Andrew Van de Kamp

Infobox soap character
name = Andrew Van de Kamp
series = Desperate Housewives


caption = Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van de Kamp.
first = "Pilot" (episode 1.01)
last =
last_cause =
alias =
born = 1987
occupation = Food service, Bree's manager (in 2013)
residence = Fairview, Eagle State
title = Mr. Andrew Van de Kamp
parents = Bree Hodge (mother) Rex Van de Kamp (father; deceased) Orson Hodge (step-father)
siblings = Danielle Van de Kamp (sister)
romances = Justin (ex-boyfriend)
children =
relatives = Benjamin Hodge (nephew) Leo Katz (brother-in-law)
grandparents = Phyllis Van de Kamp (paternal grandmother)
Henry Mason (maternal grandfather)
Eleanor Mason (maternal step-grandmother)
Gloria Hodge (step-grandmother)
Edwin Hodge (step-grandfather; deceased)
aunts/uncles = Aunt Fern (great aunt)
portrayer = Shawn Pyfrom
Hunter Allan (age 6)
creator = Marc Cherry

Andrew Van de Kamp is a fictional character in the ABC television series "Desperate Housewives". Shawn Pyfrom plays the sociopathic,Hernandez, Greg (September 20, 2006), [http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2006/09/marc_cherry_andrew_will_return.html Marc Cherry: Andrew Returns to "Housewives"] , Insidesocalout.com (part of "LA Daily News"). Retrieved March 19, 2007.] gay son of Bree Hodge and the late Rex Van de Kamp.

Andrew first appeared in the pilot of "Desperate Housewives" and had a recurring role throughout Season 1 as Bree's increasingly delinquent son. Eventually sent to juvenile boot camp, Andrew is removed when he told his mother he was gay. Although he later stated he liked "both vanilla and chocolate", claiming he had originally said he was gay to get out of the camp, Andrew refers to himself as gay in almost every instance. When asked whether Andrew was specifically gay or bisexual, Shawn Pyfrom stated, "I really don’t even know at this point." Nevertheless, Andrew had seen how his mother reacted and believed that she would never accept him for who and what he was. This hurt Andrew so much he believed the only way to deal with it was to stop loving Bree first, so when she rejected him, it would not hurt so much.

Andrew was made a regular character in Season 2, in which he deliberately set out to provoke Bree as far as he could. This backfired when, finally unable to cope, Bree abandoned him on the streets to fend for himself. Andrew returned home eight months later in Season 3 "a changed man", [Moylan, Brian, (September 15, 2006), [http://www.washingtonblade.com/2006/9-15/arts/feature/feature.cfm The good, the bad and the ‘Ugly’] , "Washington Blade". Retrieved October 14, 2006.] but only making small appearances. As one of the few LGBT teens on television secure with their sexuality, Andrew's storylines have been well received by gay groups. However, his attitude to his mother and various crimes have also garnered negative criticism.

Season 1

Andrew first appears in the "Pilot" of season one. [Very first appearance onscreen is Season 1, "Pilot", approx. 05:15.] His first speaking role is arguing with his mother, Bree, over her desire for perfection. [Season 1, "Pilot", approx. 20:00.] He is attached to his father, Rex, and is upset when Bree tries to cover up their impending divorce. [Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 10:10.] When he confronts her with her own lies after she discovers he lied to her, she says, "Just because I chose not to share my marital problems with you does not give you the right to be rude!": but Andrew replies, "How about driving my father away? Do I get to be rude then?", and shuts the door in her face. [Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 14:20.] Andrew repeatedly breaks the rules during Season 1, infuriating Bree, who eventually humiliates him by turning up at the strip club he is visiting with his friends while grounded. [Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 25:20.] Bree does later apologise to Andrew (who also admits how much he misses his father) for lying to him, but still removes the door to his room in punishment. [Season 1, "Who's That Woman?", approx. 37:30.]

The acrimonious divorce of his parents results in Rex buying Andrew a car. Although Bree tries to get him to give it back, Andrew refuses. Later that episode, in his most serious crime, he commits a hit-and-run while drunk that puts Juanita Solis into a coma. [Season 1, "Anything You Can Do".] His mother hushes it up for him, but Andrew fails to express any remorse for his crime. [Wines, Tom, [http://www.bgay.com/bae/ae50502.htm The Gay Ghetto] , Bgay.com. Retrieved March 19, 2007.] He continues to misbehave, and Bree has him dropped from his school swim team for smoking marijuana in an attempt to make him regret his actions. [Season 1, "Suspicious Minds", approx. 35:50.] Further angered by her refusal to allow Rex to convalesce from heart surgery at home, Andrew claims, "You wanna see how long I can hold a grudge? Go ahead and abandon my father because I promise you will be sorry." [Season 1, "Move On", approx. 06:30.] When he finds out about his father's adultery, however, he is extremely apologetic to Bree and angry with Rex. [Season 1, "Move On", approx. 36:20.]

