Karl Mayer

Last updated
Karl Mayer
KarlDH.jpg
Portrayed by Richard Burgi
Duration2004–06, 2008–10, 2012
First appearance"Pilot"
1x01, October 3, 2004
Last appearance"Finishing the Hat"
8x23, May 13, 2012
Created by Marc Cherry
In-universe information
OccupationStrip club owner
Lawyer
Wife Susan Mayer (married twice)
Marissa Mayer (divorced)
Children Julie Mayer (via Susan)
Evan Mayer (via Marissa)
GrandchildrenSophie Mayer-Scavo (via Julie, with Porter Scavo)
GrandmothersIrene [1]

Karl Mayer is a fictional character portrayed by Richard Burgi and created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives . He is the ex-husband of housewife Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) and father of Julie Mayer (Andrea Bowen), as well as a successful practitioner of family law. The character also becomes romantically involved in the series with two other housewives, Edie Britt (Nicollette Sheridan) and Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), both of whom he gets engaged to. Karl dies in Season 6, Episode 11 after injuries sustained when a plane crashes into Wisteria Lane during the Christmas Festival. He reappeared briefly as a ghost in the series finale.

Contents

Development and casting

According to Cherry, casting the role of Karl was difficult because he "wanted a guy that was nice looking and seemed like he would have been married to Teri, but was also someone you wouldn't like." [2] The character was portrayed by another actor in a series of non-speaking flashbacks in the pilot episode, but the role was recast once the direction of the character changed. [2] After making some guest appearances during the first season, Burgi joined the regular cast in the second season. However, he returned to his guest starring status from the third season until his character's death halfway through the sixth season. Burgi returned for the series finale, appearing as his character's ghost among other deceased characters.

Storylines

Past

A lawyer by profession, in 1989 he married Susan Bremmer and a year later their daughter, Julie, was born. In 1992, he moved with his wife and daughter to Fairview, 4353 Wisteria Lane. [3] Eleven years later, Karl cheated on Susan with Edie Britt [4] and secretary Brandi [5] Edie passed on information about this second affair to Susan. [6] Subsequently, Susan herself saw the lipstick mark on her husband's shirt. [7] [8] Julie's mother burned down all the bridges that connected her with her husband: sports awards, golf clubs and shoes. The engagement ring from his grandmother had thrown on one of the state road. [7] His wife filed for divorce with the court and kicked him out of the house, changing the locks. [9]

Season 1

Karl poses with his ex-wife Susan and his daughter Julie while having a picnic in a park. MayerFamily.jpg
Karl poses with his ex-wife Susan and his daughter Julie while having a picnic in a park.

In the season one episode "Move On", Karl ends his relationship with Brandi and asks Susan for a second chance, but she declines because of her commitment to Mike Delfino. [10] Susan also discovers that he flirted with Edie while they were married, and soon Karl starts dating Edie.

Season 2

Susan discovers that Karl is now living with Edie. [11] However, he is jealous of Mike and tries twice to get back with Susan. [12] He even goes so far as to lie to Susan and say that he was breaking it off with Edie, which led to him and Susan having sex. It is made obvious that Karl is still in love with Susan, as shown by several pictures of her that he secretly keeps around the house for him to look at from time to time.

Later Bree Van de Kamp hires Karl to stop her son, Andrew Van de Kamp from blackmailing her. Karl tells Andrew that even though Bree did witness George Williams die, she will not even face trial. When an unfazed Andrew threatens to make up stories about Bree or publicly humiliate her, Karl physically threatens Andrew and invokes his friendship with Andrew's late father Rex to get him to back down.

Later in the season, when Susan finds out she needs to have a surgical operation to correct a wandering spleen, Karl offers to marry Susan so that she can use his health insurance to pay for it, but they plan to divorce soon after Susan's surgery. [13] Karl becomes jealous of Susan and Dr. Ron McCready's relationship. Knowing that Susan had not yet mentioned her and Mike's past, Karl breaks open a pipe under the sink, sends Ron out to get Mike, then watches happily as Ron and Mike get into a fight on the street which ends with Ron breaking up with Susan and then driving off.

