A Floating Vision on the Water

Arts N BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE MAY13, 2012 |BOSTONGLOBE.COM/ARTS Afloating FEARSOME FOURSOMES vision on After eight gasp-filled seasons of “DesperateHousewives,”the sun finally sets on Wisteria Lane as the comedy/drama/mysteryseries the water reaches its two-hour finale Sundayat9p.m. on Channel 5. And though we mustsay our goodbyes to Bree, Lynette, Gaby,and Su- san, the trusty TV formula thatbrought them together isn’t going anywhere. “DesperateHousewives” is partofaproud TV lineage Performance artvia of fearsome female foursomes —from “The Golden Girls” right up to “Girls.”Atthe heartofthe formula’s success is aprecision- crafted dynamic thatkeeps the characters hugging,fighting,and talking it out,while viewers toggle their empathies between arche- kayak at Fort Point types thatnever wear out.Below,abreakdown of TV’s finestqueen-quads. PATRICK GARVIN AND MICHAEL BRODEUR By Cate McQuaid GLOBE CORRESPONDENT

THE VOICE THE BRUISED THE PASSIONATE THE PERPETUAL There's achoice little piece of water- OF REASON IDEALIST DIVA INNOCENT front property along Fort Point Channel, snug to the Summer StreetBridgealong GIRLS Marnie Michaels Hannah Horvath Jessa Johansson Shoshanna Shapiro the Harbor Walk. Early lastweek, the place (2012-) (Allison Williams) (Lena Dunham) (Jemima Kirke) (Zosia Mamet) was surrounded by apicket fence and had The newest entry finds four No expert on men herself, “You know what I’m gonna do On contracting HPV: “All “I’m like the least virginy a“ForRent”sign up. So whatifit’sonly 8 girls in their early 20s Marnie still tries to bring from now on? I’m gonna ask adventurous women do.” virgin ever.” feetsquare, and floating in the channel. It navigating a world of unpaid Hannah to her senses about people if they're gay before I looked darling in the late afternoon sun — internships, iffy relationships, her non-texting fake have sex at leastuntil aredheaded woman in abusi- handsy bosses, and STDs. boyfriend. with ness suit arrived in akayak and started Think: “Sex and the Gritty.” them.” renovating.She tore down partofthe fence, built adesk, and picked up aphone. Welcome to “The Remodeling Project,” the latestinstallment of Fort Point's Float- ing ArtSeries, and the firstone featuring performance art. Thewoman in the chic black suit was artistHeidi Kayser. She en- DESPERATE Bree Van de Kamp Lynette Scavo Gabrielle Solis Susan Mayer listed abuilder in Maine to makethe square wooden dock, and throughout the HOUSEWIVES (Marcia Cross) (Felicity Huffman) (Eva Longoria) (Teri Hatcher) month, she’llbekayaking out periodically Trusty in an emergency. Not She raised her sisters because “The only person more Has a knack for locking herself (2004-2012) to her little patch of paradise and changing only did she hide her son’s her mom was an alcoholic. self-centered than me out of the house – while Like “Knots Landing” meets it up. hit-and-run, she also helped Now she’s raising her is Carlos; he’s so naked. “Twin Peaks,” the idyllic This weekend, the artistmay have the veneer of Wisteria Lane can Gaby bury her stepfather. own kids while self-centered he biggest audience of the month, with Fort barely hide the web of secrets separated doesn't even Point ArtWalk, an open studios event, that links America’s beloved from her know how housewives together. husband. self-centered which began Fridayand continues through I am.” Sunday, from noon to 5p.m. Originally,Kayser says, she had thought to call the project“TheAmerican Dream.” “Whatdoes it mean to be successful?” she asks. “A picket fence?Asuit?” Or maybe it’s alittle piece of real estate. SEX AND THE CITY Carrie Bradshaw Miranda Hobbes Samantha Jones Charlotte York “It’sabout whatwedowith our space,” (1998-2004) (Sarah Jessica Parker) (Cynthia Nixon) (Kim Cattrall) (Kristin Davis) KAYSER, Page N5 A sassy sex columnist and her Worked through a lot of her “Soul mates only exist in the “I’m a tri-sexual. I'll try So prim, so proper, she once three equally sassy friends problems – not to mention her Hallmark aisle at Duane Reade anything once.” asked the girls not to cuss in take on the men, Manolos, friends’ – in her column. Drugs.” Vera Wang. and martinis of Manhattan.

