Ugly Betty Episode 3.15 Full Recap
February 19, 2009 by Tom
Here is the full recap of Ugly Betty episode 3.15, There’s No Place Like Mode. Some quick thoughts:
- Finally, Finally, FINALLY! This is the writing and acting we’ve been waiting for! IMHO, this was the best episode of the season.
- The character Heinrich was written funny, but the portrayal by Michael Stuhlbarg was so hilarious, I couldn’t stop laughing. I don’t know if they can bring him back, but OMG he was funny.
- This is going to get me in trouble with many of you, but I like the new Matt character. Yes, we once again have a good looking guy who is into Betty (unrealistically?), but you have to admit his character is likeable. And, I like the fact that he brings a whole new world into the Mode world.
- The writers were so on their game with this episode. It seemed like EVERYONE had a good line. Justin had several (I especially liked “You are better than that robe”).
- I am glad Elena and Hilda made up.
- If you haven’t seen the birth of Wilhelmina’s baby, I won’t spoil it for you, but OMG!!!!!!!! Just watch it!
- They made a little inside joke at the end to those of us who have been complaining about Betty’s wardrobe.
Full recap after the jump!
At YETI, a magazine editor is giving a speech about her experiences in Darfur. Marc is off-put, but Betty is enthralled. She is sitting next to the editor’s assistant at New York Review. Betty goes to ask the writer a question, but she can’t get around this guy that keeps asking her questions about colors. He calls Betty “fashion girl”. Betty doesn’t care for that name (Marc walks up and says “I’m fashion girl”). The New York Review editor asks Betty what she does at Mode. Betty tells her that she’d really like to get into something else. The lady says that she’d better do it quick, because she’s on the “fashion track”.
At Mode, Betty tells Christina that she had suggested to Jodi that the YETI members each pair up with someone from another magazine to learn about what they do. Her intention was to get paired with the girl from New York Review.
Marc tries to talk Wilhelmina into wearing Donna Karan to all the Day’s events, but she says “Cavali”. Marc is obviously upset about this. He says Cavali makes her look like Michelle Obama at the mall. He then tries several other tacks to get her to change her mind. Finally, he has to tell her that they didn’t send the dress. Since Wilhelmina had been seeing Connor, she had fallen off the radar. This infuriates Wilhelmina, who insists that it is SHE that determines what is in style.
Daniel gives Betty several tasks, including a strange one about “peering cuffs” on his shirts. Betty asks if he has any non-fashion related assignments for her. Daniel reminds her that it’s fashion week. He asks her to write a press release for a designer named Heinrich, a last minute addition to the Mode show. Molly arrives, all dressed up (but Molly-looking.
Hilda calls Betty and tells her how excited she is that Elena is going away (Ignacio is better now). Hilda thinks that this might mean her dad might stop seeing Elena.
At YETI, Jodi tells everyone to pick a partner to work with all year. Betty and the girl from New York Review pair up. Jodi then tells everyone to turn to the person on the other side, and meet their new partners. (A common practice at seminars, BTW). Betty is paired with the “sports guy” who was bothering her before. Their assignment is to follow each other around for a week, and write five things they learned about what their partner does.
Betty tries to get Jodi to change her mind (and kind of insults the sports guy, who it turns out is right behind her). The guy (his name is Matt), is quite eager.
At Mode, Betty tries to talk on the phone, but Matt is bothering her with questions. Amanda passes by. Betty asks her what she knows about Heinrich; Amanda has never heard of him.
Later, Amanda tells Daniel about his write-ups in the tabloids. Unfortunately, they had called Molly all kinds of names, like “charity case”> Daniel is peeved by this.
Betty and Matt go to see Heinrich. They walk into a bare room (lit CSI style) with two very mannequins wearing bright, happy (literally) clothes. A man is lying on the floor beneath them. Betty startles him, and he bounds up and introduces himself as THE Heinrich, Heinrich for short. He then tells Betty they will make love, someday. Betty asks about the happy dresses; Heinrich says “they are garbage!”, then shows her his designs, a post-apocalyptic mixture of fabric and spiky metal. glass, and wings. It is truly scary looking.
Betty later shows Christina a picture of the Heinrich dress, and complains about her task. Matt tries to talk to her about the Closet, but she ignores him and continues talking to Christina. She sends Matt away to look at back-issues.
Christina and Betty sit down and writes a crazy “joke” press release. Later Justin helps Betty write the “real” press release. Justin tells Betty she HAS to let him go to the show, or he will tell everyone she still likes Ricky Martin. Hilda walks in, having made smiley-face pancakes, to celebrate Elena leaving. Unfortunately for her, Ignacio comes downstairs, with Elena in his robe. Betty and Hilda leave (Hilda in anger), and Justin tells Elena, “You’re better than that robe”.
