Andrew Van De Kamp

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Andrew Van De Kamp
First appearance "Pilot" (episode 1.01)
Information
Gender Male
Age 19
Occupation Food service
Family Bree Hodge (mother)
Rex Van De Kamp (father; deceased)
Danielle Van De Kamp (sister)
Orson Hodge (step-father)
Relationships Justin (ex-boyfriend)
Relatives Phyllis Van De Kamp (paternal grandmother)
Henry Mason (maternal grandfather)
Eleanor Mason (maternal step-grandmother)
Gloria Hodge (step-grandmother)
Aunt Fern (great aunt)
Portrayed by Shawn Pyfrom
Hunter Allan (age 6)
Created by Marc Cherry

Andrew Van De Kamp is a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. Shawn Pyfrom plays the sociopathic,[1] atheist, bisexual 19-year-old son of Bree Van De Kamp and the late Rex Van De Kamp.

Andrew first appeared in the pilot of Desperate Housewives and had a recurring role throughout Season 1 as Bree's increasingly delinquent son. Expelled from school and eventually sent to juvenile boot camp, Andrew is removed when he told his mother he was gay. Although he later admitted he "liked both vanilla and chocolate", he also claimed he had originally said he was gay to get out of the camp. While Andrew has specified that technically he is bisexual, he refers to himself as gay in almost every instance. Nevertheless, he had seen how his mother reacted and believed that she would never accept him for who and what he was. This hurt Andrew so much he believed the only way to deal with it was to stop loving Bree first, so when she rejected him, it would not hurt so much.

Andrew was made a regular character in Season 2, in which he deliberately set out to provoke Bree as far as he could. This backfired when, finally unable to cope, Bree abandoned him on the streets to fend for himself. Andrew returned home eight months later at Orson Hodge's behest in Season 3, currently airing. He has so far only made small appearances. As one of the few LGBT teens on television secure with their sexuality, Andrew's storylines have been well received by gay groups. However, his attitude to his mother and various crimes have also garnered negative criticism. Marc Cherry has stated that this season Andrew will be a "changed man".[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Season 1

Andrew first appears in the "Pilot" of season one.[3] His first speaking role is arguing with his mother, Bree, over her desire for perfection.[4] He is attached to his father, Rex, and is upset when Bree tries to cover up their impending divorce.[5] When he confronts her with her own lies after she discovers he lied to her, she says, "Just because I chose not to share my marital problems with you does not give you the right to be rude!": but Andrew replies, "How about driving my father away? Do I get to be rude then?", and shuts the door in her face.[6] Andrew repeatedly breaks the rules during Season 1, infuriating Bree, who eventually humiliates him by turning up at the strip club he is visiting with his friends while grounded.[7] Bree does later apologise to Andrew (who also admits how much he misses his father) for lying to him, but still removes the door to his room in punishment.[8]

The acrimonious divorce of his parents results in Rex buying Andrew a car. Although Bree tries to get him to give it back, Andrew refuses. Later that episode, in his most serious crime, he commits a hit-and-run while drunk that puts Juanita Solis into a coma.[9] His mother hushes it up for him, but Andrew fails to express any remorse for his crime.[10] He continues to misbehave, and Bree has him dropped from his school swim team for smoking marijuana in an attempt to make him regret his actions.[11] Further angered by her refusal to allow Rex to convalesce from heart surgery at home, Andrew claims, "You wanna see how long I can hold a grudge? Go ahead and abandon my father because I promise you will be sorry."[12] When he finds out about his father's adultery, however, he is extremely apologetic to Bree and angry with Rex.[13]

When Bree accuses Andrew of having a relationship with his friend Lisa, he merely laughs.[14] He has actually been developing a relationship with Justin, who in the same episode confesses to Gabrielle Solis that he and Andrew have been "fooling around" for some time.[15] Andrew later crashes Zach's pool party with Justin and some friends and creates mayhem.[16] However, after everyone else has gone home, Susan Mayer catches the two in the swimming pool kissing; Andrew anxiously shouts, "I'm not, I'm not gay!"[17] After he is expelled from school for drug abuse and refusing to cooperate with the authorities, as well as his continuing rudeness to Bree, Andrew is sent to a juvenile delinquent boot camp.[18]

Andrew stares resentfully at his mother from Camp Hennessey.
Andrew stares resentfully at his mother from Camp Hennessey.

