Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 12/26/2008

The ladies of Wisteria Lane returned for a second season of high anxiety, testy relationships, and a new mystery. Susan's (Teri Hatcher) angsty on-again off-again with Mike the plumber (James Denton) took an odd twist when her ex-husband (Richard Burgi) moved in with neighborhood seductress Edie (Nicollette Sheridan), then took an even odder one. Bree (Marcia Cross) resumed her widow's relationship with George the pharmacist (Roger Bart), then descended into personal addiction. Lynnette's (Felicity Huffman) return to the working world turned bizarre when her husband, Tom (Doug Savant), got tired of being a house-husband and returned to the workforce… at Lynnette's own firm. And Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) had to cope in her own unique way with Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) in prison.

With the first season's mystery surrounding Mary Alice Young (Brenda Strong, still around as the narrator) revealed--though repercussions were still flying--the show's intrigue came from a new character, Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard), and her son (Mehcad Brooks), who try, unsuccessfully, to fit into Wisteria Lane while harboring their own secret. While Woodard is a great actor, her storyline tended to drag down the action, the brilliant Cross was saddled with two dismal character developments, and the housewives spent far too little time together. There were laughs to be had, however. Huffman's interplay with Savant was a highlight, and Gabrielle's conflict with a perceived rival named Sister Mary Bernard (Melinda Page Hamilton) was the funniest of the season. No longer as fresh as it had been in its debut season, Desperate Housewives ended up taking a back seat to its Sunday-night running mate, Grey's Anatomy, and was shut out of the major Emmy awards, but its late-season resurgence was a positive sign going into the third season. With Lesley Anne Warren as Susan's mother, Sophie; Bob Newhart as Sophie's beau; Andrea Bowen as Susan's steadfast daughter, Julie; Jay Harrington as Susan's doctor; Mark Moses and Cody Kasch as Paul and Zach Young, who continue to be plagued by Felicia Tilman (Harriet Sansom Harris) about what happened with Mary Alice; Shawn Pyfrom as Bree's rebellious son; Carol Burnett as Bree's stepmother; and Kyle MacLachlan as an oddball dentist.

On the DVDs
Creator Marc Cherry dominates the DVD features. He has a conversation with his muse, his mother; he comments on 27 minutes of his favorite scenes; and he has optional commentary on both the deleted scenes (15 minutes) and on the two unaired story lines. The longer of the story lines (11 minutes) focuses on Susan and her novel, with some nice interplay with Bob Newhart. In the shorter one (4 minutes), Lynnette tries to sneak in a phone call aboard a plane. The five lead actresses do get a chance to talk about their "juiciest bits" (about two minutes of recapping the season's kisses, etc.), the making of an episode, costumes, and their characters compared to TV's past housewives (with contributions from actresses such as Happy Days' Marion Ross and The Partridge Family's Shirley Jones). --David Horiuchi

great look back at how it all began, I will continue to buy the seasons.

Love this series season 1 was great season 2 was more of the same. Season 3 was miss for 3 episodes then hit for the rest.

