While the Christian faith tells us that “the truth will set you free,” it is a lie that set Gabrielle free from Carlos’s bondage to Sister Mary Bernard on last night’s “Desperate Housewives.”

As Carlos pines away for a baby, Sister Mary uses religious and psychological brainwashing to get him away from Gabrielle. Eager to recruit Carlos as a more devout Catholic, Sister Mary goads Carlos into believing his marriage can’t be saved; Gabrielle is only keeping him on a leash by being wishy-washy about having a baby, she tells him. The marriage, therefore, is not a real covenant in God’s eyes and the only solution to an ungodly marriage is to get an annulment (a pamphlet of which Sister Mary has “conveniently” kept in her car’s glove compartment).

After Gabrielle is threatened with an annulment, she goes to confession to complain that she is jealous of the nun’s relationship with Carlos. When asked by the priest whether Carlos and Sister Mary are having an affair, Gabrielle is forced to choose between a truth (‘no’) and a lie (‘yes’). Choosing the lie, Gabrielle then quickly soothes her conscience by confessing–to a different priest–that she lied to a priest, but her lie has already ensured Sister Mary’s quiet transfer to another church in Alaska.

With Sister Mary banished to cold and darkness, Gabrielle shockingly proves that (sometimes) lies are worth telling to get what one wants, even if the future may cause the lie to backfire. For now though, Gabrielle seizes her victor’s title and rewards Carlos with the promise of a baby.