Some time later, Bree and Rex visit Andrew at the camp. Andrew only agrees to see his father; Bree believes this is because he blames her for putting him in the camp, and storms into the meeting room to tell him she did the right thing.[19] There Rex reveals that Andrew wanted to see him alone because he fears he is gay. Bree is horrified, and despite Rex's misgivings, insists Andrew be removed from the camp immediately, saying "Our son just told us that he might be gay. There are two hundred other boys in this camp. Now, I could explain to you what might happen if we left him here, but I'm a lady and I don't use that kind of language."[20] Rex warns her that he is still her son, and so Bree tries to comfort Andrew by telling him "I would love you even if you were a murderer".[21]

Bree then invites the Reverend Sikes to dinner, who tries to convince Andrew to enrol in Christian counseling. He refuses, saying "I'm not confused. I know exactly who I am."[22] This deeply upsets Bree, who tells him he has to change or he won't be with her in heaven; Andrew is shocked by this and agrees to speak to the reverend.[23] In his final scene of the season, after swearing the priest to secrecy, Andrew states that, not only that he doesn't believe in God, but also that he lied to his parents about being gay to get out of the camp.[24] This confuses the pastor, who asks him whether he is heterosexual or not: Andrew replies, "Look, I love vanilla ice cream, okay? But every now and then I’m probably gonna be in the mood for chocolate."[25] He then says he will get revenge on Bree for rejecting him by pretending to be a model son and then doing something so awful it is "going to really destroy her".[26]

[edit] Season 2

Set just weeks after Rex's death, Andrew's first opening shot in Season 2 is to claim Bree is incapable of having murdered his father because "it takes guts to kill somebody".[27] He resents George Williams for dating Bree while Rex was still alive, and is very rude to him when he sees the two together.[28] Bree blackmails Andrew with swim club subs into attending dinner with George.[29] In response, Andrew imitates Bree's pleasure moan to provoke George, who tries to ground him but won't tell Bree why, and she refuses to punish Andrew without a reason.[30] George decides to get rid of Andrew by kissing his mother during his swim meet, which so angers him he jumps out of the pool and attacks George.[31] That evening, Andrew packs his bags for Camp Hennessey a second time.

Andrew tries to provoke Bree as far as possible - including exhibiting his sexuality in front of her.
Andrew tries to provoke Bree as far as possible - including exhibiting his sexuality in front of her.

After George dies, Bree brings Andrew back from the camp, telling him that George killed Rex in order to marry her; Andrew is disgusted that his father is dead because of her.[32] As a result, Andrew invites Justin to sleep over. He confides to him his reasons for hating Bree, saying:

Last year, when she found out that I liked guys, she freaked out. She said that, if I didn't change, I'd be going straight to hell. So, since I knew that I couldn't change, it suddenly hit me that, one day, my own mother was going to stop loving me. So, I decided to stop loving her first. That way, it wouldn't hurt so bad.[33]

He also confides his wish for his mother to slip up so that he can "take her down".[34] Later, when Bree confesses to Andrew that George didn't commit suicide, he overdosed and asked her for an ambulance, and instead she sat down and waited for him to die, Andrew is provided with the "slip up" that he was waiting for.[35]

When Bree sees Andrew kissing Justin outside her window, she forbids him to bring his boyfriend round again.[36] Andrew mocks her and ensures Bree later walks in the two in bed together.[37] Bree threatens to call the police and have Justin forcibly removed, but Andrew replies that he will tell them about what happened to George.[38] This backfires, however, when Bree hires Karl Mayer, a lawyer and friend of the family, who not only explains that Bree has not committed a crime, but slams Andrew against a wall and orders him to leave her alone.[39]

Along with his sister, Andrew notices Bree's increasing alcohol consumption, and uses it against her.[40] When Bree refuses to let Andrew access his trust fund to buy a car, he calls her a "mean old drunk", and she slaps him.[41] Andrew emotionally blackmails Justin into punching him in the same place Bree slapped him.[42] He then hires a lawyer to file for emancipation from his mother, whom he accuses of hitting him while drunk.[43] Andrew tries to persuade her in "There Is No Other Way" to just let him go, but she refuses saying she hasn't "set him right" yet. Andrew, after consultation with his lawyer, tells Bree in "Could I Leave You?" that he will accuse her of sexual molestation if he doesn't get his way.

