Mike Delfino
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| Michael "Mike" Delfino | |||||||||||||
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 James Denton as Mike Delfino. |
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| Portrayed by | James Denton | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | Pilot (episode 1.01) | ||||||||||||
| Created by | Marc Cherry | ||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1966 | ||||||||||||
| Age | 47 - 48 (Season 5) | ||||||||||||
| Occupation | Plumber former Hitman |
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| Residence | 4356 Wisteria Lane Fairview, Eagle State |
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Michael "Mike" Delfino is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor James Denton.
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[edit] Season 1
Mike Delfino is a man who posed as the friendly neighborhood plumber, but who was actually working to find his former girlfriend (Deirdre Taylor), who had been missing for years and whose father, Noah, was dying. During his search, he falls in love with single-mom, Susan Mayer, which at many points disrupts his mission. Before their first official date, Mike is forced to cancel because of an "unexpected house-guest" in the form of Kendra, Deirdre's sister. It is discovered that the toy chest that was dug up from the Young family pool contains the remains of Deirdre. Mike went to prison for 7 years to protect Deirdre and try to save her, but failed. When Paul Young murders Martha Huber, he tries to frame Mike for the murder, which he is arrested for at one point. When the police interview Susan about Mike's whereabouts on the night of the murder, they reveal that Mike was convicted of manslaughter and drug dealing. A devastated Susan breaks up with Mike. Mike posted a letter to Susan which he claimed "explained everything." Susan doesn't trust him and gives it back to him. She, however, wants to believe Mike so goes to see Kendra and Noah for answers. Noah doesn't tell her the truth because he believes it will get in the way of Mike finding Deirdre's killer. Kendra tells her the truth. Mike and Deirdre were into drugs, but Mike kicked the habit early on, but Deirdre didn't. One day, an under-cover policeman caught her using drugs and forced her to have sex with him and in exchange, he wouldn't charge her. Mike found out and tried to stop it. He caught them in the act, and the cop pulled a gun on him. Mike fought him off, and the two went over a balcony. Mike survived. However, the cop did not. Susan took Mike back after finding out it was self-defense. Near the end of the season, Mike became suspicious of Paul Young being involved in Deirdre's murder. He took Paul into the country and held him hostage, where Paul revealed that when he lived with Mary-Alice Young (his dead wife) in Salt Lake City (under their real names: Todd and Angela), Mary-Alice worked with Deirdre, who'd had a baby. Deirdre knew Mary Alice couldn't have kids and offered to sell her baby, Dana, to her. Mary Alice accepted and moved to Fairview, where they started a new life after changing all of their names, including "Dana" to "Zach." Three years later, Deirdre tracked them down and demanded Zach back; they refused. After a heated argument, Mary Alice stabbed and killed Deirdre. Mike let Paul go after realizing Zach was his son. Meanwhile, Zach held Susan hostage after finding out Mike had kidnapped Paul.
[edit] Season 2
When Mike arrived home, he and Susan fought off Zach and fled. Mike's relationship with Susan hit shaky ground upon the discovery that Mike was Zach's father. Susan was understandably afraid of Zach after having been held up by him, and she also felt the need to protect her daughter from Zach. For these reasons, Susan not only encouraged Zach to head to Utah, but gave him the money to get there as well. When Mike discovered that Susan sent Zach to Utah, he ended their relationship.
After Edie Britt sets Susan Mayer's home on fire, Mike helped Susan obtain a wire to convince Edie to confess. Mike then asks Susan if she would consider moving in. Susan gives the thought consideration and leaves Mike's house. Later they make up and he wants to propose to her in the second season's finale, but on his way he is hit on purpose by a car driven by the dentist Orson Hodge.
[edit] Season 3
Mike survived, but was in a coma from which he woke up 6 months later but suffered retrograde amnesia, losing the last 2 years of his past. Having forgotten his relationship with Susan Mayer, Mike had new, distorted ones suggested to him by Edie Britt. He was soon arrested as Monique Polier's (whom he somewhat remembers) blood was found on his wrench and subsequently dumped by Edie. Since then Susan and Ian are doing the best they can to get him out of jail. In prison he is found by Paul Young who attempts to befriend him in order for Zach to contact him and try to find Felicia Tilman, of whom he was accused of murdering at the end of Season Two. Later he visited a hypnotherapist to try to remember who murdered Monique Polier. Flashbacks helped him regain all of his memory, and Mike confronted Orson Hodge, and fought with him. During this fight, Orson attempted to evade Mike and fell off the hospital roof. The police have to release Mike when they find Alma and Monique's teeth and suicide note. Mike witnesses Ian propose to Susan and is saddened when she accepts.
