| Dave Williams | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Neal McDonough as Dave Williams | |||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Neal McDonough | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2008–2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | "If It's Only In Your Head" 5x24, May 17, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Marc Cherry | ||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
David Williams (also Dash) is a fictional character from the ABC television series Desperate Housewives , portrayed by Neal McDonough and created by Marc Cherry. The character was introduced in the fifth season as Edie Britt's (Nicollette Sheridan) husband, and is the mystery star for the fifth season.
Neal McDonough's casting as Dave Williams was announced in July 2008. [1] McDonough did not audition for the role, but was offered it after meeting with Marc Cherry. [2] The series creator wanted McDonough to portray Dave after he saw the actor playing the role of David McNorris, an alcoholic County Asst. D.A. in NBC's short-lived crime drama Boomtown , and thus wanted to see the dark side of David McNorris "infused in the dark side of David Williams". [3] McDonough described his character as "this really sweet guy next door and then something tragic happens to him and his personality splits in half. You like Dave and you feel for him, but he also creeps the hell out of you."
Half-way through the season, just after the death of Nicollette Sheridan's character Edie Britt was filmed, McDonough already knew that his character would last just one season, and though he hinted that Dave might return for a brief arc in subsequent seasons, this never happened. [3]
Dave convinces Edie to move back to Wisteria Lane and get her house back from her tenant. After paying the tenant to leave the house, Dave and Edie moved in. Edie announces to the women that she is married and introduces Dave.
Outwardly, Dave seems refined and affable, but his darkness is quickly established: in a phone conversation with his psychiatrist, Dr. Samuel Heller, he says his rage is still with him, but there is one unnamed person who needs to worry about it. Karen McCluskey immediately clashes with Dave after she insults Edie, resulting in her cat Toby's disappearance. Toby reappears only after Karen apologizes to Edie. Karen becomes suspicious and investigates Dave. His response is to immediately plant the seed that Karen is old and senile, and causing her a breakdown during her 70th birthday party, which results in Karen being taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, he has purchased another house in the neighborhood so that he could rent it at a reasonable rate to Mike Delfino - who has been living across town since his divorce - and started a band with Mike, Tom Scavo, Orson Hodge, and Carlos Solis. Karen reassumes investigation once she is released from the hospital with the help of her sister, and learns of Dave's regular contact with Dr. Heller. They reveal to him that Dave is in Fairview, and Dr. Heller immediately travels to Wisteria Lane to confront him. Dave strangles him in the storage room of the White Horse Club, where his band has entered a Battle of the Bands competition. He then sets a fire that will burn slowly so that he will be onstage when it reaches the crowd, in order to cover up the murder. Mike is knocked unconscious, and Dave re-enters the burning building to save him and is hailed a hero.
Dave begins to see vivid hallucinations of his wife Lila Dash and their daughter, Paige - the people killed in the crash that broke up Mike and Susan Delfino's marriage, and tells them he will make Mike pay. One night, Edie finds Dave in conversation with his hallucinations, and Dave reveals that he is a widower and struggles with the memory of his wife, and she kicks him out of the house for lying to her. A flashback reveals that Dave married Edie after learning she once lived on Wisteria Lane and never sold the house. Later, Edie decides she does not want to be alone and takes him back. Dave then plans a camping trip with Mike and his girlfriend Katherine Mayfair and tricks Edie into staying home. An encounter with a priest in a liquor store arouses Edie's suspicions, and she hears the name David Dash for the first time. She begins researching Dave's past, learning that it was not only his wife who died in the crash, but also the daughter he had failed to mention, and later discovers that Mike was the driver of the other car. Dave, Mike and Katherine leave for their trip, in which Dave tries to shoot Katherine with a hunting rifle to get revenge on Mike, but Edie texts him just as he pulls the trigger, distracting him and moving his aim. Dave returns home to a confrontation with Edie, who tells him she intends to warn Mike. Dave strangles Edie until she falls to the floor but stops before he kills her. Frightened, Edie flees their home, but is electrocuted after a car accident and dies.
Susan checks in on Dave after Edie's death. Still unaware of Dave's true identity, she confides that she was driving the car the night of the crash but that Mike took responsibility because she had left her license in a different handbag. Dave turns his rage to Susan and determines to kill Mike and Susan's son M.J. Delfino in revenge for Susan's killing his wife and daughter. He plans a fishing trip with Susan and M.J. and records a video for Mike, stating that he did not want to kill M.J. but that he had to. Mike accidentally watches the tape before his honeymoon, and phones Susan and reveals Dave's true identity. Meanwhile, the police have since identified the body of Dr. Heller and put all the pieces together. Dave arranges to meet Mike at the intersection where the accident in which his family was killed, so that Mike can hit Dave's car with M.J. and Dave himself inside. However, Dave changes his mind in the last minute after he hallucinates that it is his daughter in the backseat, and tells M.J. to get out of the car.
Dave awakens, and the camera zooms in on his face, as he imagines saving his family by telling them to stay home. As the camera zooms out again, Dave is seen in a secure room at Boston Ridgegate Mental Facility.
The character of Dave Williams received mixed reviews. Matt Roush of TV Guide described Neal McDonough as "smoothly sinister" and his character as "mysterious and manipulative". [4] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly praised the casting of McDonough, stating that his "ice-blue eyes always look cyborg-ish — perfectly apt for his character". [5] While reviewing the Red Hot Edition of the fifth season's DVD, Aaron Wallace from DVDizzy called the writers "storytelling savants", noting that revealing pieces of the truth helped to head off "the frustration that an ungratified audience can feel when questions abound but answers elude". [6] In a review of the fifth season premiere, Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly described McDonough as "always-creepy" and noted the power Dave holds over Edie. [7]
Stransky later reviewed the season finale and opined that Dave's plan was all about making Susan suffer, but himself too, as he felt responsible for letting his wife and daughter to go out the night they died. According to Stransky, this twist made "this somewhat bloated and too-long-gestating storyline more layered and dynamic." [8]
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.
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.
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.
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 and father of Julie Mayer, as well as a successful practitioner of family law. The character also becomes romantically involved in the series with two other housewives, Edie Britt and Bree Van De Kamp, 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.
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.
Betty Applewhite is a fictional character played by actress Alfre Woodard on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is introduced in the last episodes of the series' first season, and becomes the center of the mystery of the second season, along with her two sons, Matthew and Caleb.
Karen McCluskey is a fictional character from the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The role was played by Kathryn Joosten, who won the Primetime Emmy Award twice for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2008. In the series finale, Karen succumbs to cancer. This was agreed upon between Marc Cherry and Kathryn since she was battling cancer in real life as well. Kathryn Joosten died 20 days after the series finale aired.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
Angela Bolen is a fictional character played by Drea de Matteo on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character was created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry and appeared throughout the series' sixth season from September 27, 2009, to May 16, 2010. Cherry describes Angie as a "loving but tough Italian woman." Her gritty and blunt demeanor contrasts from the domesticated leading characters.
"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.
"The Chase" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy-drama series, Desperate Housewives, and the 127th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on February 28, 2010. In the episode, Gabrielle gets a break from the children when one of them catches chickenpox, Lynette forgets her daughter's birthday, and Katherine continues to explore her feelings of lesbianism.
"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.
Renee Perry is a fictional character created by television producer and screenwriter Marc Cherry for the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. She is portrayed by Vanessa Williams, and is the second African-American housewife to be a major character.
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.