Bree's father and stepmother arrive, and convince the judge to drop the case.[44] They try to reconcile the two, but Andrew persuades them to take him to live with them.[45] Justin is heartbroken when he finds out, and when Bree asks him why, replies:

When my parents first heard I was gay, they kicked me out. They said I had "debased" the entire family and that they couldn't love me anymore until I had changed. But Andrew, said that I should be ashamed of them because they were too stupid to know how great I was. That's the thing about Andrew, he doesn't take crap from anyone. How can you not love someone like that?[46]

Bree persuades Justin to supply her with gay magazines and videos, which she plants among Andrew's things for his grandparents to find; they then leave Andrew behind, and revoke his trust fund.[47] In an attempt to make peace, Bree invites Justin to dinner.[48]

Andrew, however, doesn't give up hating his mother or trying to hurt her. He discovers that Peter MacMillan, Bree's boyfriend, is a sex addict, and tries to persuade Danielle to seduce him.[49] After she refuses, he lures Peter into bed himself, where Bree finds them.[50] Bree finally gives up and leaves him with a bag of clothes and some money by an abandoned gas station because she can no longer love him unconditionally.[51] In his final scene for the season, Andrew, realizing he really is about to lose his mom, tells her that the only good thing is that he has won:

I remember the look in your eyes when I told you I was gay, and I knew, that one day, you would stop loving me. So, here we are. I was right. I..I win.[52]

Bree simply replies "Good for you", and drives away.

[edit] Season 3

Orson persuades Andrew to come home. He succeeds where Bree does not.
Orson persuades Andrew to come home. He succeeds where Bree does not.

Eight months after the end of Season 2, Bree is about to leave for her honeymoon with Orson when she sees a news report on television about homeless teenagers, in which Andrew is interviewed.[53] Horrified at what has happened to him, she cancels her honeymoon and sets out to retrieve Andrew, eventually finding him in a soup kitchen; she asks him to come back but he refuses. When she shouts "I'm your mother, for god's sakes, you're my son!", Andrew replies "No, you dumped your son at a gas station seven months ago. I'm somebody else now", and runs.[54] When Orson sees how guilty Bree feels, he finds Andrew himself and buys him lunch.[55] During their conversation, Andrew admits he prostituted himself when desperate for money, and asks Orson not to tell his mother, before realising what he's said and correcting himself.[56] Orson doesn't try to force Andrew to come home but instead points out that the reason he is living on the streets is to punish his mother, and ultimately he will only destroy himself.[57] Andrew doesn't initially appear to heed this, but returns home the next day at the end of "A Weekend In the Country".

Bree is delighted, but insists on concocting a reason for Andrew's long absence.[58] Returning to normal social activities, he is disconcerted to see one of his former clients at a school science fair.[59] Orson is worried for Andrew, which Bree notices and asks him about later that night.[60] Wanting no secrets, Orson confesses that Andrew sold himself for money, and that the man he had been talking to was a previous client. Bree, shocked, and a friend of the man's wife, confesses all to her.[61] She takes it badly, and tells Bree in return that Danielle is sleeping with her history teacher.[62] Later, Andrew watches the tail end of her argument with Danielle and, concerned, he tries to comfort Bree, explaining that she did instil moral values, "I mean, we know the difference between right and wrong, we just chose wrong", but also that she pushed them so hard they had to rebel.[63] Bree tries to subtly get him to talk about his prostitution, but he gently brushes her off.[64] Andrew has since got a job working at Tom's pizzeria, though he takes a fairly lax attitude to his work.[65]

When Andrew overhears the conversation between Bree and Orson about the death of Monique Polier, he believes that it is Orson's fault when his mother suffers a fall from a rigged ladder. Warning Orson that he has never met "bad Andrew", but he will if he harms Bree further, Andrew then tells the nurse that Orson is dangerous and should not be left alone with his mother.[66] However in "I Remember That", when Andrew rushes home from his job fearing Orson is going to harm Bree again, he is knocked out by Gloria Hodge, who actually harmed Bree and intends to kill her. When Andrew comes round, he discovers that Orson has actually been trying to protect Bree, and their relationship returns to normal.

Andrew has had no romance this season so far, though he reveals to Danielle and Julie that he has tried to seduce Austin McCann, Edie's nephew. It is Andrew who convinces Austin to leave Fairview after he makes Danielle pregnant.[67]

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Characterization

Andrew is partially based on writer Marc Cherry himself, who copied much of Bree's dialogue from his own mother's reaction when he came out to her.[68] Andrew can be selfish and manipulative, and regularly uses other people to get what he wants, for example, persuading his boyfriend Justin to hit him so he can claim Bree is abusing him. He has also committed a range of crimes, from being expelled from school for smoking marijuana, to running over Mama Solis while drunk.[69] After Bree hushed up the accident for him, he then refused to feel bad, reasoning "She's an old lady! I have my whole life ahead of me!"[70] Marc Cherry has referred to him as being sociopathic.[1] In Season 3, however, Andrew seems to have matured after spending eight months living on the streets.

