'Ugly Betty': You're a snow day
Jesse, Jesse, Jesse! The sweet yet delicately angsty musician is all our girl can think about on the latest Ugly Betty.
Spoilers made with a whole box of sugar.
Betty devises meet-cutes with Jesse all the time, listens to his demos like they're love letters and talks him up so much that even Daniel starts to tease her. (By the way, I'm loving the big brother ribbing he gives her. It feels so true.) The girl is slightly embarrassing, but hey, she's young.
When she invites him to the Mode Fashion Heats Up party, Jesse misunderstands and thinks that she wants his band, Dark Sexual Journey, to play. Since Daniel has already booked Mariah Carey, Betty instead tells Jesse that he'll play at the rooftop after-party suggested by Amanda.
Oh, why is Amanda helping? Didn't I mention it? They're total roomies now. After getting into serious debt, being evicted and then being thrown out from living overnight at Mode, Mandy lands at B's doorstep with the hair-challenged Halston in tow. It's a nightmare of the annoyingly skinny kind: She borrows Betty's clothes (a blouse becomes a belted dress; leggings become a skin-tight number), eats all her food and keeps her awake at night with her demands. Ugh.
But Amanda seems to have untapped potential. She actually comes up with a few good ideas: Inviting Betty's unknown (to her) crush to the Mode party; thinking up the after-party as a get-out-of-debt scheme; advertising it through elite guerrilla marketing. And although Betty later walks in on Amanda making out with Jesse, it's Amanda who realizes why this is so upsetting and tells Betty that "He's stupid. He's not worth it." Finally, Mandy is showing a bit of heart. Is her continued search for her dad far behind?
On the Mode front, both Daniel and Wil are having problems with their new CFO, Connor. Daniel expects Connor, as his friend, to bow to his wishes, which means not selling any of the Meade Publication titles to offset their deficit -- one of Connor's suggestions. Now that Wil has discovered that she'd been duped, she's all set to blackmail Connor to get her way, but unexpectedly develops a crush on him. It's rather unsettling seeing Wil in Betty Land!
In the end, Connor stands up for himself, meeting with Conde Nast Publications to sell a few of Mode's properties and then listing all his bad decisions in his life that Wil might have used to blackmail him. Just as she's apologized to him and gets all sexy-voiced with him again, he gets a call on his cell from his fiancee. Whuh? The lonely, companion-less Wilhelmina that we saw try a matchmaking service appears yet again.
Finally, Marc is also having problems with his love life. A relationship that used to be so pure and joyful is now filling me with dread. Oh no, say it ain't so, Joe! Since they've been spending so much time together, Cliff proposes that they move in together, which completely freaks our fitted-sweater boy out to no end. His obvious reluctance shows, and finally Cliff takes off in a huff.
Marc is ambivalent about such a big step since everything was just fine before, right? Moving in together means actual commitment, sharing space and clothing approval. In a panic, Marc has a naughty tryst with a strapping dude he meets at Betty's rooftop soiree. As he's leaving the guy's apartment (ah, the convenience of a party hookup!), Cliff catches up with him and apologizes for all the pressure he'd been putting on him. In a panic, Marc proposes marriage, on the spot, to Cliff.
We all know this is a mistake at this point, right? I mean, bodily fluids are not yet dry, and Marc is trying to be Mr. Romantic Commitment? I don't think so. He might as well give Cliff a huge bouquet of flowers, order in his favorite Indian curry and volunteer to watch a Hitchcock thriller with him. Trying. Way. Too. Hard.
Other whimsies:
- Before Jesse proved to be either clueless or insensitive to Betty's crush, he was pretty darn sweet, telling her she was a "Snow day" and calling her "Betty Rocker." Aww.
- Why was Daniel dumb enough to tip his hand to Wil when it came to Connor? Daniel needs to work on the sneaky and not give into his need to fist bump.
- Good to see Christina out and about and working so much (especially on that violet toga dress). But when will the baby come already?
- Loved Daniel's sarcasm about his fake phone call to Mariah Carey: "The guy from my assistant's building. He's so cute!"
- I haven't liked selfish Amanda all season, but I like it when she's wacky and clueless like in this episode. Even borrowing Betty's blouse -- "I totally belted it." -- makes me smile.
- Yea, Team Suarez! They really came through for Betty with the South of the Border theme for the party. Justin, of course, was the one who pointed out that cheap was the new chic.
- Oh Marc, you really disappointed me by reverting to your old ways. And who the hell is the poor Hunter Farthington that will get calls from this random dude?
- If the after-party decorations are leftovers from Betty's quinceanera (nine-years-old I might point out), why are there Dia de Los Muertos skulls on all the tables?
So, are you sad or philosophical about how it ended with Jesse? How horrible was Marc and can he work it out with Cliff?
I want to hit Marc...so...damn...hard! Really just grab the nearest heavy object and start bruising him. God, what a jork. Or derk, whatever. He's been around Wilhemina too long, because he's losing his soul. And Cliff needs to find somebody better and rub it in Marc's face. 'Nuff said about that.
Aw, Betty crushin' on the boy down the hall. Sweet, so Betty, but now that she is, according to Daniel, in her mid twenties, she needs to get some better routines. Maybe Amanda can give her a few dozen tips, which Betty can throw out or twist around to her own sunnier way of doing things.
Seeing Amanda actually getting hurt by Betty's demand that she leave was some great subtle acting. Amanda does have a heart, but it's festooned (word-of-the-day calendars, gotta love 'em) in crepe paper and tinsel that have started to wilt. She's needy beyond belief, but I think pairing her with Betty will just make her character more interesting.
The scene at the end with Wihemina and Betty looking out over the city was great (with the exception of the shared drink--Wilhemina backwash, ewwww!), but it made me wonder if the writers are going to make Wilhemina just a wee less evil. Betty is supposed to this, of course, in keeping with the original telenova, but I hope they don't do it too soon.
And is it me, or does that apartment of Betty's seem to keep expanding each week? Must be that variable rental agreement thing. :P
i love this eppi so far so good daniel got to screw over willy bettys got a cute crush and yes marc deserves to be smashed in the face!
haha the new guy at mode is so yummy!....hes even making willy weak at the knees lol...awww jesse called her beautiful hehe hes soo sweet!...stupid conner!
omg bettys gonna give amanda a smack down! hehehe i cant wait!
ok crummy ending...oh well i still love ugly betty talk to you all next week!
Great episode tonight. My heart totally broke for Betty, especially since I've been in that same situation, catching the person you're crushing on making out with someone else! It sucks! I loved the Betty-Daniel moment at the end also...I just love their friendship. I actually teared up during his speech to her! I hope this doesn't mean the end of Jesse though...he can redeem himself, right??
Best episode this season. I LOVE Amanda... she can move in with me any time. She even turned Betty's hideous outfits into something hot. Too bad this is network TV, I would have loved to see what the security guard saw. Willie needs to find a man... she's close to becoming likable, and a stable relationship might be what she needs. Marc acted like a jack***, but what's new.
Another great Ugly betty!
I understand that the writers are reluctant to put in the "kiss of death" about a relationship with the star that works. However, I'm a little tired of Betty getting screwed over in the romance dept. It's getting so when she likes someone, I know she's being set up and will get, uh, what is this, heartbroken the third time?
Maybe the writers want her to grow and not be so shy when she sees someone she likes? I just don't know.
I understand that the writers are reluctant to put in the "kiss of death" about a relationship with the star that works. However, I'm a little tired of Betty getting screwed over in the romance dept. It's getting so when she likes someone, I know she's being set up and will get, uh, what is this, heartbroken the third time?
Maybe the writers want her to grow and not be so shy when she sees someone she likes? I just don't know.
I predict that the thaw we've seen in the relationship between Daniel and Wilhemina will lead to a thing between them...and not just a little fling - I expect the real thing for both of them, for what may be for the first time!
And I was really disappointed in Marc last night too and am so glad that Cliff did not see him coming out that apartment with that skeavy guy right behind him - that was just "eww." If Marc and Cliff are heading for a break-up (despite the proposal), I don't want Cliff to be hurt like it would hurt to see Marc fooling around.
It was to see Halston arrive with Amanda at Betty's apartment! Amanda is one of my favorite characters - too funny when she thought the guy Betty had the hots for was the "old guy" who turned out to be Betty's dad...and how in character for Amanda to forget who he is even though she's met him before! The scene with Betty "tickling" Amanda's back in bed made me crack up...and I am happy that they made up at the end and Amanda gets to stay as her roomie...I think in her own odd way, she can see the error of her ways and there is a heart in there - it comes out every now and then.
And I liked Betty and Wilhemina on the roof together at the end (also liked Willies' reaction when she realized the after-hours party was on Betty's roof!).
I am looking forward to more of Christina when the baby finally comes...and I hope that Clair get more air time when Bradford's baby make an appearance, too! Love Judith Light...sigh...
....NOOOOOO MARC AND CLIFF...
No BREAKUP PLEASE NO. *CRY*