When Bree accuses Andrew of having a relationship with his friend Lisa, he merely laughs. [Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 09:30.] He has actually been developing a relationship with Justin, who in the same episode confesses to Gabrielle Solis that he and Andrew have been "fooling around" for some time. [Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 26:30.] Andrew later crashes Zach's pool party with Justin and some friends and creates mayhem. [Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 32:40.] However, after everyone else has gone home, Susan Mayer catches the two in the swimming pool kissing; Andrew anxiously shouts, "I'm not, I'm not gay!" [Season 1, "Impossible", approx. 38:00.] After he is expelled from school for drug abuse and refusing to cooperate with the authorities, as well as his continuing rudeness to Bree, Andrew is sent to a juvenile delinquent boot camp. [Season 1, "There Won't Be Trumpets".]

Some time later, Bree and Rex visit Andrew at the camp. Andrew only agrees to see his father; Bree believes this is because he blames her for putting him in the camp, and storms into the meeting room to tell him she did the right thing. [Season 1, "Children Will Listen", approx. 35:00.] There Rex reveals that Andrew wanted to see him alone because he fears he is gay. Bree is horrified, and despite Rex's misgivings, insists Andrew be removed from the camp immediately, saying "Our son just told us that he might be gay. There are two hundred other boys in this camp. Now, I could explain to you what might happen if we left him here, but I'm a lady and I don't use that kind of language." [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 06:10.] Rex warns her that he is still her son, and so Bree tries to comfort Andrew by telling him "I would love you even if you were a murderer". [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 07:20.]

Bree then invites the Reverend Sikes to dinner, who tries to convince Andrew to enrol in Christian counseling. He refuses, saying "I'm not confused. I know exactly who I am." [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 23:40.] This deeply upsets Bree, who tells him he has to change or he will not be with her in heaven; Andrew is shocked by this and agrees to speak to the reverend. [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 36:10.] In his final scene of the season, after swearing the priest to secrecy, Andrew states that, not only that he does not believe in God, but also that he lied to his parents about being gay to get out of the camp. [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 38:40.] This confuses the pastor, who asks him whether he is heterosexual or not: Andrew replies, "Look, I love vanilla ice cream, okay? But every now and then I’m probably gonna be in the mood for chocolate." [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 39:00.] He then says he will get revenge on Bree for rejecting him by pretending to be a model son and then doing something so awful it is "going to really destroy her". [Season 1, "Live Alone and Like It", approx. 39:50.]

Season 2

Set just weeks after Rex's death, Andrew's first opening shot in Season 2 is to claim Bree is incapable of having murdered his father because "it takes guts to kill somebody". [Season 2, "You'll Never Get Away from Me", approx. 21:30.] He resents George Williams for dating Bree while Rex was still alive, and is very rude to him when he sees the two together. Andrew shaved his head after the 1st season. [Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 09:10.] Bree blackmails Andrew with swim club subs into attending dinner with George. [Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 13:00.] In response, Andrew imitates Bree's pleasure moan to provoke George, who tries to ground him but will not tell Bree why, and she refuses to punish Andrew without a reason. [Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 21:00.] George decides to get rid of Andrew by kissing his mother during his swim meet, which so angers him he jumps out of the pool and attacks George. [Season 2, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", approx. 39:40.] That evening, Andrew packs his bags for Camp Hennessey a second time.

After George dies, Bree brings Andrew back from the camp, telling him that George killed Rex in order to marry her; Andrew is disgusted that his father is dead because of her. [Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 07:30.] As a result, Andrew invites Justin to sleep over. He confides to him his reasons for hating Bree, saying:

He also confides his wish for his mother to slip up so that he can "take her down". [Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 25:10.] Later, when Bree confesses to Andrew that George didn't commit suicide, he overdosed and asked her for an ambulance, and instead she sat down and waited for him to die, Andrew is provided with the "slip up" that he was waiting for. [Season 2, "Coming Home", approx. 32:00.]

