4.01 - "Once More Unto the Bleach"
Directed by David Warren
Written by Brian Tanen
Reviewed by Gavin Hetherington
Lives are forever changed following the explosion at the Powell mansion.
EPISODE GUIDE
Season 4 Episode Guide
Click on an episode title to be taken to that review. Episodes 4-5 were reviewed by Lindsey Salazar.
4.01 - "
Once More Unto the Bleach" (June 6, 2016) -
Advance Preview
4.02 - "
Another One Wipes the Dust" (June 13, 2016)
4.03 - "
War and Grease" (June 20, 2016)
4.04 - "
Sweeping With the Enemy" (June 27, 2016)
4.05 - "
A Time to Spill" (July 4, 2016)
4.06 - "
The Maid Who Knew Too Much" (July 11, 2016)
4.07 - "
Blood, Sweat, and Smears" (July 18, 2016)
4.08 - "
I Saw the Shine" (July 25, 2016)
4.09 - "
Much Ado About Buffing" (August 1, 2016)
4.10 - "
Grime and Punishment" (August 8, 2016)
Check out my other
Devious Maids reviews:
'ONCE MORE UNTO THE BLEACH' REVIEW
"By the way, you are the meanest person I ever met... and I worked on Desperate Housewives"
It's always a relief to post a full review after getting an advanced preview out - now I can talk about
everything that happened in the premiere. I want to just jump right in and not rehash what I wrote in the preview, which was basically huge praise for a lot of it - I felt like the premiere was good old classic
Devious Maids, and it's nice to know that four seasons in, we are still blessed with the still-great ambience of the show. We began with a hilarious scene with Eva Longoria playing the murdered maid from the Pilot, and her
Desperate Housewives line was the best thing ever. The humour is still up to scratch in this episode, and it really sets up the rest of the episode, because as you can see, there is a rather huge parallel between Peri finding the Maid 'dead' while shooting the film, and the ending, where
Spence finds Peri dead.
Was I shocked by it? Quite, though I wasn't taken too back by it. Instead, a smirk appeared on my face and I thought "well, this will be a tricky situation to get out of". While it's rather sad that she's dead (as horrible as Peri is, and oh she is horrible, it's always bad when someone is killed, especially when there's so much blood, yuk), it means there will be a huge mystery this season that I think will be very effective in maintaining the show's quality. The stakes are now a lot higher than previous seasons, and this one can get
very, very personal. All through the episode, Peri was manipulative and condescending, and of course it's great that karma came so quickly to strike the bitch down. It seems like she was just starting to really get into the celebrity lifestyle too, so the timing was truly cruel for her. I guess when you're that evil, you have to have a death worthy of the title, and from the looks of her body, the death was totally worthy of her. I am hoping to get flashbacks soon (though I think that will be when the finale comes around).
"I think that will only make you feel better."
So speaking of
Rosie and Spence, I wasn't too surprised that he would regain his memory back in this episode, but I didn't expect it in the way it happened. Throughout the episode, we got hints that Spence knew something wasn't quite right, and he was remembering things that Peri had to shut down, so his sudden remembering of Rosie wasn't totally out of the blue. But it was a little too convenient for me, that he would hit his head and poof, memory's back. What I hope this doesn't mean is that Spence will take Rosie back instantly - she broke his heart last season, and then stamped all over it. While I understand somewhat of Rosie's dilemma, she had just married Meeeester Spence, and we all only get one Meeeeester Spence in our lives. I hope she figures out who killed Peri, clears Spence's name, and then they can reconcile. That would be romantic and totally deserved. I'm excited to see this journey they're going on this season, which is why I'm kind of glad Peri is the one who is dead, though I'll miss her nasty comments.
"Now I know why my mum never talks about you - you're kind of a bitch!"
So it also looks like
Carmen's long-lost daughter has returned, and Adrian is having so much fun with that. It's partly why I love Adrian as much as the main ladies, because he can deliver just as much as they can. I loved Carmen's dodging of Daniella's hugs, and their scene together near the end was so sweet, even if there was a bit of a back-handed compliment in "That's so brave for someone your age." Ouch, but she seems like fun, so I'm excited to have her around, and see more of Carmen and Adrian's banter.
Marisol is also getting entangled in the new man meat on the show, my truly beautiful James Denton whom I love! He seems like a really good guy, and he was so honest and direct about Marisol's obsession with Jesse. I liked that he didn't just easily brush that aside and he addressed it, making Marisol realise what her problem is. I think this guy could be good for Marisol, and seeing their chemistry already has me frothing at the mouth for what's to come for my main bae in season 4.
"I know I shouldn't blame you... but I do. I blame you."
And who else thought that
Zoila and Genevieve were the main highlight of the premiere? They were both incredible and they delivered every bit of emotion they could! I think out of every relationship on this show, this one has been my absolute favourite and I'm heartbroken at their 'break-up'. What Zoila says to Genevieve... you can see how conflicted she is about how she feels, and she's so raw about it that it hurts them both even more (and me). Giving her keys back, it hurt in the feels. I do love that we get to see brand new dynamics that haven't been developed before, so having Rosie as Genevieve's maid while Genevieve really doesn't like her is amazing. I can tell this is going to be another funny relationship in the making, but I already miss the Zoilavieve dynamic, and I hope they reconcile by season's end (just as much as Spence and Rosie)! Shout-out to the passing of the feather duster. Also, the new guy in Zoila's life is so hot, I can't wait to see where that goes.
"I hate to impose but would you mind killing yourself?"
Before I finish, I have to discuss the elite. That's right,
Evelyn and Adrian. Just when you think they can't get anything else out of this couple, the writers pull it off again! They ended season 3 dramatically with the blowing up of the Powell Mansion, but it's being reconstructed, and Adrian survived the blast, much to Evelyn's chagrin. I love that Adrian is faking his paralysis to keep her, and that he vows to win her back. Will it happen? I'm excited to find out, but Evelyn's hysterical crying when the doctor gives her the false news - "You should have a long, long life together" - had me in hysterics too, but the laughter-kind. Oh when Evelyn finds out, she's going to flip so hard, I'd be worried if I was Adrian (and judging by the promo for episode 2, it looks like that day will come soon). This couple just gets better with every passing season and I never know how they manage to do it.
EPISODE VERDICT
So much talk about in this very strong opening for season four; it's one that sets an amazing stage that will surely affect all the Maids as the season progresses. A lot of scenes stood out, emotional and hysterical, that makes this, without a doubt, the best (and my personal favourite) season premiere so far.
What did you guys think about 'Once More Unto the Bleach'? Let me know your thoughts of the season 4 premiere of Devious Maids in the comments and be sure to watch the next episode when it airs on Lifetime, 9pm on Monday June 13th!
About the Author - Gavin Hetherington
Award-winning author of the 'Abyssal Sanctuary' series. Gavin joined SpoilerTV in August 2014 and reviews 2 Broke Girls, Devious Maids, Mistresses, Pretty Little Liars, Salem, Scream Queens and Sleepy Hollow. Gavin will write previews for Empire and Shadowhunters, and backs-up Once Upon a Time, Reign, Scandal and Supergirl. Gavin also writes special anniversary articles, most recently for Charmed. You can contact him at gavin@spoilertv.com.
