Plot

Robin and Katherine go on a double date with two men, who both like Robin; Bree picks up a few tricks to engage Orson; Gabrielle looks for help with troublesome Ana.

Susan causes quite a stir when she invites a former stripper into her home. Former exotic dancer Robin will have a profound effect on Susan's friends -- with three teenage boys at home, Lynette will keep a watchful eye; Bree picks up a few tricks to engage Orson; Gaby looks for help with troublesome niece Ana; and Katherine will find a friendly companion.—ABC Publicity

"Desperate Housewives" - "Lovely" - February 21, 2010

Robin has moved in with Susan and Mike and everyone has taken notice of her. We see her walk down the street as Mary Alice tells us that they've taken notice of her legs, breasts, hair.

She attends Katherine's welcome home party and all the men fall over themselves flirting while the women seethe in the kitchen and wonder why Susan invited her onto the lane. Susan explains she was down on her luck and needed a place to stay and she feels a wee bit responsible since she told her to quit her job. She says she's not threatened and they shouldn't be either. Katherine and Bree agree she should be given a chance but Lynette thinks she's trouble.

Each Housewife gets their own tale with Robin told.

Lynette and the Stripper

Parker's friends to come over to pick him up for school while downstairs Tom gives Lynette a beautiful antique ring for their anniversary. She promises to give him his gift later. She notices she hasn't heard anything from the boys and goes upstairs and discovers them leering at Robin, who is showering with the curtains open. Lynette marches over to lecture her about it being a nice neighborhood full of innocent kids. Robin says they're not all so innocent, including Parker who offered her cash to have sex with him. She declined.

We cut to Parker coming home from school and being confronted by Tom and Lynette. He's mostly mad Robin told on him. He says he just really, really, really needed to have sex. He's 16 and thinks he's the only one of his friends who's still a virgin and thinks women don't think of him like that. Tom tries to build him up and says in a few years when Parker's emotionally ready he will have tons of sex. Parker is satisfied. Tom, however, says to Lynette that all men pay for sex in some way: dinner, flowers, antique rings. She's appalled that he's basically calling her a whore and says he won't be getting his anniversary gift after all.

Later in bed he tries to make it happen but she's still upset. He points out that it wasn't until their third date when he ponied up 200 bucks for a fancy dinner that she put out. She says it wasn't the dinner but the fact that he arrived with a lightbulb to replace one that he'd noticed had burned out in her apartment entryway. He can't believe that all it takes is him showing her that he cares to get some, because that's easy. He gets his present after all.

The next day Lynette goes to apologize to Robin who accepts graciously and tells Lynette to draw the drapes the next time she and Tom get it on with the lights on and winks at her.

Bree and the Stripper

Bree and Orson are getting into a friendlier marital routine but things are still awkward at bedtime when she goes upstairs to her room.

The next day in test kitchen Robin asks Bree to show her how to bake a cake to give to Mike and Susan as a thank you. Bree basically makes it, a raspberry mocha cake, Orson's favorite. Robin says she knows it must be tough with Orson in a wheelchair. Bree admits they are trying to put pieces back together and fesses up that they're stumbling on intimacy. Robin says her grandma always aid that "if you want to save your marriage there's only one room to do it in." She points out that Orson can still see and hear her and feel some of her touch and to find out he's still interested.

Bree comes home from a bar mitzvah and finds Orson listening to Tchaikovsky which he calls senusal. Hearing this she makes a decision. She drops her coat and starts dancing, kicking off her shoes in an awkward striptease. He's confused. She tries to strip and gets her sweater stuck on her head. As he approaches to help Orson rolls over her toes and she falls down, feeling dumb. He admits he is interested in regaining some kind of intimacy but wasn't sure she would consider it. She says it will be awkward at first, but they can work on it. She says she wants to share his bed again even if it means just holding his hand before he falls asleep. He beckons her to his lap and turns the music back on and they embrace.

Gabrielle and the Stripper

While Anna gabs to Danny on the phone on the porch, Carlos and Gaby set the table discussing what to do about it, especially in light of what they overheard at the Bolens. Carlos just wants to forbid it. But Gaby knows this won't work, that they need a carrot, not a stick.

Some time later Gaby goes to Anna in her room and informs her a former photog friend of hers now has his own modeling agency and wants to represent Anna and wants her in New York immediately. She's thrilled and wants to call Danny. Gaby says there's no time they have to get her luggage and get going. Anna, now conflicted asks, "what about high school?" Gaby quips: "World War II, Germany lost. Korean war, Korea lost. Vietnam war we lost, happy graduation." Anna says she can't go, that she promised Danny they'd go to New York together.

