For eight seasons, I was the fifth friend on Wisteria Lane. I drank wine with them, knew about their affairs and their kid problems. When the lights went out in the finale and the street emptied, I sat down in my own kitchen and felt suddenly, strangely quiet.
One hundred and eighty episodes of Desperate Housewives is a lot of shared evenings. No wonder my own living room felt different after the finale.
The Village We’re Missing
Modern motherhood can be lonely. It used to take a village to raise kids. Now it’s often one person in one house, phone in hand. A show about a close-knit neighborhood gives you the feeling of constant, colorful company from other women: gossip, coffee on the porch, petty grudges, and support.
With shows like that, you’re in good company even when you’re alone in the room. That’s why it’s so hard to close that gate behind you.
Other People’s Drama as a Shield
Getting caught up in the absurd problems of Susan, Bree, and Lynette let you forget your own bills and school meetings for a while. Someone else’s drama is safe: you can care about it, and in the morning you still don’t have to solve it.
The Emptiness After a Community
How do you make peace with the fact that your fictional girl group has closed its doors? A few things can help:
- Talk about the show with someone who watched it too. Reminiscing together helps you close the chapter.
- Invite a real-life friend over for coffee. It doesn’t have to be on the porch, the kitchen works fine.
- Give yourself a few days before starting another show. The 48-hour rule works here too.
Missing a TV community also tells you something important: you want people around you. That’s worth hearing.
Which show’s characters did you miss the most when it ended? Tell me in the comments.
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