Betty sees Suzuki St Pierre on Fashion TV. He quotes from the “joke” press release. Betty can’t believe it.
Later, Betty desperately searches for the press release. Matt reveals that he had given it to Daniel (trying to help out). Daniel walks in, very angry. But it turns out, he’s angry about the cuffs on his shirt, they still aren’t right. He liked the press release, and so did Heinrich. Heinrich wants Betty to produce his show! Betty is hesitant, but Daniel talks her into it.
In the limo, Marc calls to confirm Wilhelmina’s usual seat at the Proenza Schouler show. He argues with the person on the phone, then tries to bribe him. It turns out they put her on the 2nd row. Gasp! Wilhelmina decided not to go.
Daniel gives Molly a surprise: a full makeover for fashion week. When they are done, she looks amazingly like Teri Garr in the 80’s (at least to me). She is pretty hot, though.
Betty talks to Heinrich – he says she’s the first person to understands him. He tells her he wants the high, hot, vortex of wind that blows dreams into dust. He wants “gray, but obscure”. A rainbow of gray, but sharp, like clear fog. (I’m sorry, this scene was so funny, I have to quote some of it verbatim) He says it’s about pain, and escape, but no escape. Betty is completely lost. He tells her to listen to the clothes.
Molly enters the Proenza Schouler show, and Suzuki raves about her. Unfortunately, when he tries to get her attention, he calls her “Ugly Duckling”. Molly then finds Daneil, and asks to leave. She makes up a story about busted pipes in her house. In the meantime, Marc lines up an interview for Suzuki with Wilhelmina.
Amanda tries desperately to get into the Heinrich show. Apparently, after the Fashion TV reading of the press release, he’s the new “hot” designer. Betty thinks the Heinrich show is getting too big, and tries to talk Daniel into putting someone else on it. But Daniel says he trusts her more than anyone. Betty later frets to Matt that she has wasted three years of her life in an industry she doesn’t understand. Matt offers to take her to his magazine for a while to take her mind off it, and Betty (wrapped up in herself) says she wants to do something “important”, not sports. Matt tells her off, and tells her that she’s ust as shallow as the fashion world.
As Matt is getting on the elevator, Betty apologizes profusely. She offers to go see him at work in his job. Matt graciously accepts. We next see them in a locker room with the Detroit Pistons. Betty is hilarious in her embarrassment. Matt introduces her to Sasha Radovich. Matt tells Betty how he stunk at sports, and had always thought that pros were overpaid babies. He tells her how he got to know each of the players personally He shows her the inside of Sasha’s jersey; it has the names of all of his family in Serbia. Matt tells her that even though sports writing wasn’t a natural fit for him, he found his way in by making it personal.
The Suarez family (sans Betty) is watching a movie at home. Ignacio and Elena are getting a little heavy on the couch. Hilda complains, then leaves in a huff. Ignacio comes into the kitchen and tells Hilda she’s being childish.
Wilhelmina raves to Connor about her scathing interview she gave to Suzuki. The interview comes on Fashion TV, but it’s preempted by doggie fashions (don’t look like last year’s bitch).:) Wilhelmina is devastated. Connor tells her if she’s fallen down, she has to get up and claw her way back.
Betty tells Heinrich that she has learned all about him: now he grew up behind the iron curtain, how his father was killed trying to climb over the barbed wire at the Berlin wall, and how he had carried that pain, and put it into his clothes. She figured him out perfectly. She then showed him her “Berlin Wall” set design.Te scene then becomes the real set. Betty and Marc discuss how the set has blocked off the back two exits from the room.
Daniel comes in and tells Betty something is wrong with Molly. After Betty prods, he tells her about the makeover. Betty tells him he has to make up for that, it was a mistake.
Hilda arrives at the show, and sees Elena is there. Justin had given her his seat, hoping she and her mom would make up.
Daniel calls Molly, and apologizes. He then tells her he loves her. She starts to cry, but tells him she loves him, too. We then see that Molly is getting some kind of medical treatment, but she doesn’t tell Daniel.
The Heinrich show starts; it’s crazy over the top. Betty has done an outstanding job (even with these unwearable clothes). Heinrich wants to give Betty a dress to thank her, but decides instead to give her a thorny metal halo instead. Betty tells a very cranky Christina that she finally understands that fashion is art. It’s not shallow, it’s courageous.
Hilda and Elena bond over spandex and stirrup pants. They make a truce; Elena promises to cut down on the PDA, and Hilda agrees to chill.