LIVING SINGLE Maxine Felice Shaw Khadijah James Regine Hunter Synclaire James-Jones (1993-1998) (Erika Alexander) (Queen Latifah) (Kim Fields) (Kim Coles) The independent “Regine, you are an She couldn’t get a firm grip on “All I want is the best. I mean, Khadijah: “Synclaire, I try to career-minded ladies of embarrassment to desperate boomerang beau Scooter until I want a man that knows that be there for you, but you take YOON S. BYUN/GLOBE STAFF “Living Single” gave the women everywhere.” the very last episode. fine wine doesn’t come with a that fork in the road and you formula a Brooklyn reboot – twist-off cap.” lose me every time!” Heidi Kayser afloat, with “The not to mention the freshest Remodeling Project.” opening theme ever. Earle learning DESIGNING WOMEN Julia Sugarbaker Mary Jo Shively Suzanne Sugarbaker Charlene Frazier to cope with (1986-1993) (Dixie Carter) (Annie Potts) (Delta Burke) (Jean Smart) If this show were launched “Have you all just completely Whether dealing with her “I got pulled over this morning Poplar Bluff is to Charlene as today, it’d be about women lost your minds?” awful ex-husband or her for having all the mirrors in the St. Olaf is to Rose Nylund. the ups, downs designing things. As it was, on-again/off-again Mercedes turned so I could see boyfriend, Mary Jo myself.” the savagely witty sitcom was By James Reed just can’t like a quartet of Blanche GLOBE STAFF Devereauxs set to hyper-zing. seem to catch a Thefirsttime Imet Justin Townes break. Earle, he immediately told me about his harrowing historyofdrug abuse. It ran deep. Within 10 minutes, Ilearned that Earle had gotten high at age10, battled a serious addiction to heroin and alcohol by the time he was 17, and finally got THE GOLDEN GIRLS Sophia Petrillo Dorothy Zbornak Blanche Devereaux Rose Nylund clean afew years later after an overdose (1985-1992) (Estelle Getty) (Bea Arthur) (Rue McClanahan) (Betty White) put him in the hospital. Brought together by chance If there’s a problem, chances An exasperated roll of her eyes “I swear with God as my Rose: “Can I ask a dumb It was ahot spring dayback in 2008 and necessity, held together are she’s got an (almost) could launch a thousand ships witness, I will never question?” at the South by Southwestmusic festival by friendship and cheesecake, analogous tale from Sicily. – and send Stan running for pick up another man! Dorothy: “Better than anyone I in Texas. At 26, Earle had justreleased the original fearsome the door. In a library. On a know.” his debut album and was on the vergeof foursome of “The Golden Saturday. emerging from his back story. As the son Girls” set a high bar early. Unless he’s of Steve Earle, who gave Justin his mid- cute. And dle name after one of his heroes, Townes drives a VanZandt,the younger Earle had alot nice car. to live up to. Amen.” It was apparent even then thathe SOURCE: Internet Movie Database would step out as his own man, agifted JUSTIN, Page N5

What’snew at the MFA Alex Katz Prints Visiting Masterpieces Jewels,Gems, andTreasures ThroughJuly29, 2012 DancingwithRenoir AncienttoModern THIS EXHIBITION WASORGANIZED BY THEALBERTINA, VIENNA,AND THEMUSEUM Lacloche Frères, Japanesque brooch, about 1925.Platinum, gold, enamel, OF FINEARTS, BOSTON.SPONSORED BY UNITED TECHNOLOGIESCORPORATION. May26–September 3, 2012 diamond,ruby, and onyx.William Francis Warden Fund. Alex Katz, Gray Day (detail),1992. Screenprint. Graphische SammlungAlbertina,Vienna. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Dance at Bougival (detail),1883. Oiloncanvas. Picture Fund. Art©AlexKatz/Licensed by VAGA,New York,NY.