Later on, Karl asks Edie to marry him; however, when Edie learns of their sham marriage, she demands that Karl propose to her and throw her a lavish wedding. [14] Karl and Susan sleep together one night and, as revenge, Edie burns Susan's house down, prompting Karl to buy her a new one as another attempt to get her back, only to be stopped by Mike. Karl eventually leaves Edie. [15]

Season 3

Karl appears only in the episode "Children and Art" to play the bad cop for Julie and Austin McCann, who have started dating. This backfires when he gets mad at Susan for dating Ian Hainsworth, a married English man whose wife is in a coma.

Season 4

Karl returns when Susan meets him at a Lamaze class as his pregnant new wife, Marissa (played by Sunny Mabrey), is there; Mike is not there as he was receiving his 30 days chip. [16] Karl constantly teases Susan about how things are going for him including Marissa being an author and a law student and him becoming partner of his firm and he constantly puts Mike down for referring to him as "the plumber". Susan however brings Mike along to the next class and makes herself and him dress up in order to impress Karl, where they both lie and say they have a party to go to after and that Mike now owns his company. However Susan becomes disappointed when Mike mentions he was in rehab. When Susan confronts Karl, he tells her that Mike is a good guy and he'd be better for her then he ever would. In the five year time skip between seasons 4 and 5, it is presumed Karl and Marissa had their child.

Season 5

Karl reappears in the second episode, when Julie asks him to help her with her insurance. He mentions to Susan having awareness of her affair with painter Jackson Braddock, and teases her about her taste in men, prompting Susan to ask him to leave.

Karl reappears yet again in the eighteenth episode of the fifth season, "A Spark. To Pierce the Dark.". He has enrolled his son Evan in Susan's art class, where Susan gives them an art assignment to draw what makes them happy. Evan draws his mother being pierced with a sword. Susan, concerned, approaches Karl, and it turns out that Marissa has left them because she could not handle being a mother, leaving him to raise Evan by himself. The experience has led Karl to come to an understanding of why it bothers Susan to see him and understand the ramifications of his infidelities during his marriage to Susan. Susan sympathizes with him, as although she always wanted Karl to feel what he had done to her, she also regrets that it happened to him. [17]

Bree later hires Karl as her divorce lawyer, and he helps her stage a fake burglary of her house to hide assets that she does not want Orson to have access to. [18] When Orson finds out about the scheme and blackmails Bree into staying in the marriage, Karl and Bree begin an affair.

Season 6

Karl and Bree continue their affair during the first part of the sixth season. Karl decides to propose to Bree during the annual Christmas party, even hiring an engine plane with a banner behind it with the message "Will you marry me, Bree? Love, Karl" to fly over Wisteria Lane. Karl shows up at the party and tells Orson about the proposal. The two men end up getting into a fight inside Santa's Workshop, which Bree tries unsuccessfully to defuse. The fight is brought to an end when the pilot of the plane Karl hired suffers a fatal heart attack at the controls, and subsequently crash-lands into the party, smashing straight into the workshop. As a result of the crash, Karl is killed while Orson is rendered paralyzed. [19] Part of the following episode is devoted to Susan wondering what would have happened to her life if she had not divorced Karl, while another part centers on Bree contemplating a hypothetical marriage to Karl. [20] In his will, Karl leaves Susan his partial ownership of a local strip club.

Season 8

Richard Burgi makes one last, uncredited appearance as Karl in the series finale, "Finishing the Hat", as one of the ghosts that watch Susan and her family leave Wisteria Lane.