While fans have heatedly debated his sexual orientation, Shawn Pyfrom has denied that Andrew is totally homosexual, implying he is bisexual.[71] In "The Little Things You Do Together", he refers to Austin as a "dog" and himself as a "dog-lover". Whatever Andrew is, he is one of a few LGBT teens on television secure with his sexuality.[72] March Cherry has commented, "[Andrew Van De Kamp] is perhaps the most empowered gay teen in the history of television. He's gay and he doesn't care."[73]

From Andrew's hurt reaction to his mother's rejection of him, it appears that he deeply loves his mother, as his determination to hurt her in Season 2 is so he can "stop loving her first". He also loves and respects his father, and only Rex who can get him to stop tormenting Bree in Season 1, albeit briefly. Later on in Season 2, Carl, another strong male figure, has some similar success in forcing Andrew to stop harassing Bree temporarily. In Season 3, it is Orson, and not Bree, who persuades Andrew to return home and whom he continues to respect throughout the season.

[edit] Critical reception

As Andrew is a minor character in Desperate Housewives, he is rarely mentioned by critics. However, his storylines have occasionally attracted press coverage. In 2005, when Andrew kisses his boyfriend Justin in "Impossible", gay groups applauded a primetime television show willing to show a gay kiss in a romantic relationship; only six network television shows had done so in the past twenty years, as opposed to thirty for lesbian kisses.[74] Despite the fact that Christian and Conservative groups had protested Desperate Housewives before it had even aired, few prominent leaders said anything about the kiss. [75]

Shawn Pyfrom has stated that he has received many letters from gay teens who have been encouraged by Andrew's ease with his sexuality as one of the few secure and confident LGBT teenage characters on television.[76] Gay male teens have not been featured on scripted television since Dawson's Creek, which ended in 2003.[77] Marc Cherry has expressed bemusement at this, saying, "to young people, Andrew is something of a role model which is a little appalling to me because he's something of a sociopath!"[1] However, Pyfrom commented that he saw this as a good thing:

I think what's great about Andrew is that they developed him as this bastard teenager who is terrible to his mother, hits old ladies with his car, and also happens to be gay. They don't make him this typical weak gay character, and I think that's good because it's saying that even if you're gay, you can still be strong and confident.[78]

Andrew's relentless torment of his mother and other devious exploits have been negatively received by critics, with one declaring him a "Class-A jerk".[79] The Parent's Television Council named "I Know Things Now" as their "Worst Episode of the Week", in part due to Andrew's seduction of Bree's boyfriend.[80] However, his improved behaviour and deep love for his mother in Season 3 has also disappointed some critics, with one saying "if he has any lines at all, he's a little angel...as if he's become something of a Stepford son! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ."[81]

[edit] References

The time given is accurate to within 10 seconds, excluding commercial breaks.

