Though the name may suggest otherwise, Sunday’s No. 1 show on ABC, “Desperate Housewives,” is not a reality show meant only for housewives. It can be appealing to all mature audiences, including teens.

The four main characters, Susan Mayer, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp and Gabriel Solis, are ordinary housewives with many secrets that help develop the show’s plot. The many mysteries and crimes that are hidden behind the walls of the housewives’ “perfect,” suburban homes make it harder for them to achieve their ultimate goal of preserving their reputation in the community.

Each season starts with flashes of scattered information, which later come into perspective as the season progresses.

Of the eight seasons, the first one does a good job of introducing the main plot of the show and creating a solid foundation for the following seasons. The plot heats up in the fifth season—a five-year time jump from the fourth season, and new character developments add a different viewpoint to the show.

The show cleverly hooks the audience with foreshadowing and cliff hangers. A symbol in every episode directly relates to the plot and makes viewers think below the surface. By the end of the episode, the narrator connects the symbol to the events that have occurred and arouses the curiosity of the audience by ending with withheld information.

Occasionally, scenes appear in which some of the characters engage in deep and emotional conversation, and while these scenes are crucial to the episode, they can cause the audience to temporarily lose interest. This is a downside of the show, especially when the characters release small, juicy details during the conversations that may not be important at that moment, but will be referenced at the most unexpected time.

This is clearly a show for viewers “desperate” for drama. It will be hard for the viewer to go to sleep with the mysteries of “Desperate Housewives” waiting to be unraveled in the following episodes.