After eight engaging, dramatic seasons, ABC’s hit show, “Desperate Housewives” has aired its final episode. During its run, the popular drama entertained a vast audience across the U.S. and even around the world. With an average of more than 51.6 million viewers worldwide, the show was ranked one of the most popular in 2007.

The series finale was Sunday’s most-watched TV show, according to the New York Daily News.

Throughout its many seasons, “Desperate Housewives” never failed to dramatize the lives of the infamous Wisteria Lane residents. With numerous affairs, deaths, marriages and more catastrophic events such as a store shooting, a tornado, a plane crash and most recently, a murder trial, it seems that Wisteria Lane has withstood everything.  

I have watched the show since it began in 2004, when I was a mere sixth-grader. I loved the series from the start, and I can’t grasp the idea that a show I’ve enjoyed for so long is over. I guess I’m going to have to find a new Sunday night ritual.  

Though the final season of “Desperate Housewives” didn’t achieve the same popularity it had in the past, it did not disappoint. The main story line of the season involved the murder of Ramon Sanchez, whose real name is Alejandro Perez. He was Gabrielle’s abusive stepfather, and when he broke into her home, her husband, Carlos, instinctively killed him. But instead of reporting the incident to the police, the housewives decided to bury his body in the woods, which ultimately lead to the finale, when Bree was on trial for his murder.

The two-hour finale of the show was enjoyable for the most part and offered some surprises, but I wasn’t completely satisfied. On a good note, Tom and Lynette’s relationship was saved from divorce and Mrs. McCluskey, an elderly neighbor suffering from cancer, took the blame for Perez’s murder, which saved her neighbors from a lifetime of prison while also being pardoned from any charges due to her advanced age and physical condition.

Although I was relieved some of these major plot issues were resolved, the ending to the series could not have been more corny and unsatisfying. According to the narrator, Mary Alice, the housewives take their separate paths, all eventually leaving Wisteria Lane. For all we know, the ladies who have been best friends and neighbors for so long might not even see each other again.  

To make matters worse, the last scenes involve Susan driving around the block with the ghosts of everyone on the lane who has died standing along the road dressed in white.  

This scene is what pushed the ending over the top in my opinion. These writers who came up with such amazing, twisted story lines should have been able to develop something a little less cliché.   

First of all, I think it was a mistake to separate the women after they’ve been through so much together. Even though we can’t expect everything to work out exactly the way we want, this detail was far too unsettling and only succeeded in making these women’s future lives look materialistic and boring.

Secondly, I see what they were going for with the ghosts of past characters, trying to commemorate everyone who has played a role in the show, but it seemed like a stretch. This scene backfired not only because of its lack of originality but also because a key character was missing from the plethora of ghosts: Edie Britt.

Played by Nicollette Sheridan, Edie was a prominent character in the show for five years, and suffered one of the most unforgettable deaths, yet the producers failed to include her.

Without paying tribute to one of the most important members of the cast, there is no way I can be totally satisfied with the final episode. I don’t know why Sheridan was excluded, and maybe there’s a valid reason for it, but it was a missing puzzle piece for me.  

Despite my issues with the last episode, it was still very entertaining overall, and I’m sad to see one of my favorite shows go.