But, last nights season 4 premiere, episode 4.01 (and 4.02), “The Butterfly Effect” was wonderful, yet I think saying “it was like season 1” would be an insult.

The show is growing up a little.  “The Butterfly Effect” was enjoyable for reasons all its own.  My favorites?

• Betty’s transformation.  So, they aren’t handling it with a Nanny McFee subtlety, but this is television.  I loved how Betty played with her bangs the entire episode, as if she was subconsciously wanting to change them.  The blog with Betty’s greatest fashion hits was funny.  The new Betty is hot (nice touch, having the crew member double take as she walked by).
• I liked the braces-off teaser dream sequence.  It makes me really excited to see them come off for real.
• This was Justin’s episode.  Ugly Betty tends to give us drama with a heavy hand, but Mark Indelicato used mostly expressions and body language to portray his misery.  I hope they give him a little comedy in the future (and Justin needs an ally at school – pronto!), but his first day at school was portrayed perfectly.
• Marc’s in a weird position this season – hate/sabotage Betty, have empathy for and help Betty’s family.  Not to mention his insecurity with Wilhelmina’s future.  Michael Urie pulls it off, though.
• I LOVE the new Nico storyline, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I love YaYa DaCosta’s portrayal of her.
• 46-year-old Vanessa Williams is still the most beautiful person on the show.  With every scene she’s in, you can’t take your eyes off her.
• Speaking of, the sight gags in this episode were subtle and hilarious.  Those of you who paid attention in history class will know why Wilhelmina’s banging on the podium at the UN with her shoe was funny.  Also, Kristen Johnston’s temp character looking for “Daniel Miagi” – almost made up for the fact that Ralph Macchio was only in one scene.
• I’m really curious where they are going to take Amanda.  Seeing herself 20 years from now was quite a wakeup call, and she’s obviously decided to do something with herself.  (Writers – Please send her to community college.  OMG, what possibilities!)
• Matt and Megan are going to be the perfect foils for Betty this season.  Megan’s resentment seems more “real” – Matt’s just being a jerk.  Did anybody else love it when Daniel punched him?
• Speaking of, the Detty moment after the punch set up the Daniel / Betty story line for this season.  It will be interesting seeing them act as sort-of peers.

Before the show aired, I was worried about the writing in this one – but they struck a perfect balance.  No, it wasn’t madcap (except for the “Lion King” dream sequence), and the drama didn’t hit you over the head – instead, it felt like a nice visit from an old friend, who has changed but is deep down still the friend you remember.

Welcome back, Ugly Betty.  Stick around a while, OK?

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

Post from: Ugly Betty News

I have no idea what their reasoning is (some big competing event?  something big on cable?), but I’m pretty angry about this.  How many times can they jack around Ugly Betty fans with scheduling changes?  We are very loyal, but this is ridiculous!

But, I want to know why this decision was made almost at the last minute.  We’ve already had to wait longer than most other shows’ fans to get new episodes.

I have BIG hopes that the changes in the show are going to pave the way for its survival, but it’s hard enough to get people to stay home on a Friday, much less when fans aren’t even sure when the show is going to actually air.

I hope in the next few days someone at ABC reveals the reason for the move, and I hope it’s one made to actually help the show.

Anyway, mark your calendars for October 16th.  If it changes again, I’ll let you know.  And, I promise you, I will be cursing.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Anyway, Ugly Betty made the list.  Not surprisingly, the suggested hook up is a Detty hook up.  As their caption (submitted by a fan) to a photo of Daniel and Betty says, “I know [creator Silvio Horta] is saying no, but the fans say yes. I kind of thought it was the point of the show. She was hired by his father to be a competent assistant he was in no danger of sleeping with. In the end, they should absolutely get together and bring it full circle.”

Since every (or almost every) incarnation of this show has ended with the “Daniel” character getting together with the “Betty” character (SirLizard can verify), this discussion will always be there under the surface.

