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Orson Hodge
Kyle MacLachlan as Orson Hodge
Portrayed by	Kyle MacLachlan
First appearance	Don't Look at Me (episode 2.19)
Created by	Marc Cherry
Profile
Occupation	Part Owner of Mrs. Van de Kamps Catering Caterer Former Dentist
Residence	4354 Wisteria Lane Fairview, Eagle State
Relationships Parents Edwin Hodge (father; deceased) Gloria Hodge (mother) Spouse(s) Alma Hodge (annulled-wife; deceased) Bree Van de Kamp (wife, filed for divorce) Romances Monique Polier (mistress; deceased) Becky (dated) Children Andrew Van de Kamp (step-son) Danielle Van de Kamp (step-daughter) Benjamin Katz (step-grandson) Other relatives Henry Mason (father-in-law) Mrs. Mason (mother-in-law; deceased) Eleanor Mason (step-mother-in-law) Leo Katz (step-son-in-law)

Orson Hodge is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by Kyle MacLachlan.

[edit] Early life

Orson Hodge, born on June 28, 1959 (as seen on a mental hospital admission paper in "The Miracle Song"), grew up in a very religious household. When he was sixteen, his father Edwin had an affair with another woman. When the truth came out, it caused a scandal at their church and he became an alcoholic. One day his mother, Gloria, asked Orson to stay with him, saying she had to visit a sick friend but Orson later left because he had plans with his friends. When he returned his father had apparently committed suicide. Orson would later spend time at a mental hospital for depression since his mother blamed him for his father's death.

By the time he was an adult, Orson had become a dentist.

An unhappy Orson, with his wife Alma and his mother Gloria.

He was set up by his mother and his girlfriend to get married when he got her pregnant. Alma miscarried and Orson never came to love her and began an affair himself with Monique Pollier. When Alma found out, she decided to punish him by faking her own death. However, since there was no body and no evidence (a panicked Orson had cleaned everything up), he never went to jail. Yet Alma's friend, Carolyn Bigsby, became his arch nemesis, accusing him of killing his wife. Free, he tried to begin a new life with Monique but found her dead, with his mother saying it was an accident when she had, in fact, killed Monique to punish Orson for cheating on Alma. He had to hide the body when Mike Delfino, whom Monique had called, came to do some plumbing. Gloria convinced a reluctant Orson to aid her in covering up the murder. The mother and son bury Monique at the country club, his mother having removed Monique's teeth to prevent identification. All of this would come back to haunt him.

[edit] Season 2

Orson met Susan at a movie theater and helped her get Mike jealous.^[1] He then met Bree Van de Kamp, who was staying at the mental hospital he stayed in during his youth. When Bree saw Orson visiting an old friend at the hospital, the two are instantly attracted to each other. Their relationship is furthered when Orson helps Bree escape from the hospital so she can be with her daughter, Danielle. However, when Mike sees Orson for a dental exam and recognizes him, Orson runs over Mike in an attempt to cover his tracks, subsequently putting Mike in a coma. He then goes to Bree Van De Kamp's house to bring her flowers for her escape from the mental institution, and she says it's very sweet and unexpected and then, she invites him in her house, and he says yes. So, you can tell, that they are going to start a relationship. Orson had become good friends with Susan Mayer and even helped her when her house burned down, which was caused by Edie Britt, by picking up the burned belongings in the ruins of her house. He met all of Susan's friends, including Bree Van De Kamp, and then, he saw Bree again at the mental institution and he reintroduced himself there to her. They are seen flirting with each other there. When Mike had a sore tooth, she recommended that he see her friend, Orson Hodge, who's a dentist, to fix the tooth. When Mike is at his dental exam, he somehow recognizes Orson from somewhere in his past and he tells Orson that ever since he saw him at the movie theatre, Susan used him to make Mike jealous, he somehow knew who he was. Orson, then, ran over Mike Delfino with his car, to cover his tracks in the Season 3 mystery about Monique Pollier, Gloria Hodge, his mother, and his ex wife, whom everyone thought he killed, but really didn't, she faked her death, Alma Hodge, subsequently putting him in a coma.

[edit] Season 3

Orson and Bree, cutting their wedding cake.

After six months of dating, Orson proposed to Bree, who accepted. Mike, though alive, was no longer a threat as he had retrograde amnesia from his coma. Unfortunately for them, Carolyn eventually returned. They still got married, even though Bree had to ask him if he had killed his wife first.^[2] They were about to go on their honeymoon, but cancelled at the last minute when Bree saw Andrew Van de Kamp on TV and went after him, only to be rejected. Orson ultimately talked him into coming back, making him realize he would hurt himself just as much as his mother otherwise.^[3] Orson told Bree that Carolyn's husband had an affair which ultimately led to Carolyn holding several people hostage (including Edie, Julie, Lynette, Austin and Nora) and killing Nora.^[4]

