'Ugly Betty' logs on for love
Things just aren't right in Ugly Betty world, beginning with Betty's first foray into online dating.
Spoilers_4U thinks you're cute, but no flirting until you've seen the episode.
To get over Henry, who is on the daddy track, Betty is convinced to try her hand at online dating, which lands her a date with NiceGuy47, who doesn't live up to his name when he ditches her at the bowling alley. Henry, tipped off by Kenny, is there to rescue her with platonic friendship, but even this doesn't seem to work because of their real feelings for each other. Their solution? A desperate, doomed attempt at a relationship.
I'm kind of touched by the newest rocky romance between Marc and Cliff, a very schlubby photographer. Marc is finally getting his own, mature storyline. Oh, the fact that Cliff calls him on his appearance ("You're such a cliche") shows he has chutzpah and that he can present a different sort of gay man besides the usual pretty boy beefcake or flamboyant fella seen on TV. Very sweet end with the appletini and Psycho.
Can we please get the Meade storyline back on track? Wilhelmina has masterfully put Mode down the tubes and usurped Claire's place as matriarch of this dysfunctional family. Comeuppance is looming, and I'm impatient.
What also had me tapping my toes impatiently were the Justin and Hilda storylines. Both were hanging out with the wrong crowd -- Justin with tween delinquents, and Hilda with senior widows -- until a run-in with the police finally got them to finally snap out of it and be mother-gay son again. I never bought Justin's quick turnaround as hood anyway. Thank God. Get that boy back into some pastels and cashmere.
They just keep crankin' out the subplots because now Christina has her very own intrigue. The randy designer (lovely scene where she's measuring the underwear model) was checking out her own profile on BachelorCity.com when a mysterious IM popped up from her *gasp* heretofore unmentioned husband. Dum, dum, dum!
Other highlights among the natural strands:
- Not only does Betty arrive early in the cafeteria for Taco Tuesdays, but she wears a lucky sweater in its honor.
- 3 of 5 things Betty can't live without: donuts, her family, eyeglasses cleaner
- Marc to Amanda, who's eager to tell him about Betty's online dating: "What is it, girl?"
- Kenny about Henry: "Not even porn and malt liquor can heal the damage you inflicted."
- Betty typo: "I love blowing."
- Why Kenny uses the ladies' bathroom: "It's cleaner. Men are pigs."
Your thoughts on the new developments (Marc/Cliff, Betty/Henry, Christina's hubby, Alexis' confession)?
Good to see more of John Cho, hope he becomes a fixture. I laughed for a long time at "I love blowing". The Henry and Betty storyline bothers me though... why enter into something that's doomed from the start? I know the heart wants what the heart wants, but one cannot give up after one bad date.
Christina's husband was mentioned in the season finale when Christina and Amanda were trapped in Fey and Bradford's "love dungeon. Christina gets drunk and tells Amanda about how she left her husband back in Scotland. I thought it seemed fairly obvious even then that the storyline would play out this season.
It's easy to forget though and also easy to gloss over considering that the audience learns about the Amanda-Fey link right after Christina's confession.
scalio - Good catch. Even when I was writing it, I vaguely remembered something about the husband, but couldn't remember the specifics. Kudos!
Marc and Amanda's 'barter' on his rating was their usual perfection. -> Marc: "I'm an 8, he's a 9" Amanda: "He's a 10, you're a 6" Marc: "You're a *****, and I'm a 7" then he storms off.
Rishi! OMG yes best banter of the season.
And Yay for Marc's romance! It will end badly I know... but isn't it just a big Awwww moment.
I loved that Marc's new love interest isn't a "such a cliche," as he said. Amanda had her moments of depth last season as she opened up about her feelings about Daniel, so it's about time Marc had his. I love the show as a whole, but Amanda and Marc are really hitting it out of the park this season. As good as the show is, any scene between with the two of them together is more magical.
John Cho rocks! Hope Emmy remembers him next year. It seems the pace has picked up this year - I'm exhausted by the end of the show just trying to keep up with the various plotlines and the roftl, snappy and snarky dialogue.
I'm already a big fan of Cliff, simply because he doesn't fit the Hollywood stereotype of gay men, who always seem to be too loud, too fey and too in love with fashion/image. It's kind of humorous to me that the one place that claims to be the most accepting of ****sexuality also tends to keep presenting the same stereotypes. Having lived just down the street from a gay photographer and his partner of many years, I can say from experience that neither of them are Marc (neither of them are as slovenly as Cliff, either, but that's not the point). Hollywood, the media and politicians need to portray all aspects of the gay population, some of whom you wouldn't know were gay unless they told you, because they chooose to not follow the paths of their more blatant brethren. So, I hope that Marc and Cliff have a long, happy relationship, and that Ugly Betty will continue to present all types of gays and lesbians on the show, not just what Hollywood insists is the norm. As for the rest of the show, I'm glad they wrapped up Justin's rebellion in a couple episodes instead of dragging it out over half the season. They also need to get him back with Marc, if only to watch him showing Justin the ropes. As for Betty, is it just me, or is her character being shoved more and more into the background while other plotlines and characters are being given front-burner stories? It seems as if this whole season thus far has focused on the Meades, the other members of the Suarez family and the folks at Mode, while Betty has been more or less reacting to everyone else's dilemmas (with the exception of her relationship with Henry). Maybe I'm just worrying about a great show hitting a sop****re slump, as happens with many fan faves (Heroes comes to mind), but I hope that Betty won't become a set decoration on her own show. My favorite moment was when Amanda came crashing into the underwear shoot, saying, "Betty's attempting online dating. Must mock!" Whoever writes the dialogue is a master, because even silly phrases like that sound so natural. Nice work all around this episode.
Absolutely LOVE the connection between Marc and Cliff. I agree that the relationship is probably doomed, but how refreshing to see such a non-stereotypical gay man.
I am so very relieved that we finally are getting the Justin we grew to know and love back ... couldn't happen too soon for me.
dont think thers any slump i think UB s better than ever and i like the all diff plots the writers r handling it very welll!!! go betty!!!