When Bree sees Andrew kissing Justin outside her window, she forbids him to bring his boyfriend round again. [Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 08:40.] Andrew mocks her and ensures Bree later walks in the two in bed together. [Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 15:50.] Bree threatens to call the police and have Justin forcibly removed, but Andrew replies that he will tell them about what happened to George. [Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 16:30.] This backfires, however, when Bree hires Karl Mayer, a lawyer and friend of the family, who not only explains that Bree has not committed a crime, but slams Andrew against a wall and orders him to leave her alone. [Season 2, "One More Kiss", approx. 34:40.]

Along with his sister, Andrew notices Bree's increasing alcohol consumption, and uses it against her. [ Beginning from Season 2, "Thank You So Much", approx. 12:00.] When Bree refuses to let Andrew access his trust fund to buy a car, he calls her a "mean old drunk", and she slaps him. [Season 2, "There Is No Other Way", approx. 10:10.] Andrew emotionally blackmails Justin into punching him in the same place Bree slapped him. [Season 2, "There Is No Other Way", approx. 16:50.] He then hires a lawyer to file for emancipation from his mother, whom he accuses of hitting him while drunk. [Season 2, "There Is No Other Way", approx. 22:40.] Andrew tries to persuade her in "There Is No Other Way" to just let him go, but she refuses saying she hasn't "set him right" yet. Andrew, after consultation with his lawyer, tells Bree in "Could I Leave You?" that he will accuse her of sexual molestation if he does not get his way.

Bree's father and stepmother arrive, and convince the judge to drop the case. [Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 03:50.] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSqUYrJzcqo#] They try to reconcile the two, but Andrew persuades them to take him to live with them. [Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 20:10.] Justin is heartbroken when he finds out, and when Bree asks him why, replies:

Bree persuades Justin to supply her with gay magazines and videos, which she plants among Andrew's things for his grandparents to find; they then leave Andrew behind, and revoke his trust fund. [Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 36:10.] In an attempt to make peace, Bree invites Justin to dinner. [Season 2, "Don't Look at Me", approx. 38:40.] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08E4flKBeSU]

Andrew, however, doesn't give up hating his mother or trying to hurt her. He discovers that Peter McMillian, Bree's boyfriend, is a sex addict, and tries to persuade Danielle to seduce him. [Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 27:50.] After she refuses, he lures Peter into bed himself, where Bree finds them. [Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 35:00.] Bree finally gives up and leaves him with a bag of clothes and some money by an abandoned gas station because she can no longer love him unconditionally. [Season 2, "I Know Things Now", approx. 36:10.] In his final scene for the season, Andrew, realizing he really is about to lose his mom, tells her that the only good thing is that he has won, [Season 2, "I Know Things Now" approx. 37:30.] then Bree says "good for you".

Season 3

Eight months after the end of Season 2, Bree is about to leave for her honeymoon with Orson when she sees a news report on television about homeless teenagers, in which Andrew is interviewed. [Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 1:30.] Horrified at what has happened to him, she cancels her honeymoon and sets out to retrieve Andrew, eventually finding him in a soup kitchen; she asks him to come back but he refuses. When she shouts "I'm your mother, for god's sakes, you're my son!", Andrew replies "No, you dumped your son at a gas station seven months ago. I'm somebody else now", and runs. [Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 23:00.] When Orson sees how guilty Bree feels, he finds Andrew himself and buys him lunch. [Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 33:10.] During their conversation, Andrew admits he worked the streets as a rent boy whenever he was desperate for money, and asks Orson not to tell his mother, before realising what he's said and correcting himself. [Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 37:20.] Orson does not try to force Andrew to come home but instead points out that the reason he is living on the streets is to punish his mother, and ultimately he will only destroy himself. [Season 3, "A Weekend In the Country", approx. 37:50.] Andrew does not initially appear to heed this, but returns home the next day at the end of "A Weekend In the Country". [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyKCVrCbHsE#]

Bree is delighted, but insists on concocting a reason for Andrew's long absence. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 3:10.] Returning to normal social activities, he is disconcerted to see one of his former clients at a school science fair. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 15:50.] Orson is worried for Andrew, which Bree notices and asks him about later that night. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 16:20.] Wanting no secrets, Orson confesses that Andrew sold himself for money, and that the man he had been talking to was a previous client. Bree, shocked, and a friend of the man's wife, confesses all to her. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 30:00.] She takes it badly, and tells Bree in return that Danielle is sleeping with her history teacher. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 31:00.] Later, Andrew watches the tail end of her argument with Danielle and, concerned, he tries to comfort Bree, explaining that she did instil moral values, "I mean, we know the difference between right and wrong, we just chose wrong", but also that she pushed them so hard they had to rebel. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 35:30.] Bree tries to subtly get him to talk about his prostitution, but he gently brushes her off. [Season 3, "Like It Was", approx. 36:40.] Andrew has since got a job working at Tom's pizzeria, though he takes a fairly lax attitude to his work. [Season 3, "I Remember That", approx. 15:20. ]

