SkateboardingA skateboarder in the middle of a trickSkateboarding is the act of rolling on or interacting with a skateboard. Someone who skateboards is a skater (or skateboarder or most fully skateboard rider), though the shortest term may also refer to someone ice skating or roller skating. Like roller skating, skateboarding is often done for recreation and as a sport, but, more often than ice skating, it is a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been thought of by many as part of the extreme sports family, which also includes (but not restricted to) snowboarding, BMX, and surfing. History of the skateboardThe history of skateboarding goes hand in hand with the history of the skateboard. Improvements in skateboarding equipment have spurred advancement in skateboarding techniques and new techniques have required new equipment. Skateboarding has its origins in surfing, and was originally called "sidewalk surfing". While surfing influenced skateboarding in it's early days, now the reverse is also true. Surfers are adapting skateboarding tricks into surfing, and the result is evolution in both sports. The first skateboardThe first commercial skateboard was the Roller Derby Skateboard that was introduced in 1959. Before this skateboards were home made pieces of wooden planks with roller skates attached to the bottom. At the time there was a rapidly growing interest in skateboarding (sometimes referred to as sidewalk surfing) and soon many other similar products emerged. The boards were from 6 to 7 inches wide. These boards used wheels made of clay. They had poor traction and would come to a dead stop when rolling over even small pebbles. This made skateboarding inherently a dangerous sport and after a few years many cities banned skateboarding because of liability concerns. This development caused the first skateboarding fad to die completely in the fall of 1965. Many skateboard manufacturers went out of business because of losing money on cancelled orders for the Christmas holiday season. The second generationIn 1970 Frank Nasworthy started to develop a skateboard wheel made of urethane. The improvement in traction and performance was so immense that popularity of skateboarding started to rise rapidly again. With the growing interest companies started to invest more in product development and many companies started to manufacture trucks especially designed for skateboarding. As the equipment became more maneuverable the decks started to get wider, reaching widths of 10 inches and over in the end, thus giving the skateboarder even more control. Manufacturers started to experiment with more exotic composites, like fiberglass and aluminium but the common skateboards were made of maple plywood. The skateboarders took advantage of the improved handling of their skateboards and started inventing new tricks. Skateboarders, most notably the Z-Boys, started to skate the vertical walls of swimming pools that were left empty in the 1976 California drought. With increased control skateboarders could skate faster and perform more dangerous tricks. This caused liability concerns and increased insurance costs to skatepark owners. Many skateparks went out of business and the parks were torn down or bulldozed. In the end of 1980, skateboarding had died again. The third generationThe third skateboard generation, from early eighties to early nineties, was started by skateboard companies that actively promoted their sport. The focus was initially on halfpipe and vert ramp skateboarding. The invention of the ollie made it possible for skaters to perform huge airs off vertical ramps. With vert skating being dominant decks were initially very wide with large and wide wheels, though as time progressed and skateparks became fewer in number, street skating was gaining popularity, causing a change in both deck shape and wheel size. Manufacturers preferred maple plywood over more exotic composite materials almost exclusively. The third skateboarding generation was killed by the global economical recession in the early 90's. The current generationThe size and shape of the fourth and current generation of skateboards is dominated by one trick: the ollie. The boards are all about 7.75" wide and 31.5" long. The wheels have an extremely hard durometer so that they will slide better during grind and slide tricks. The wheel sizes are relatively small so that the boards will rotate more easily during flip tricks. In the early 1990's, the wheels were only marginally larger than the bearings they encased to make complicated flip tricks easier but that fad died in 1994 and wheels currently are around 50 to 58mm in diameter. The decks are still almost always maple plywood but interest in high technology materials has increased slightly after the cost of manufacturing them has dropped. Trick skatingsee: Skateboarding trick for detailed description of trick skating maneuvers Even young children can have fun at the skatepark.With the evolution of skateboard parks (or skateparks) and ramp riding, the skateboard began to change. Skating was originally basically two-dimensional tricks (e.g. riding on only the front wheels (nose manual), spinning like an ice skater on the back wheels (a 360), high jumping over a bar, long jumping from one board to another (often over fearless teenagers lying on their backs), slalom, etc.) Around 1978 or so, street riding became transformed by the invention of the ollie or no hands aerial, the first modern skateboarding trick, by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand. To ollie is to fly off the ground (flat or a wall) with the board, but without holding onto the board and then landing back on the board. It involves using your feet to press against the board in various complicated combinations, depending on the trick to be performed. The trick was reinvented by Rodney Mullen in the 80's, being transferred to the horizontal plane and used as a trick for freestyle skating (a style of skating popular in the 70's and 80's based on stationary maneuvers). No longer is the trick to fly from one place to another. On the way the board can twist and flip, as can the rider, then to be united before hitting ground. The development of these complex tricks went from the street to the vertical tops of the half pipes (and other terrains). Very skillful skateboarders often become famous through sponsorship and endorsements. Examples include Tony Hawk (who has a series of video games in his name), Bob Burnquist, Rodney Mullen, Mike Vallely, Steve Caballero, Bam Margera and Josh Kalis (who has appeared in numerous television advertisements for DC Shoes). Hawk has recently appeared in the MTV music video awards. In the vert world, some are surpassing the skills of Tony Hawk. Recently his signature trick, the "900," was performed by an Italian skater named Georgio Zattoni and a Brazillian skater by the name of Sandro Dias. Also, Danny Way is considered by some to be the most innovative and daring skater, flying across the "DC Megaramps", and planning on jumping both the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon. Many styles today are a mimic of Tom Penny, who is a pioneer and in the early 1990s was the first skater to catch his flip tricks in mid air. All this from an object that was never designed to lock into grinds, flip in the air or do the tricks performed by today's skateboarders. Throwing themselves down large stairs and handrails only ups the ante in the modern skateboarding world. Today's skateboarders not only differ greatly from those only 10 years ago in terms of tricks and consistency, but also style, which is a very important aspect in the way skateboarders are marketed by skateboarding companies. Famous Skateboarders
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Today's skateboarders not only differ greatly from those only 10 years ago in terms of tricks and consistency, but also style, which is a very important aspect in the way skateboarders are marketed by skateboarding companies. It replayed memorable moments from season one as well as gave viewers a preview of the season finale. Throwing themselves down large stairs and handrails only ups the ante in the modern skateboarding world. The episode was interestingly enough not narrated by Brenda Strong. All this from an object that was never designed to lock into grinds, flip in the air or do the tricks performed by today's skateboarders. 1 On April 24, 2005 a special episode aired called "Desperate Housewives: Sorting Out the Dirty Laundry". Many styles today are a mimic of Tom Penny, who is a pioneer and in the early 1990s was the first skater to catch his flip tricks in mid air. Main article: Desperate Housewives episodes (Season 1). Recently his signature trick, the "900," was performed by an Italian skater named Georgio Zattoni and a Brazillian skater by the name of Sandro Dias. Also, Danny Way is considered by some to be the most innovative and daring skater, flying across the "DC Megaramps", and planning on jumping both the Great Wall of China and the Grand Canyon. Note: Before Episode 3, Penny's name was Daisy. In the vert world, some are surpassing the skills of Tony Hawk. At least once every episode, the 'surviving' housewives (Mary Alice was one of the group before her suicide) meet and discuss over either coffee or poker the events in the current storyline. Hawk has recently appeared in the MTV music video awards. The show also follows the mystery of why Mary Alice took her own life and precisely who Mike Delfino really is. Examples include Tony Hawk (who has a series of video games in his name), Bob Burnquist, Rodney Mullen, Mike Vallely, Steve