Later Mike learns that Ian had seen the engagement ring, with which Mike was going to propose to Susan, the night he got hit by a car and says to Ian he knows Ian only proposed to Susan so early because Susan may learn the truth. They make a deal where if Mike wins the poker game they are playing Ian will allow Mike to tell Susan anything but if Ian wins Mike cannot say anything to Susan and he is to leave them alone. Ian wins and Mike cannot tell Susan anything. Nevertheless, despite his loss, Mike's feelings for Susan continue to grow. He is constantly seen as a threat by Ian, especially after Mike saves him from their car, which was overturned in a lake. After a heated argument between Ian and Susan, she walks over to Mike's for consolation, and they share an intimate kiss. This renews Mike's belief in the possibility of winning her back, and so he continually forces his way into her and Ian's lives, even confessing to what occurred at the poker game. After learning about this, Susan sends both of them away and cancels her wedding with Ian. Ian and Mike continued to pursue Susan, but were shot down with each attempt. Eventually, Susan announced that she would go through with her marriage to Ian and she explained to Mike her reasons for this. Upset by this, Mike left a Dear Jane Letter on her voicemail saying goodbye. Under the cover of the night he left Wisteria Lane and Susan (who had been dumped by Ian because of her continued love of Mike) behind. Mike is on a camping trip, so Susan goes to the woods to find him. She and her wilderness guide, Toni, get lost in the woods. Susan complains to Toni about her complicated love life, and Toni yells at Susan and tells her that she doesn't think Susan can handle a permanent relationship because she invites in too much drama. Susan decides to sneak off while Toni is sleeping and try to find Mike on her own. Back at the campground, the one hiker is reported lost, and Mike recognizes Susan from her description. Susan leaves a message on Mike's cell phone promising him that if he takes her back that she will not make their relationship dramatic and they will be a normal couple. In the morning, Mike finds Susan and picks her up and they kiss. Mike and Susan go out to dinner, the night exactly a year after he and Susan were meant to become engaged and Mike was run over. Susan waits for Mike to pop the question all night, but Susan’s disappointed when he doesn't. On the way home, Susan tells Mike what she expected and when they pull up into Wisteria Lane the trailer Susan decorated on the night they intended to get engaged was waiting on her driveway. They live the experience they were meant to have that night and they get engaged. Mike later marries Susan in the woods in the middle of the night. Susan surprises him with a small wedding because she doesn't want to put pressure on Mike to give her an expensive wedding.
[edit] Season 4
In the first episode of Season Four, Mike and Susan find out from the new neighbour and doctor Adam Mayfair that Susan is pregnant and Mike tells Susan he has never been happier. In the second episode of Season 4 "Smiles of a Summer Night" Julie asks Susan if she can go to a party, however Mike tells her he'd rather her not go due to the fact he's seen some crazy parties in the house in question. Even though Susan had given Julie permission to go to the party she sided with Mike and Julie was banned. However Susan decided to go behind Mike's back and tell Julie she just wanted Mike to feel part of the decision making process and she allowed Julie to attend the party. Later that night Mike tells Susan he drove past the house earlier on and saw things like girls running around topless, people staggering around drunk and music blaring. Susan said she needed to run to the store and she went to the party to pick up Julie. However some boys at the party mistaken her for a stripper but she told them she was pregnant and she took Julie and Dylan who was with her home. Mike later found out and he told Susan that he respects her decisions on how to raise Julie how she wants as it's her child. Susan soon accidentally learned that Mike's father was alive, having previously been told by Mike that he was dead. Mike told Susan that his father was in prison for first degree murder. Mike took Susan to see his father in prison where she was shocked at how cold a man Mike's father really was. She confronted him alone. His father said that he regretted what his actions did to Mike. They made him unpopular and sent him to a dark place. He claimed that one never truly overcomes such a dark place. He told Susan to watch Mike carefully. While at Bree's house, Mike took some pills and dropped one. Bree found it and researched it. When she found out what it was, she told Susan that Mike was using drugs. Susan didn't believe it at first but found pills hidden in Mike's flashlight. She confronted Mike and Mike spilled the pills down the drain to convince her that he wasn't an addict. However, that