I also think that Silvio Horta, no matter what he says publicly, might be steering us in that direction.  EveryGirl Molly was a surrogate Betty, and sex addict Matt is a surrogate Daniel (especially with his new, slick look).

My thinking on this has evolved a little over the years.  When the show is winding down (and let’s face it, they’ll know this winter if season four will be the last for Ugly Betty), I’d like to see the two get together.  They could have several episodes exploring the excitement and confusion of this. Then in the series finale, I’d like to see Daniel propose.

Betty could accept, and that would surely be a fitting ending for the show.  Even better, Betty could turn him down.

The couple could then declare their eternal friendship, and Betty will have truly grown up before our eyes.

(There is the added benefit that such an ending would leave the Henry, Gio and Daniel love stories still possible in the dreams of the fans of each character).

But, I could also live with Betty and Daniel hooking up, too. 

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: Ugly Betty News

  Ugly Betty

Will Daniel have another girlfriend when Ugly Betty returns? — Michael
MICKEY [O'Connor]: Not exactly. A woman he meets at a bereavement class will become his assistant… and confidante. And what will this Betty substitute look like? She’ll look like Entourage’s Jamie Lynn Sigler, but with a twist. "You won’t recognize me in my hair and makeup," Sigler hints. "It’s kind of a disguise." I’m seeing braces and a poncho, and I hope to Suarez I’m wrong.

First of all, what the heck is with this question?  Let’s recap Daniel’s most recent events:

• He fell in love.  Head over heels, settle-down-and-grow-up-and-show-nobility kind of love.
• He got married to the woman he fell in love with.
• His new wife, and love of his life then died not long after.

Why on earth would anyone think this is a good time for him to get a girlfriend?  [OK, rant over].

Anyway, Mickey, no poncho or braces.  Sigler’s character, Natalie, is just going to be a little eccentric in her style.  Not season 1 Betty eccentric, but eccentric nonetheless.  (see photo).

The term “confidante” is interesting.  My first thought was “that’s Betty’s job!” But, when thinking about it, I think it is time for both Betty and Daniel to move on.  No, I don’t mean they shouldn’t be friends, even close friends anymore. I mean that it’s not good for Betty or Daniel for her to constantly be taking care of him.  I think they can become better friends as sort-of peers. 

Plus, I think Daniel’s friendship with Betty made it possible for him to have a friendship with a woman without immediately sleeping with her.  Bradford’s original purpose for Betty had an interesting consequence.

I’m looking forward to all the new characters – including Natalie!

Image: Bauer Griffin

Post from: Ugly Betty News

He doesn’t give an entire list, but Slezak is operating under the assumption that Vanessa Williams is a hands-down favorite for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her portrayal of Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty.  And, although I agree (she’s shown some incredible range in season 3), we Vanessa Williams fans have been burned before when it comes to television’s highest honor.

Williams has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Ugly Betty seasons 1 and 2, but she was beaten by Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl) in 2007, and Jean Smart (Samantha Who?) in 2008. 

Considering those two shows have been canceled, perhaps it’s finally Vanessa’s turn?  Maybe Williams will be the favorite this year.

Slezak lists four dark horses for the supporting actor/actress awards.  He gives a nod to Keir Gilchrist, United States of Tara,  Hamish Linklater, The New Adventures of Old Christine.  He then says the following about Michael Urie: 

Watching Marc strive for love and a better career proved alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, and proved Urie is every bit as valuable to the Ugly Betty cast as the more heralded Williams and America Ferrera.

I couldn’t agree more – like I’ve said, Urie has absolutely shined this past season, becoming almost a co-star.  Granted, the writers gave him more to work with than Becki Newton or Eric Mabius (who was also great this year!), but Michael ran with it.  I’d love to see him get the nomination, but it’s hard to break past the usual suspects (Neil Patrick Harris, Jon Cryer, half the cast of Entourage).  We’ll see.

