David Williams (also Dash) is a fictional character from the ABC television series Desperate Housewives, portrayed by Neal McDonough and created by Marc Cherry.

[2] The series creator wanted McDonough to portray Dave after he saw the actor playing the role of David McNorris, an alcoholic County Asst.

Outwardly, Dave seems refined and affable, but his darkness is quickly established: in a phone conversation with his psychiatrist, Dr. Samuel Heller, he says his rage is still with him, but there is one unnamed person who needs to worry about it.

Karen reassumes investigation once she is released from the hospital with the help of her sister, and learns of Dave's regular contact with Dr. Heller.

She begins researching Dave's past, learning that it was not only his wife who died in the crash, but also the daughter he had failed to mention, and later discovers that Mike was the driver of the other car.

Still unaware of Dave's true identity, she confides that she was driving the car the night of the crash but that Mike took responsibility because she had left her license in a different handbag.

[4] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly praised the casting of McDonough, stating that his "ice-blue eyes always look cyborg-ish — perfectly apt for his character".

[5] While reviewing the Red Hot Edition of the fifth season's DVD, Aaron Wallace from DVDizzy called the writers "storytelling savants", noting that revealing pieces of the truth helped to head off "the frustration that an ungratified audience can feel when questions abound but answers elude".

[6] In a review of the fifth season premiere, Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly described McDonough as "always-creepy" and noted the power Dave holds over Edie.

[7] Stransky later reviewed the season finale and opined that Dave's plan was all about making Susan suffer, but himself too, as he felt responsible for letting his wife and daughter to go out the night they died.