In the month or so since season six ended, I've read a lot of different casting news. This is in addition to all the little blurbs that came toward the end of the season (like Dana Delany and Kevin Rahm leaving the show). But yesterday I heard one that intrigued me enough to actually take some time to discuss all the changes that are coming in season seven. Spoilers abound, so turn back if you don't like that kind of thing.
Dana Delany (Katherine Mayfair) is out
I was never too upset about this news, although I know that Katherine is a really popular character. I liked Katherine best when she and Bree were at odds, especially as she was the only one who ever really told Bree off. Her mental breakdown in season six was also a good, if outlandish, plot with which Delany did a great job. However, these storylines were mere blips in the three years that Delany was on the show, so for a majority of the time, I was fairly disinterested in Katherine.
I think my main problem with Katherine, though--and it was the same problem I had with Edie--is that they tried to make her into a main character without actually making her a main character. That probably doesn't make much sense, but what I mean is that they gave her long, involved plots that really stood independently, but they never quite committed to making her one of the main characters. As a result, she took up a lot of screen time that always seemed meandering and pointless to me.
In my opinion, using an hour to focus on four different characters often involved in four different plots is already a daunting task. One of the reasons the first season was so successful was because Susan, Lynette, Bree and Gaby were the center of the show. Every other character was there to fuel their plots--even Edie. When the show started to bump up characters like Edie and then Katherine into more central roles, it simply took a lot of time away from the main four. I've said it before and I'll say it again--it was the reason I wasn't broken-hearted about Nicollette Sheridan leaving and now it's the reason I'm not overwrought about Dana Delany. And if they had remained supporting characters, I'd probably feel differently.
Kevin Rahm (Lee McDermott) is out; Tuc Watkins (Bob Hunter) is in
Bob and Lee were minor characters handled exactly the right way. They had great little moments of humor and their plots were always directly connected to at least one of the four main characters. However, Bob and Lee were also a unit--Bob playing the straight man (so to speak) to Lee's comedy. It's hard to imagine one of them without the other, so I'm not sure how I feel about this move. It almost seems like if one of them goes, the other has to go too, but I'm going to stay open-minded until I see how this goes.
I will say that I've heard Tuc Watkins can be a hilarious actor, so maybe they'll bump up his comedic role now that Kevin Rahm is leaving. Not that Lee can be replaced. Ever.
The new cast: Mark Moses (Paul Young) and Vanessa Williams (Renee Filmore-Jones)
I have read a lot of speculation on these roles on the show. I've heard varying things about who is supposed to be the involved in the central mystery and who is just coming on as a supporting character. I've also read that maybe both of them will have mysteries and we'll end up with the type of Bolen/Eddie double plot that this season had. So there's not much use in speculating on that aspect of it.
Since Vanessa Williams' casting was announced, everyone and their brother has been calling her the "new Edie." I hope that she isn't Edie redux, but, in fact, in the spirit of Edie--there to cause trouble for the other women. That being said, I recently read that Williams' character is actually going to be connected to Lynette's past; that they're old rivals. I am ridiculously excited about this. It's about time that this show brought in a new (possible) mystery character connected to someone other than Susan or Bree. Now if they could do something similar to Gaby at some point I'll be over the moon.
As for the return of Mark Moses, I've heard a lot of people speculating about what kind of trouble he'll cause now that he's back. But I always thought that Paul Young wasn't much of an intentional troublemaker. He did some stupid stuff, but he spent a majority of his time on the series trying to avoid everyone and stay under the radar. It's hard to imagine that he's back for revenge like a lot of people say. Revenge for what? On who? Felicia was the one who landed him in jail and Zach was the one who abandoned him. Neither of them are on the show any more. So... I don't know. In general, it's kind of weird that he's back on the Lane at all seeing that Paul spent the first two seasons trying to leave. But whatever. Maybe he buried treasure in his back yard or something. God only knows with Paul.
Kendall Applegate (Penny Scavo) is out
I just read this yesterday and it shocked me. They're not writing Penny out of the show, of course, but they are recasting her. As I see it, there can only be two reasons to do this. One, Kendall Applegate had to leave for some reason; or two, the show has decided to go another direction with Penny's character. If it's the latter, I hope that they've finally come to their senses and realized that if they made Penny her actual age (thirteen) then they could give her some more interesting mischief to get into. If it's the former, I still hope that when they recast they choose an actress who is a few years older.
Either way, it's a little bizarre.
Kyle MacLachlan (Orson Hodge) is out
Poor Orson. Seemingly the most polarizing character; you either love him or loathe him. Personally, I loved him, but I also think that the show drove him into the ground. From season five onward they just made Orson the most pointless, ineffective character. If the show hadn't painted him into a corner by making him unemployable then they certainly did so by crippling him. And the flip-flopping between him and Bree about who wanted a divorce was getting ridiculous. So while I'm a little sad to see Orson gone, I also almost feel like it's overdue. And I'm kind of looking forward to seeing Bree at her most desperate (and really, I didn't think it could get any worse than season two, but they somehow orchestrated the potential for disaster).
Other random tidbits
Vanessa Williams' character comes with a husband but no kids. I'm more than fine with this.
They're looking for a guy who is being billed as a young, Mike Delfino type. If they put Bree in a cougar plot I don't know if I'll gag or laugh my ass off.
Paul Young also gets a wife. To which I say: awesome.
And they're casting an older lady to play a new neighbor for Mike and Susan. At least they're not going to half-ass Susan leaving the Lane, I guess.