  1. ^ a b c Hernandez, Greg (September 20, 2006), Marc Cherry: Andrew Returns to Housewives, Insidesocalout.com (part of LA Daily News). Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  2. ^ Moylan, Brian, (September 15, 2006), The good, the bad and the ‘Ugly’, Washington Blade. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  3. ^ Very first appearance onscreen is Season 1, "Pilot", approx. 05:15.
  4. ^ Season 1, "Pilot", approx. 20:00.
  5. ^ Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 10:10.
  6. ^ Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 14:20.
  7. ^ Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 25:20.
  8. ^ Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 37:30.
  9. ^ Season 1, "Anything You Can Do".
  10. ^ Wines, Tom, The Gay Ghetto, Bgay.com. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  11. ^ Season 1, "Suspicious Minds", approx. 35:50.
  12. ^ Season 1, "Move On", approx. 06:30.
  13. ^ Season 1, "Move On", approx. 36:20.
  14. ^ Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 09:30.
  15. ^ Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 26:30.
  16. ^ Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 32:40.
  17. ^ Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 38:00.
  18. ^ Season 1, "There Won't Be Trumpets".
  19. ^ Season 1, "Children Will Listen", approx. 35:00.
  20. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 06:10.
  21. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 07:20.
  22. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 23:40.
  23. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 36:10.
  24. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 38:40.
  25. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 39:00.
  26. ^ Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 39:50.
  27. ^ Season 2, "You'll Never Get Away from Me", approx. 21:30.
  28. ^ Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 09:10.
  29. ^ Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 13:00.
  30. ^ Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 21:00.
  31. ^ Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 39:40.
  32. ^ Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 07:30.
  33. ^ Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 24:30.
  34. ^ Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 25:10.
  35. ^ Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 32:00.
  36. ^ Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 08:40.
  37. ^ Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 15:50.
  38. ^ Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 16:30.
  39. ^ Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 34:40.
  40. ^ Beginning from Season 2, "Thank You So Much", approx. 12:00.
  41. ^ Season 2, "There Is No Other Way", approx. 10:10.
  42. ^ Season 2, "There Is No Other Way", approx. 16:50.
  43. ^ Season 2, "There Is No Other Way", approx. 22:40.
  44. ^ Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 03:50.
  45. ^ Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 20:10.
  46. ^ Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 24:00.
  47. ^ Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 36:10.
  48. ^ Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 38:40.
  49. ^ Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 27:50.
  50. ^ Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 35:00.
  51. ^ Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 36:10.
  52. ^ Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 37:30.
  53. ^ Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 1:30.
  54. ^ Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 23:00.
  55. ^ Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 33:10.
  56. ^ Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 37:20.
  57. ^ Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 37:50.
  58. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 3:10.
  59. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 15:50.
  60. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 16:20.
  61. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 30:00.
  62. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 31:00.
  63. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 35:30.
  64. ^ Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 36:40.
  65. ^ Season 3, "I Remember That", approx. 15:20.
  66. ^ Season 3, "I Remember That", approx. 33:10.
  67. ^ Season 3, "The Little Things You Do Together", approx. 30:40.
  68. ^ Keck, William, (April 14, 2005) A soapy coming-out party, USA today. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  69. ^ Squires, Chase (April 23, 2005), The bad boy of Wisteria Lane, St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  70. ^ Fashingbauer, Gael (February 10, 2006), When two ‘Wives’ go to war, MSNBC.com. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  71. ^ Stewart, Jenny, (2005) "Desperate Housewives" keeps us guessing, Gay.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  72. ^ Kennedy, John, (May 12, 2006), off Wisteria Lane, Canada.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  73. ^ Los Angeles Daily News (February 21, 2007), Page containing quote at SGN.org. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  74. ^ Warn, Sarah, (February 21, 2005), Desperate Housewives Outs Gay Teen With a Kiss (page 2), afterelton.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  75. ^ Jensen, Michael, (January 11, 2006), Forget Book of Daniel — the Real Gay Action is on Desperate Housewives (page 2), afterelton.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  76. ^ Kennedy, John, (May 12, 2006), off Wisteria Lane, Canada.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  77. ^ Stewart, Jenny, "Desperate Housewives" keeps us guessing, Gay.com. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  78. ^ Broverman, Neal (March 14, 2006), Shaun Pyfrom, The Advocate. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  79. ^ Moylan, Brian, (May 8, 2006), A 'Desperate' drama queen, gayexpressnews.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  80. ^ Shirlen, Joshua, (May, 2006) Desperate Housewives on ABC, Parentstv.org. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
  81. ^ Hernandez, Greg (February 19, 2007), Andrew Van de Kamp: Stepford son?, Insidesocalout.com (part of LA Daily News). Retrieved March 19, 2007.

[edit] External links


Desperate Housewives
Episode list | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Official site
Production Marc Cherry | Characters | Actors | Awards | Broadcasting | DVD releases | Music | The Game
Main
characters		 Susan Mayer | Lynette Scavo | Bree Hodge | Gabrielle Solis | Edie Britt | Mary Alice Young
Carlos Solis | Tom Scavo | Julie Mayer | Orson Hodge | Mike Delfino
Andrew Van De Kamp | Danielle Van De Kamp | Preston and Porter Scavo | Parker Scavo | Ian Hainsworth
Former main
characters

Betty Applewhite | Rex Van De Kamp | Paul Young | John Rowland | Zach Young | Karl Mayer
Matthew Applewhite | Austin McCann | Caleb Applewhite | George Williams
Minor
characters

Carolyn Bigsby | Sophie Flickman | Maisy Gibbons | Ida Greenberg | Alma Hodge | Gloria Hodge
Martha Huber | Kayla Huntington | Nora Huntington | Justin | Victor Lang | Karen McCluskey
Travers McLain | Detective Ridley | Art Shephard | Noah Taylor | Felicia Tilman | Xiao-Mei
Locations Wisteria Lane | Eagle State
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