Christina then goes into labor (she had actually been in labor all day). They couldn’t leave because the iron curtain is blocking the back two exits. They have to leave via the runway. Christina then collapses on the runway, as the show continues. Wilhelmina and Marc see the chance to use this situation to help Wilhelmina’s career. Marc starts running the show. Wilhelmina brings the winged models out to shield Christina from the crowd. She yells for someone who is qualified to deliver a baby. Elena rushes up. Marc choreographs the lights, then the music, then when the baby is born, the hydraulics. Wilhelmina slowly rises above the models, holding her baby high. It’s truly a bizarre, over the top scene.
Later,Matt comes by to congratulate Betty. Matt then reveals that he was looking forward to working with her because he likes her.
Daniel talks to Betty, he congratulates her, too. He tells her she’ll be a great editor at Mode someday. She tells him she’s finally figured out that fashion has more substance than she had thought. Daniel tells her that if she decides to have a career in fashion, that she’ll have to do something about the crazy colors and clashing patterns.
Image: Pacific Coast News
This episode was good enough. And you are right, Matt is a likable guy. Now he is truly a Henry with a funny attitude and a bit (really bit) of Gio’s down to earth casual attitude. Why he liked Betty? Who knows? and knowing how UB runs these days, we don’t really care. I think their scenes are nice. Of course, after Gio rush of sexiness and sparkly presence I doubt Matt would make me change my mind about the need of Gio’s return for the show’s behalf. But, I’ll like him for now and for laughs. He’s funny, a bit of a wimp but adorable like a puppy or like Henry. I can imagine their relationships, Betty is going to keep on her old pushover self.
Woah, too much Matt. I liked Willy (I was surprised to see Connor in the episode) and the whole baby birth was ridiculous and hilarious (very season 1). Nice touch on the writers to put the Makeover hint to all those fans that insist that Betty needs a makeover.
This fashion week was not that flashy but it was nice.
And Betty dedicating finally into Fashion. Geez! I guess it was inevitable but I fear the end is near. She’s really going to stay in fashion, stay in mode and wear hideous clothes FOREVER! I’d rather liked her concept for the B magazine or focus in something more representative. But It’s true… after several years working on a lame company workers get comfortable and readjust their lives instead of being risky and follow their true dreams. Way to go Betty.
By the way… props to Matt for telling Betty she’s shallow.
and… truly sad about where they are heading with Molly. Daniel and Molly is not exciting but Daniel was truly happy. He was kind of like when he was with DJ, another man who is growing up. Writers are really mean with this character, aren’t they?
Let me just say…THIS was a kick-ass episode. LOL. I’ve been waiting for this kind of episode for weeks now, and we finally have it. Also, I love how the writers never fail to give us great Fashion Week episodes. And the best part? That’s right – I’m going to gush: We finally got some excellent, EXCELLENT D/B moments, especially that ending scene on the runway.
Overall, the episode covered other storylines so well – the introduction of Matt (who is a total cutie), Wilhelmina and her career, Daniel and Molly, and last but certainly not least, Betty and her understanding of the fashion world. Good job, writers!
As for Daniel and Molly’s health problem – I’m going to adhere to that old adage: There’s a reason for everything under the sun. Whatever happens with them will only make Daniel stronger in the long run. Of that, I’m sure. And this certainly is not the end of happiness for him, as was the case with DJ’s departure.
As for Betty? Nah, she’s not shallow. Obviously, she was stressed from having to take on Heinrich’s show. So, like others have often done, she let things inadvertently fly out of her mouth. Can’t really hate her for that. At least she and Matt got past it quickly. Besides, I think Matt ended up giving a more sensitive and hurt response because he obviously had been crushing on her for some time now, but in secret.
Oh – and how could I forget: We also saw the Suarez family in this episode, too! Yup, this was a great episode. Everyone was covered pretty well here.
I just loved this episode! Much better than the others which were beginning to be a tad cheesy IMO with everyone getting a new bf or gf etc. This one was so well-built! I’m not going to repeat what was said but there were so many funny details! I’d like to point out the opposition between Amanda and Betty as it struck me the most. Amanda was so typical of herself,an authentic fashion victim,only liking what everybody else does whereas Betty on the other hand,discovers this whole other aspect of fashion, which is a bit like art after all. And that really “fits” with Betty’s clothing style since what she’s wearing might not be “in” or really glamourous and beautiful but it’s really her own style. Well, just my 2 cents.
Am I the only one who was really kinda disappointed by this episode? For one, the birth was a complete anticlimax – these months of waiting, three episodes with no Christina, the birth was just five minutes long with no real drama whatsoever, the birth of Charlie and Henry’s baby was perfect – this one pales in comparison, I think it could have been handled better by an episode devoted to it, if only to get more Christina, whose meatiest storyline this season was in episode three when she got pushed down the stairs, something which she quickly recovered from, actually. Where is Stuart anyway? Is he dead now?!
