'Desperate Housewives': Andrew Van De Kamp Keeps it Interesting

As the only son of Bree Van de Kamp and her deceased husband Rex, Andrew has always kept things interesting on "Desperate Housewives." He has dealt with coming out as a gay teenager, battled alcohol, lived as a runaway, and generally brought havoc to those around him. When Andrew is around, things are going to get interesting.

Shawn Pyfrom began playing the character at 18. It was his first regular role on television, but he had previously made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including "7th Heaven," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Touched by an Angel." Pyfrom also had a recurring voice role on "Family Guy," and performed in a few films, most notably "Pay it Forward." After he became popular on "Desperate Housewives," he was featured in the film the "The Shaggy Dog."

The character of Andrew was introduced in the very first episode; he has remained a part of all seven seasons, though his character has not always been shown throughout each year. When we first met him, he was a rebellious kid who always was fighting with his mother and getting in trouble. The most serious of his actions was a true crime: getting drunk and killing Juanita Solis, Carlos' mother. Andrew's parents covered for their son.

While Bree and Rex seem willing to accept their son as a murderer, they have a harder time accepting that he is gay. They send him away to a Christian camp, but Andrew comes back when his father suddenly dies. The relationship between mother and son remains volatile throughout the years. They clash over his sexuality, his drug use, his drinking and his lack of respect for her. It is Bree's new husband, Orson (Kyle MacLachlan), who makes the effort to bring Andrew back into the family for another few years of turmoil.

It isn't until Season 5 that we begin to see the more mature Andrew. He is working alongside his mother - now a Martha Stewart clone - as a personal assistant. He is also in love with a plastic surgeon and decides to marry. The two buy a house and slip away, with Andrew only appearing occasionally until the season finale, when he admits to Gabrielle that he ran over her mother in law.

In Season 7, Andrew appears to be back to his old self, drinking heavily and losing his relationship with Alex. He also makes amends with Carlos, who finds out the truth about his mother's death. On the final episode of the seventh season, Andrew agrees to deal with his alcoholism, leaving him without a reason to be around in the final season, or so we think.

Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Join the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own articles.