When Andrew overhears the conversation between Bree and Orson about the death of Monique Polier, he believes that it is Orson's fault when his mother suffers a fall from a rigged ladder. Warning Orson that he has never met "bad Andrew", but he will if he harms Bree further, Andrew then tells the nurse that Orson is dangerous and should not be left alone with his mother. [Season 3, "I Remember That", approx. 33:10. ] However in "The Little Things You Do Together", when Andrew rushes home from his job fearing Orson is going to harm Bree again, he is knocked out by Gloria Hodge, who actually harmed Bree and intends to kill her. When Andrew comes round, he discovers that Orson has actually been trying to protect Bree, and their relationship returns to normal.

Andrew had no romance this season, though he reveals to Danielle and Julie that he has tried to seduce Austin McCann, Edie's nephew. It is Andrew who convinces Austin to leave Fairview after he impregnates Danielle. [Season 3, "The Little Things You Do Together", approx. 30:40. ] In the episode "Liaisons" Andrew reveals he is only working at the Scavo's Pizzeria for $8.50 an hour because he is "doing the beer delivery guy."

Season 4

Andrew accidentally leads his grandmother to discover that Bree is not really pregnant. He is there when his sister, Danielle, gives birth to her son.

After Andrew hears his mother talking about how she looks forward to this new chance to finally raise a child correctly, he becomes upset. He decides to move out of his mother's house and get his own apartment. Bree feels guilty and brings food to his house. Andrew tells his mother that he is not angry anymore and has forgiven her, he's moved out in order to try and turn his life around and stand on his own. Bree and Andrew are finally able to reach a full reconciliation. Andrew then makes Bree use a coaster for her drink, providing a humorous moment between the two as she thinks he is becoming more like her. In the season finale, in a scene set five years in the future, Andrew is in business with Bree, who is now a successful author.

Season 5

This season Shawn Pyfrom is promoted from "also-starring" to "starring".

Andrew works with Bree's cooking business. He works as her personal assistant, as well as handling her publicity and promotion.

Characterization

Andrew is partially based on writer Marc Cherry himself, who copied much of Bree's dialogue from his own mother's reaction when he came out to her. [Keck, William, (April 14, 2005) [http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-04-14-housewives-van-de-kamps_x.htm A soapy coming-out party] , USA today. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] Andrew can be selfish and manipulative, and regularly uses other people to get what he wants, for example, persuading his boyfriend Justin to hit him so he can claim Bree is abusing him. He has also committed a range of crimes, from being expelled from school for smoking marijuana, to running over Mamá Solis while drunk. [Squires, Chase (April 23, 2005), [http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/23/Floridian/The_bad_boy_of_Wister.shtml The bad boy of Wisteria Lane] , "St. Petersburg Times". Retrieved March 19, 2007.] After Bree hushed up the accident for him, he then refused to feel bad, reasoning "She's an old lady! I have my whole life ahead of me!" [Fashingbauer, Gael (February 10, 2006), [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11114374/ When two ‘Wives’ go to war] , MSNBC.com. Retrieved March 19, 2007.] Marc Cherry has referred to him as being sociopathic. In Season 3, however, Andrew seems to have matured after spending eight months living on the streets.

While fans have heatedly debated his sexual orientation, Shawn Pyfrom has denied that Andrew is totally homosexual, implying he is bisexual. [Stewart, Jenny, (2005) [http://www.gay.com/entertainment/news/?sernum=1016 "Desperate Housewives" keeps us guessing] , Gay.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] When asked whether Andrew was specifically gay or bisexual, Pyfrom stated "I really don’t even know at this point. I mean, he did make that statement [that’s he’s bisexual] . I think he’s a little more gay than he is straight, though." [cite news |first= Jensen |last= Michael |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Dishing the GLAAD Awards |url= http://www.afterelton.com/people/2007/4/16/glaaddish |work= AfterElton.com |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2007-05-06 ] In "My Husband, the Pig", he refers to Austin as a "dog" and himself as a "dog-lover". Whatever Andrew is, he is one of a few LGBT teens on television secure with his sexuality. [Kennedy, John, (May 12, 2006), [http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=fdfbd8b1-fe7b-46d6-b2d0-ef67a0a2e166&k=54471||Kicked off Wisteria Lane] , Canada.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] Marc Cherry has commented, " [Andrew Van De Kamp] is perhaps the most empowered gay teen in the history of television. He's gay and he doesn't care." [Los Angeles Daily News (February 21, 2007), [http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews34_09/page9.cfm Page containing quote at SGN.org] . Retrieved March 19, 2007.]

