★★★★★ 0/5

‘Andrew Van der Kamp’ grows up

After years of being a black sheep and rebel, Andrew Van der Kamp is now one of Desperate Housewives' most stable characters.

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shawn-pyfromMINOR SPOILERS: It’s been four years since we saw Andrew Van de Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom) smooch another boy in a swimming pool on Desperate Housewives. As the top rating show at the time, it was a major statement by openly gay writer/producer Marc Cherry.

After the kiss Andrew and his mother had a troubled period of adjustment. While conservative Republican Bree (Marcia Cross) tried to ignore her son’s developing sexuality, Andrew rebelled. “I decided to stop loving her first. That way, it wouldn’t hurt so bad,” he said.

In subsequent seasons he dated Justin (Ryan Carnes), was sent away to camp, threatened his mother with emancipation (and even molestation), until he was abandoned by Bree in an emotional scene on a country roadside. Continuing his rebellion he even worked as a rent boy. But by Season Four he had forgiven his mother and rented his own apartment.

Now in the fifth season, after the now-famous five-year fast-forward, Andrew is a successful businessman, a personal assistant to Bree who has a catering and publishing career. He dresses better, he’s polite, is hard-working and compared to the reckless central principals, Andrew is now one of the show’s few stable characters.

This week Bree discovers he has a new boyfriend, the local doctor. Careful not to repeat her own mistakes, she embraces the union by inviting the two to dinner. “I want you boys to know I am comfortable with your lifestyle,” she says. “Who would like a strawberry dacquiri?”

In her own Martha Stewart-esque fashion, Bree even invites Bob and Lee to share dinner (y’know, the gay neighbours who haven’t done much except marry?). So far they’ve been about as finicky as the women in the street so it’s a nice change that Andrew and his new squeeze are underplayed.

Dinner turns comical when the doctor is recognised by Bob and Lee – from an adult movie. A shocked Bree asks, “By ‘adult’ you mean complex and sophisticated?” You’ll have to tune in to see how the rest plays out.

I don’t wanna speak to soon but after years of negative storylines, it’s refreshing to watch Andrew Van de Kamp develop into a handsome, responsible individual, comfortable within his own skin – especially in a genre that’s usually noted for histrionics.

Desperate Housewives airs tonight at 8:30pm on Seven.

6 Responses

  1. To John below, I could not agree with you more re the assistance characters like this have on coming out. I’m a bit older than you, but for me it was David on Six Feet Under, as a regular gay character on a fantastic TV show who provided me with the same inspriration. Good on the writers for having the balls to do it as they really have an impact.

  4. I love Andrew but… oh no… a former porn career for the new man? He couldn’t have just been a nice normal doctor could he.

    …I wonder if my nice normal financial advisor has a secret porn past of his own?

    I had a little giggle when you wrote “dresses better.” The 20-something kid wears a suit in every scene. I always giggle when watching the Van De Kamps have dinner and all the men are in full suits.

    Marc Cherry has done a great thing with Andrew’s character. I’ll be 20 in July and came out last Novemember. Seeing gay characters in primetime and real world gay men like the good Matthew Mitcham were definetely contributors to my own coming out.

    So while Andrew may run through the gauntlet of gay stereotypes throughout the series to quote Marc Cherry in Arrested Developement: “It’s a satire!!!”

  6. Andrew is one of my favourite characters. I’ve been a fan of him since season 1, I loved the manipulation with Bree, the pure evil that was burning inside him, and as the show has progressed its nice to see a character really being fleshed out and showing maturity. Not many shows do that on commercial tv its nice to move along with a character.

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