By the season’s end, the Applewhites were written off. Matthew was killed; Betty drove away from Wisteria Lane, alone, with the innocent Caleb in her back seat. In a meta moment of frustration, Woodard’s final scene had her staring down the street, realizing she was never truly welcomed.
For years, Betty Applewhite was labeled a "failed character." Fans ranked her mystery as the worst of the series. But in the current era of prestige television, where shows like Sharp Objects and Mare of Easttown center on traumatized, morally flawed women, Betty Applewhite looks less like a misstep and more like a pioneer. By the season’s end, the Applewhites were written off