“Late on a Tuesday night, the power went out”…And so the episode begins, with the residents of Wisteria Lane taking advantage of the unexpected darkness to hide their secrets… whether that means binging at midnight, reading adult magazines, stealing a few more puffs on a cigarette…or in the case of Mrs. McCluskey, fretting that she needs more ice for [the late husband she’s keeping in] her freezer in the basement.

Susan and Ian hunt around for a flashlight while Ian proposes (no pun intended, he already did that) that they ask Mike the plumber for a flashlight. A nervous Susan stammers that they shouldn’t impose on Mike yet again. Of course, the secret that she’s hiding is the stolen kiss that she and Mike shared.

Mike brings a flashlight over to Carlos who claims to be alone in spite of Edie who hovers silently just inside the door. Their relationship, blackout or no blackout, is under wraps.

Gaby takes advantage of the blackout – actually, she takes advantage of Victor Lang! – to seduce Victor in the stopped elevator…a big mistake as there are cameras in there.

And Mrs McCluskey, having tumbled backwards down her stairs in the blackout, is wheeled out of her house and into an ambulance in spite of her loud protests.

Cutting to the chase, we see more thwarted romance (Susan and Mike), sexual rendezvous (Edie and Carlos, in empty houses on the real estate market) , marital squabbling (Tom and Lynette) and the potential for infidelity (Lynette and her “sous chef”).

Gaby’s bright idea for elevator sex backfires as a hotel security employee (a seemingly pimply-faced teenager) attempts to blackmail Victor Lang to the tune of $50,000. Though Gaby successfully tackles the kid, she naively allows the police to convince her to turn over the photos as evidence and the police then release the incriminating shots to the press.

The suspense over the dead body in the basement is dragged out throughout the episode, as Tom and Lynette’s kids let themselves in to Mrs McCluskey’s basement for a fudgicle, only to come across the body in the freezer. Of course it’s Parker, Parker of the “imaginary friends” and sensitive nature, who gets the special privilege of being traumatized by that sight. He tells his mother he wants to go see Mrs. McCluskey in the hospital, where he confronts her with what he’s seen and she tells him God knows what to keep him silent.

Maggie is in the dark (metaphorically that is), and when she witnesses Susan’s consternation, she suggests, “Why don’t you have two cakes?” A distressed Susan exclaims, “I have to pick and I will! So just stop pressuring me!” (I suppose I should find Susan annoying but I actually find her endearing and am taken in by her clumsy romanticism). Alas, nothing stays under wraps for very long, and an unsuspecting Ian happens upon Mike and Susan whispering over the dishes. (Earlier, Mike confessed his love to Susan, telling her that he now remembers everything and that he knows he was on his way to propose to her when he was run over by a car). It comes to a head, with Mike telling Ian that he wants Susan back. Mike reveals that he and Ian had bet on cards over Susan and she is so disgusted that she tells both men to get out of the house!

The sous chef is working his charm, saving the restaurant’s woes, suggesting candles for ambience, inflated prices for pasta and that Lynette wear her hair down. Poor Tom – powerless (like the electric power), confined to his bed, has to hear his kids ooh and ahh over the food, has to read the positive review in the paper and has to put up with a disloyal wife. For now, her disloyalty is confined to not respecting his wishes at the pizza parlor. Not to dis the usually-fabulous Lynette, but this was his dream and it doesn’t seem right for her to change everything just because he’s not there to stop her.

Cleverly, the camera shows the back cover of the newspaper which says, “More fallout from Lang Bang,” allowing us to segue to the next scene which is Victor’s press conference. It’s going badly, as the “family values” candidate is raked over the coals for his steamy photos in the elevator. He acts gentlemanly, refusing to reveal the identity of his female companion in the elevator. Gaby is aghast at how badly the press conference is going and before Victor’s aid can stop her, ascends the podium and announces that she’s the woman in the photos. She describes Victor as the kind of man who “puts a woman’s honor before his own…the kind of man you marry…the kind of man you vote for.” She says that Victor asked her to marry him before the photos were taken. The same political aid who went white as Gaby climbed the podium smiles in visible relief.

Back to Mrs. McCluskey. Her elderly friend lets herself into the apartment while Mrs. McCluskey is at the hospital and gasps at the stench. A few minutes later, we hear a loud yell.

The narrative voiceover returns: “…power, the kind of thing most people don’t think about…until it’s taken away.” We see Mike coming into the house where he sees Carlos and Edie kissing…Susan with an engagement ring, which she slips OFF her finger…and then good ole’ Mrs. McCluskey in jail, as the lights go out.

Sorry, I totally disagree with your assessment on the Tom situation. Tom's menu wasn't making any money. Of course Lynette had to change it. What, is she supposed to go broke? Half of her money is in that restaurant. If Tom's menu wasn't so bland, maybe it would be making money. Tom should be extremely grateful that Lynette and Rick are actually bringing in a PROFIT for that stupid restaurant.

This is cache, read story here