A Spark. To Pierce the Dark.

"A Spark. To Pierce the Dark." is the 105th episode of the ABC television series, Desperate Housewives. It is the eighteenth episode of the show's fifth season and aired on March 22, 2009.

Plot[]

Dave sets in motion his plan for revenge on Mike, by killing Katherine during their camping trip together. Edie learns that Dave's first wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident involving Mike and Susan. Karl enrolls his young son Evan at the school where Susan works. Susan is disturbed by some of Evan's drawings. When she raises the problem with Karl, they quarrel. Karl is forced to reveal that his second wife has abandoned him and their son.

Bree and Orson's marital problems intensify. He tries to force her to sell off her business to save the marriage, but Andrew convinces her to refuse. Orson warns he may resume his petty thefts in retaliation.

Gaby visits Carlos at work, bringing their daughters. Lynette encourages the children to play in the office of a workplace rival, Lucy, who does not recognize them and explodes in anger. Irate at her treatment of his daughters, Carlos fires Lucy.

At the campgrounds, Dave encourages Mike and Katherine to hike without him, setting up his ambush. He is thwarted when a message from Edie, telling him what she has learned, arrives, disconcerting him so much his gunshot is off target. Dave returns home, where Edie confronts him. When she attempts to warn Mike, Dave attempts to strangle her. She escapes, and tries to drive away. Meanwhile, Orson is robbing an elderly neighbor's home, when she hits him with a baseball bat and chases him out. Orson runs into the street as Edie's car approaches; swerving to avoid him, Edie crashes into a utility pole and is killed by a severed electrical wire.

Reception[]

The episode was heavily publicized due to the media attention publishing Edie's (Nicollette Sheridan) departure from the series after being one of the main five housewives for 5 seasons. Therefore, the episode managed to attract 14.75 million viewers in the US and was placed number 7 in US weekly ratings. The episode received extremely positive reviews, many critics praising the acting in the episode from Marcia Cross and Nicollette Sheridan.^[1] However many critics attacked the decision to kill Edie Britt, claiming it will harm the show, especially as it had already been so speculated. Mickey O'Connor responded with a positive review saying, 'It's a credit to Sheridan's acting that in the face of such devastating news (aka so she married an ax murderer!), the actress remains true to the character, who has larger cojones than any man on Wisteria Lane' and later saying, 'Except that Edie's death was the worst kept secret ever.'^[2]

Notes[]

• This is the second episode of the series (the first being 3.14 "I Remember That") to feature the use of the phrase "To Be Continued" at the end of the episode. Both cliffhangers were added to keep the viewers guessing whether a character (previously Orson, now Edie) will or will not survive a dangerous circumstance.
• The title comes from the song "Broadway Baby" from the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies.
• This episode attracted 14.75 million viewers and placed number 7 in US weekly ratings.

International titles[]

• French: Un plan d'une grande simplicité (A very simple plan)
• German: Ein ganz einfacher Plan (A simple plan)
• Hebrew: ניצוץ שיגרש את החשיכה (Nitzotz SheYegaresh Et HaChashecha; A Spark to Light the Darkness)
• Hungarian: Fény az éjszakában (Light in the Night)
• Italian: Una scintilla nell'oscurità (A spark in darkness)
• Spanish: Una chispa de penetrar la oscuridad (A spark to pierce the darkness)
• Greek: Μια σπίθα για να σπάσουμε το σκοτάδι

References[]