The Chase (Desperate Housewives)
Katherine explores her sexuality; Gabrielle escapes chickenpox.
"The Chase" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, originally airing on ABC on February 28, 2010. It is notable for featuring the first lesbian relationship in the series, as Katherine Mayfair explores her feelings for a former stripper named Robin Gallagher. The episode also introduced the character Sam Allen, a mysterious man who takes an unusual interest in Bree.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Desperate Housewives
- Season
- 6
- Episode
- 16
- Air date
- 28 February 2010
- Production
- 616
- Runtime
- 43 minutes
- Writer
- John Pardee; Joey Murphy
- Director
- Larry Shaw
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In this episode, Katherine Mayfair dreams of seducing Robin Gallagher, a former stripper who had been living with her. Following a therapist’s advice that living with Robin hinders her recovery, Katherine later spills champagne on Robin’s top during a celebration, prompting Robin to remove it. Katherine then admits she wants Robin to leave because of her romantic feelings, and though Robin agrees, Katherine follows her upstairs and they sleep together.
Separately, Celia Solis catches chickenpox, and since Gabrielle has never had it, she moves in with neighbors Bob and Lee. She enjoys their partying and drinking so much that she tries to extend her stay, but accidentally discovers they are trying to adopt a baby, which makes her appreciate her own children and return home. Other plotlines continue: Lynette’s pregnancy strains her marriage to Tom; Bree’s son Andrew works as her personal assistant; and the Bolen family’s mysterious past remains unexplained.
Danny Bolen has secretly gone to New York City to find Ana, who was persuaded by Gabrielle and Carlos to pursue modeling there.
Production
The episode "The Chase" was penned by John Pardee and Joey Murphy, with direction from Larry Shaw. It debuted on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada on February 28, 2010. This installment introduced Sam Allen, a mysterious figure who begins working for Bree and displays a notably intense fascination with her. Played by Samuel Page, an actor recognized for portraying the husband of Joan Holloway on Mad Men, the character was slated for multiple episodes.
The episode also featured Julie Benz in her third of at least four guest turns as Robin Gallagher, a former stripper trying to start over. Benz joined the show shortly after leaving Dexter, where her character Rita Morgan was killed off in the fourth season finale. Continuing a storyline about Katherine Mayfair’s sexual exploration, actress Dana Delany spoke positively about the subplot. She noted uncertainty about whether Katherine would become a permanent lesbian, given the show’s shifting storylines, but acknowledged that creator Marc Cherry “is interested in playing the complexity of that.”
Delany compared Katherine’s journey to that of actress Meredith Baxter, who discovered her sexuality later in life. Delany thought her character would be caught off guard by these new feelings, explaining that Katherine, still emotionally fragile after leaving a psychiatric facility, connects with Robin on a wounded emotional level. This bond leads to a physical attraction that confuses her.
Reception
When "The Chase" aired in the United States, Nielsen Media Research reported that 10.89 million people tuned in. Among viewers aged 18 to 49, it earned a 3.6 rating and a 9 share, which at that point marked the lowest ratings ever for a single episode of Desperate Housewives. This was part of a continuing slump: the three episodes before it had each set a new low for the series until the next one aired the following week. Compared to the prior episode, "Lovely," viewership fell by three percent. The episode faced stiff competition from NBC's broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics, which pulled in about 21.3 million viewers, and was also beaten by the CBS reality show Undercover Boss, whose fourth episode attracted 15.15 million people.
Critical reception was mostly mixed to negative. Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly was especially harsh, calling the Gabrielle storyline predictable, the Susan subplot boring, and the overarching Bolen mystery too slow to develop. Stransky also found the romance between Katherine and Robin unconvincing and wondered if the show's family-oriented and Midwestern audience would embrace a lesbian pairing. On the other hand, Gael Fashingbauer Cooper of MSNBC praised Eva Longoria for turning what could have been a dark story into what he described as a gleeful fantasy, noting the character was fun and funny but ultimately heartfelt.
However, Cooper said the other housewives' subplots were all pretty standard and dreary. Gerrick Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times liked Robin's charm and her chemistry with Katherine, arguing their storyline had already become far more interesting than the Angie Bolen mystery. He felt the relationship made more sense for Katherine than her earlier plots with Mike or her mental breakdown. Isabelle Carreau of TV Squad was happy the episode focused on supporting characters, especially Bob and Lee, but she disliked how Andrew had been written and thought the Katherine-Robin relationship developed too quickly.
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