ABC/MATTHEW ROLSTONTV premiere week isn't over yet! We're close to the yabba-dabba-doooo Friday whistle for us working stiffs, but a ton of new shows are just getting going, including the CW's genre Friday, ABC's soapy Sunday and that little serial-killer show we love so much, Dexter. Read on for scoop on Michael C. Hall's new nemesis, Supernatural's resurrected Sammeh and the arrival of one Ms. Vanessa Williams to Wisteria Lane, aka the craziest cul-de-sac in suburban history:
Lydia in Evansville, Ill.: I love that Vanessa Williams is sweeping into Wisteria Lane. Can you tell me how she is in the season premiere of Desperate Housewives?
Vanessa Williams, in all her stiletto'd glory, joins the show as Renée Perry, an old college roommate of Lynette's (Felicity Huffman). They are clearly frenemies, and it makes for simply outstanding back and forth jarring between the two. The pairing, if I may be so bold, might be the highlight of the entire episode. Vanessa is spot on and full of zingers. My particular favorite? "[Lynette] just kept wearing those parachute pants, lesbian rumors be damned."
Alison in Orlando: Desperate Housewives returns! What are my favorite housewives up to?
Oh, you know, the usual. Lying about hit and runs, lying about who their biological child is, divorces, room destroying, new romances, revenge plots, and new jobs that include doing chores in lingerie. Plus, Paul Young (Mark Moses) is back, and he is totally over being falsely accused of murder and abandoned by his friends and neighbors. Except he's not and he's probably planning something awful.
Gina is Silver Lake, Calif.: It seems like too much has happened to the Walker family for anything to ever be right again. Will the season premiere of Brothers & Sisters totally bum me out?
I say wait until the entire episode is over to make that call. The season premiere is a roller-coaster ride, though. Obviously, dealing with the aftermath of the crash takes a toll on everyone. Look for Justin (Dave Annable) to play hero in more ways than one throughout the episode. The last 10 minutes will be your ray of light in an otherwise dark and heavy premiere. But it's a really good 10 minutes.
Mimi in Austin, Texas: I'm so excited for B&S returning. What's in store for my boys Scotty and Kevin?
We talked to show runner David Marshall Grant, and he told us that Scotty and Kevin will be very involved in Saul's HIV-positive storyline this season. Grant says, "Saul grew up in a very different world than Scotty and Kevin did and that world included a lot of things like him feeling much more comfortable in the closet than anywhere else. And it also included a much more dangerous risk in terms of HIV. What I'm most interested in that intergenerational divide, or intergenerational conversation. "
James in Dallas: Is there another Big Bad this season on Dexter? I mean, besides Dexter, ha ha ha.
Good question! He only lasts a few episodes, but Dexter's first prey following Rita's death is another serial killer so sick and twisted he really puts the Trinity Killer to shame. Although their scenes together are hilarious, the consequences of Dexter's involvement with this cunning madman wreaks havoc on his already chaotic existence. Being Dexter is very stressful.
Maria in Miami: Love the chemistry between Batista and LaGuerta on Dexter. Will they be enjoying wedded bliss this season or is their marriage on the rocks?
We asked Angel himself, David Zayas, about what the future holds for the happy couple on Dexter. "I'm a newlywed," he told us, "and with that comes a lot of complications." He's not joking—Angel and Maria (Lauren Vélez) might go straight from their honeymoon to conjugal visits!
Melody in Memphis: Ahhh! Why no Supernatural scoop lately? It's premiering this week! Mostly, I need to know if Sam is evil this season?
Insiders tell us that while Sam (Jared Padelecki) isn't full-bore evil this season, there is something genuinely off about Sammeh that plays out over the course of the first half of the year. Don't get comfortable with the reunited Winchester brothers in a couple of episodes; just because the boys are back together doesn't mean everything is OK. Remember: No good ever comes of a vacation in hell.
Misty in Temecula, Calif.: Weeds?
Don't worry. Things look pretty grim for Clan Botwin right now, but Nancy wiggles out of this one too, and then leaves Seattle for good. Mark this season down as the "road-trip season," and for now Andy (Justin Kirk, comedy god) is going to be designated as the captain and navigator.
Del in Chicago: Any scoop on The Amazing Race? They were robbed of an Emmy this year, but they're still the best reality show on TV?
Shut yo mouf. Nothing but nothing beats the Voltaggio-Kevin-Jen season of Top Chef for reality-show awesomeness. That said, we love TAR too, so keep checking back for an Amazing Race season 17 preview item coming later this weekend!
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