She then tried to reunite Orson with his family, by finding his mother who was revealed to not be senile, as he had told Bree.^[5] This backfired when Gloria tried to drive Bree away from Orson by revealing he also had an affair with Monique,^[6] but Mike Delfino's arrest cleared her suspicions for the time being.^[7] This, however, turned Susan into Orson's arch nemesis. Gloria then had Alma, who wasn't dead after all, come and try to get Orson back. She tried to "repair" her miscarriage by drugging and raping him; she faked suicide to have him come to his home unsuspecting.^[8] Bree sided with her husband, leading Gloria to sabotage her ladder, making her land at the hospital. Andrew, who thought Orson was the culprit, since he had partly eavesdropped his confession with Bree, threatened him to meet "bad Andrew" and Mike, whose bail had been paid by Zach Young, then began to remember the night of Monique's murder. He confronted Orson on the roof of the hospital where he visited Bree, accidentally pushing him from the roof.^[9]

Bree and Susan reconciled after her accident and Orson used Alma's well-timed death, her suicide letter and his mother's stroke to implicate them in Monique Pollier's murder, clearing Mike's name at the same time. Orson visited his mother and banished her from his life,^[10] and he and Bree went on their honeymoon, though not before sending a pregnant Danielle to a convent to avoid scandal. When they returned, it was revealed that Bree had faked her pregnancy and they would raise the child as their own.^[11]

[edit] Season 4

This proved difficult as they had to stop people touching Bree's belly and even invent a story to explain why a fork had entered Bree's belly without her noticing.^[12] They also had to deal with genuinely pregnant Susan who wanted to go to Bree's ob-gyn and Danielle's various troubles, even endangering her baby's life by rollerblading.^[13] Although Orson wanted to throw in the towel, he decided to continue to pretend his wife was pregnant when a teary-eyed Bree told him this baby was her second chance at parenting. They have appeared to be successful as only Phyllis Van de Kamp and Adam Mayfair found out and both agreed to keep the secret. Although they had to foil Phyllis's ploy to get back at Bree by having Danielle stay and raise the child with her by using Danielle's craving for fun.^[14]

Danielle gave birth to a baby boy on Halloween. After a tearful goodbye, Danielle gave her baby son to her mother. Bree and Orson named the baby Benjamin. When Bree wanted to get the baby circumcised, Orson was opposed due to bad memories of his own circumcision. However, Bree did it behind Orson's back. Orson was angry when he found out but hesitantly forgave Bree and let it go, though it was clear that there were lingering resentments. After a tornado, Orson, Bree and Benjamin moved into Susan's house and Orson began sleepwalking. When Julie came in late one night, she found Orson and he said "I'm sorry I ran you over, Mike". Julie later told Mike this and he forgave Orson. Everything changed when Mike told Susan about this and she barged into Bree's house, angry at Orson, telling him not to come near her family again. Bree found it impossible to forgive him, kicking him out of the house. He stayed briefly with Edie, as well as living for a while in the Fairview Towers apartment complex.

Orson makes one final attempt to receive forgiveness from Bree but is rejected again. She told Orson that the only way their marriage can be saved is if he turns himself in to the police, which Orson is unwilling to do.

At the conclusion of the fourth season, the series progresses five years into the future. Bree returns home from a poker game and is revealed to have become a sharp businesswoman after the success of a cookbook she created. Her son, a much more mature Andrew, is shown to be his mother's assistant. Orson is heard upstairs revealing that he and Bree seemingly worked out their issues and remain married. Benjamin, however, is nowhere to be seen.

[edit] Season 5

The season begins following the five year jump that concluded the previous season. Explanations for Bree's dramatically different life, such as being a successful businesswoman and remaining married to Orson, are given almost immediately. It is revealed that two years after the conclusion of the fourth season, Bree's daughter, Danielle, has married a lawyer named Leo Katz. Believing she is now better equipped for motherhood, Danielle returns to take Benjamin, her biological son, back from Bree. This leaves Bree devastated as she is left all alone, which also reveals that Orson finally agreed to go to prison shortly after the conclusion of the previous season. It is learned that Bree's success is the result of her putting all the energy she once used on raising Benjamin into her work. She now views her business as her "baby" and, like she had done with Benjamin, makes it her first priority.

Bree's successful venture into publishing (with Andrew as an employee) leaves Orson feeling unappreciated and ignored by his wife. This caused him to become somewhat cold and changed his relationship with his wife dramatically because she considers her business "her baby." Orson became angry at Bree when she used "Van de Kamp" on her cookbook. Orson is put out by Bree concentrating on a party and breaking her promise to cook Orson a pot roast. After midnight, Orson was waiting and forced Bree to make the roast, causing her to sob silently. Orson's criminal record made it almost impossible to find a job so he asked Bree for a position with her company. She initially refused because her business partner threatened to quit if Orson is given a job. Orson became upset and goes to sleep in the guest bedroom. Bree eventually relents and gives Orson a job and now she is very happy with her choice.