Later Gaby gripes about the predicament to Susan over wine. Robin enters and they explain, mostly. Robin says it's a bad call and explains she used to be a ballerina, was offered a spot in a big company and then Bobby Butterfield happened. She passed on job. Two months later he dumped her, she got in a car accident ending her dance career and it was "goodbye tutu, hello tatas." Susan is, appropriately, sad. Gaby is predictably psyched and wants Robin to tell her story to Anna about her life spiralling down the crapper and tells her to cry since "nothing sells pathetic like stripper tears." Robin is horrified -as is Susan- but agrees.

Later we see Gaby and Anna excitedly returning with luggage when Danny arrives. Gaby goes in and watches as Anna tells him. He can't believe she can't wait. She says if he doesn't think it's a great opportunity they shouldn't be together.

The next day Gaby thanks Robin and then she hears about Danny and Anna. Robin is mad that Gaby didn't tell her that part of the story and doesn't like being used. Gaby says not to worry about it since she did good and Gaby owes her a big one now.

Robin goes to Danny and ostensibly tells him.

Gaby and Carlos toast the news that Anna has settled in, has classes lined up, and is getting new headshots, and is miles from nearest Bolen. Outside their window we see a taxi arrive and pick up Danny.

Susan and the Stripper

Mike comes home one evening, having thrown his back out. Susan says she'll call the chiropractor. Robin says not to bother and she'll fix it with stripper tricks she's learned. She gives him a yank that fixes his problem, and then a big hug which creates one for Susan.

The next day Susan comes home and Robin is walking on Mike's back in short shorts and a little workout bra saying this the way Buddhist monks do it. In the kitchen she hears Mike moaning and Robin talking about him being stiff. Susan starts talking loudly about a sick friend's bacterial infection and diarrhea. The moaning reaches a fever pitche and she goes in to see Robin pushing one of Mike's leg's back towards his head.

On yet another day that he's in pain Susan decides to take a shot at it herself. Cut to Mike in the hospital with a neck collar. Robin arrives with MJ who goes in to see Mike. Robin asks why Susan didn't wait. Susan admits she didn't want Robin to do it and she was trying hard to be cool but when she saw an ex-stripper all over Mike wearing next to nothing she freaked. Robin starts to cry. Susan says she thought strippers were supposed to be tough. Robin is upset that Susan was the only person who never treated her like a stripper until now. She apologizes saying after 9 years in club maybe she doesn't know where the boundaries are anymore. Susan apologizes. Robin offers to move out. Susan protests. Robin says she wants to be friends for a long time so she has to move out.

Katherine and the Stripper

Robin comes to drop off some mail at Katherine's and introduce herself. She asks how she's doing. Katherine admits it's been hard being in the big house alone and the subtle, judging glances on the street. Robin says she's looking for a room to rent and it might take the heat off Katherine since no one judges a woman from the loony bin when there's a stripper next to her.

We cut to Robin moving in. She wants to go get a drink to celebrate, Katherine isn't sure. Robin asks what it's like in a mental hospital. She asks because she wondered about committing her alcoholic mom, who abused her as a child because of her cheating dad. Katherine also opens up and says it was pretty bad at the hospital. She says the screaming was bad but what was worse was the blank stares. Robin charms her with her humor and Katherine decides that they deserve a night out drinking.

At the bar Katherine asks Robin about being a stripper. She says it was tough. A guy comes over and asks for them to join him and his friend, calling them beautiful. Robin begs off but a moment later Katherine admits she wants to go sit with them since it's been a while since a guy that cute has flirted with her. They go to sit with them and predictably both guys totally pay all of their attention to Robin. They begin to guess what she might do and Katherine gets mad and says she's a stripper. The guys love this. Robin tries to point out all of Katherine's fine points: smart, witty, businesswoman but they say Robin is more her type. Robin says that's too bad, grabs Katherine's hand, pulls her up and plants one on her. The boys pant and gape.

Over a bottle of wine Katherine and Robin laugh at home. Katherine says she's giving up on men. Robin likes this idea because apparently, in a plot twist, she is a lesbian and thinks Katherine might also want to "explore other options." Katherine now realizes why the kiss felt so convincing. She says she still plays for Team Hetero though. Robin tells her to suit herself and asks if it's going to affect their relationship and Katherine says no.

And finally just...

Robin

On a walk she runs into McCluskey who asks how everyone's treating her. She wants to make sure no one's giving her guff and says she can relate since she used to model foundation garments for Sears Roebuck.

Robin says it's been good and that the best part is the people actually see her, as opposed to people staring at her but not seeing her. At first she was worried it would be like that on Wisteria Lane but thinks it's better now.

As she continues her walk Mary Alice tells us it's better now because the people see her sense of morality (as she passes Gaby), her loyal heart (as she passes Susan), her surprising insight (Bree), and her forgiving nature (Lynette). MA says some people had even taken notice of her incredible beauty and they were surprised to discover that they liked what they saw as she walks back to her new home with an apparently now bi-curious Katherine.