See Also: 'Next' Episode Guide

Online reviewers have weighed in on the Desperate Housewives second season premiere.

Here's what they had to say about "Next":

• Michael Slezak reviewing for EW.com loved the scene with Bree at Rex's funeral:

  [It's] a scene so obscenely perfect it'll have fans recalling it not only for the rest of the season but probably for the rest of their natural lives. And no, I'm not exaggerating, as anyone who witnessed Bree changing her dead husband's necktie in front of a church full of mortified mourners can attest. In this case, the she-devil was in the details—and the pitch-perfect performance of the incomparable Marcia Cross [Bree Van De Kamp]. The hilarity and the credibility of Bree's wordless transformation from heartbroken widow to borderline psychopath could've easily been derailed if, say, Rex's prep-school tie hadn't been quite so orange, or so hideously adorned with that blasted crest. Or if the episode's director hadn't allowed the camera to linger on Bree as she propped her late husband's torso upward as casually as one might, say, fold an airplane seat table. Or if Cross's body language and facial expression hadn't been so marvelously hungry as Bree scanned the throat of every man in the church for the perfect pinch-hitting accessory.

  To read his full analysis, in which he said the writing "isn't very nice ... but it's still very rich", head over to EW.com.

• Damian J. Holbrook at TV Guide Online said the show's return didn't meet his expectations and wished there was more "wow". "At like, 8:58, I was giddy that the girls were coming back, loaded with six Emmys and tons of expectations. And you know what? Eh. Even the "Oh, my god" moment of Zach's so-called death was smudged — first by his not being dead, then by Susan's ditching Mike over his creepy love child. Come on." He also didn't think the funeral scene was very good. "As for my Bree, I'm loving her going head-to-twisted-head with Rex's mom and the idea of a Marcia Cross meltdown gives me the vapors. But replacing his prep-school tie mid-funeral? Please, the widow Van de Kamp would so know that was poor form." You can read the full review here.

• John Duran at InsidePulse.com posted a recap of the episode. In his "final word" Duran said: "Lots of stuff going on in this season premiere, but compared to Lost, I just really didn't care. Reminded me a lot of my feelings from most of the first season of both of these shows. Maybe next week will get me more attached. The only thing I'm remotely interested in is the Applewhites. Everything else seems to be old hat."

• Sarah Gilbert at TV Squad is glad that Lynette is going back to work. "While many of the story lines here are more dramatic, my favorite is that of Lynette and her struggles with motherhood. She is clearly the smarter, more career-oriented half of the couple, and having her heading back to work is sure to be good."

• Gael Fashingbauer Cooper at MSNBC said the writers successfully changes each character's story. "Kudos to the writers, they neatly created a season-ender in which each woman must restart her life, facing a host of new problems. They've been torn down, and now they must begin again. There's a William Butler Yeats quote: "Now that my ladder's gone, I must lie down where all the ladders start, in the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart." Bree's ladder has been torn out from under her, and more than any other character, she must start almost completely over.

• Susan Mayer came under a lot of fire last season from reviewer, but Jeff at Desperate for Desperate Housewives said Susan seemed more mature in the season premiere:

  Last night, Susan really seemed more mature than in some episodes last season. Her reasons for telling Mike why she can't move in made sense. I liked how I was able to sympathize with both Mike and Susan. The pain and anguish Susan felt probably made this storyline the least funny last night, but that's okay. (Not that it was without humor; the teaser involving Iva Greenberg's alcohol problems was a hoot and a half). I look forward to Susan and Mike trying to work on their relationship despite the addition of a kid. That's a very realistic kind of storyline, though admittedly it doesn't usually involve a kid who held up his dad's girlfriend by gunpoint.

  The full review can be found at Desperate for Desperate Housewives, as well as a scene-by-scene analysis.

• Brian Lowry at Variety said the season premiere offered some interesting some new stories. "Sunday's gaudy premiere ratings suggest Desperate Housewives has escaped the sophomore jinx, but that doesn't mean those pulling the levers that animate Wisteria Lane can afford to breathe easy. The second-season opener, fortunately, featured a couple of knockout, buzzworthy moments as well as a tantalizing new plot thread, promising that this suburban soap's back alleys and side streets have plenty of stories left to divulge. Then again, once a show becomes a full-blown phenomenon, it also becomes a ripe target, offering plenty of nits to pick."

• There is also brief recap at Television Without Pity, where visitors have so far rated the episode B+ in a poll.

• Finally, to tide you over until the next new episode, there is a new edition of Desperate Houseflies online.

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