Caballero, Bam Margera and Josh Kalis (who has appeared in numerous television advertisements for DC Shoes). The story is unraveled through her four friends and neighbors. Very skillful skateboarders often become famous through sponsorship and endorsements. Mary Alice's suicide left behind a puzzle involving her husband Paul, son Zack, and a mysterious toy chest. The development of these complex tricks went from the street to the vertical tops of the half pipes (and other terrains). The show begins with the suicide of Mary Alice Young, who narrates the episodes from beyond the grave. On the way the board can twist and flip, as can the rider, then to be united before hitting ground. Tagline: Everyone has a little dirty laundry.. No longer is the trick to fly from one place to another. Though it is not uncommon for soap opera characters to make melodramatically questionable decisions, in the first season of "Housewives" almost every character (including children) has arguably committed a major crime. The trick was reinvented by Rodney Mullen in the 80's, being transferred to the horizontal plane and used as a trick for freestyle skating (a style of skating popular in the 70's and 80's based on stationary maneuvers). The show has come under critical fire by religious and conservative groups due to what some consider the seeming lack of morality amongst the characters. It involves using your feet to press against the board in various complicated combinations, depending on the trick to be performed. Nicolette Sheridan was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy. To ollie is to fly off the ground (flat or a wall) with the board, but without holding onto the board and then landing back on the board. On January 16, 2005, it won that top honor, and star Teri Hatcher won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy (Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross were nominated as well). riding on only the front wheels (nose manual), spinning like an ice skater on the back wheels (a 360), high jumping over a bar, long jumping from one board to another (often over fearless teenagers lying on their backs), slalom, etc.) Around 1978 or so, street riding became transformed by the invention of the ollie or no hands aerial, the first modern skateboarding trick, by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand. In its first season out, Desperate Housewives was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. Skating was originally basically two-dimensional tricks (e.g. Phil and Oprah. The show has been credited with almost single-handedly (along with Lost) reviving the long-dormant fortunes of ABC, whose last major ratings hit had been Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. With the evolution of skateboard parks (or skateparks) and ramp riding, the skateboard began to change. The series was unique in that it rocketed to the top of the ratings from the premiere episode, and immediately the term "desperate housewives" became a cultural phenomenon, warranting "the real desperate housewives" features in magazines and such TV shows as Dr. see: Skateboarding trick for detailed description of trick skating maneuvers. Cherry initially pitched the series to HBO, CBS, NBC, Fox, Showtime, and Lifetime; but all turned it down for one reason or another. The decks are still almost always maple plywood but interest in high technology materials has increased slightly after the cost of manufacturing them has dropped. The tone and style of the series combine elements of drama, comedy, mystery, satire, and soap opera. In the early 1990's, the wheels were only marginally larger than the bearings they encased to make complicated flip tricks easier but that fad died in 1994 and wheels currently are around 50 to 58mm in diameter. Set on Wisteria Lane in the fictional town of Fairview, the series tracks the lives of four housewives, following their domestic struggles while several mysteries unfold in the background. The wheel sizes are relatively small so that the boards will rotate more easily during flip tricks. Desperate Housewives is an American television series, created by Marc Cherry, that began airing on ABC in 2004. The wheels have an extremely hard durometer so that they will slide better during grind and slide tricks. Portugal: May 22, 2005 on SIC. The boards are all about 7.75" wide and 31.5" long. Hong Kong: May 12, 2005 on TVB Pearl. The size and shape of the fourth and current generation of skateboards is dominated by one trick: the ollie. However, it was initially broadcasted in Sony Entertainment Television several months ago. The third skateboarding generation was killed by the global economical recession in the early 90's. Mexico: May 3, 2005 on Canal 7 (VHF). Manufacturers preferred maple plywood over more exotic composite materials