night, Mike undid the pipes and retrieved the pills. Mike's drug dealer soon began contacting him for money. Mike went to Adam and blackmailed him into getting him more pills. Adam blackmailed Orson into getting him the pills. Mike unintentionally guilted Orson into giving him a prescription. When Mike's drug dealer showed up at the house, Susan, not knowing who he really was, tried to fix him up with Julie. When Mike found out, he revealed who he was to Susan. Susan threw the drug dealer out of her house. He confessed to Susan that he had bought drugs from the dealer to take away his pain. Susan thought that he had stopped using them but soon learned that Mike was seen picking up a prescription at a pharmacy. Susan later found the pills in Mike's car, and saw that they had been prescribed by Orson Hodge. In Something's Coming, Susan confronts Mike about the pills; they get into a fight, and Mike accidentally pushes Susan down the stairs. Mike takes Susan to the hospital. Because of his concern about Susan's baby, Mike desperately punches out a hospital staffer, and ends up in a seat in handcuffs. Later Susan informs Mike that the baby is fine and that she suffered a mild sprain. When Susan suggests that Mike go to rehab, Mike refuses. But then she threatens to leave him if he doesn't go to rehab. In the end, Mike agrees to go to rehab. Mike returns from rehab in thirty days' time. Mike doesn't go to the first Lamaze class, as he is receiving his 30 day chip (30 days without drugs). Although he is there for the second. When Mike tells Susan that Bree Hodge's husband, Orson, was the one who ran Mike over with his car, Susan furiously told Orson not to go near Mike ever again. She also told Bree what happened nearly two years ago. Orson grew apart from Bree because of this, and Susan apologized for it. After Mike's mother comes to Wisteria Lane for a visit, she makes Susan's life a bit hard, seeing though she wants the perfect housewife for his son. During the part where Mike scolds her mother for this, and right after her mother apologizes, Susan goes in to labor, and gives birth to their baby boy. Mike wanted to name him Maynard after his dead grandfather (who was a father figure for him) but Susan preferred Conner. They stayed with the name Maynard Delfino.
[edit] 5 year leap
As the plot fast forwards 5 years in the future, Susan is seen coming home to a man who isn't Mike.
[edit] Season 5
The fifth season premiered on U.S. television on Sunday September 28, 2008 with the episode "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow". As previously stated at the end of the fourth season, season five takes place five years in the future compared with the events of the previous four seasons. In the new timeline, it is revealed that Susan has begun a secretive love affair with her painter and decorator Jackson Braddock. When Jackson asks Susan why they can't go public with their relationship, she replies, "Maybe I don’t deserve to be happy," which references the end of her marriage to Mike Delfino. A series of recurrent flashbacks then reveals the reasons Susan and Mike’s marriage broke down: Susan and Mike were involved in a road collision with another car which resulted in the death of the other driver, a young mother named Lila Dash, along with her young daughter, Paige Dash. Although Susan and Mike were not to blame for the accident (the other car pulled out in front of them), Susan could not forgive herself and her husband for not getting the brakes checked on their car. The subsequent trauma took its toll on their marriage, as Susan can not help but feel responsible for the death of Lila Dash and her child Paige. When Mike arrives to pick up their son Maynard ( "M.J.") for the weekend, Susan reveals for the first time to Mike that she is seeing someone. However the atmosphere between the two suggests that the real reason Susan will not pursue a full-time relationship with Jackson is that she still loves Mike and holds out hope of the two of them getting back together, a feeling which he also shares.
In the "City on Fire" episode, Dave saves Mike from a fire while telling him that he has plans for him. It is unknown what kind of plans. Dave killed his doctor to cover the fact that he has plans for Mike. In "A Vision Is Just a Vision," it is revealed Dave is the husband and father of the woman and girl Mike accidentally killed and is planning to make Mike suffer as he has, which probably means that he is going to target M.J. and Susan.
Whilst Susan has moved on with Jackson, Mike has taken up with his neighbor, senior housewife Katherine Mayfair, Susan's oldest friend on the block. Mike and Katherine are drawn together when they both come to the realization that they are both alone and that they can be each other's companions. When Susan discovers that the two of them began seeing each other and that Bree Hodge knew from a prior experience, it becomes obvious that Susan still has feelings for Mike, whom she refers to as her soulmate.
