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This television-related article or section describes an aspect of the series in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article or section to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.

Bree Hodge (née Mason, previously Van de Kamp) is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, played by Marcia Cross.

Born in 1962, Bree Hodge is a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (she is Presbyterian), the conservative Republican widow of Rex Van de Kamp, the wife of Orson Hodge and one of the four main characters in the series Desperate Housewives. Bree is recognized for her perfectionist attitude and work ethic, which at times borders on neurosis and obsessive compulsion. While the writers have shied away from officially diagnosing the character as suffering from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, the character herself refers to her “quirks” in terms of anal retentiveness and not obsessive-compulsiveness. Bree is known for her cooking, cleaning, ironing, gardening, doing her lawn, and reupholstering her own furniture, on the level of Martha Stewart. She is also known for making gourmet meals and breakfast treats, including her pineapple bran muffins. Besides being a dedicated homemaker, she also is well-versed in regards to firearm training: she owns four guns and is a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association.

Overview

Season One

Bree is introduced in season one as the perfect wife and mother,^[1] however, it becomes apparent that her emotional coldness and obsession with appearance causes the rest of her family to resent her.^[2] She is forced to take part in marriage counseling when her husband Rex asks for a divorce,^[3][4] and her son Andrew's rebellious behavior leads her to cover up a hit-and-run accident to protect him. Bree eventually discovers that Rex is having an affair with a prostitute,^[5] and leaves him, seeking companionship with local pharmacist George Williams. Hoping to restore her marriage, Bree reluctantly takes part in S&M scenarios with Rex in an attempt to satisfy him sexually.^[6] As she and Rex begin to reconcile, the conservative Bree is horrified when Andrew comes out of the closet,^[7] and her attempts to "correct" her son's homosexuality only succeeds in alienating him further. Bree continues to confide in George about her family problems, and unbeknown to Bree, he begins plotting to murder Rex by replacing his heart medication. When Rex has a heart attack and the doctors discover his medication was tampered with, Rex believes Bree was the one trying to kill him, and writes her a note forgiving her. He then dies of a heart-attack, leaving Bree devastated.

Season Two

In season two, Bree is disgusted when she discovers that Rex suspected her of poisoning him, and she begins to rely on George for emotional support. George manipulates Bree into agreeing to marry him, but when his obsessive and jealous behavior becomes too much, she angrily breaks off the engagement. As Bree discovers that George is responsible for murdering Rex, George attempts a fake suicide in order to win her back. However, now knowing his part in her husband's death, Bree watches coldly as she allows George to die. Following these events, Bree slips into alcoholism, and Andrew's vendetta towards her reaches a head when he falsely accuses her of child abuse. To combat this, Bree reluctantly attends Alcoholics Anonymous, and begins a relationship with her sponsor, Peter McMillan, who is also a sex addict. Bree thwarts Andrew's attempts to achieve legal emancipation, so he takes revenge by having sex with Peter. Unable to cope with Andrew any longer, Bree kicks him out and falls into a deep depression. When her remaining child Danielle then runs away with her boyfriend Matthew Applewhite, Bree suffers a nervous breakdown and checks herself into a psychiatric clinic, where she meets Orson Hodge. However, after discovering that Matthew is a murderer and Danielle is in danger, Bree escapes the facility and confronts Matthew at gunpoint. Matthew is shot dead by the police, and Bree and Danielle reconcile.

