Next (Desperate Housewives)

"**Next**"
"Next"
Desperate Housewives episode
	Bree Van de Kamp (Marcia Cross) changes the tie on her husband's corpse. This scene received critical praise and was considered one of the most memorable scenes in "Next".
Episode no.	Season 2; Episode 1
Directed by	Larry Shaw
Written by	Jenna Bans and Kevin Murphy
Production code	201
Original air date	September 25, 2005
Running time	44 minutes
Guest appearances
	Jesse Metcalfe as John Rowland; Joely Fisher as Nina Fletcher; Currie Graham as Ed Ferrara; Andy Umberger as Officer Romslo; Dakin Matthews as Reverend Sykes; Shirley Knight as Phyllis Van de Kamp; Charlie Babcock as Stu Durber; Nikki Braendlin as Receptionist; Pat Crawford Brown as Ida Greenberg; Stacy Solodkin as Haggard Woman;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "One Wonderful Day"	Next →; "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"
	Desperate Housewives season 2
	List of episodes

"Next" is the second season premiere episode of the American comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and the 24th episode overall. It was originally broadcast in the United States on September 25, 2005, on ABC. It was written by Jenna Bans and Kevin Murphy and was directed by Larry Shaw.

In the episode, Susan (Teri Hatcher) recovers from having been held hostage while Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) attempts to salvage her marriage to her incarcerated husband, Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira). Meanwhile, Bree (Marcia Cross) deals with her mother-in-law following her husband's death and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) goes back to work. The episode also introduces the mystery storyline revolving around Betty Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) and her family.

According to Nielsen ratings, "Next" was watched by 28.4 million viewers, making it the most watched season premiere on ABC in nine years. The episode also ranks as the second-most watched in series history, behind the first-season finale in May 2005. The episode received general positive reviews, with Cross earning universal praise for her performance. Critics enjoyed Woodard's acting as well as her character's storyline.