Poll: What Did You Think Of Ugly Betty Episode 3.12?
January 26, 2009 by Tom
I have been quite surprised at the lack of reaction, good or bad, to Ugly Betty episode 3.12, Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Usually, in the days after an episode airs, we get a steady barrage of “loved it” or “hated it”. This is normal.
So the silence lately has been worrisome.
I know it’s not just at Ugly Betty News. I scour the web for ANY new or discussion about Ugly Betty. As much as I’d like to say it’s just here at Ugly Betty News, it’s not.
I think part of it, if y’all are like I am, is that we can’t quite tell how to feel about the episode. We expected drama, but the writers held off until the final 15 minutes, and then it went on longer than normal for an Ugly Betty episode. (Normally, they hit-and-run us).
However, this was, I think, a transistional episode, setting up the story lines for the 2nd half of the season. The love quadrangle worked for me (as long as they keep it moving), Marc’s humiliation will drive him to begin the process of leaving Wilhelmina’s shadow, Betty’s work/home tension will be this season’s Henry/Gio (will she? won’t she?).
I liked the episode, but it certainly wouldn’t go in my top ten. Although the Suzuki St Pierre scene in Jersey goes down in my list of funniest moments in the show, ever.
SO what did you think about the episode?
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i’m sorry tom about the lack of discussion with regards to this episode taking place on this site recently.
it’s just that i have been watching that episode just last friday on the web and in terms of the betty and hilda fight, it was a good performance by both america and ana- and also i seem to side with betty over this one.
however, i feel as if her decision to move back home is to make her dad and hilda feel happy, as opposed to making betty feel happy- and for me i am not happy with. she is doing it out of guilt and to make up for that fact that she wasn’t there for her family, when ignascio had that heart attack in truth it wasn’t her fault at all.
of course, it would’ve helped that having retrieved the dress that betty left the party afterwards and gone straight home. but this episode in itself, as much as it was very good, it made me angry as well. this is because of the way hilda and ignascio have come across on screen as being the ‘victims’ of this tragedy, and betty is the villain.
over the course of this season and in some instances of last season, i sort of noticed how increasingly desperate needy ignascio and hilda have become towards betty, particuarly with regards to her career at mode.
not to mention they have become less supportive and encouraging towards betty’s progress at mode and YETI. this was strange considering in the when betty met YETI episode, both hilda and ignascio were ecstatic when they found out that betty got accepted into YETI, and so why the change of heart from those two?
that i do not understand. but anyway, that’s my two cents on that particular issue.
as for willie and marc, i was saddened to see marc get treated like dirt by wilhelmina and i’m glad marc tried to give her a piece of his mind- though i thought he should’ve said what he should’ve told willie. even if it meant he would get sacked for it. goes to show that marc is a totally different character from the first season and that like betty herself, he has dreams and ambitions beyond being an assistant at mode.
i think being around betty has done him some good.
but overall, it was a really good episode and like yourself, this one doesn’t rank in my top 3 of season 3. it was really good as i said, but it wasn’t amazing by any stretch of the imagination. still, i’d favour this episode over most of the season 2 ones.
I’m so confused on how I feel about the show right now. It’s my absolute favorite show & I don’t think anything will change that. But I also miss the first season. It seemed so much more real then where it has been lately. I don’t know. I’m excited for next week
I know one thing I hate — REPEATS. Or skipping weeks. grrrrr.
I just adore everything about it, even when I hate it. What more can I say?! I understand the changes are inevitable and I’m pretty sure most ppl would be harsh on the show if it hadn’t moved from the spirit of the first season. It’s the growing pains, folks! lol
Word came out here in Brazil this afternoon that the show would be held off by ABC in an attempt to promote new show [i]In The Motherhood[/i] and to increase the ratings of Samantha Who and Grey’s Anatomy. Any truth to that? That would just break my heart and leave me in an awful mood, since Ugly Betty is THE ONLY thing I watch on TV these days. Love to all – C
Count me in as someone who’s a little confused, too. I didn’t get into this show until this season, then quickly got caught up with 1st and 2nd season DVDs. I’m having trouble getting behind Betty this season–the costuming and wigging is awful. Also, what I considered to be the heart of the show–her relationship with Daniel (I’m not a shipper, by the way) and her professional journey–has been cast aside in favor of I’m not sure what. She’s making stupid mistakes that first-season Betty wouldn’t have made. Also, there have been too many plot holes: A couple examples: Daniel giving her business cards in Ugly Berry when those were a key part of Fey’s Sleigh Ride (when she handed them out at the mixer and blabbed about the war shoot), Wilhelmina not remembering Amanda’s name (when she’s known her for two years and had plenty of interaction with her in previous episodes). The lack of telenovelas. Plot points that are retreads. (Suzuki St. Pierre faking being gay = that faking-it-gay designer Amanda slept with, Daniel’s speech to Molly at Wil’s party = his speech to Sofia in the towncar, Hilda ragging on Betty about her job = Hilda ragging on Betty about her job.) It’s like the writers are out of material or aren’t paying attention to what already has been done on the show.
This episode in particular was funnier than I expected it to be, but I have big fears that UB will get cancelled if it doesn’t pull it together and get back to some smarter writing, remember the very heart of the show and quit it with the contrived storylines. I also feel like they need an editor–someone whose job it is to look for plot holes and things that make no sense–like why a 50-something man two weeks out of heart surgery can get himself home from the hospital but needs a nurse, two grown daughters and a teenage grandson to take care of him–and also to remind the writers of plot points they promised (like Amanda and Betty writing for the website, which is something I fear could get lost in the shuffle).
There actually has been some feedback on this episode over at Television Without Pity–really negative feedback. (Recapper gave it an F.) Fan Forums is a little more balanced, but not all that positive. It’s disheartening.
The scheduling isn’t helping matters any. It’s hard to get much momentum or loyalty going, only seeing two new episodes in, what, eight weeks?
Sorry, Tom. For my part I think this episode was quite bland. Nothing remarkable but not totally awful. I think this is just one of those “filler” type of episode.
I did like the drama between the sisters at some points and I appreciate that Ana Ortiz had some space to display her acting talents. She is wonderful, by the way. I am always thankful whenever there is enough Suarez family time.
Marc is my favorite character this season, definitely. Daniel is going backwards to the sorta-mean-boss he was before. I didn’t mind it but I thought they were progressing with the character. The whole Willy/Connor is kind of good material for funny situations but I wonder where they are heading with this… now that they don’t want drama/or long story arcs.
I don’t know. This is just the type of episode I don’t watch twice unless I get the DVD in my hands and I am replaying the whole season in order.
I liked it okay, but am a far way from loving it the way I did a year ago. I think the move away from the apartment was inevitable. They were running out of excuses for her family to be over there and they really need her to interact with her family. The main reason for placing her–proximity to Jesse–fizzled because the relationship had no chemistry and produced no buzz. The only positive benefit about the apartment was exploring the Betty-Amanda relationship more, but in the long run it’s better that that be centered at work rather than at home. The romantic foursome has a weak link in that Molly is not a well fleshed out, interesting character. Connor on the other hand is HOT and has great chemistry with Willi, but the dead weight of Molly is pulling this story down. Liking the Marc-Betty interactions this year, definitely a high point, and also Marc chafing a bit under Willi’s thumb. Want more Marc-Mandy, though.
Nothing to add to what Anne said: where is the show going? I will say a little bit more, latter : work is calling me!