him leave. Bree thanks him for being so gallant, but as she turns away and continues talking he walks over to the man again and begins shouting at him. Bree runs after him and begs Keith to stop. Eventually, Keith walks outside and Bree follows, asking what happened. "He pushed my buttons and I went off," Keith shouts. "Is it not obvious?" Bree asks him why he is yelling at her and Keith explains that he has been arrested for this before and knows he has a problem. He says that he knows she wants to break up with him but Bree denies it. "Nine years ago my son found me face down, drunk," she tells him. "He had to turn the sprinklers on to wake me up. Did you not know you're dating the biggest lush in Fairview?" She adds that they all have baggage and she can deal with his anger. "Do you think you can deal with a control freak with a drinking problem?" she asks. Keith kisses her.

Renee arrives at Lynette's house to invite them to a party. Gaby explains that Grace is sleeping over but suggests that they could come over and show the adults Grace and Juanita's costume. She adds that Juanita is going as a puppy and will be "so cute". However, Renee insists that no children are allowed to come. Bree offers to attend if she can bring Keith, and Renee replies: "I guess one child will be OK."

Reception

On its original broadcast on ABC, the episode scored 11.096 million of viewers and achieved a 3.5 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic.^[2] With the DVR Rating, this episode is up 2.2 in million of viewers (rising to a total of 13.3 million of viewers) and it's up 1.1 in the adults 18-49 demographic (rising to a total of a 4.6 rating).^[3]

Notes

• It was the second episode about Halloween. The first episode was "Now I Know, Don't Be Scared".
• Kathryn Joosten (Karen McCluskey) and Tuc Watkins (Bob Hunter) do not appear and are not credited.
• The title of this episode comes from lyrics to the Broadway musical number "I Know Things Now" from Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods.
• When talking to his mother, Tom reveals that he has two siblings, Peter and Teresa.
• During her dialogue with Gabrielle, Juanita reveals that the Solises have an aunt Rosie.
• It is revealed that Beth's mom is pushing her to stay with Paul.

International titles

• Arabic: خائفة تماما (Completely Scared)
• Finnish: Pelko (Fear)
• German: Schreckgespenster (Specters)
• Italian: Paure (Fears)
• French : Ce qui nous fait peur (That which makes us fear)
• Japanese:苦渋の選択 (Painful choice)

References