almost exclusively. Germany: April 12, 2005 on PRO 7 (free-to-air, dubbed in German). With vert skating being dominant decks were initially very wide with large and wide wheels, though as time progressed and skateparks became fewer in number, street skating was gaining popularity, causing a change in both deck shape and wheel size. Switzerland: April 11, 2005 on SF DRS. The invention of the ollie made it possible for skaters to perform huge airs off vertical ramps. Sweden: March 29, 2005 on Kanal 5. The focus was initially on halfpipe and vert ramp skateboarding. Spain: March 3, 2005 on FOX. The third skateboard generation, from early eighties to early nineties, was started by skateboard companies that actively promoted their sport. Denmark: March 2, 2005 on TV2. In the end of 1980, skateboarding had died again. Netherlands: March 1, 2005 on Net 5. Many skateparks went out of business and the parks were torn down or bulldozed. Turkey: February 28, 2005 on CNBC-é. This caused liability concerns and increased insurance costs to skatepark owners. Italy: February 22, 2005 on FOX Life. Skateboarders, most notably the Z-Boys, started to skate the vertical walls of swimming pools that were left empty in the 1976 California drought. With increased control skateboarders could skate faster and perform more dangerous tricks. Croatia: February 17, 2005 on Nova TV. The skateboarders took advantage of the improved handling of their skateboards and started inventing new tricks. Singapore: January 31, 2005 on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. Manufacturers started to experiment with more exotic composites, like fiberglass and aluminium but the common skateboards were made of maple plywood. This registered 2.5 million viewers, one of the highest for a premiere in Australian history. As the equipment became more maneuverable the decks started to get wider, reaching widths of 10 inches and over in the end, thus giving the skateboarder even more control. Australia: January 31, 2005 on the Seven Network. With the growing interest companies started to invest more in product development and many companies started to manufacture trucks especially designed for skateboarding. Belgium: January 21, 2005 on één. The improvement in traction and performance was so immense that popularity of skateboarding started to rise rapidly again. United Kingdom: January 5, 2005 on Channel 4 (each episode followed by a première of the next on E4 - which therefore did not initially screen episode 1, but re-ran episodes 1 and 2 later in the first week). In 1970 Frank Nasworthy started to develop a skateboard wheel made of urethane. Ireland: January 4, 2005 on RTE2. Many skateboard manufacturers went out of business because of losing money on cancelled orders for the Christmas holiday season. Brazil: November 4, 2004 on Sony Entertainment Television. This development caused the first skateboarding fad to die completely in the fall of 1965. Germany: October 14, 2004 on Premiere (German pay TV, undubbed original version). This made skateboarding inherently a dangerous sport and after a few years many cities banned skateboarding because of liability concerns. United States and Canada: October 3, 2004 on ABC (US) and CTV (Canada). They had poor traction and would come to a dead stop when rolling over even small pebbles. Theme music composer: Danny Elfman. These boards used wheels made of clay. Producer: Touchstone Television. The boards were from 6 to 7 inches wide. He also said that the cast is expendable and at any time a character can die without the actor knowing. At the time there was a rapidly growing interest in skateboarding (sometimes referred to as sidewalk surfing) and soon many other similar products emerged. Steven Culp confirmed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, he would not return at all next year and that his character really is dead. Before this skateboards were home made pieces of wooden planks with roller skates attached to the bottom. [1] (http://terraservice.net/image.aspx?T=4&S=8&Z=11&X=7519&Y=75568&W=2). The first commercial skateboard was the Roller Derby Skateboard that was introduced in 1959. An aerial photograph of the set is available from Microsoft TerraServer. Surfers are adapting skateboarding tricks into surfing, and the result is evolution in both sports. It includes the houses used in The Munsters and the 1989 film The Burbs. While surfing influenced skateboarding in it's early days, now the reverse is also true. The show's set is on the Universal Studios backlot and has been used for decades in many TV and movie productions to represent a typical American suburban neighborhood. Skateboarding has its origins in surfing, and was originally called "sidewalk surfing". On April 22, Touchstone announced Mehcad Brooks would also join as Woodard's son. Improvements