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'Ugly Betty' hunts down the YETI
For anyone who has struggled to break out of their entry level position, does Ugly Betty have an episode for you. I kinda loved this part of the episode.
Spoilers that can't be seen by the cool crowd.
Stupid ol' Amanda is being her annoying self again at home, but Betty has bigger concerns since former Mode assistant Nick Pepper has returned to his old stomping grounds (now that he's done getting dumped by Calvin over on Greek) flush with his success as Deputy Culture Editor at a local mag. His secret: He went through the prestigious Young Editors Training Initiative (yes, YETI for short) and since then he's been catapulting up the career ladder.
Betty finds that apply to YETI, she only has 48 hours to put together her magazine concept that reflects herself and get a sponsor letter (from Daniel, natch). At first she tries to half-ass it by doing a fashion magazine mockup, but when she discovers Marc is applying with his own fashion mag, she's scared. Add to that that YETI only chooses one winner per magazine, and she's dejected and gives up.
Naturally, Clan Suarez bucks her up, and she gives her presentation about B magazine -- the lifestyle magazine for young women who want to be themselves and do things that matter. Lo and behold, she wins! And Marc doesn't.
This is where Marc puts the ugly in Ugly Betty. He tells Betty that being Latina, she got in for tokenism, so YETI could meet a quota. Honestly, after his cheating on Cliff and now this, Marc has plummeted down my list of favorite characters this season. Where's the vulnerability and love?
When YETI doesn't quite deny that reason, Betty backs out and cedes the position to Marc. Daniel, who had left her in the lurch in her time of need, makes up for it 50-fold by calling YETI to tell them Betty also worked at Player magazine, and thus shouldn't be canceled out. Also, he sent along a six-page recommendation letter that he had failed to write despite her request.
Touching? Yes. But you know what? He should have done that in the first place. Yeah ... I'm kind of disgruntled. He was off wooing Connor's fiancee Molly by being the guest speaker at her school. I mean really. You may be seeing her as the future mother of your children, but SHE IS ENGAGED!
The concept of engagement isn't really grasped by Wilhelmina either, who schemes to get Connor all to herself by taking a trip with him down to Key Largo so they can do their own wooing -- of a potential ad client of course. But after an intimate room service-catered dinner an copious amounts of wine, Connor holds firm and resists her sexy evil charms. The funny thing though is that he never says stuff like, "I love Molly," but instead says, "I'm engaged." Hmm ...
Finally, Justin has a rude awakening when his friend Randy (remember, they tried out for Billy Elliott together and both lost out?) suddenly snubs him because the cool guys are tightening the thumb screws of peer pressure. Okay, Randy I can forgive for being weak, but did he have to be so terribly cruel in public? "Dude, stop following me around. Get a life. It's pathetic." No sir, you're the pathetic one.
Hilda gives the best damn speech to Justin about his being perfect and never, ever compromising who he is. I admit it: I got a bit verklempt, and having a sinus headache only made me a tiny bit more susceptible to the emotion. The Suarezes rule yet again.
Other musings and highlights:
- Marc dubs Connor the "Male-helmina"
- Man, Betty is getting bolder with her fashion this year. What's with the technicolor dream jacket?
- It is so typical for Daniel to have asked Betty to write her own letter of recommendation, which he'll sign. Done that. It's so lame.
- Loved the scene where a peeved Betty texts Daniel from her computer while he's standing right there. Damn straight.
- So much meanness this episode, and yet, so much love. Hilda's pep talk to Justin, Daniel coming through for Betty, and I still loved that shared joy between Marc and Betty when they talk about the upcoming YETI program.
- Love how when YETI judge Francesca calls out, "Marc St. James," Marc, (Mark) Badgley and (James) Mischka all respond.
- When is Christina going to pop?
Your thoughts? See you in two weeks! Happy Early Turkey Day!
That was possibly the best hour of Ugly Betty EVER!! Most people seem to have stopped watching this show- which is horrible because this season it has crept right back up into my top 5 shows!The raw emotion and great humour the show has the season is unstoppable. And I love Amanda more and more each episode. Good job Ugly Betty-keep up the great season. And give America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams every single emmy they can get !
David | Nov 20, 2008 8:06:59 PM | #People have stopped watching? WHY??????? This show is awesome. Yeah, last season was uneven, but I think that a lot of that was due to the writer's strike. The message has always remained the same, and the actors are amazing. LONG LIVE BETTY!!!
Jessica | Nov 20, 2008 10:01:36 PM | #I agree with David...this season is on par and just maybe even better than the first season. I really was tired of Betty chasing after Walter (who I grew tired of..and his pregnant girlfriend)...this season the hysterics and emotional scenes have a great balance and every episode ends with a reason to smile...love it!
I too agree they should do more with the Suarez family. And I'll say it here and everywhere HILDA IS THE BEST MOTHER EVER!!! Her encouraging speech to Justin had me in tears...what a great scene.
