TVSquad

(S01E07) The construction of this week's Ugly Betty episode was just plain masterful. We had four parallel stories - each dealing with romantic relationships at profoundly different points in their evolution. The writers have, in particular, been juxtaposing Wilhelmina and Betty's travails to great effect. We got dual make-overs in "Queens for a Day."

This week, we got two classic fish out of water stories. Wilhelmina at a barely disguised Hogs & Heifers, and Betty at an upscale Soho hotel eatery. What's nice about this show is that both worlds - the corporate version of lowbrow and the needlessly pretentious highbrow - were presented as equally artificial and brainless. Somewhere in the middle is where we might find a really good burger and Babbo. While the Mode staff's struggles don't stack up to having an illegal immigrant dad who can't get his heart medication, the writers and actors have done a superb job of giving the Manhattanites' emotional lives some weight. And, best of all, no tiresome Fey storyline this week.

Now since the writer's took the time to construct the A, B, C and D stories so intricately, we might as well tackle them that way.

Santos and Hilda
We got to meet Justin's wayward dad this week. It's nice to see Hilda get a little backstory. In this show's feminist worldview, she is one chica who is holding it together with some serious compassion. Unfortunately, it's really hard to care when Betty is toppling over in a bubble chair in Soho and Salma Hayek is fondling some other lady's tatas.

Wilhelmina and Ted
Looks like Wilhelmina is getting a little bit country. I loved Marc's reaction to the waitress offering a body shot off her tight stomach. "You can go home." Wilhelmina gets more winning every week. When the whole Fey conspiracy thing comes back, it's going to be rough to see her go back to being a plotting, uber-bitch. She's getting to be a real softie. She did, however, get the best cutdown of the episode. Upon eyeing a rack of the pseudo-Walmart's clothes, "I'm in hell. Imagine working in a sweatshop and not even being proud of what you're making."

Daniel and Sofia
Everyone saw this one coming -- the player getting played. Again, I love how the show's feminist streak plays with the male gaze. We get to see Salma manhandling another woman's breasts only to find out that she's doing a story on reconstructive surgery for cancer survivors. Ouch. And, does anyone speak Spanish out there? I'd love to know what Salma got away with saying to Daniel in network primetime. I can only hope that its English equivalent would make the FCC blush.

It did bring a tear to my eye to see Betty's hotel review get turned down by Daniel and then picked up by Sofia. I like to think that Salma Hayek is America Ferrera's mentor in real life. Latinas helping Latinas. It's sappy, but I love it. How often do you see that on TV? Oh right, never. And, did anyone else catch the playful butt slap? Nice touch, but not as nice as the Ugly Betty happy dance we got to see in the bathroom after her article was picked up by Sofia. The only word for it - supercute.

Betty and Walter
I'm going to skip over how adorable Betty was at the fancy pants hotel - in her prom dress, rolling around in a bubble chair, taking notes during her massage and ordering up some Ocean's 11 Inches. I'm skipping over it because, readers, we need to get straight to the heart of this matter. I can't forgive Walter. He's cute as a button. He called Betty out on not staying true to her voice. He's "afraid of losing her," and yet, I cannot forgive him for having cheated on her. I cannot forgive him for being an unsupportive prick. I cannot forgive him for loudly ordering a hamburger when she's trying so hard to do her job. Sure, he was right about the ridiculously pretentious place, and Betty ended up in a better place because of what he said. Just cut the girl some slack every once in awhile. She's trying to live the dream here. He took Betty for granted before she landed the job at Mode, and if he loses her, it's his own damn fault.