Related Research Articles

Desperate Housewives is an American comedy-drama mystery television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a total of 180 episodes. Executive producer Marc Cherry served as showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season included Bob Daily, George W. Perkins, John Pardee, Joey Murphy, David Grossman, and Larry Shaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisteria Lane</span> Fictional street in Desperate Housewives

Wisteria Lane is the name of a fictional street at the center of U.S. television drama series Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives storylines primarily center on the residents of the street. The set for Wisteria Lane is located inside Universal Studios Hollywood, and is actually named Colonial Street, an area that has been used for many motion pictures and television shows. Other film and television productions in which Colonial Street has featured include the original Leave It to Beaver series, Gremlins, The 'Burbs, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Mayer</span> Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Susan Delfino is a fictional character played by Teri Hatcher on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry. She first appeared in the pilot episode of the series on October 3, 2004, and appeared in every episode until the series finale on May 13, 2012. Susan resides on the fictional Wisteria Lane in Fairview, Eagle State, the primary setting of the show. One of four lead characters, Susan is characterized as being a "notoriously clumsy" romantic with a "magnetic charm." Her storylines tend to focus on her romantic relationships, most notably with Mike Delfino, whom she marries twice in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bree Van de Kamp</span> Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Bree Van de Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. She was played by actress Marcia Cross, who received multiple awards and nominations for her portrayal, including an Emmy Award nomination, three Golden Globe Award nominations, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Cross' portrayal of Bree was widely praised by critics and fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabrielle Solis</span> Fictional character from Desperate Housewives

Gabrielle "Gaby" Solis is a fictional character portrayed by Eva Longoria on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. Longoria was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edie Britt</span> Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Edie Britt is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. Nicollette Sheridan portrayed Edie from her debut in the pilot episode of the series until the character's death in the fifth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Delfino</span> Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Michael Delfino is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is portrayed by James Denton from the show's inception, until the eighth and final season of the show.

"Listen to the Rain on the Roof" is the third season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 48th episode overall. The episode premiered on ABC on September 24, 2006. It was written by series creator Marc Cherry and series writer Jeff Greenstein, and was directed by Larry Shaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orson Hodge</span> Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Orson Hodge is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by Kyle MacLachlan. Orson is introduced in the final episodes of the second season of the series, and becomes the main mystery of the third season. MacLachlan left the main cast in season six, but made guest appearances until the eighth and final season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Mayfair</span> Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Katherine Irma Mayfair is a fictional character created by Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character was portrayed by Dana Delany and first appeared in the series' fourth season premiere on September 30, 2007, as the focus of the yearly mystery.

"Now You Know" is the fourth season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives, and the 71st episode overall. The episode premiered on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on September 30, 2007. It was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Larry Shaw.

<i>Desperate Housewives</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of Desperate Housewives, an American television series created by Marc Cherry, began airing on ABC on September 28, 2008, and concluded on May 17, 2009. The season takes place five years after the events of the season four finale in 2008 and continues to focus on the lives of Wisteria Lane residents Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Hodge, Gabrielle Solis, Edie Britt and Katherine Mayfair, as seen through the eyes of the series' deceased narrator, Mary Alice Young. The season's mystery is centered on Edie Britt's third husband, Dave Williams. The series received media attention following the announcement that Edie, portrayed by Nicollette Sheridan, would be killed off close to the end of the season. Edie takes on the narration in "Look Into Their Eyes and You See What They Know" following her death, marking the second time Mary Alice's voice is not heard in an episode.

<i>Desperate Housewives</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third season of the American dramedy-mystery television series Desperate Housewives commenced airing on ABC in the United States on September 24, 2006, and concluded on May 20, 2007. The season continues the story of the Wisteria Lane residents, describing their lives in the suburban neighborhood, while dealing with the arrival of the mysterious Orson Hodge. The season follows the lives and events of Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van De Kamp, Gabrielle Solis and Edie Britt. Broadcast in the Sunday night timeslot at 9:00 ET, the season aired twenty-three regular episodes. In addition, two clip shows were produced for the season, in order to put the previous events of the show in perspective. "The Juciest Bites" aired before the seventeenth episode, detailing the events of the first three seasons, in order to introduce the new story arcs in the end of the season. "Secrets and Lies" was narrated by Brenda Strong and was the last clip show to be produced for the series, airing before the inception of the fourth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're Gonna Love Tomorrow</span> 1st episode of the 5th season of Desperate Housewives

"You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" is the fifth season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 88th episode overall. It originally aired on September 28, 2008, in the United States on ABC. The episode was written by series creator Marc Cherry and directed by Larry Shaw. "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow", as well as all subsequent episodes, takes place five years after the events of the fourth season finale following Cherry's decision to revamp the series with a time jump.

"Nice Is Different Than Good" is the sixth-season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 112th overall episode of the series. It originally aired in the United States on September 27, 2009, on ABC. In the episode, Mike marries Susan and Angie Bolen and her family move onto Wisteria Lane as they attempt to escape their sordid past.

Lovely (<i>Desperate Housewives</i>) 15th episode of the 6th season of Desperate Housewives

"Lovely" is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives, and the 126th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on February 21, 2010. In the episode, former stripper Robin Gallagher interacts with each of the women of Wisteria Lane, drastically affecting their lives. She grows particularly close to Katherine Mayfair, with whom she shares a kiss during a bar outing.

"Remember Paul?" is the seventh season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama television series Desperate Housewives, and the 135th overall episode of the series. It was originally broadcast in the United States on September 26, 2010, on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). In the episode, Paul announces his return to Wisteria Lane while Carlos learns that his daughter was accidentally switched with another baby at the hospital eight years earlier.

Julie Mayer (<i>Desperate Housewives</i>) Fictional character on Desperate Housewives

Julie Alexandra Mayer is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actress Andrea Bowen, and first appeared in the pilot episode of the series in 2004. She is the daughter of Susan Delfino and Karl Mayer. They share custody of Julie, though she lives primarily with Susan. Julie is characterized as "bright and self-sufficient and extremely mature for her age." She often acts as the parental figure in her relationship with Susan, especially following Susan's divorce from Karl. However, since the 6th season, Julie's personality has changed quite a bit, with her saying she was no longer the "perfect" daughter.

Umutsuz Ev Kadınları, is a Turkish comedy-drama TV series, based on the American comedy-drama TV series Desperate Housewives.

References

  1. Mentioned in season 6 episode 6
  2. 1 2 Touchstone Television, p. 85.
  3. Season 2 episode 24
  4. Season 1 episode 11
  5. Season 1 episode 2
  6. Season 5 episode 19
  7. 1 2 Season 2 episode 15
  8. Season 6 episode 11
  9. Season 5 episode 13
  10. "Move On". John David Coles (director), David Schulner (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. January 9, 2005. Season 1, no. 11.
  11. "You Could Drive a Person Crazy". David Grossman (director), Chris Black (writer), Alexandra Cunningham (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. October 2, 2005. Season 2, no. 2.
  12. "Could I Leave You?". Pam Thomas (director), Scott Sanford Tobis (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. March 26, 2006. Season 2, no. 17.
  13. "Silly People". Robert Duncan McNeill (director), Tom Spezialy (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. Season 2, no. 14.
  14. "Everybody Says Don't". Tom Cherones (director), Jenna Bans (writer), Alexandra Cunningham (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. April 2, 2006. Season 2, no. 18.
  15. "It Wasn't Meant to Happen". Larry Shaw (director), Marc Cherry (writer), Tom Spezialy (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. April 30, 2006. Season 2, no. 20.
  16. "Opening Doors". David Grossman (director), Dahvi Waller (writer), Jordon Nardino (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. May 4, 2008. Season 4, no. 14.
  17. "A Spark. To Pierce the Dark.". David Grossman (director), Alexandra Cunningham (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. March 22, 2009. Season 5, no. 18.
  18. "Bargaining". David Grossman (director), David Schladweiler (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. May 3, 2009. Season 5, no. 21.
  19. "Boom Crunch". David Grossman (director), John Pardee (writer), Joey Murphy (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. December 6, 2009. Season 6, no. 10.
  20. "If...". Larry Shaw (director), Jamie Gorenberg (writer). Desperate Housewives . ABC. January 3, 2010. Season 6, no. 11.