Orson joined Tom Scavo's band and played the keyboards until a fire broke out at the White Horse Club and ended up with a broken nose.^[15] Orson has developed a habit of stealing from his neighbours and revealed to Bree that it gave him a thrill and told a therapist that it made him very happy because it is something Bree cannot control. While trying to steal from a neighbour, he is caught and hit across the face with a baseball bat. He then ran out into the street, in front of Edie's car. Edie swerves to avoid Orson which led to her crashing and ultimately dying after being electrocuted by a fallen power cable. Bree decided to divorce Orson and robbed the house in an attempt to hide assets. When Orson found out, he blackmailed her with an insurance fraud charge to avoid the divorce.

Later, Orson is assaulted and threatened by a man hired by Karl. This upsets Bree, who insists to Orson that she was not responsible for the attack. This backfires, however, as Orson mistakes her sympathy with a plea to stay with her. Bree confronts Karl for hiring a hitman and accuses him of turning her into a person she no longer recognizes. Karl admits that he likes what Bree is becoming, which prompts her to fire him. With Karl no longer representing Bree, he proclaims that it would no longer be unethical for the two to begin an affair. Bree is initially reluctant, but a passionate kiss between the two reveals that, like Karl, Bree is enjoying the person she has become, too.

The season concludes at Mike Delfino's wedding two months later. Bree is seen sitting in the congregation with Orson, but turns around and smiles seductively at Karl, insinuating that the two are still secretly having an affair.

[edit] Season 6

Having blackmailed Bree by threatening to report her staged robbery of their possessions, Orson tries to repair his marriage by suggesting to Bree they seek marriage councilling. Bree is cold and distant insisting that she wants a divorce, attempting to shame Orson by saying that she is his captive rather than his wife. As Bree begins her affair with Karl, Orson remains clueless, staying at home drinking vodka during the day. When Orson and Bree attend the Harvest dance together and bump into Karl Mayer and his date Candice, Orson becomes convinced that Bree still loves him when she spills oil on the dance floor causing Candice and Orson (who are dancing) to fall over. Whilst Orson believes this is out of jealously because he was dancing with Candice, Bree is instead jealous of Karl sleeping with Candice and set out to hurt her. Relations appear to have thawed slightly between Orson and Bree when he serves her a meal at home and she tells him that someone in the service industry was rude to her. Bree lies and says it was a waitress in a cafe whereas it was actually a maid in the motel where Bree and Karl have been sleeping together. When Bree meets with the maid again the maid tries to convince her to end the affair as Orson seems like a good man, doing the shopping for Bree. It is then clear that Bree feels guilt and is upset when she sees Orson's hopeful expression at home wanting him to snap out of it and wants to tell him that she's not worth it anymore. Orson's suspicions are aroused of Brees affair when he goes to replace a brooch Bree had received as a gift from her lover, Karl, claiming she had gotten it at an antique store, Orson went to the store only to find out they only sell furniture. Bree later assures him she got the stores mixed up, proving what trust Orson has for his wife. When Angie Bolen tells Bree what a perfect marriage she has Bree tells her that she and Orson barely speak any more and they haven't slept in the same bed for three months. Bree neglects to mention her affair with Karl however.

Overtime, Orson begins to drink and becomes increasingly depressed. He then begins to suspect that Bree is having an affair and asks Angie Bolen, to spy on her while he is on a golf weekend with some old friends. She initally refuses, believing that Bree would never do such a thing. However, Angie soon dicovers Bree and Karl's affair and when Orson arrives home early and almost catches them, Angie manages to get a hold of Bree and tell her to hide Karl. After wards when Bree thanks Angie she coldly tells Bree that she did not do it for her but for Orson, because she fears that he may be suicidal. Angie then asks Bree who she truly loves and though Bree continues to tell herself that she now only loves Karl, she still seems to have lingering love for Orson. Bree finally brings to Orson photos she'd set up of him and a former cellmate, telling him to grant her a divorce or she'll have his parole revoked. To her surprise, Orson reveals he was bluffing the entire time and all Bree had to do was ask for a divorce and promises to move out. He tells Bree to wait until he's gone to tell everyone about the divorce. During a neighborhood Christmas party, Karl tells Orson about having an affair with Bree and the two get into a fistfight inside a gingerbread house. Bree arrives to break it up and all three are inside when a crashing airplane smashes into the house.

[edit] Trivia

• In the opening episode of Season 5, "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow", Orson is seen singing "Break On Through to the Other Side" by The Doors at the party thrown for Edie. In future episodes, Orson is also seen playing keyboards for Tom Scavo's band. These two scenes could be of reference to actor Kyle McLachlan portraying keyboardist Ray Manzarek in Oliver Stone's film The Doors.
• Both Orson and Bree have been accused of murdering their previous spouses.
• Orson has had three lovers throughout the series: His first wife Alma, his mistress Monique, and his second wife Bree, all of whom are redheads. Alma herself remarks upon this after first meeting Bree, asking Orson, "So, what is it with you and redheads?"

[edit] References