in skateboarding equipment have spurred advancement in skateboarding techniques and new techniques have required new equipment. On April 13, 2005, Touchstone Television announced Alfre Woodard would join the Desperate Housewives cast starting from the second season as the first African-American 'wife' on the street. The history of skateboarding goes hand in hand with the history of the skateboard. Various sources on the Internet and in the press have stated that the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears, Oprah Winfrey and Miranda Richardson (Richardson, in fact was considered, but declined the role of an English nanny) have expressed interest in guest starring on the show, however, it is unlikely they will ever get the opportunity as the producers do not want big names to distract the viewer from the plot. Skateboarding has been thought of by many as part of the extreme sports family, which also includes (but not restricted to) snowboarding, BMX, and surfing. Every episode title in the first season references a song title, many of them by Stephen Sondheim: they include Every Day a Little Death and The Ladies Who Lunch. Like roller skating, skateboarding is often done for recreation and as a sport, but, more often than ice skating, it is a method of transportation. Opening credits contain references to famous pieces of art, including American Gothic and The Arnolfini Portrait. Someone who skateboards is a skater (or skateboarder or most fully skateboard rider), though the shortest term may also refer to someone ice skating or roller skating. Lee was replaced, of course, by Brenda Strong for the series; both had played regular roles as dead people before, Strong on Everwood and Lee on Twin Peaks. Skateboarding is the act of rolling on or interacting with a skateboard. In the original pilot, Mary Alice Young was played by Sheryl Lee; Gardener John Rowland by Kyle Searles; and Rex Van De Kamp by Michael Reilly Burke. Danny Way. Ryan O'Neal - Rodney Scavo (1 Episode). Mike Vallely. Rick Ravanello - Bill Cunningham (1 Episode). Tony Trujillo. Marlee Matlin - Alisha Stevens (1 Episode). Jamie Thomas. Kathryn Joosten - Karen McCluskey (2 Episodes). Ed Templeton. Bob Newhart - Morty (2 Episodes). Aaron Suski. Heather Stephens - Kendra Taylor (2 Episodes). Elissa Steamer. Sharon Lawrence - Maisy Gibbons (3 Episodes). Arto Saari. Marla Sokoloff - Claire (3 Episodes). Kanten Russell. Emily Christine - Ashley Bukowski (3 Episodes). Geoff Rowley. Richard Burgi - Karl Mayer (3 Episodes). Andrew Reynolds. Albert Goldfine (4 Episodes). Stacy Peralta. Sam Lloyd - Dr. Tom Penny. Melinda McGraw - Annabel Foster (4 Episodes). Chad Muska. Lesley Ann Warren - Sophie Bremmer (4 Episodes). Rodney Mullen. Bob Gunton - Noah Taylor (5 Episodes). Guy Mariano. Ryan Carnes - Justin (5 Episodes). Bam Margera. Lupe Ontiveros - Juanita Solis (6 Episodes). Jason Lee. Lucille Soong - Yao Lin (7 Episodes). Bucky Lasek. Richard Roundtree - Jerry Shaw (7 Episodes). Eric Koston. Christine Estabrook - Martha Huber (9 Episodes). Heath Kirchart. Joy Lauren - Danielle Van De Kamp (9 Episodes). Tony Hawk. Harriet Sansom Harris - Felicia Tilman (10 Episodes). Mark Gonzales. Shawn Pyfrom - Andrew Van De Kamp (12 Episodes). Rune Glifberg. Brent Kinsman - Preston Scavo (24 Episodes). Kareem Campbell. Shane Kinsman - Porter Scavo (24 Episodes). Steve Caballero. Zane Huett - Parker Scavo (24 Episodes). Bob Burnquist. Steven Culp - Rex Van De Kamp (Season 1). Stephen Berra. James Denton - Mike Delfino. Mark Appleyard. Brenda Strong - Mary Alice Young/Angela Forrest. Tony Alva. Cody Kasch - Zach Young. Jay Adams. Jesse Metcalfe - John Rowland. Andrea Bowen - Julie Mayer. Mark Moses - Paul Young. Ricardo Chavira - Carlos Solis. Doug Savant - Tom Scavo. Roger Bart - George Williams. Mehcad Brooks - Matthew Applewhite. Alfre Woodard - Betty Applewhite. Nicolette Sheridan - Edie Britt. Eva Longoria - Gabrielle Solis. Marcia Cross - Bree Van De Kamp. Felicity Huffman - Lynette Scavo. Teri Hatcher - Susan Mayer. He was beaten up by Carlos Solis on suspicion of having an affair with Gabrielle. Justin: John's roommate, he has been having a sexual relationship with Andrew Van De Kamp, and he - at least - has developed emotional feelings. Martha has a sister, Felicia Tilman, who coincidentally knew Mary Alice and was very suspicious of Paul Young. She was killed by Paul Young in the first season. Martha Huber: a nosy neighbor who sent Mary Alice Young the blackmail note which led to her suicide, which was discovered by her after hearing a shot from her kitchen. She was arrested during season one and her "little black book" with all the names of her clients was publicly exposed. Maisy Gibbons: a woman who was found to be selling sex to various men around the neighborhood, including Rex Van De Kamp. But she