- In the aftermath of the plane crash, the residents reflect on what their lives might have been, had they made different choices.
- In the aftermath of the plane crash, the residents of Wisteria Lane reflect on what their lives might have been had they made different choices. Susan contemplates a life with Karl had she not left him; Bree considers life without Orson; Lynette thinks about a future with her unborn twins; Carlos reflects on how Gaby would be as an over-protective mom; and Angie ponders the consequences should her secrets be revealed.—ABC Publicity
- "Desperate Housewives" - "If" - Jan. 3, 2010
In the aftermath of the plane crash everyone- Carlos, Gaby, Lynette, Tom, Nick, Angie, Bob, Susan- is waiting at the hospital for the news. The news is Bree was banged up but will be okay; Karl, Mona, and Orson are in surgery; Celia has a concussion- Carlos points out that they have Lynette to thank for that. Suddenly Lynette has pain in her belly, there's something wrong with the babies.
As they wait, each woman experiences a "what if" scenario:
Susan wonders what would have happened if, instead of kicking Karl out she had stayed with him. He promises to change and she promises to swallow her rage, so she gets fat. At one point Mike arrives to fix the sink. Karl calls to say he's working late and Susan knows he's reverted to his old ways. She tries to proposition Mike but he begs off and tells her if she's unhappy she should do something about it. Three years later she loses the weight but Karl leaves her anyway and says it's her own fault for not letting him go the first time. He says she deserves better. As Karl leaves she sees Mike across the street, seemingly happy with a pregnant blonde wife.
The doctor enters and tells her Karl is dead. McCluskey says she can't imagine what Susan must be feeling. She says she's mostly feeling grateful.
Bree is lying in a hospital bed. Mary Alice tells us that Bree was told about death of Karl and had to be sedated. She dreams about what her life would've been like with Karl and imagines an idyllic scenario where they're all hot for each other. He says being with her will make him into a whole different man. But, of course, it doesn't. Time passes and she catches him with her yoga instructor and she kicks him out. He points that he hasn't done a thing to her that she didn't do to Orson. Seven years later, Orson dies of a heart attack and she's called by the land lady to go clean out Orson's apartment. It is full of pictures of Bree and the landlady says she thinks he died of a a broken heart. Bree awakes and the doctor says Orson's out of danger, but there were complications and he may be paralyzed.
Angie and Nick wait to hear about Mona's condition. She's in a coma, but the nurse says she's a fighter. Angie imagines Mona awakening and calling the police and pictures a future in which she goes to jail. An FBI agent visits Angie and asks her to give up the whereabouts of a certain Patrick Logan, the mastermind behind whatever plot that has had her on the run for the last 18 years. Angie says that she hasn't spoken to him in 18 years (he was her former lover) and that she's not running from the FBI, but from Logan himself who is still out there. He was very scary. Later, in court she explains no one was supposed to get hurt, they just wanted to make other people believe what they believed. She addresses the widow and apologizes... sort of. She is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. Danny, in the courtroom, calls out for his mom. Back in reality at the hospital, Angie gets the word Mona is dead.
In Celia Solis' hospital room, Gaby says she thinks God saved Celia because she has a special gift. She's not sure what yet, but knows it will be amazing. Gaby climbs in with Celia and falls asleep and dreams of what Celia's amazing life will be. Gaby decides she's meant to be an actress, even though she displays no talent for it. She pushes her for years to auditions to the point that Carlos has to secretly try to send Celia to camp when she gets older so she can have a normal life. Gaby won't allow it, even when Carlos threatens to leave her. She tells him to leave. Many more years pass and a gray-haired Gaby, living in a dilapidated house watches Celia's only successful job from when she was a child. She's still pushing her as a grown up. Celia, now 25, finally says she doesn't want to be an actress. Gaby says she has to since she doesn't want her life to have been for nothing. Celia relents. Gaby awakes in the hospital bed. Carlos returns and Gaby says Celia doesn't have to do anything to be special. (She just is.)
A doctor looks over Lynette who has a tear in her placenta. One baby is fine but the other is at risk developmentally if they don't operate. They are ready to go. During surgery, Lynette imagines a life with a disabled child from the difficult physical therapy and lack of discernible progress. Lynette, exhausted, walks out on the therapist. Tom understand her frustrations but says this is what needs to be done and that the baby is only 14 months and not to write him off. But instead, she should do everything she can or she'll be sorry. She goes in with renewed resolve. Many years pass and a pre-teen child, on crutches, is very demanding wanting her to make him a sandwich. She forces to do for himself and, angrily, he does. Many more years pass and she watches him graduate from law school and pay tribute to her. She awakens from surgery and Tom informs her they lost one of the babies.
Gaby brings Lynette flowers. They hold hands. Gaby tearily thanks Lynette and expresses her condolences.
We then see Karl's funeral. Mary Alice tells us about the priest sermonizing about "what if" but saying the best way to honor those who die is to focus on what was and to keep on living the best way you know how. In time, Mary Alice says she's confident her friends will do that.
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