'Ugly Betty' plagiarizes un poquito
On occasion I feel that Ugly Betty gets too caught up and rushed trying to address all the stories for its large cast of characters, but I was thrilled with the addition of three guest stars on Thursday's (Oct. 18) episode.
Spoilers will find their own voice ahead.
Forget about Jack Bristow. Victor Garber's portrayal of the bitter, has-been Pulitzer Prize-winning writing instructor Prof. Barrett is his most chilling character to date. He's untouched by Betty's sunny nature and good will, preferring instead to encourage "real" writing full of blood, guts and hard-living. ("If you have nothing to write, try killing yourself. If you fail, you'll have something worth writing about. If you succeed, your troubles will be over.")
When the prof mocks her in class, Betty's determined to make a good impression. Unfortunately, her story about staying home on prom night isn't gonna cut it, and in a moment of weakness, reads a submission meant for Mode about a lady who survived a bear attack. Naturally, this is exactly Barrett's cup of arsenic-laced tea, and Betty gets stuck in a plagiarism shame spiral that finally Daniel helps her escape.
Daniel is caught in a dilemma of his own now that Alexis is back at the office. I don't get it. Why is she suddenly clueless about how to look like a woman? I get that the last two years of her life are wiped from her brain, but a sex change operation is a huge deal, so she must have been wanting to be a woman for long before that, and therefore probably studied them in the best possible environment -- at a fashion magazine. I hope they get over this shlock quickly.
Props to Cameo No. 2, Dawson, er ... James Van Der Beek as Luke Carnes, the head of Atlantic Attire, who is considering advertising in Mode -- if Daniel fires co-editor Alexis because Carnes' company isn't down with the he-she element. Wow. I have to give credit to the Beekster for being a real a**hole. I think MarcManda would have been turned on. I hope we get a chance to see him again. Good for Daniel for turning down the account, but boo to Wilhelmina for causing the other big accounts to pull out because as she puts it, "If I can't have Mode, no one else can." I don't think Slater is such a great name for a fashion mag anyway -- unless it caters to Saved by the Bell wrestlers.
Meanwhile, Amanda has tracked her bio-daddy to a 1981 party at Studio 54, when a pre-fab/pre-op Wil was known as Fay's homely assistant Wanda. It appears that the randy sperm donor had a Tweety Bird tattoo on his rear (classy). A couple possibilities: Warren Beatty and Ricardo Montalban. How random.
Oh, and Betty isn't the only Suarez acting all Bizarro. Papi was kind of rude and stern to Henry, Hilda is too lenient with Justin, and Justin, well, he's acting all rebellious and straight and stuff: saying, "Whatevs," burping audibly, failing algebra and even making out with a girl. That is a true cry for help.
Oh, and I almost forgot. It turns out Henry really is the father of Charlie's fetus.
Other show highlights:
- John Cho as the obnoxious, yet hilarious Kenny, Henry's cubicle wall sharer.
- Hilda: "A guy in a car once told me I could be a model." Betty: "I stopped you from getting in that car." Hilda: "Oh yeah."
- Marc spooning with Amanda and Halston. Awww.
- Daniel's activity codes: personal trainer = pedicure, book club = hot date
- Betty crushing a plastic cup and growling, "Why do I have to be so sweet?"
- Prof. Barrett: "If only I hadn't blown the Pulitzer money at the Indian casino."
- Marc and Wilhelmina calling each other "Marcy" and "William."
- Marc rolling around on the floor crying, "We're doomed! Doomed!"
- Henry: "Beer is a gateway drug."
What do you think of the new developments? Your take on the Professor? Is this the end of Betty and Henry?
I just love Victor Garber. I specifically watched this episode for just him. He was just amazing ... even scarier than Jack Bristow.
A truly great episode, but I have to ask... where the hell is Gio?
Ok, so if the professor was such a mean guy, why didn't he fail Betty for plagiarism?
I'm guessing Hilda is being lenient with Justin b/w she probably just figures he is just trying to deal with his grief over Santos' death. Probably thinks it's just a delayed reaction b/c they weren't that close and he is just realizing that he is/will miss him.
Victor Garber was fantastic. I also specifically tuned in for him. Here's hoping they will bring him back another time. I don't know about scarier than Jack Bristow, but he sure was meaner.
This was one of the funniest episodes. That scene with her bear calling her a lying ***** was hilarious. I haven't laughed out loud watching TV in so long, it was really refreshing. Love it!
Our ABC affiliate went off the air at 7:02 last night and came back on at 8:05, so I totally missed Betty - did I miss anything major?
Justin's acting up because he wants to be a part of Mode - remember the first day he was there? I hope they don't take him too far this way - I really LIKE his character, but not if he just turns into another nasty, jerk teenager. Hopefully they're not doing that to appeal to the M***ES of nasty, jerk teenagers.
I hope we get to see Victor Garber again because he really can play the comedic roles. I loved how pretentious he was with the cl*** and called Betty "Clappy". I was soooo relieved that Daniel saved Betty from the plagiarism lawsuit
I don't know if Henry is out of the picture for good because Christopher Gorham's name is in the opening credits. However, the writers will probably be giving more screen time to Gio now to set up the love triangle.
I have a feeling that the producers are trying to cast a big name actor to play Amanda's biological father. In the photo collage of the possible men, I believe I saw an old picture of Burt Reynolds. Now he would definitely be an interesting actor to add to this storyline! ;-)
First of all, I want to thank Ugly Betty for giving us Jack Bristow and Dawson Leery back even if it's just one episode.
I like Henry for Betty though. I hope they don't make up a lame storyline to get them together.
My favorite last night was Amanda and surprisingly, Ugly Willie. I loved it when she said she can't physically show emotion. Vanessa Williams is actually getting better and better.
Professor Barrett was just what the show needed at the moment...a self-involved narcissistic blowhard who was neither a fashion plate, nor somebody wanting to think he was. Barrett may have won a Pulitzer, but to paraphrase some comic whose name I don't recall, "The only reason they award Pulitzer Prizes is to honor the four or five people who actually read the works of past Pulitzer Prize winners." I liked Barrett because he burst Betty's own semi-narcissistic sense of self. Don't get me wrong, Betty Suarez is one of the greatest characters to come along in the past decade, but she needs to get symbolically smacked upside the head once in awhile. Perky only gets you so far in life, and while she has faced tragedy and just general annoyances in her everyday life, she always comes out the heroine. Betty, however, is human, and she needs to get taught her own lessons once in awhile. She did, she'll learn from her errors, and come out a better person, unlike most of the other characters on the show, who would use the plagiarism angle to further their own nefarious plans and plots. As for Justin, I agree that the boy is in serious emotional pain right now, and that his sudden delving into heterosexual dating (is it wrong to say that his choice of chica was smoking hot? probably is, bad me, bad me) might just be a phase, but I really hope that his sense of self is not suddenly changed for no good reason. If Justin is gay, then he needs to be left alone to live that way, not changed to satisfy the penchants of the ubiquitous entities called "them." Justin, too, is a completely unique character on TV, and he needs to remain as is. And it's so great to see Papi back behind the stove, shoveling eggs again. His scene with Henry was spot-on ("You're here for Justin, not Betty. Remember that," was said with just the right combo of caring and fatherly menace), and it's also nice to see Hilda back to wearing the Grand Canyon-depth plunging neckline outfits she tended to sport in season one. All in all, a very busy episode, but fun to watch. Oh, and I loved Marc's line to Amanda when they were in Fey's rumpus room: "Can I spoon, too?" Would've been better if the third member of that particular party had been something other than the Dog From Hell, but eh.