Warning: Some Spoilers

Major plot developments occurred this week in the storylines of gay characters on both Desperate Housewives and The Sopranos. At first glance, the only thing the two shows have in common is their relentless depiction of the treacherous underbelly of suburban life. But this week it became clear that a large component of the suburban shadow on both programs is homophobia.

Both Vito (The Sopranos) and Andrew (Desperate Housewives) are corrupt, violent characters who just happen to be gay. The progress inherent in the characterization of both is that their flaws are not specific to their sexual orientation. Vito is a criminal among criminals, and Andrew is just another ruthless player on Wisteria Lane. Neither is villainized solely for being gay. If anything, both characters have been increasingly humanized by their vulnerability to homophobia.

This week on both shows, Vito and Andrew suffered some significant losses due to the homophobia of friends and family. And in both cases, the people around them were willing to bank on the homophobia of others (in relation to Vito and Andrew) in order to manipulate situations to their own benefit.

On Desperate Housewives, after endless episodes spent warring with one another, gay teen Andrew and his mother Bree reached a unexpected truce. The unifying factor? Homophobia. It was the tool wielded by Bree to simultaneously drive a wedge between Andrew and his meddling grandparents and forge a bond between mother and son.

For weeks Andrew has been playing hardball with his mother, masterfully outmaneuvering her as any good sociopath would. Eager to get his hands on his trust fund, Andrew fabricated abuse charges against Bree and began the process of legal emancipation. But the actual big guns were drawn when Andrew alerted Bree's father and stepmother Eleanor (played by guest star Carol Burnett) to the scandal.

After a scathing round of high stakes he said-she said accusations with his mother, Andrew convinces his grandparents that he would be “safer” if he lived with them. Bree is staunchly opposed to Andrew's departure, but it's clear that taking the boy in is just another attack on Bree by her wicked stepmother and that there's little she can do to fight it.

Bree is angry to lose Andrew to his grandparents, and Andrew's boyfriend Justin is heartbroken. When Justin tearfully confesses to Bree that he loves Andrew, all she can muster is a genuinely baffled, “Why?” Justin reveals that it was Andrew's response to homophobia that ultimately won his heart. Justin's parents were horrified to learn that he was gay, and they told him that he should be ashamed of himself from bringing the dishonor on his family. But Andrew told Justin that the shame solely belonged to his bigoted parents. As he recounts the story to Bree, it's clear that Andrew's attitude helped empower Justin.

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