Are Desperate Housewives’ Gabrielle and Carlos becoming a bit predictable? – Clacking in Color

Okay, so I’ll admit that I’ve always been something of a romantic at heart. True story. I get a kick out of lame romantic comedies and I’m a sucker for quality television power couples. I guess it’s my thing. After all, I am a Pisces. Anyway, being the resident Desperate Housewives lover at CliqueClack, it’s my job to stay on top of the latest happenings on Wisteria Lane — and there’s always a lot going on. With as many cast shake ups, plane crashes, suicides, sex scandals and mentally handicapped murderers locked in a basement as there are, there’s always been one constant — Mr. and Mrs. Solis … Gabrielle and Carlos, the show’s sole minority couple, and an interesting one at that.

Played to perfection by the hilarious Eva Longoria, who, by the way, was previously featured in Clacking in Color, and Ricardo Antonio Chavira, this couple is notorious for staying humorous … if not utterly predictable.  So, are things becoming a bit tired? It’s definitely a question worth answering. You see, the fact of the matter is that Gabrielle and Carlos seem to follow the same exact formula in practically every episode (and season) of Desperate Housewives. They argue. They yell. Carlos gets mad. Gabrielle delivers a funny zinger. They make up. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. All in all, it seems a bit cliched.

Perhaps the writers are following the whole ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ routine, but being that this is the show’s final season, wouldn’t it be nice to see some kind of fresh development for these characters? It’s been eight years after all. With Lynette on a quest to win Tom back, Renee busy preparing for her upcoming wedding, Susan dealing with her son after Mike’s untimely death and Bree getting ready to go to court, Gabrielle and Carlos just seem to be going through the motions. Sure, Gaby’s now the breadwinner and Carlos is jealous of her newfound success, but haven’t we already seen this storyline before with Orson and Bree back in season five, and Lynette and Tom in season two … and four, five, six … and seven? Give us something new, writers!

It’s no secret that I think Vanessa Williams is the best thing to happen to the show in recent years, but I even find her subplot as Renee to be more interesting than anything going on with Gabrielle and Carlos. I don’t know. I suppose I just want more for these two characters. Is it really that hard to find a way to keep this couple fresh? Seriously, that’s a real question. If the writers can’t think of anything then why couldn’t Carlos have been killed off instead of Mike? At least then we would have been given a chance to see Gabrielle mature. It just seems as though while some of the other characters have evolved, Gabrielle and Carlos have stayed at square one. Don’t get me wrong. There have been moments where we have seen a hint of growth, but the writers always seem to backtrack.

You know what I’d like to see? I’d like to see Gabrielle’s former gardener John come back into the picture. Maybe he needs her help with something big. What if Gabrielle’s mother came back to apologize for siding with her stepfather after Gabrielle accused him of raping her? What if Gabrielle was able to get custody of Grace, her daughter that was switched at birth? What if Mario Lopez was cast as Gabrielle’s pill popping brother? Eh. Just a few of my ideas.

I don’t think I’m asking for too much. However, I do believe I may be asking for it a little too late in the game. Desperate Housewives has exactly four episodes left before the those desperate broads drive off into the sunset, and chances are that Gabrielle and Carlos will probably be arguing up until the credits roll. Sigh. Well, I suppose if we’ll be subjected to the norm, the least the writers can do is keep the arguments fresh. Maybe Gaby should shoot Carlos.

Now, that would be something new!

Clacked by Jaylen Christie
on Apr 17, 2012 @ 16:40 EST5EDT