Would Desperate Housewives' Edie Britt Actually be The Hero Today

Back in 2004, Desperate Housewives’ Edie Britt was branded the villain—shamed for being confident, independent, and unapologetically sensual. Audiences and characters alike saw her as the troublemaker, the "other woman," or worse. But looking at Edie today? She’s not the antagonist—she’s the woman ahead of her time. In this video, we revisit Edie Britt through a modern lens and reveal how the traits she was criticized for—her boldness, autonomy, and refusal to play by suburbia’s rules—actually make her one of the most compelling (and misunderstood) characters on Wisteria Lane.

Why did Edie get so much hate? And could she secretly be the real hero of Desperate Housewives? Let’s unpack how society—and TV audiences—got Edie wrong, and why she deserves a serious redemption arc in pop culture history.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:11 Unpacking Edie's psychology
05:01 Edie knows what she wants (& isn't afraid to go for it)
07:12 She's not afraid to fight back & stand up for herself
10:12 She was far from perfect, but her story holds an important lesson


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The Take was created by Debra Minoff & Susannah McCullough
This video was written by Ellie Slee, narrated by Charly Bivona, produced by Jessica Babineaux, & edited by Travis Martin