I shall begin this review by declaring my love for this show. It's my favorite show on the air right now by far, and I think it's one of the greatest television shows ever created. The acting is superb, the storylines intriguing, hilarious and often touching, and there is a strong bond bond between these (now six) very different women that I think everyone can relate to. While I have absolutely loved every season, season two has definitely remained my favorite. That's why it comes as a shock to me that so many critics and even fans bashed this season. I mean, what isn't there to love? All four principle characters' storylines are advanced. Susan's turbulent love life continues as she struggles to maintain her relationship with Mike and also finds romance with a handsome young doctor. In this season we also see Susan try to foster a relationship with her long-lost father and deal with her ex-husband. Lynette goes from being a stay-at-home mom to a working woman, and this storyline is ridiculously entertaining- from Lynette's malicious colleague Nina (I personally found this character to be an irresistable villian) to her immature and incompetent boss Ed. Also in this season, Tom joins Lynette's firm and we see the two struggle to keep their marriage in check while working together. Lynette's struggle to maintain her personal life and career is also a very realistic storyline that I think a lot of people can relate to. Gaby suffers a miscarriage, and after Carlos is released from prison the two go to desperate lengths to have a child. Along the way, Gabrielle must thwart an attempt from a meddlesome nun to ruin her marriage. Perhaps the most interesting storyline of the season belonged to Bree. After Rex's death, we see Bree try to move on by dating George, the pharmacist. After discovering George's sordid secrets, her son Andrew becomes more of a terror than ever and tries to make Bree's life even more miserable. All of this leads to Bree becoming an alcoholic, and by the end of the season, she has resorted to drastic measures to get her life back in order. New on the lane are mysterious neighbors Betty and Matthew Applewhite, who are hiding a dark secret in their basement. As the season progesses, we discover the truth behind this mystery. One of the most scathing critiques of season two regards the Applewhites' storyline. Many said it wasn't captivating and that Betty Applewhite never really integrated into the show. I disagree with both of these claims. Alfre Woodard's Betty Applewhite remains one of my favorite characters during the show's tenure. Not only was the season two mystery captivating; there is an unbelievable shock in the finale. And that's not the only shock in store for viewers; the season has many surprises that all come to fruition in the finale. This finale, which features memorable scenes of each wife's arrival to the lane is my favorite finale of the four seasons (although season four's finale was also pretty incredible, I must say). Not only does season two look back, it also gives us a twist for each major character (in my opinion, the most shocking moment of the entire series thus far occurs with Mike in the final moments of the finale) and leaves you desperate to see how each of the storylines will play out in the third season. So there you have it. Some have said this season was boring. I personally found each and every one of the above storylines captivating and entertaining. As with every season of Desperate Housewives, the acting is superb and the chemistry between the leads undeniable. This leads to another critique of season two that I believe is illegitimate. Many have said that the wives are too isolated from each other in this season. While their scenes together may not be as numerous as other seasons, these scenes are so enjoyable that it doesn't feel like a loss at all. Last but not least, the show's brilliant mix of comedy and drama remains as strong in this season as it did in its classic first season. If you are considering watching this season for the first time, please don't listen to critics. Watch the episodes and judge for yourself. I bet you won't be disappointed.

well what can i say-!-i m hooked on desperate housewives! im on my third season set and cant wait for it to arrive!!my experience with buying the previous sets thru amazon have all been positive ones--i always receive my merchandise in good shape and in minimal time--thanx amazon for letting me enjoy desperate housewives!!

Desperate housewives season 2 was as good, if not better than the original. I must admit that while I was a fan of the the first season it never truly captivated me in anyway. This season did. I think the reason for that was due to a stronger story and range of characters.
I loved Bree in this season, which is not what i found in the first season. Her breavement and conflicts with her son and her internal struggles make her a more rounded out and flawed character. Until she finally cracks (which lets face it, we knew was gonna happen soon.)
Also the character of Gabby was given more to do in this season. As opposed to her just sleeping with her gardener and trying to hide it from her increasly annoying husband.
Lynett's story was also better in this season. I just could not relate to her in the first season. the choices she makes and the situations she puts herself in. And i have kids so i know what being a parent is but still! In this season however she seemed more interesting. Though however I wish she would stop having her silly little fights with her husband and get her own life.
Susan...Susan has always been hard for me to like. In the first season I thought she was OK at first, but after a while down right annoying. In this season she improves a little though she is still just as insane and is still rivalling Carrie Bradshaw!
Another pleasure of this season was the story involving the Applewhites. I found it ten times more interesting than the previous, though the actual mystery could be gathered pretty quickly in this season a few episodes in, unlike the the first season's which kept you guessing right till the last episode. I also loved the Betty character, but i wish she had more screen time and more background. i was horrifed when there were whole episodes going by and she didnt even feature!!!
Wats that all about?
I wish she hadnt exited the show at the end of the season but hopefully she will make a reappearance in a future season.
I also loved the fact that Mary-Alice barely featured in this season
(apart from her poisoned honey narration). She truly was the most boring and unengaging character on the show.
An annoyance of mine of this season was the fact that Edie, the Samantha Jones of the show (though no where near as cool and clever) was still feeling like a secondary character. Barely in an episode, going some without even making an appearance. They should bring her forward and give her more to do apart from her tedious battles with Susan which she always loses. Another factor that brought this season down was the fact that the main mystery, though revealed to the audience quite early on was only touched upon and noticed by the main charcters nearly half way through the season! Making the mystery itself seem dull and prolonged by the end of the season due to the fact that we the viewers already know or have guessed the stuff they are discovering in the second leg of the season. Whereas the first season, we the viewers were taken on a journey with the characters and were discovering things with them. And the final thing that annoyed me about this season was the loss of some great characters. The Applewhites, Felicia Tilman, Justin and George Williams.
But apart from my few dislikes of this season, like i said. this season i felt was better than the First. Heres hoping the Third maintains this.