From Andrew's hurt reaction to his mother's rejection of him, it appears that he deeply loves his mother, as his determination to hurt her in Season 2 is so he can "stop loving her first". He also loves and respects his father, and only Rex who can get him to stop tormenting Bree in Season 1, albeit briefly. Later on in Season 2, Karl, another strong male figure, has some similar success in forcing Andrew to stop harassing Bree temporarily. In Season 3, it is Orson, and not Bree, who persuades Andrew to return home and whom he continues to respect throughout the season.

Andrew is very protective of his mother, as is shown in Season 2 when he attacks George after George tries to kiss Bree against her will, and then in Season 3 where he threatens Orson under the belief that Orson may hurt Bree.

Critical reception

As Andrew is a minor character in "Desperate Housewives", he is rarely mentioned by critics. However, his storylines have occasionally attracted press coverage. In 2005, when Andrew kisses his boyfriend Justin in "Impossible", gay groups applauded a primetime television show willing to show a gay kiss in a romantic relationship; only six network television shows had done so in the past twenty years, as opposed to thirty for lesbian kisses. [Warn, Sarah, (February 21, 2005), [http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2005/2/housewives2.html Desperate Housewives Outs Gay Teen With a Kiss (page 2)] , afterelton.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] Despite the fact that Christian and Conservative groups had protested "Desperate Housewives" before it had even aired, few prominent leaders said anything about the kiss. [Jensen, Michael, (January 11, 2006), [http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2006/1/desperate2.html Forget Book of Daniel — the Real Gay Action is on Desperate Housewives (page 2)] , afterelton.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.]

Shawn Pyfrom has stated that he has received many letters from gay teens who have been encouraged by Andrew's ease with his sexuality as one of the few secure and confident LGBT teenage characters on television.Kennedy, John, (May 12, 2006), [http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=fdfbd8b1-fe7b-46d6-b2d0-ef67a0a2e166&k=54471||Kicked off Wisteria Lane] , Canada.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] Gay male teens have not been featured on scripted television since "Dawson's Creek", which ended in 2003. [Stewart, Jenny, [http://www.gay.com/entertainment/news/?coll=pno_entertainment&sernum=1016&page=2 "Desperate Housewives" keeps us guessing] , Gay.com. Retrieved March 19, 2007.] Marc Cherry has expressed bemusement at this, saying, "to young people, Andrew is something of a role model which is a little appalling to me because he's something of a sociopath!" However, Pyfrom commented that he saw this as a good thing:

Andrew's relentless torment of his mother and other devious exploits have been negatively received by critics, with one declaring him a "Class-A jerk". [ Moylan, Brian, (May 8, 2006), [http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=5/3/06&end=5/10/06 A 'Desperate' drama queen] , gayexpressnews.com. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] The Parent's Television Council named "I Know Things Now" as their "Worst Episode of the Week", in part due to Andrew's seduction of Bree's boyfriend. [ Shirlen, Joshua, (May, 2006) [http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/bw/2006/0519worst.asp Desperate Housewives on ABC] , Parentstv.org. Retrieved October 14, 2006.] However, his improved behavior and deep love for his mother in Season 3 has also disappointed some critics, with one saying "if he has any lines at all, he's a little angel...as if he's become something of a Stepford son!" [Hernandez, Greg (February 19, 2007), [http://www.insidesocal.com/outinhollywood/2007/02/andrew_van_de_camp_stepford_so.html Andrew Van de Kamp: Stepford son?] , Insidesocalout.com (part of LA Daily News). Retrieved March 19, 2007.]

References

The time given is accurate to within 10 seconds, excluding commercial breaks.

External links

* [http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=fdfbd8b1-fe7b-46d6-b2d0-ef67a0a2e166&k=54471| Interview with Shawn Pyfrom about his character.]