Manny | Nov 20, 2008 10:02:34 PM | #I loved the ending Marc/Betty scene too. He was adorable and how cool that we got some of his backstory about working hard to become an editor as well. It's the first time we've heard about his dreams.
alia | Nov 21, 2008 7:23:19 AM | #Henry had the pregnant girlfriend.
"Betty" is back on track after a few derailments last season -- and it was done quickly and sensibly.
Marc may have his flaws but he is easily redeemed. It is always very nice to get backstory on him. He is a fascinating character to me.
Kudos to Michael Urie for a consistently solid performance.
The last scene with him and Betty was fantastic. They may or not ever be buddy-buddy, but they at least can have a commonality to work towards.
Terrence | Nov 21, 2008 9:07:10 AM | #Let me change that last sentence .. "at least they have a comon ground to build upon."
Terrence | Nov 21, 2008 9:08:22 AM | #I agree, this was the best episode of the season (although as a fan of Gio, I am still peeved that he is not around). That being said, this episode brought back what I loved about Season 1---Betty following her dreams and side stories about the important people in her life. The Suarez family was awesome tonight! They have been practically ignored this season. I like the Molly character...I think the loved "quadrangle" will be interesting to watch. Lately, I've been feeling as though characters have been in and out and storylines have been rushed. Not with this episode. I hope they plan to show us more of Marc and Betty's YETI experience. I love Michael Urie and I thought he really shined in this episode.
Fen | Nov 21, 2008 9:33:14 AM | #Isn't it time for Betty to wise-up? That ugly scene between Marc and Betty segued well into a very touching scene at the end, but I didn't buy that final scene completely. She's taken blow after blow from Marc and I respect that she keeps getting back up, but what kind of moron would give away her position after being called a cow and the "token ethnic"? There's a fine line between doing what's right and doing what's deserved. Marc deserved a steaming crap sandwhich from Betty. I don't pity Betty any more for enduring abuse because she brings in upon her self so often.
This season brought back Betty's heart, but I'm worried that these characters aren't evolving. Daniel screws over Betty but then makes up for it after-the-fact. Shouldn't he have learned by now? Marc destroys Betty with his cruelty, gets his way and then exhibits some rare human decency. Amanda is and will always be Amanda. And then there's Betty. How long must one wear braces when one's teeth are so straight? How is it that one can live with a hairdresser and maintain a frizzy mop? How is it that one could work at a premiere fashion magazine and not, even out of curiosity, improve one's style? I realize that the show is called Ugly Betty, but come on. You don't have to turn her into America Ferrera but no one is immune to the potential of self-improvement and a set of tweezers wouldn't compromise Betty's integrity in the least.
I find myself drawn to Hilda and Justin, despite the fact that I hated Hilda for most of the first season. Hilda has made some questionable decisions, she is a fantastic mother to Justin who is in turn an exemplary young man. Love the interaction between those two(like I used to love the interaction between Daniel and Betty).
Terrence,
Do you really think that Marc is easily redeemed? What did he do to earn redemption. He only made nice with Betty after she gave him what she should have kept for herself. He only apologized after she urged him to do so. Marc is an egomaniacal, cruel human being. The problem is that these writers are trying to avoid making him inhuman by giving him these cutesy little scenes like the final one between him and betty. I didn't find it touching or redemptive. I found it contrived. I like Marc. He's funny. He's witty. But he's also very cruel and not easily redeemed. He's done very little to make up for the cruelty that he's hurled upon Betty.
Joseph | Nov 21, 2008 11:15:49 AM | #I think Betty has to bear part of the blame for her own problems. She didn't know about the YETI scholarship until 48 hours before its deadline. If this is such a prestigious scholarship that's going to launch her in her career, why didn't she know about it until Pepper mentioned it? She doesn't seem to be doing her homework careerwise. Then she asks her boss on very short notice to write her a recommendation and is annoyed when he doesn't drop everything on his schedule and jump to it. He does have other commitments.
As far as clothing goes, I think Betty is trying harder, probably shopping at more expensive stores, but the poor girl has no taste. She's drawn to bright patterns and butterflies and clashing colours.
Amarantha | Nov 21, 2008 11:48:26 AM | #Another crier, here! The scenes with Justin were so real and Hilda was great!
I, too, noticed that Connor never really says he LOVES Molly. It's as if he has a committment and feels bound to sticking with it. maybe if he finds out daniel is interested ...
Betty's turning down the YETI admission was believeable, to me, because I have a friend who turned down admission to a major university because she was selected to fulfill the quota for Hispanics.