was attacked with a hockey stick courtesy of Zach and it is unknown what condition she is in. She had been entrusted with Zach's care after she blackmailed Paul Young into giving him up. She was originally working in Utah with Mary Alice Young when she was a nurse by the name of Angela Forrest, she came to Fairview to find out what happened to her sister, and ends up exposing Zach Young to the truth about himself that Paul has kept hidden from him. Felicia Tilman: Martha Huber's sister, she always hated Martha. She appears in the last episode of season one. Dierdre Taylor: Mike Delfino's ex-girlfriend who was on drugs, Zach's real mother and the woman Mary Alice killed and stuffed inside a toy chest. However, she was fired by Lynette after it was found out she was sexually exciting her husband. Claire: a nanny who was hired by Lynette to help her take care of her kids. She gets the promotion of Vice President which Tom was eyeing. Annabel Foster: Tom Scavo's ex-fiancee, Lynette is extremely jealous of her and has been doing anything she can to break her up from Tom. He is now responsible for the death of Rex Van De Kamp through his tampering with Rex's prescription drugs, though some speculate that the so-called "death" may have been a stunt pulled of by Rex himself. It had been found out that he is obsessed with Bree, as can be noted by the scene showing him watching survielence footage of her, and had been doing anything in his power to destroy the Van De Kamps' already rocky marriage. Rex immediately took offence to his advances on his wife and it culminated with him being pushed into a pool at Carlos Solis's going-away party. He returned after a short absence and started to lust after Bree. Things were going extremely well until Bree shot off his toe (by accident) with a gun that was given to her as a gift by George. George Williams: The Van De Kamp family pharmacist, who started to have a sexual relationship with Bree after she found out that Rex was having an extra-marital affair with Maisy Gibbons. Carlos found out that John was the one having the affair with Gabrielle at the end of season one, Carlos promised John that he "would kill him". However after Carlos abused Gabrielle, she came running right back into his arms. John also had a relationship with Danielle Van De Kamp, until Bree asked him to be brutally honest with her. He proposed to her, but Gabrielle, who was threatened with legal proceedings by his parents, talked him out of it. John was then convinced that the connection between Gabrielle and him meant a lot more than just sex. John Rowland: Gabrielle and Carlos's (former) 18 year old gardener, he was having an affair with Gabrielle until Juanita discovered their secret. Mike is possibly Zach Young's biological father. There is also a possibility that the corrupt cop could be Zach's biological father however either way this has not yet been revealed. Delfino was at one point convicted of dealing drugs and committing manslaughter when he accidentally killed a corrupt cop who was forcing Dierdre to have sex with him to keep quiet about her drug addiction (Dierdre, not Mike, was the drug dealer). It was discovered that the toy chest that was dug up from the Young family pool contained the remains of Dierdre. Mike Delfino: a man who posed as the friendly neighborhood plumber, but who was actually working to find his former girlfriend (Dierdre Taylor) who had been missing for years and whose father, Noah, was dying. In the pilot episode, Martha Huber mentions Edie has a son but he is never seen or mentioned again in season 1, however it was recently confirmed that he will appear in season 2. It was found out that even after all this time she was still interested in trying to move in on Mike. Edie Britt: a serial divorcee, man-hungry real estate agent who tried to steal Mike away when not having sex with someone else. He is suspected to have a future role on the show in the field of carpentry, as a side plot to Mike Delfino's plumbing business. Matthew Applewhite: Matthew is Betty's only child, and struggles under her extreme religious views and her over-protectiveness. Betty Applewhite: The first African-American housewife joined the series as a recurring guest in the final episode of season one, and will join as part of the main cast in season two. She is a single mother, with strong religious beliefs. There is a possibility that Zach's biological father is Mike Delfino, however Mike was not aware that Dierdre had a son until the season one finale. Zach has been commonly referred to in many forums now as "Zana." Zach is the biological son of Dierdre Taylor, who was killed by Mary Alice while attempting to take her child back after recovering from drug addiction. However, later it was discovered that Zach's original name was "Dana". Early in season one Zach