Finally, Slezak gives props to Ana Ortiz.  In the past, I’ve clamored for Becki Newton to get a Supporting nomination instead of Ana, but this year, Ana probably deserves it a little more.  (Sorry Becki – it’s not you – the writers struggled all year with Amanda).  Ana Ortiz, however, has not only been hilarious at times, but she got her drama on several times (most notably, episode 3.12, Sisters On The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – not my favorite episode, but Ortiz had some great scenes nonetheless).  AND, she had two romances!

All this being said, most likely Vanessa Williams will be the only cast member to get a supporting nomination.  I don’t think the Academy was very fond of Ugly Betty’s second season, and they probably won’t give Ugly Betty the look it deserves for season 3, which is a shame.

But, here’s hoping they ALL get nominations! 

Post from: Ugly Betty News

As a refresher, Fey Sommers was the “just-deceased” editor-in-chief of Mode as the pilot of Ugly Betty aired.  It turns out that Bradford Meade was having a longtime affair with Sommers.  As a twist, Fey poisoned Claire Meade using tainted perfume, which ironically drove Claire to murder Fey.  In yet another twist, Fey Sommers turned out to be Amanda’s biological mother (father unknown, although Gene Simmons pretended to be for a while). 

In the middle of all of that is something most Betty fans have forgotten: Fey’s casket, it turns out, was empty.  Since that moment, in season 1 I believe, the writers pretty much dropped the subject.

Some have speculated that Fey was the person Wilhelmina saw in the season 3 finale – whomever it was, it shocked her.  That WOULD be an interesting way to bring back the character.

Several actresses have portrayed Sommers (including Becki Newton!), but I am going to watch closely this summer to see if a middle-aged woman is cast in a recurring role.  OR, they could just let Newton play her.  THAT would make for some interesting episodes.

If it happens, I believe it will be solely because of internet chatter. Trust me, when Gene Simmons said he “Googles himself every morning”, he wasn’t too far from the truth.  You’d be amazed when you comment here and other places who is listening.

Be that as it may, I hope it happens, mainly because it will help return some of that wonderful season 1 intrigue to Ugly Betty.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Wilhelmina, after making her deal with the “shady character”, turns the corner in her apartment, and sees someone, someone who shocks her so much, she drops her champagne glass, and says, “What are YOU doing here?”

Before speculating, I’d like to say that there’s no guarantee that Silvio Horta or the writers know who it was.  They may have written the cliffhanger, knowing they can fill in the blanks later.  It’s highly unlikely, but sometimes I wonder if Horta isn’t making it up as he goes.

But assuming he has some idea where this is going, who is it?  Here are some facts that might help us narrow it down:

• The person had access to Wilhelmina’s apartment.  From what I could tell, whoever it was was inside the apartment.
• The person was not someone Wilhelmina normally sees.  Her reaction would have been different, had it been Marc or Betty (both of whom were seen elsewhere during this scene).
• The person made Wilhelmina uncomfortable.

Now, the easy answer would be Wilhelmina’s daughter Nico.  It’s possible, but I don’t think Nico would have gotten that reaction. 

Another possibility is Alexis. After all, the two of them were co-conspirators at one time.  But, I just don’t see it, mostly because Rebecca Romijn is going to be busy at the start of next season.

Yes, it could have been Connor.  He probably still has a key to her apartment.  But, then there would be no intrigue about Connor to start next season, and I think they really want to make the “where is Connor” story line last at least a few episodes.

I suppose Silvio could have gone totally whimsical, and made it the sexy nanny.

But, I’m going to go out on a limb.  I think it was Fey Sommers.

At least, I think that would be the coolest possibility.

Now, in order for this to be the case, Wilhelmina would have had to know that Fey was not dead.  The two would have had to conspire, which is not totally unbelievable.  The story lines, if Fey is alive, would be absolutely juicy; everyone from Claire to Amanda to Daniel would be very interested in knowing that she did not die (considering Claire did time in the slammer for Fey’s murder, she might even be murderous).

It’s a long shot, but I think that a return of Fey Sommers would make for great intrigue/drama/comedy, and I’m betting that Silvio Horta agrees with me. 

Image: Bauer Griffin

Post from: Ugly Betty News

Now, any show is going to have its highs and lows in a 24 episode season (especially one with ensemble writers, directors, and actors) , but the highs and lows this year were quite extreme.

These opinions are my own, and everyone has one, so I’d love to hear yours.  Here is my list of hits and misses for Ugly Betty in season 3.  I’m an optimist, so I’m going to start with the misses and end with the hits. 

Misses

• The soapy elements.  They just didn’t work for me this year, because there was less intrigue (like the season 1 Fey Sommers mystery). This leads to…
• Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.  I really thought this was the low point of the season.  First, Papi has what turned out to be the most harmless heart attack in the history of mankind.  It was also the height of the Wilhelmina/Connor romance, which was interesting, but turned Willi into a totally different person.  The sister drama was a little too heavy handed.  (There was one part of this episode that is a “hit”, though, which I’ll get to in a bit)
• Betty’s Independence - I wanted so badly for this to be a “hit”.  At the start of season 3, I had had enough of the “who did Betty choose” drama, and was wondering whether the “single girl in the city” storyline would work.  I thought, OK, a somewhat strange-looking, modern-day Mary Tyler-Moore would be pretty cool.  Then, inexplicably, they dropped the whole idea.  YETI ended up only being necessary to introduce Matt.  Pah.
• Jesse – Don’t get me wrong.  I like Val Emmich.  His music video dream sequence was very funny.  But his character was a needless distraction.
• Betty wins! I added this because I think that every now and then, Betty needs to lose.  She needs to not “save the day” at the end of every episode.  (Most of them, yes, but if can predict it, then it probably isn’t very interesting).  I don’t want to press the issue, because, of course, I want Betty to save the day most of the time – but every now and then, a loss would be pretty cool.
• Betty moving back home. Did the producers REALLY feel that what was missing from the show mid-season was Betty at home?
• Lindsay Lohan.  Fail.  (OK, the food fight scene was good.  But it wasn’t worth the turmoil and distraction).

Hits after the jump

Hits

• Amanda – OK, Becki Newton’s probably going to hate me for this, because she hasn’t had her own story line since mid-season, but I LOVE how they are using her.  She pops in, says something that makes everyone scratch their heads, and leaves.  When I see Amanda in a scene, I know there will be comedy.
• Claire – I think making her a bigger part of the show was a great idea.  I love her rivalry with Wilhelmina, I love her mentoring of Betty, I love her mother-son moments with Daniel.  The only part that didn’t seem to fit in was the whole shoplifting thing.
• America Ferrera doing comedy – They didn’t let her do it often, but America is very funny when she’s given something funny to do.  The seductions of Daniel and Matt really stand out.
• There’s No Place Like Mode – Y’all know I’ve raved and raved about this episode.  The character Heinrich was so ridiculous, you couldn’t help but like him.  And the ending, with Wilhelmina presenting her baby ala The Lion King, well, that was classic.
• Sexual Ambiguity - I might be alone in this, but I thought the Suzuki / Byron Woo story line was hilarious.  The Jodi/Marc one was sort of funny, too.  Confusing, but funny.
• Ralph Macchio – I don’t know why, but everything about his character worked.  I liked the Archie/Hilda romance, I liked how Ignacio fawned over him, I liked him playing straight man in The Born Identity.
• Molly – Hate me if you must, but I love what she brought to the show.  When you think of Daniel beginning the season hiding at Player, and ending it with that wonderful heartfelt speech, whatever growing his character did, Molly was the reason.  My only complaint is that they didn’t even bother to make her look sick.
• Closure – Betty Suarez Land was almost the perfect tone (Gio hating Betty, then deciding the be her friend).  AND, it came early in the season.  Henry didn’t get his till the 23rd episode, and it was VERY good, I just wish it had come earlier.
• Goodbyes – Alexis, Christina, Molly. Each was done in exactly the right tone.
• Matt – On balance, I think he was good for the show.  Is he Betty’s true love?  No, I don’t think so.  But he added some interesting story lines, not the least of which, Victoria and Cal.
• The Finale – Especially the last 20 minutes or so.
• Michael Urie - Outside of Betty, the show revolved around Marc more than any other character.  He went seamlessly from Betty’s rival to her bestie, and his interactions with Justin have been some of the best moments of the season.
• The Cherry 7-Up Thing – It reminded me of the old Bob Hope movies, when he’d temporarily leave character, look at the camera and make some wisecrack.

So, what hits or misses do you have for this season?

Image: Pacific Coast News

Post from: Ugly Betty News

It might be wishful thinking but I keep coming back to “benching does not equal cancelling”. An ABC representative insists, “…Betty is a solid performer and there is no question that it will definitely be back to complete its season, just without repeats.”

Then there’s this: EOnline’s Kristin spoke to ABC insiders, and says, “The Alphabet net is looking at more of a cable model when it comes to its programming and scheduling. ‘

McPherson is interested in reducing the number of reruns,’ one well-placed insider tells me, adding that Betty—after its dip in the ratings this season—seemed the best place to slot in Samantha [Who?] and Motherhood.”

Let’s take the ABC suits at their word. No, quit smirking – we have no other choice. Stick with me here. Let’s say Betty comes back at the end of sweeps, and runs through much of the summer. Can that work? Has it ever been tried by a broadcast network before?

I do know that shows (especially on cable) can have devoted followings during the summer. I know my family actually blocked out time this past summer to watch “Wipeout” and “I Survived a Japanese Gameshow” (we’re weird like that…).

What I do know is this. The ratings for Ugly Betty were not great for a Thursday night 8pm show leading into a mega-hit. But they weren’t bad enough to give the show the axe altogether, IMHO. The darling of Hollywood, 30 Rock, had 1.1 million fewer overall viewers than Betty last week. (But to be fair, it did better in the 18-49 demos).

There are still many questions. Let’s say Ugly Betty does well when it comes back (for arguments sake, let’s say it stays in the 7-8 million range; that’s pretty good for summer). If it is brought back for a 4th season, would that season start in September, or would Betty become one of those shows that begins in January (or later?)

I will stay on top of this, and let you know ANY news as soon as I get it. Also, remember – there are still at least 2 episodes that will air before the benching.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Ugly Betty News

• They saved the drama for the last 15 minutes, which was surprising considering the promos.
• The opening montage was nice, classic Ugly Betty.
• The absolute funniest moment was the Suzuki St Pierre “surprise” (more on that in a minute).
• Ana Ortiz really showed off her acting chops in this one. Emmy nom?
• Amanda was totally likeable in this episode, but that left me a little disoriented. Who is this woman?
• I like the way they are handling the love quadrangel. They had one episode of hot-n-heavy, and now things are going to get a little more messy.
• Vanessa Williams: HOT! Seeing Wilhelmina be lust crazed was downright fun.
• The most sympathetic character: Marc St James. Michael Urie played it perfectly. Had I been Marc, I would have put a designer shoe in Wilhelmina’s butt after the way she acted.
• I wondered who would get left out this week, and it ended up being Christina. Perhaps she’ll show up next week?

Unlike many, I liked the sister drama; it seemed perfectly in place for the circumstances, and fit in perfectly with Ugly Betty’s tradition of dramedy.

Now, for the controversy. There was some discussion in the live blog about whether or not Suzuki’s “secret” was part of the overall ABC purge of gay characters from its shows. Even though I seriously doubt ABC is overtly trying to do such a thing, even if they were, I’d say Suzuki is different.

1) He’s a minor character.
2) It was totally played for laughs (and let’s face it, Alec Mapa is one funny dude).
3) He’s still going to be “Suzuki”. We’ll just see him differently now.
4) Anyone who thinks Ugly Betty is becoming less gay friendly hasn’t been paying attention.

That’s my opinion about that. I thought it was hilarious.

Note: I had some technical difficulties with the full recap (the details of which I won’t bore you with), so I’ll be posting it later today.

Post from: Ugly Betty News