Desperate Housewives became famous for its ability to ‘shock and awe’, both of which have been lacking as of late. So it was time to stir things up again with another controversy, in the aptly titled episode, “Bang”, which ended with just that.

Unexpectedly, the pot stirrer was not one of the central ‘Housewives’, but guest star Laurie Metcalf, best known as snappy sister Jackie on ‘Roseanne’. Metcalf debuted on the 3rd season premiere of Housewives as Carolyn Bigsby, wife of Harvey Bigsby and a revenge-filled acquaintance of Alma, the missing ex-wife of mysterious newcomer Orson Hodge (Kyle McLachlan), also Bree Van de Kamp’s new husband. Bigsby is desperate to prove that Orson murdered his wife, who he was also physically abusive to. In her desperation, she pleads with Bree to leave Orson, and eventually presents her with pictures of the beaten Alma. This triggers a series of events which leads to the shootout at the supermarket.

In short, Bree questions Orson, who vehemently denies all wrongdoing, while concurrently casually revealing Harvey Bigsby’s affair with ‘Monique’, a flight attendant recently found dead. When Bree is later approached by Carolyn, she spills the beans about Harvey and Monique.

Angered, Carolyn confronts Harvey via phone, and when she is rushed off, she heads down to his store, toting a pistol. The majority of the cast happens to be in the supermarket, or it’s vicinity at that time, and unfortunately all are taken hostage until Carolyn can have it out with her cheating husband, who’s cowardly locked himself in his office.

Lynette Scavo and Nora Huntington, in the midst of the hostage standoff, continue their prior argument over the custody of Kayla (Nora and Tom Scavo’s daughter). When told to be silent, they air their dirty laundry – Nora accusing Lynette of trying to steal her daughter; Lynette accusing Nora of trying to steal her husband. When Carolyn hears of this, she shoots Nora, claiming she’s doing Lynette ‘a favor’. As Nora calmly prepares for death, she pleads with Lynette to take good care of Kayla.

Never one to bite her tongue, Lynette proceeds to lash out at Carolyn, saying she deserved to be cheated on. As Carolyn aims her gun at Lynette, she is blindsided by a canned good hurled at her head, then fatally shot, putting the hostage situation to an end. As the hostages are released, the town takes a collective sigh of relief, and the night’s drama comes to an end.

If “Desperate Housewives” felt viewers were snoozing through episode after episode of the never–ending battle between Gabrielle and Carlos Solis, and the exhausting love trials of Susan Mayer, “Bang” was certainly the one to wake us all up. ‘Housewives’ typically reserves this level of crisis for its season finales. But with other storylines left hanging in the balance, this season is sure to continue, and as always, go out with, a bang.

Want to see how the first two season's went out with a bang? Check them out here: