‘Housewives’ isn't afraid to move forward

Warning: This article contains numerous spoilers for the "Desperate Housewives" season finale, so if you've recorded it and are saving for later, stop reading now.

All season long, some viewers have mentally grouped "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" together, fairly or unfairly.

It makes sense. Both shows are new this season on ABC, both are hour-long dramas with large ensemble casts. Both feature familiar actors from long-running series past. Both have been crititized for sending their momentum screeching to a halt by taking time out for numerous reruns.

And most importantly, both have tangled plotlines that weave in and out each week, taking viewers up and down a roller-coaster of emotions, and making it almost impossible for them not to tune in again to see what happens.

Yet one of the major differences between the way the two shoes handle these plotlines seems even clearer after Sunday's "Desperate Housewives" finale. "Desperate Housewives" is willing to answer some of its mysterious questions and give readers a little bit of closure. "Lost," heading into its own two-hour finale this Wednesday, is still dangling a dozen carrots in front of impatient viewers.

Mary Alice revealed
"Desperate Housewives" began with a bang: Literally. In the pilot, housewife Mary Alice put a gun to her head and commited suicide, leaving behind a seemingly not-altogether-nice husband, Paul, and a son, Zach, who's so full of secrets that not even his name is really his.

Why did she kill herself? What was up with the mysterious note proclaiming "I know what you did"? And it turned out that Mary Alice wasn't the only housewife on her idyllic suburban street, Wisteria Lane, who had secrets. Gorgeous ex-model Gabrielle, frustrated stay-at-home mom Lynette, lonely divorcee Susan, preppie perfectionist Bree, every single one of Mary Alice's poker pals would face major life-shaking woes as the season marched on.

These secrets were major, too. They included infidelity, lying, and statuatory rape, just to get started. They may not have been along the lines of the secrets of "Lost" (secret powers, polar bears and monsters, miraculously cured paralysis, life-changing numbers, a baby who could be an antichrist or a saviour), but they weren't exactly as simple as a secret cookie recipe, either.

But on "Lost," the secrets have continued to build all season. Sure, character flashbacks have filled in some of the holes about the castaways' lives and their reasons for taking the doomed flight. But on "Housewives," especially on the finale, the writers have decided that secrets are meant to be revealed.

MORE FROM DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

‘Housewives’ starts hiatus on wing and a prayer

‘Housewives’ starts hiatus on wing and a prayer More blood is shed on ‘Desperate Housewives’ ‘Desperate’ Susan does time on chain gang One of the ‘Housewives’ lands behind bars Katherine turns up the crazy on ‘Housewives’ Oh, shoot! One ‘Housewife’ takes a bullet Suspicions grow on ‘Housewives’ Situation becomes ‘Desperate’ on ‘Housewives’ ‘Desperate’ quiz: Test your ‘Housewives’ knowledge   Add Desperate Housewives headlines to your news reader: