(S01E12) And, so, Salma Hayek's arc comes to an end. We'll miss you, Salma. We'll miss you and your ripe, luscious... acting ability. Sofia broke Daniel's heart, and he's gone off the sadness end. Ted broke Wilhelmina's heart, and she's gone off the bitchy end. It's not going to be pretty at Mode, and will Betty even be back? She quit MYW, but doesn't Amanda have her old job at Mode? With Daniel gone, who is going to take Betty back? All this heartbreak, and I'm worried about Betty's paycheck. Just goes to show you where my sympathies lie.Most experienced soap opera viewers knew that Daniel and Sofia were doomed from the start, and once we got a glimpse at a blissful Wilhelmina, we knew that romance was going nowhere good. It's just as well. Nobody wants to watch a neutered Wilhelmina. What do I want to watch? Apparently, a woman in a wheelchair rundown Betty in a corridor. I really do appreciate this show's commitment to the art of slapstick... and set design. The beanbag chairs around the low table set with aromatic candles at "Feminazi Weekly" was one of the episode's wittiest conceits.
Now that a dozen episodes of Ugly Betty have aired, it's running into a conundrum unique to soap operas and serialized dramas. Lots of interesting characters with not enough screentime to visit them all. This week, no Henry, no Justin and poor Marc and Amanda are always getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. On the other hand, Judith Light reappeared, the fabulous Ashley Jensen got a few extra lines and Ignacio may have made an unwelcome love connection with the very funny Constance. There's really no losing with Ugly Betty. It speaks to the strength of the show and its characters that I miss them when they're not around.
What I might not miss, however, is the "broken heart" theme on the soundtrack. Listen for it. It starts with two simple notes played over and over again on the piano. Then, a solo trumpet comes in. It's actually quite lovely and evocative. It was used to great effect in the Christmas party episode, but it could become hackneyed rather quickly. I wonder if they spent all their dough on music rights early on when they were trying to snag viewers in the fall. See, that's what happens when you review these shows, you start to notice things like how many times a music cue is used and forget that any show that gives us "screensavers of shame" should be treasured. (By the way, www.dudecruise.com brings you to Ugly Betty's web page. Pretty sneaky, sis.)
Wilhelmina Quip of the Week: Ted took me to an outlet mall. I shopped next to fat people.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-12-2007 @ 2:14AM
Danny Edwards said...
I may be mistaken, but I think Becki Newton (who plays Amanda) was also Salma Hayek's ugly employee. It sure looked like her under all the ugly.
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1-12-2007 @ 2:53AM
Ryan said...
Danny, I was thinking the exact same thing! Can anyone confirm this? If it is the same actress, then BRAVO! How brilliant!
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1-12-2007 @ 7:53AM
Julie said...
It was definitely her. The vocal patterns were hard to ignore.
I enjoyed the episode but annoyed by the constant commercials! Just as the story would roll, advertisement break! I look forward to this show every week but I can see it get into a rut. Daniel at the end when he was crushed was very affecting, stumbling along the hallway. I felt bad for him. And exactly where was Jeri Manthey of "Survivor" infamy? She was listed in the credits....
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1-12-2007 @ 10:08AM
Jimmy said...
There was something wrong with this episode that I can't quite put my finger on. It's almost like they were building up all these plots and then suddenly decided to take a sharp turn in another direction. The whole Faye storyline was really weird. So, is this person under the mask really Faye? Has Faye had a billion dollars worth of plastic surgery so she can go from old hag to Rebecca Romijn? That seems a little far-fetched to me, but I guess we'll find out next week since I saw Romijn unmistakably gorgeous bod in the previews.
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1-12-2007 @ 12:16PM
soozer said...
I SPOTTED "AMANDA" immediately. Is it just me or does anyone else think she's as cute as a button? And funny to boot.
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1-12-2007 @ 3:44PM
Erica said...
"Amanda" was also the waitress in that Olive Garden commercial ABC kept showing during the show.
I do agree with you on the "Broken heart theme" ; to me, it going to be forever associated with the Betty/Henry/Daniel scene in "Fake Plastic Snow", so it feels funny hearing it anywhere else.
It really was abrupt how Wil's romance with Ted ended. I thought it could have been stretched out for a few more episodes. But at least the Fey Sommers storyline will progress.
Finally! The Sofia arc is over!
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1-13-2007 @ 12:16AM
La-di-dah said...
A whole host of hilarious characters this week - I loved alter-Amanda and Constance, but what about Henry, the gyrating nordsman? Hoot!
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1-13-2007 @ 12:28AM
heinlein said...
Warning! Heavy speculation belov:
First, could it be so that Ted was threatened by the "masked person" to break it up with Wilhelmina, to get her back in her old bitchy mode?
Second, the masked person. So Daniel's brother died in a car accident. Sounds familiar? Two years would probably be a pretty realistic time frame for a sex change, and I seem to remember that he liked to run Mode Magazine (or at least were good at it). Anyone with me on Daniel's brother being alive and ready to take over Mode?
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1-13-2007 @ 7:24PM
Kathy said...
I loved this episode, but it was sad to see Sofia break Daniels heart! Doesnt he have enough hardship.
The Willy and Ted romance should have went on longer, but its nice to see her back to her normal self.
Cant wait till the next episode!
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1-13-2007 @ 10:43PM
Jennifer said...
Nitpicky question: if it's "New York Woman," why is it written with an M in the abbreviation?
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1-14-2007 @ 10:58AM
fitzthecat said...
It's rare in a series to have two drop dead funny moments within thirty seconds. The bug-eyed immigration clerk and the whack in the elevator were priceless!
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1-14-2007 @ 10:28PM
Jack said...
It's too bad that commercials have to interfere with the pacing of the show. Unfortunately, air time is such a lucrative commodity that networks are just about willing to cut scenes from programs in order to make a buck. And now the average block for a commercial break is 4 to 4.5 minutes whereas it used to be about 2.5.
If you're not recording it and watching it later, try watching it at ABC.com. There you will only have to view ONLY one 30-second commercial every 10 minutes or so.
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1-17-2007 @ 10:13AM
yuffy said...
what was the song that was on at the strip club?? =D
does any1 knw what its called?
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