This bad blood spills into the son of Susan and Mike, Maynard Delfino, when he starts attacking Katherine as a result of what Susan told Maynard as a baby; that they would still be a family and that the two of them would get back together. When Susan admits that it is something that she has considered, it becomes clear that Susan and Michael are in different directions in their life.
In the "Connect! Connect!" episode, Katherine tells Mike that she is being pressured by her daughter Dylan to move with her and Bradley (Dylan's husband) to Maryland, but is not sure what she wants to do just yet. When she asks Mike for advice, he is transparent about the idea, however later reveals to his neighbor Dave Williams that he is falling in love with Katherine. Later, he sends her a bouquet of roses from his garden and sends the note that reads "Don't go". Upon receiving this note, she comes to his house and they embrace in a romantic way. Dave, out to get Mike, stares from inside Mike's house at the two as they kiss. Implying that he intends to seek revenge upon Mike through Katherine.
In the "A Spark. To Pierce the Dark." episode, Dave, Katherine and Mike are on a camping trip. Dave pretends to be asleep while Katherine and Mike leave the cabin. Then he follows them across the meadow and prepares to shoot them. But just he is about to kill Katherine, he is interrupted by a text message from Edie telling him to cut short his camping trip and come home immediately. Edie confronts Dave and tells him the truth about Mike Delfino. During the confrontation, Edie is about to call Mike when Dave gets his hands around her throat and suffocates her, but, at the last minute, releases her from his grip. This incident results in Edie running from her house, driving down the road and avoiding running Orson over, hitting an electric pole and ending up being electrocuted. Dave later learns that he was going to kill the wrong person. He was originally going to kill Katherine, but later realizes that he should have been targeting Susan. Dave decides to kill Susan and Mike's six year old son, M.J. Delfino, to get revenge on Susan, who, in his eyes, killed his wife and daughter.
Mike later finds himself conflicted with his feelings towards both Susan and Katherine, and eventually proposes to Katherine, who gladly accepts. In the finale, Dave hands a videotape to Mike which he says is rehearsal footage of their band; it is actually Dave's confession which Mike is supposed to see after M.J. is killed. Needing a videotape to use at the wedding, Katherine picks up that tape and puts it in her camera. Katherine and Mike await a plane to Vegas at the airport, and while Katherine heads off to buy cappucinos, Mike hears the video camera in her purse running. Watching it, he sees Dave confess to his plan to kill M.J.. Mike runs off without telling Katherine, who instead hears a misinterpreted message from a bystander.
Mike makes a call to Susan as he hurries to save her and M.J., telling her that Dave is the man whose wife and daughter they killed in the accident. He then is heard speaking to Dave, offering himself up in place of Susan and M.J.. Dave agrees, and tells Mike to meet them at the site of the accident. Unbeknownst to Mike, Dave actually plans to have Mike crash into his car and kill M.J., just as Susan did when she killed Lila and Paige. Susan manages to escape and warn Mike, but not soon enough, and he crashes into Dave's car anyway.
After Susan hurries over, she finds M.J. alive and well, having been told by Dave to leave the car. Relieved, Susan, Mike, and M.J. share a hug, and Mike kisses Susan.
At the end of the finale, Mike is seen marrying someone whose face is not shown. It is currently unknown whether or not the bride is Katherine or Susan, neither of whom is shown in the pews at the church.
[edit] Trivia
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- Mike was originally planned to be played by an Italian American actor. James Denton still doesn't understand why he was eventually chosen.
- When the pilot was first being written, Mike was supposed to move to Wisteria Lane with a five-year-old son named Timmy. Mike was never supposed to have a mystery. The plot was then reconceived, him having a son was scrapped and instead Mike was then placed into the Mary Alice/Deirdre storyline. Instead of having a son by his marriage to his late wife, Mike was given an illegitimate son by Deirdre. This turned out to be Narrator Mary Alice's supposed son Zach Young.
- In the first two seasons, Mike was shown to have a German Shepherd named Bongo. Bongo would later disappear halfway through the second season with no explanation given. he hasn't been seen or mentioned since then. When asked in an interview Marc Cherry stated that Bongo passed away while Mike was in a coma.[1]
- Character named after Justin Mike Delfino, a Chicago securities attorney, who was a high school sweetheart of one of the show's executive producers.
[edit] References
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