Has Edie Finally Gone too Far?

• Apr 27, 2008 12:20 AM ET
• by TV Guide News

Are Edie Britt's days on Wisteria Lane numbered? Last season ended with the calculating vixen hanging from a noose in her bedroom. Yes, she survived to wreak more havoc, but once again, tongues are wagging that Edie's actions during the rest of the season are so reprehensible they could actually lead her to leave town.

But Nicollette Sheridan hopes she'll be saved from the chopping block again. "It seems Edie has quite a healthy support group out there, which I'm extremely grateful for," she tells TV Guide. "When her existence is in jeopardy, the audience really rallies and champions her return." Adds Sheridan, "I've tried to bring a sympathetic side to her. She's an antiheroine, yet she's lovable."

No matter how Sheridan tries to paint her character in a positive light, Edie does take a turn to the dark side. What does she do that's so bad? "One of her neighbors is in a bit of a predicament and Edie good-naturedly attempts to help her out," Sheridan reveals of the May 11 episode. "But in doing that, she gets lured into an alcoholic haze that gives her momentary extraordinarily bad judgment."

In short, "[Edie] crosses a huge moral boundary that she has never crossed before," creator Marc Cherry has said. "It's not that despicable," counters Sheridan. "The women are all quite evil at the end of that episode. Those nasty wenches! I mean, come on, they're the ones that are killing people, having affairs!"

Edie's saving grace could be that the other ladies are so busy putting out fires in their own lives that they don't have time to deal with her. With Katherine's past coming back to haunt her, Gaby dealing with Carlos' blindness, Lynette reconnecting with cute restaurateur Rick and Susan's cousin distracting her with his romantic entanglements, Edie may catch a break.

If her luck finally does run out, Sheridan has other projects to keep her busy. On tap is a role in the animated feature Noah's Ark: The New Beginning, in which she plays a prairie dog. She's also writing a half-hour television show.

Despite her side gigs, Sheridan wants to spend more time on Desperate Housewives (Sundays at 9 pm/ET, ABC), especially if the series jumps forward five years, as has been speculated. "To return five years later, Edie could have settled down," she says. "I think it would be intriguing. And no, I'm not going to look any older. Don't be fooled! I just look a bit older, but it's all sun damage! Time has been kind." - Zoë Alexander