was disturbed with visions of killing his younger sister, Dana. This innocent infatuation turned into a strong obsession, and he was dumped by Julie. Zach eventually got her to agree to let him stay in her bedroom after he had escaped from a juvenile rehabilitation center. Zach Young/Dana: The mentally unstable son of Paul, he found love in the form of Julie Mayer who befriended him. It was believed that Mike wanted to kill him to get revenge for Dierdre, however, Mike spared him. He also had been drugging his son with tranquilizers to keep him from seeing Felicia Tillman. He helped his wife dispose of Dierdre Taylor's body after Mary Alice killed her. When he found out it was his neighbour Martha Huber, he strangled her and dumped the body, but he also put Martha Huber's bracelet and ring in Mike Delfino's garage to try and frame him. Paul Young: The widower of Mary Alice, who tried to find out exactly what caused her death and who sent the note to her. Witnessed by a Zach as a small child. Also Mary Alice is the murderer of Dierdre Taylor (when Dierdre returned several years later and demanded the child back) whom she stabbed in the chest, before cutting her body up and stuffing her in a toy chest. Huber to avenge his wife's death. Later Paul Young killed Mrs. After receiving this note, Mary Alice killed herself. Huber who in turn writes the blackmail note which gets sent to Mary Alice. Mary Alice was scared the police might find out that she had "Dana" in her possession, so she moved to Fairview where she re-named the baby Zach and changed her name to Mary Alice Young (to try and avoid being traced). In a flashback we see Felicia Tillman explaining the whole story to Mrs. Deirde sold the baby to her in order to feed her drug habit. One of her patients at the rehabilition clinic was a drug-addict (Dierdre Taylor) who gave birth to a baby boy named "Dana". Her real name is Angela Forrest and she worked with Martha Huber's sister Felicia Tillman at a rehabilitation clinic in Utah several years ago. Mary Alice Young/Angela Forrest: The deceased wife of Paul Young, who one day decided to end her life by committing suicide, narrates the show from beyond the grave. Before dying Juanita told a nurse of Gabrielle's infidelity; however, the nurse couldn't hear her because she was wearing headphones and listening to loud music. She remained in a coma for five months before awakening, only to fall to her death down a flight of stairs at the hospital. Juanita Solis: the deceased nosy mother of Carlos, who was convinced that Gabrielle was cheating on him with another man, she had obtained photographic evidence of the affair moments before being accidentally run over by Andrew Van De Kamp. Gabrielle originally refused to get him off doing extra time after finding out it was him who messed with her birth control, but then she decided to blackmail him into taking complete care of the baby in exchange for her testimony. Due to apparent financial difficulties, Carlos took a plea bargain which forces him to serve eight months in jail; separately, he was going to be tried in two hate crimes against two gay men (the family cable guy & Justin) whom he thought were having affairs with Gabrielle. Carlos wants to begin a family, so much so that he secretly replaced his wife's birth control pillswith M&Ms since Gabrielle is against the idea of getting pregnant. Carlos Solis: the husband of Gabrielle who has some trouble with the law and a very meddling mother. She almost left Carlos after finding out the truth about her birth control pills, but she eventually decided to blackmail him into taking complete care of the baby in return for her testimony. Towards the end of season one, Gabrielle learns she's pregnant and that her husband has been replacing her birth control pills with sugar pills. She absolutely despises Carlos' mother Juanita. She questions her relation ship with Carlos, commenting once that she loved him, and all her teenage fantasies had been fulfilled, yet she still wasn't happy. Gabrielle Solis: a former model who married her husband Carlos for money, but found satisfaction with her teenage gardener John Rowland. Danielle Van De Kamp: seemingly the most normal member of the family, 15-year-old daughter Danielle was the head of her school's abstinence club, but Bree discovered she had planned to give up her virginity to her ex-boyfriend, John Rowland, in order to lure him back to her. After using his sexuality to manipulate his way out of a juvenile delinquent boot camp, Andrew vowed to play the perfect son for his mother until the day he gets his revenge and destroys her world. It has also been revealed that he is gay (or bisexual) following his 'escapades' with John Rowland's roommate Justin. He was expelled from school for smoking marijuana on school grounds and was involved in a