Next (Desperate Housewives)

"Next"
Desperate Housewives episode
Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) changes the tie on her husband's corpse. This scene received critical praise and was considered one of the most memorable scenes in "Next".
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 1
Directed by	Larry Shaw
Written by	Jenna Bans and Kevin Murphy
Production code	201
Original air date	September 25, 2005
Guest appearance(s)
Jesse Metcalfe as John Rowland Joely Fisher as Nina Fletcher Currie Graham as Ed Ferrara Andy Umberger as Officer Romslo Dakin Matthews as Reverend Sykes Shirley Knight as Phyllis Van de Kamp Charlie Babcock as Stu Durber Nikki Braendlin as Receptionist Pat Crawford Brown as Ida Greenberg Stacy Solodkin as Haggard Woman
Episode chronology
← Previous "One Wonderful Day" Next → "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"
List of Desperate Housewives episodes

"Next" is the second season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 24th episode overall. It was originally broadcast in the United States on September 25, 2005, on ABC. It was written by Jenna Bans and Kevin Murphy and was directed by Larry Shaw.

In the episode, Susan (Teri Hatcher) recovers from having been held hostage while Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) attempts to salvage her marriage to her incarcerated husband, Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira). Meanwhile, Bree (Marcia Cross) deals with her mother-in-law following her husband's death and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) goes back to work. The episode also introduces the mystery storyline revolving around Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) and her family.

According to Nielsen ratings, "Next" was watched by 28.4 million viewers, making it the most watched season premiere on ABC in nine years. The episode also ranks as the second-most watched in series history, behind the first season finale in May 2005. The episode received general positive reviews, with Cross earning universal praise for her performance. Critics enjoyed Woodard's acting as well as her character's storyline.

Desperate Housewives focuses on the residents living in the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. In previous episodes, Mike Delfino (James Denton) learns that he is the biological father of Zach Young (Cody Kasch), whose adopted parents, Mary Alice (Brenda Strong) and Paul (Mark Moses), killed Mike's previous girlfriend and Zach's biological mother years earlier. Mike kidnapped Paul and left him stranded in the desert while Zach holds Mike's current girlfriend, Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher) hostage as part of his plan to kill Mike.Tom Scavo (Doug Savant) quit his job and decided to become a stay-at-home father, forcing his wife, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) to reenter the work force.Gabrielle Solis's (Eva Longoria) affair with her teenage gardener, John Rowland (Jesse Metcalfe), is exposed just as she discovers she is pregnant and her husband, Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira), is sentenced to time in prison.Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) learned that her husband, Rex (Steven Culp), died while awaiting surgery. Also, Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) and her son, Matthew (Mehcad Brooks), moved to Wisteria Lane.