'Housewives' still a scream

The Hollywood writers' strike killed the momentum of a lot of TV shows, none moreso than "Desperate Housewives."

If for no other reason than that the show was in the midst of its best season ever.

Some might argue that was Season 1, but — while that season was a comedic triumph — creator/executive producer Marc Cherry and his team hadn't quite worked out a balance with the soap-opera plotting yet.

This season, we've got the best mystery since Mary Alice's suicide in the first episode. What the heck is going on with Katherine Mayfair (Dana Delany), anyway?

And the show has been nothing short of hilarious.

Sunday's first post-strike episode (9 p.m., Ch. 4) hits the ground running. Hey, there's a wedding!

You can probably guess but — MINOR SPOILER ALERT — Gabrielle (Eva Longoria Parker) remarries Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira). And, while it might seem like crazy behavior for most people, it's not particularly surprising that Gabby springs the marriage as a surprise on Carlos.

And Katherine continues to be the best character ever added to the cast. In the wake of her husband's exit, Bree (Marcia Cross), Susan (Teri Hatcher), Gabby and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) show up on Katherine's doorstep.

"Ah, so word is out that Adam's left me," Katherine says. "And you thought muffins and jam would help me pick up the pieces."

Long pause ...

"The jam was Bree's idea," Susan blurts out.

"Susan!" Bree exclaims.

"I wanted to bring flowers and I was shot down," Susan says. "That's all I'm saying."

The ever-suspicious Katherine tells the women she figures they've just come over to get the "juicy details" about her failed marriage.

"We wanted to help you," Lynette insists. "To fix your lunch or clean your house."

Another long pause while the camera shows us Katherine's immaculate home.

"Or offer up our own houses for you to clean," Lynette concludes.

Yes, for all the craziness of the past three-and-a-half seasons, these women are still housewives. And "Desperate Housewives" is still one of the best shows on television.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com