hit-and-run while under the influence that landed Juanita Solis in the hospital. Andrew Van De Kamp: the highly troubled and possibly sociopathic 16-year-old son of Bree Van De Kamp. Creator Marc Cherry has stated that Rex is truly dead, however Marcia Cross has stated that Rex is dead, at least to Bree. Rex's "death" may or may not be completely as it seems. As a result, Rex appears to die, due to a heart failure on the season finale, convinced by the doctor that Bree altered his diet and killed him. However, because his pharmacist was in love with Bree and jealous of their marriage, Rex was not receiving the proper medication to prevent further heart complications. Rex had a near-fatal heart attack. He also wanted to divorce Bree because he could no longer "live in this detergent commercial" and because of his inability to ask his wife to dominate him. Rex Van De Kamp: the doctor husband of Bree, it was found out that he had an extra-marital affair with local homemaker/prostitute Maisy Gibbons. At the end of Season One, she reconciled with Rex over what happened with their family before he died. She was fiercely determined to save her marriage and would do anything to protect her family, as evidenced by her cover-up of son Andrew's hit-and-run. Bree is obsessively concerned with perfection, keeping up appearances, as shown when Rex claimed "I find it bizarre that your hair never moves from its place," and showing as little emotion as possible, much to the displeasure of her family. Bree Mason Van De Kamp: described as "Martha Stewart on steroids," Bree is a deeply religious WASP, ultra-conservative ex-young Republican control freak who was trapped in a sterile marriage with Rex, her fed-up husband, and her rebellious children. Penny Scavo: A baby girl, 18 months old. After the twins put gum in his hair, Lynette shaved his head and used Parker to get into a yoga class by pretending he was afflicted with cancer. Parker Scavo: The third son of the Scavos. They repeatedly misbehave and drive Lynette to distraction. Preston and Porter Scavo: The Scavos' twin boys. He seems to genuinely care about Lynette, being prepared to discuss family matters with her if she feels that they need to. Tom decides to become a house-husband after he loses his promotion to Annabel and subsequently quits his job. Tom has been keeping a secret from his wife that only his father, Rodney Scavo, knows about. Tom Scavo: Lynette's husband, who is frequently out of town. However, this pushes her to the limit as the children become more and more badly behaved. She was hit by her mother, and refuses to spank her own children as a result. This ties to her desire to keep her family together, to the extent that she asks Tom's boss not to promote him, so that he won't take trips away. Her husband, Tom, has been working with his ex-fiancee, Annabel; Lynette will do anything to keep them apart. Lynette Lindquist Scavo: an ex-career woman, now mother to three boys (two of whom are twins) and a baby girl. Considered to have been a corporate "shark", she has declined the option to go back to work, but misses it. Shes gets engaged in the episode "Sunday In the Park With George" after reconciling with ex-boyfriend Morty. Sophie Bremmer: Susan's meddling mother, who came to stay with her after she had exaggerated that her boyfriend Morty was abusing her. Karl is somewhat jealous of Mike, and actually asks to get back together with Susan. Susan also discovers that he flirted with Edie whilst they were married. Karl Mayer: Susan's no-good ex-husband, Susan divorced him after he left her for his secretary, Brandi. She was briefly romantically involved with Zach Young, but came to find him disturbing and broke up with him. She also helped to care for her mother after her divorce. Julie Mayer: Susan's 14 year old daughter, who usually helps her deal with problems regarding her love life. She also has a long-running competitveness with Edie Britt. Susan is also a neighborhood gossip and busy-body as she hired a private investigator to uncover the dark secrets of the Youngs and Mike Delfino. She dislikes Zach, and worries about the threat he poses to her daughter, describing him as 'rampage-crazy' (whilst admitting that she herself is 'adorable-crazy'). She is particularly suspicious of Paul Young. She is naturally inquisitive, and is perhaps the driving force behind the housewives' efforts to discover the truth about Mary-Alice. She sees Mike as an opportunity to find a better life than the one she has been living. After a difficult break-up with Karl, her ex-husband, she sufferred from depression for a long time, and was essentially cared for by her daughter, Julie. Susan Mayer: an attractive but annoyingly self-righteous single mother, dating Mike Delfino, the handsome plumber who has just moved in across the street. |