(S01E13) Move over, Zarf! Alexis is here. I think I may need to go back to Soap Opera 101 because I was not expecting that little bombshell. And, was it just me, or did Christina's hair get higher when she decided to sell out? What a seriously sudsy week on our favorite Golden Globe-winning comedy and/or musical.Let's start with the drama. Lines are being drawn at Mode care of Ms. Wilhelmina Slater and the woman who we now know to be her accomplice - Daniel's brother Alex, who apparently didn't die jumping out of a helicopter on a pair of skis. He just fell on his penis and decided to have it removed. (Do you think if men knew they could have a sex change operation and come out looking like Mystique that they'd do it just to fondle their own breasts?)
Amanda has realigned with Team Wilhelmina, and Christina has crossed over to the dark side for the moment. If only poor Daniel and Betty knew what they were about to come up against. Betty is so innocent, and Daniel is so earnest. Neither of them seem to have a clue that trouble is brewing.
Let's talk about Daniel and Betty for a moment, shall we? Was that not the start of a beautiful friendship tonight? I always dismissed people who said there were romantic sparks between these two. I tend to see them as characters in the midst of similar journeys that the writers like to put in parallel A and B stories - more brother and sister than lovers. And, while I really don't want them to be anything but friends, there was a moment on the bridge when Daniel looked at Betty and told her that she was "better than any model" that I thought there might be a kiss. Those two characters were radiating nothing but love for each other. America Ferrera got the Golden Globe for her performance, but Eric Mabius has really been pulling out the big guns these past couple of weeks. He's so easy to feel sympathy for despite his character's wealth and naivete.
Also gaining major sympathy points this week was Hilda. She is the saddest, hardest-working mama in Queens. It's the Queens moments in the show that tend to make me tear up like a big baby because I'm usually going through exactly what the characters are - unemployable, no insurance, can't even get a job as the "chip chick" - story of my life these days. I'm glad, however, that Betty stopped Hilda from going down the "I wish I'd never had Justin" road before Justin could hear it. That almost became a horrible, cliche of a moment, but the writers refused to go there. Thank goodness.
Moving from the doldrums to the funny, we had Amanda and Marc's Blow-Up photo session on the chaise, Betty's "chip chick" outing, our glimpse of Vidas de Fuego, Kathy Griffin's Fashion TV cameo. The list, as usual, goes on.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-19-2007 @ 2:38AM
D Colin said...
I was kind of thinking it mught be Daniel's brother and not Fay.
-I try to stay spoiler free-- it's so hard, look inside TVguide to see listings and they have some spoiler or TVguide.com right on the front page has ruined many shows for me (which i've stopped reading)-- but anyway, I had read that they'd be doing something maybe no other show has ever done. I just read that and it put the thought in my head
but also the last two weeks they've mentioned Alex more than before. Can't wait to see how everything turns out.
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1-19-2007 @ 4:40AM
Lily said...
I thought that is was Daniel's brother too! When they signed Rebecca R. they totally emphasized how she wasn't Fey and how who she was would totally blow our minds. I thought to myself that she was probably Daniel's brother - then all last night they brought up Daniel's brother like a kajillion times - so that made it sure to me that the wrapped up woman was Alex
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1-19-2007 @ 7:45AM
CT A said...
Where's my "Wilhelmina quip of the week".. =(?
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1-19-2007 @ 11:38AM
KateG said...
Well I wasn't expecting that and my jaw dropped to the floor. It's so seldom these days that you can have an actually surprising moment in a TV show with all the information that's out there. It was great. And I love the Daniel and Betty relationship - I was expecting them to say 'You're my best friend' - awww. It's great that Daniel is encouraging Betty to try with Henry. Can't wait to see more Christopher Gorham!
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1-19-2007 @ 1:02PM
CastingGod said...
Should be interesting when Alexis beds Daniel. Cause you know that's coming.Will it be done or at the last second Alexis will announce that She is his brother. You have to give the writers kudos it's getting interesting. But, we all know that good trumps evil everytime. Even on telenovas.
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1-20-2007 @ 12:40PM
Dwacon said...
Incest? Daniel with his brother?
Will he say, "I wish I could quit you..."
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1-21-2007 @ 4:15PM
God of Light said...
Hmmmm...while it IS an interesting dynamic, sex change story lines don't always go the way people expect them to. With THIS, I'm inclined to take it week by week and see what happens. NATURALLY next weeks episode will be a re-run RIGHT WHEN THINGS GET GOOD! However, as someone who writes for television, I can say it will take a lot very creative people, not to mention research to pull this off. I love this show and hope to GOD this wont be jumping the shark
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1-22-2007 @ 10:15PM
Justin said...
I'm not afraid to admit that I didn't see the Alexis/Alex thing coming at all. Totally threw me for a loop.
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1-25-2007 @ 4:09PM
Tim in Augusta said...
Willie's quip of the week: when Marc states that, "This bum don't slum," she returns with "That's not what I heard." Perfect follow-up to the dudecruise.com joke from the previous episode.
I only thought the woman under wraps was probably Daniel's brother when we finally were told how he died during the conversation on the bridge.
For more on how this twist came to be, listen to the official Ugly Betty podcast at ABC.com - the writer talks about how he's had this planned since the pilot (it wasn't part of any of the international flavors of this show) but really didn't tell anyone for a long time.
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