See Also: 'Coming Home' Episode Guide

nline reviewers have weighed in on the tenth and last Desperate Housewives episode of season two in 2005.

Here's what they had to say about "Coming Home":

• Michael Slezak reviewing for EW.com praised the episode, but said the Applewhites' story was going nowhere:

  Ten episodes into season two, [Alfre] Woodard's Betty Applewhite has served only three functions: preparing and delivering meals for the son she's got locked in the basement; casting shifty glances at her Wisteria Lane neighbors; and tickling the ivories. So you'd think that tonight, when Betty promised to spring Caleb from the psych ward, I'd have known better than to let myself start dreaming of outrageous disguises, fired handguns, and getaway cars. Nope, none of those thrilling accoutrements for poor Betty; instead, she saunters into the hospital, offers a half-baked cover story and (drumroll, please)... starts playing the piano? [...] The weakness of the Applewhite arc is made all the more obvious by the fact that the plotlines for three of the other four major housewives are suddenly filled to bursting with tart punch lines and sweet, sweet drama. After weeks of watching Bree play passive victim to creepy George—which neither allowed her to strike fear into our hearts nor to break them—it's good to see her loopy and indignant again, as evidenced by her "Those are my—panties!" gasp while the cops removed evidence from George's house. "

  You can read his full analysis over at EW.com.

• Sarah Gilbert at TV Squad was unimpressed, and said the episode had "awful" and predictable dialogue. "Bree is almost giddy when she walks into [Andrew's] trap at the end of the episode. 'You mean—you'll deal with this better if you knew that George didn't control his own death?' she asks, playing right into his little plot and making things extremely convenient for the script writers. Jeez. I wonder what's going to happen next?" And talking of Gabrielle's story, she said: "Gabrielle, using her mastery of the not-so-white lie, makes Carlos so ill, he can't go. And then, OOOFF. Carlos moans 'Sister Mary...' If anyone didn't see that coming, well, you aren't watching much TV, are you? Get off the 'net and turn on the telly, already!"

• RT at Desperate for Desperate Housewives hasn't reviewed the episode yet, but did say this:

  Wasn't it great to see Lynette's plan actually help someone other than just herself? So far this season she's killed a rat, burnt her boss's lap, killed her son's imaginary friend, got her coworker tasered, and got her boss and coworkers fired. Last night, though, Lynette used her powers of meddling for good (well, for her boss' good and her good). No one wound up dead or tasered or out of a job. I liked that.

  A scene-by-scene analysis can be found at Desperate for Desperate Housewives, as well as part one and part two of a mid-season review.

• Dave Anderson at TV Guide Online seemed pleased with the episode: "Awesome episode that stressed the importance of family. Loved that Lynette got her wish and now has day care at work. How great was Penelope Ann Miller as the boss's wife? Her line to Lynette packed a punch: 'Why did you have kids if you weren't going to raise them?' Susan got her wish and got closer to her real father. I said last week how much I loved Joyce Van Patten. Can you see why? That scene in the supermarket was phenomenal—'Be careful. He's going to break your heart.' Nothing was funnier than Edie driving by and seeing the word 'whore' spray-painted on Susan's garage door. 'Hello, Edie. Do you have something you'd like to say?" Edie: 'No — that pretty much says it all.'"

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

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