Season Three

Bree and Orson on their wedding day

Season three sees Bree marry Orson after a six-month relationship, but their marriage is plagued by the revelation that Orson may have not only physically abused his first wife, Alma, but also murdered her. Shortly after the wedding, Andrew returns home, and the rift between him and his mother is healed through Orson's mediation. However, the arrival of Orson's mother, Gloria, and the return of Alma, causes a rift in the family once more. When the two women successfully drug Orson for the purpose of allowing Alma to rape him, Bree intervenes and learns that Gloria was responsible for murdering Orson's mistress Monique Pollier, in order to keep him trapped in a loveless marriage to Alma. Gloria then tries to murder Bree in the bathtub and make it look like suicide, but Orson intervenes and in defense of Bree, causes his mother to suffer a terminal stroke. With Gloria paralyzed, and Alma dead after falling from a roof, Bree and Orson are finally able to go on their honeymoon. When she returns, Bree announces to her friends that she is pregnant. However, it is in fact Danielle who is pregnant, but Bree plans to raise the child as her own to avoid scandal by wearing a series of false bellies and keeping Danielle hidden in a convent until she gives birth.

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Season Four

In season four, Bree and Orson struggle to keep her fake pregnancy a secret. They also struggle to convince Danielle to let Bree adopt the child. Phyllis, Rex’s mother, discovers Bree’s pregnancy to be a hoax and tries to convince Danielle to raise the child herself to spite Bree. In the end, Danielle gives birth to a boy named Benjamin and allows Bree and Orson to raise him as their own. Bree also develops a rivalry with new neighbor, Katherine Mayfair. Bree and Katherine, who share many of the same interests and personality traits, have a series of small feuds before ultimately becoming friends. After a tornado destroys Bree’s house, she, Orson and Benjamin move in temporarily with Susan Mayer. During this time, Orson inadvertently reveals that he was responsible for putting Mike into a coma. Unable to forgive Orson, Bree kicks him out of their newly remodeled home. During their separation, Edie Britt comes onto Orson, which begins a feud between her and Bree. When Edie discovers the truth about Bree’s pregnancy, she uses it to blackmail Bree. This leads to Bree telling the other housewives the truth. Towards the end of the season, Bree and Katherine begin a small catering business together. In the season finale, Katherine saves Bree’s life by telling her ex-husband Wayne her secrets. When Katherine kills Wayne, Bree rallies the other housewives around Katherine to prevent her from going to prison.

5-Year Jump

When the series fastforwards five years in the season four finale, it is revealed that Bree has become a famous cookbook author, with her son Andrew working as her assistant. Bree and Orson have evidently worked out their problems and are still married. Bree is a guest on a Fairview cooking show. She introduces her staff, which includes Katherine. After Katherine informs the host that she's never known a better cook than Bree, Katherine purposely pretends to have injured her hand so Bree is forced to finish preparing a difficult French dessert on camera. Disaster ensues. Also, Bree clashes with a photographer.

Behind the scenes

• Bree is based on creator Marc Cherry's own mother, as the entire Van de Kamp family is based on the family in which he grew up. Bree's family was based on Marc Cherry's teen years, while Lynette Scavo's family is based on Marc Cherry's childhood years.
• Bree has been warned twice not to get married. The first time, she was warned not to marry George Williams by his ex-girlfriend and the second time she was warned by Carolyn Bigsby not to marry Orson Hodge.
• Marcia Cross originally auditioned for the role of Mary Alice Young, but Marc Cherry thought she was Bree the minute she walked in.
• Bree and her first husband Rex were both named after the overtly vain characters on two of Marc Cherry's previous failed sitcoms, The Five Mrs. Buchanans (Bree) and The Crew (Rex).
• In the 3rd season episode 'My Husband, the Pig', Bree is played by Marcia Cross' stand in, Carolyn Howard, and in most scenes viewers will only see her backside. This is due to Marcia Cross' pregnancy. The character then proceeds to leave town to see her parents and go on to meet Orson for their honeymoon, which explains her departure.
• Bree is the only character, from the leading four females, not to appear in every episode because of her maternity leave towards the end of Season 3.
• Bree drives a 2003 Saturn LW300 until Rex dies, when she begins to drive his 2005 Chrysler 300C.

References

External links

• Bree Hodge at Wikia
• Bree Van De Kamp at IMDb
• Bree Van De Kamp at What's on TV