Though Desperate Housewives is a show filled with mystery, drama, and comedy, there’s no denying that romance is a strong part of the mix that made it so successful. In addition to burying secrets and uncovering truths, the main characters living on Wisteria Lane also pursue relationships and prioritize love in their lives over nearly everything else.
While there are some truly amazing couples living on the lane, there are also those who aren’t so well-suited. Keep reading to see our ranking of the relationships of the main cast and find out which couples were really meant to be.
Susan Mayer And Jackson Braddock
We all know that Susan’s soulmate on the show is Mike Delfino, even if they don’t get their happy ending. But along the way she becomes involved with a few other men, one of them being painter and illegal immigrant Jackson Braddock, who falls for Susan in the fifth season.
When we first meet Jackson, there has been a five-year gap in time. Although Susan gets involved with Jackson in the hopes of keeping it casual, he can’t help but have stronger feelings for her. He proves himself to be a loyal partner for the brief time that he’s around.
Bree Van De Kamp And Orson Hodge
By the end of their relationship, Bree and Orson make up one of the show’s most toxic couples. But in all fairness, they don’t start out like that. In the beginning, they are perfectly suited to each other, with Orson embracing all of Bree’s quirkiness that might have been too much for other men.
If they’d kept things consistent from the beginning of their relationship to the end, we’d have rated them higher. But their perfect relationship dissolves before viewers’ eyes, and everything from deceit to adultery to blackmail comes into the picture.
Susan Mayer And Ian Hainsworth
After Orson hits Mike with his car, he ends up in a coma and eventually loses some of his memory. While visiting Mike in hospital, Susan meets Ian, whose wife Jane is also in a coma. Mike recovers, but Jane ends up passing away in the hospital, leaving Ian free to pursue Susan further.
Ian and Susan aren’t perfect for each other the way Mike and Susan are, but they certainly provide comfort for each other. Ian is great company for Susan and treats her well, even if he gets carried away fighting with Mike.
Bree Van De Kamp And Keith Watson
We couldn’t think of a more unsuited couple if we tried, but somehow, Bree and Keith actually have a lot of chemistry. While Bree seems to be perfect in every way (at least on the outside) and presents herself as though she’s “living in a detergent commercial”, Keith is much younger and covered in tattoos.
Bree brings out the best in Keith, who is forgiving of her mistakes and is always there to look out for her, especially after his father makes a move on her. We wish these two could have worked things out!
Renee Perry And Ben Faulkner
Renee Perry is one of the main stars of the show, despite not appearing on-screen until the seventh season. Other than harboring secret feelings for Lynette’s husband Tom, the only man Renee becomes involved with (other than her ex) is Ben Faulkner, an Australian stranger who ends up being super helpful to the women as they cover a huge secret in the final season.
Renee and Ben accept each other, even though neither one of them is perfect. The series ends with their wedding, which lets us know that they get their happy ever after.
Bree Van De Kamp And Tripp Weston
Out of all the main women in Wisteria Lane, Bree seems to be involved in the most relationships. After a very tumultuous dating life following the death of her first husband, Rex, Bree finally meets the true love of her life when she requires the legal services of Tripp Weston.
Tripp is Bree’s ultimate match. He is supportive of her greatness and pushes her towards success, is there for her to lean on, and even helps her to get herself out of legal trouble in the eighth season.
Lynette And Tom Scavo
Tom and Lynette Scavo definitely have their share of problems that they must tackle throughout the show’s eight-season run, but ultimately, their love for each other is strong enough to triumph in the end. Their issues mainly revolve around the struggle for power in their relationship and trying to allocate the roles of breadwinner and homemaker between them.
In the final season, it really does seem as if Tom and Lynette are going to split up for good, with Tom getting engaged to Jane. But, at the last minute, they realize that they love each other too much to live apart.
Susan Mayer And Mike Delfino
Susan also has her share of partners throughout the series, beginning with her ex Karl and ending with Mike Delfino, the father of her second child M.J. Most viewers would argue that Susan and Mike are one of the most perfect couples on the lane. Even though they go through their ups and downs like every other couple, their love for each other is ultimately the most powerful force.
One of the series’ most heartbreaking moments is when Mike is shot and killed toward the end of the eighth season.
Karen McCluskey And Roy Bender
Karen McCluskey starts off as the grumpy elderly neighbor that nobody really likes. But by the series finale, she’s one of the most endearing characters on the lane. We find out that she was widowed and preserving her husband in a freezer in her basement before dating Roy, her perfect match.
When Karen is diagnosed with cancer, she tries to push Roy away because she doesn’t want to put him through the pain of losing someone else that he loves. But he learns the truth and decides to be there for her, regardless of his own pain.
The Best Relationship: Gabrielle And Carlos Solis
The most interesting thing about Gabrielle and Carlos Solis is that they actually start out as the worst couple on the lane. When we meet them, Gabrielle is having an affair with her gardener and Carlos ignores his wife to focus on his career. They split up briefly, but go through so much together throughout the series that they end up as the strongest couple.
Together, Gabrielle and Carlos get through a miscarriage and losing an adoptive baby, poverty, vindictive exes, two affairs, blindness, and living pasts that come back to haunt them. Though they never stop bickering, their love is one for the ages.