Agree with all the above comments, but I'll add one. The scene where Justin gets cruelly stomped by somebody he thought was a friend was well-played, but it missed one small point that is true for any young gay man: even if Justin only thinks of Randy as a close friend, and never actually falls in love with him, people around them will never see them as just friends. It is grossly unfair in this supposedly-enlightened time of human development that we haven't moved beyond such stereotypes, but there it is. Now Randy may have lost out on having a great friend in Justin, simply because he let others dictate his life. I do hope that the writers can give Justin both worlds, so that he can have both male friends who enjoy his company, and (and this is ONLY if he is truly gay) romantic relationships, with both being shown realistically and with respect. Justin is one of the few well-rounded teenage boys on TV right now, and I'm always glad to see him get a decent storyline. Hell, any Suarez has my vote. :)
Kara Mel Apples | Nov 21, 2008 3:12:54 PM | #Good episode. I love Marc and Amanda and while Marc was pretty mean, he has his dreams too, and I love his relationship with Betty. He isn't just mean to her, (well, not ALL the time) he does have feelings too and loved that they all look new BFF by the end!
Poor Justin! His new friend dumps him, but Hilda was so sweet with him. Justin is a darling!
this has been one of the best seasons of Ugly Betty and people need to keep watching.I cried in this episode because of the whole Justin story line :(
anna | Nov 21, 2008 4:26:36 PM | #This was an incredible episode, and I agree the season is getting better.
I've heard the "quota" debate intellectually over and over for decades, but have never seen it dramatized like this - I was literally holding my breath. They are *not* going there, OMG, they ARE going there, OMG. It was like touching the third rail in politics. Very daring.
You could call it contrived, but I call the show stylized, and brilliantly stylized. Ignazio got to say what discrimination he faced, and it wasn't forced, just realistic. Marc's quick speech about all the years he's put in (who knew?) and what his dreams are and how he feels undervalued by Wilhelmina was touching.
Speaking of Wilhelmina, they really have upped her always incredible fashion this season; her outfits have me drooling.
Ugly Betty is one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Jane | Nov 22, 2008 11:23:11 AM | #I wish the writers would have made it more clear that Daniel's hesitance in writing Betty's recommendation was because he couldn't bear to lose her. I think that's what they were going for in the end, but it still seemed a little unclear. Either way, this was a great episode, and I loved the subplot with Justin and his friend. I could totally relate with his situation and I hope they can bring Randy back and show him the error of his ways or even give Justin a new friend who accepts him totally.
P.S. I wish Hilda was my mom. She's awesome.
P.P.S. I want Jesse to come back!
Dennis | Nov 23, 2008 7:39:44 PM | #I like Hilda, too, Dennis. The only problem? That accent, yikes! I keep expecting Hilda to start screaming, "Mr. Sheffield!" :)
Kara Mel Apples | Nov 23, 2008 7:49:02 PM | #I think what the writers were trying to show was that if Justin didn't have Hilda in his life he could very well end up like Mark who despite what some of you think is not a bad person but, I bet the same thing happened to him when he was at school. We've all met his mother, the awsome Patty Lupone, in the second season when Mark got Betty to pretend to be his girlfriend to get his mother to like him but it didn't work. Mark has clearly had a lot of pain in his life and the way he deals with kindness is to sabotage it witness the cheating on Cliff episode. And let's face it, Mark is right - it is not fair that Betty who hadn't even heard of YETI should get a place above him after he'd worked hard for 3 months and she produced something in 12 hours. We love Betty but her magazine was not better than Mark's. Affirmative action was not for any person of colour to get a place no matter how bad they are - that's why people think it's not right. If I was white after that demonstration I'd be pissed too. Mark was quite right to rail on Betty she can't possibly believe she was better!
I have to say something about Willi's outfits this ep - that bosom of hers was weigh out there - 36C my eye - I know the camera puts 10lbs on you but this was ridiculous and what was with Connor's tan? He looked like he'd spent too long at the Tanning Salon!
I think the writers subtly implied that Marc's magazine was better than Betty's by calling Betty's magazine B while his was called A-List (meaning that her magazine was good but his was better.) Still Betty's idea was more original than his, since there are tons of fashion magazines out there. I don't blame Marc for being mad, but he took his anger out on Betty who wasn't responsible for YETI's policies and who acted in good faith.
Like Solly, I think Marc is basically a good person. I think he has much more of a sense of right and wrong than Amanda does. (Or Alexis - I still think she got off way too easily for attempted murder.)
I kind of agree about the accent, Kara. It is a little thick, but I love it also because it makes the Hilda character stand out. However, I always wondered why Hilda has such a strong "Queens" accent, yet Betty doesn't have one at all.
| Nov 24, 2008 6:49:26 PM | #The scene with Justin and Hilda hit home for me. I wish every child in his shoes had a parent like her. What a wonderful story.
Mark | Nov 26, 2008 1:45:43 PM | #@Amaranthia-Really? I just saw B... as well, as Betty, and TO BE who you are. Which was her tagline.
As for A-list, I think Hilda said something to that affect, and Marc said that instead of just ASPIRING to live that lifestyle, they would be examining the way the A-List live rationally and our society's obsession with them.
I was thinking of articles on recent scandals and reactions and some social psychology analysis and snarky commentary to liven it up. Which does put an original and interesting spin on a celebrity (gossip) magazine (I don't think it was truly fashion).
Miki | Dec 4, 2008 5:04:58 PM | #
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