The episode was good and funny.I love that part when Jodi tells everyone to turn to the person on the other side and meet their new partners when Betty were excited work with the woman,but other side and look at Matt (sport guy) lol.I kinda like Matt and he is sweet person not same with Henry.I was laugh Betty shock and look uncomerable see that in man locker room when Matt take her go to his job.I love America.I’m glad Hilda and Elena made up.
I agree that this was the best episode of the season, so far, and I really like Matt. Every time Heinrich told Betty that they would “make love” it cracked me up. And Wilhelmina’s carefully orchestrated presentation of her baby, much like the presentation of Simba in “Lion King”, was fabulously over the top.
this episode was so funny!I loved the birth so mch it was very season 1 and I tthink that Wilhelmina is finally getting a balance. the all nice act got boring but was a refreshment after everything else an I’m so sad about molly! ugh how aful I can not beleive that they are doin that to her and poor Daniel! molly is so so sweet and her and Daniel have more of a relationship than him and Bradford did so this will probably be the saddest ugly betty death ever. anyways I loved this episode I love Elen and it was just hilarious
I really liked this eps also. All the hype of Matt being Henry-esque was…well…correct. I felt he was alot like Henry. Quiet, nice, and yet tells Betty what she needed to hear. I liked him! Hey, If Henry is not coming back(for sure) then he is the guy I wouldn’t mind her seeing. IMO of course.
As for the ending…fantastic. Marc stole the show as he queued all the right things to happen. Kudo’s
does anyone know wherei can find the green earrings whilemina slater wor on last night episode? i have to have them
idy stern look on seenontv.com and there’s a whole ugly betty clothing section that you can look at by character
sorry make that seenon.com
the thing that intrigued me most is the whole molly situation. i cannot wait to find out what is happening with her and whatever medical condition is going on. i know there were spoilers that said a character died. i hope it isn’t her
this is a very season 1 episode and I love it. More, more, more! Too bad Claire wasn’t in it!!!
you guys think it’s Connor who is embezzling the $$$ and setting up Betty for the fall? Too bad, he & willie really have some hot chemistry going, would really hate to see him go.
I loved the birth scene. That was very Wilhemina but how they got there was just to me a tad bit rushed. I’m thinking whomever they got new on staff writing, being an executive has got to be on drugs. How could you take a really good show like Ugly Betty and then try shit-canning it for reruns of Scrubs? If it isn’t a good show *now* this season then whose fault was that? It’s like what Jack Black said at the awards show about he taking Dreamworks’ money and investing it in Pixar. Your words. Deal with it. You’re on your game now at the end of the episode but Ugly Betty is about her life’s journey, not destinations she’s hit over the season break. I was really hoping to see the Rosie Perez dancing in Do The Right Thing side of Betty this season. Not move in with… Amanda. What Betty needs to find if she moves out is an early Madonna Desperately Seeking Susan type or the main character in Flashdance. Even Coco from Fame would be a good change of pace. Cyndi Lauper, maybe? They would think her duds would be fringe-worthy in a Betty Page meets Betty Boop sort-of way. Daria or Enid from Ghost World couldn’t do better. Just look at those bangs! With that polka-dot dress? It could work. It just *needs* some work. Does Betty ever stop and watch the moments Hilda has with Justin and see what it honestly takes to be the head of her own household? Not the way some jerkoffs were portraying the show before I started posting here. I can imagine the staff people who replaced those that left singing Afternoon Delight on kareoke, watching reruns of Dallas on DVD or singing along with Stallone in Rhinestone. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but give Ugly Betty back her proverbial valuable baseball cards. We’re not in elementary school anymore. Gio should come back just to look out for Betty like a brother even if she doesn’t like him romantically. She needs that and he needs her to bring him down to earth. What would Schneider be on One Day At A Time without Mss. Romano? Matt might be a good bf but it would be nice to see he and Jesse or whomever be put on alert by Gio that Betty is a nice girl who deserves being treated better than Amanda like Papi probably would if he wasn’t so sick. What kind of association are you even suggesting about Betty to viewers by letting her room with that skank in the first place anyways?
Couldn’t Suzuki have a twin brother that fills in on occasion and that is the straight one? The audience, again is being shot in the foot here and I can’t see any other reason why than some sort of petty jealousy. What, does Lindsay Lohan share an adjoining rehab room with the Geico Cavemen or something? Oh I know, their lawyer from the cancelled series pimps Lohan’s Kimmy on the side. Ow, Christina quit kicking me! You love it. Don’t lie. Well this is me being much like Hagrid again from Harry Potter. Say anymore and in 2 mos. I’ll be awaiting triplets like Shrek. *sarcastic* Wait, what? Sleep on the couch? I said I was sorry… oh wait… well I meant to! *door slams in my face* I didn’t blab any secrets! Women. …heard what? *has my ear pulled* Ow, ow… watch the hair!