'Ugly Betty': Lindsay Lohan rediscovers her inner Mean Girl
Lindsay Lohan tends to make her mark with controversy, and her guest-starring turn on Ugly Betty is no different.
Spoilers and love are a battlefield.
Regardless of which side you believe in the Ugly Betty-Lindsay Lohan Breakup 2008, the real loser is the audience. Say what you will about LiLo as a person, but I like her as an actress and am sad her run will be cut short. She seems very natural and doesn't woodenly overact like her peers (sorry Duffster, but you have the sweetness, no rehab thing going for you).
So yeah, I was happy to see Kimmie back, even as I was cringing for the other designer shoe to drop. Inspired by Betty's "go get 'em, tiger" speech, Kimmie shows up at Mode's doorstep asking for a job, and since Daniel needs a temp, she's it. At first Kimmie's a total waste of space, but then Betty shares with her a horrible acronym ARG (Anticipate needs, do Research, show Gumption aka know how to work it) for success.
Surprise, it works! Kimmie even learns to schmooze enough to get into all the exclusive clubs. At first, it's high school all over again (complete with flashbacks of Betty getting pants-ed, uh, skirted, to show off her granny panties) with Marc and Amanda accepting Kimmie into the cool clique and clubs and ostracizing our girl. But strangely, Kimmie ditches them and parties the rest of the night with Betty.
When Betty oversleeps the next morning, she rushes into the office to find Kimmie already there. Is this an elaborate scheme to take over Betty's job or is Kimmie earnest about doing right? Betty's so overwrought she even "pants" Kimmie. To make up for this, she recommends Kimmie to be the person to go about town and get Mode in Page Six, to be a sort of social butterfly for hire.
Daniel agrees and goes way overboard and promotes Kimmie to Associate Editor. Um what? Okay, Mode temp won't cut it as a title in the public eye, but Associate Editor? Sorry. That's just unfair, especially to Betty. Anyway, with the promotion comes attitude. Suddenly the new sweet Kimmie reverts to bitchy Kimmie, and Betty is back to being picked on. Aww. I felt bad for her, but really, she needs to be tougher!
Speaking of bullies, I wanted a Justin storyline and I got it. He's trying out for the lead in Billy Elliot, but strangely enough, one of the jocks at school who is always picking on him is there at the audition. They bond over their mutual rejection since the "short kid" got the part, and now Justin has a new kinda friend who even offers to fist bump. C'mon, Justin, you know how to do that, right?
Lastly and most deliciously, Daniel is missing having a son and thinks that if he wants his own kid anytime in the near future, he ought to find the right woman. Since his last girlfriend (Gabrielle Union) had a crazy arson problem, he hires a matchmaking service that unfortunately matches him with *gasp* Wilhelmina. Okay, you could see that coming since they obviously don't get along as co-editors-in-chief, right?
Stuck on a dating dinner cruise, they scheme to set off a smoke alarm, making the boat return to shore. Strangely enough they bond (hey ... there's a whole bonding theme this episode) over their mutual desires for family, taking that next step and even come to a civil accord with their jobs.
Some musings and highlights:
- Pitiful Kimmie is kind of fun and sweet, especially when she thinks her Lyme disease is returning. I was oddly let down after her last appearance though. I expected something better, but I'm not sure what.
- Hilda is choosing anger over mourning the coach. It's about time, I say.
- Claire's awesome pep talk to Daniel: "Your father conceived a child after he's dead. You'll be fine"
- Things moved a bit too quickly this episode. Several times I felt scenes were going to be dream sequences (Kimmie getting Associate Editor, Justin making friends with his nemesis) but weren't. Odd tone.
- Man, I can't wait till Marc and Amanda turn on Kimmie. It's okay for them to be mean, but Betty shouldn't have to sully her hands.
What did you think about the episode? Was LiLo worth it? Will Daniel and Wilhelmina hook up at some point? And eww?
The bad thing about the news coming out that LiLo is leaving so soon is that the entire episode seemed pointless. It was cool to see Willie and Daniel teaming up, and while I doubt the hatchet is buried, I think there might be some tolerating each other on both sides for awhile. At least until Willie's Baby is born and the crap hits the fan, but good.
With all the characters that are now gone, the show seemed almost spare. Need some new blood.
And if Justin is going to start up a gay relationship, I hope they don't make it an episodes-long plight, because it could get boring in a hurry. Justin is a great character, but if he starts getting as angst-ridden as a schlub from Dawson's Crack, I'll be mighty disappointed. Justin's about the only character I don't want to change too much. The bratty Justin was annoying enough, thanks. They need to keep him true to himself, sweet and even more bubbly than Betty...if that's possible. :)
I'm sad to see Kimmie go. I really like the character, but I feel like they rushed the transformation. It's weird, but it felt like Lohan was more than a guest star, and verging on being a new character (if that makes any sense).
With Lindsay Lohan always in the news for her personal life, it's easy to forget what a natural unforced actress she is. I didn't miss the coach at all, but I am missing Marc's boyfriend. He seems to have disappeared without explanation. Marc could at least mention him once in a while.
I hated Lilo in this part, all I could see was Lilo and not Kimmie. Honestly I hated the whole Kimmie thing because I could see it all coming. Though I do look forward to Marc and Amanda going to town on it because honestly with those two mean girls around was it really necessary to add another one??
Oh and one thing Lydia, Marc's boyfriend Cliff gets mentions in the webisodes Mode after dark on the abc website. It would be nice to actually see him on the show again.
I agree, it was disappointing to watch Kimmie knowing what is happening in real life with Lindsey Lohan leaving the show. They should have kept that under wraps!!!
Also, I know its suppose to be "ugly" but they have got to start having her clothes match a little better. It is getting painful to watch her, with all the different patterns her clothes have!!!
I thought the most ridiculous part was Dan and Wilhemina promoting Kimmie to ***oc. Editor. I know it's a TV show but that's reaching to just get a slap on Betty. And Daniel has matured enough to be sensitive as to how Betty would feel. At least, that's the way the writers have written his arc.
I agree, Daniel moving her to ***oc. Editor was a little to much. He knows What Betty wants and to do this was wrong.
Im glad she(Lohan) is leaving the show, I just don't like her.
I have found Lilo sort of distracting because you KNOW she was never going to stay, so it has always been just a matter of time.
But it didn't help any that I had just heard on E News 45 minutes prior that she was leaving because she had been her usual bratty self, so there was no way to see her as anything good.
I LOVED last nights episode. I thought Lilo was amazing (even though she looked like crap for most of it, even when she got made over- he hair just looked greasy!). But she really made me giggle when they were trying to say ''Wilhelmina ''.
"Wilhelmina"
"Willmamina!"
"Wil-HEL-mina"
"Will...Mamima!"