Here are some quick thoughts about Ugly Betty, episode 4.04, The Wiener, The Bun, and The Boob.

I LOVE Betty’s new attitude.  I wasn’t sure if I would, but it’s not annoying or abrasive, it seems to fit her new situation.
Marc’s face when he learned he would be Betty’s assistant was hilarious.  So was Betty’s.  At the same time, Wilhelmina’s expression when she thought Marc was going to get info out of Nico was priceless.
Wilhelmina kissing Claire and Cal’s butt was very funny.  Uncomfortable, but funny.
Brooklyn Decker was used perfectly.  Beautiful, but totally hideous.  Man, that is one tall woman!
I can’t …read more

Usually, when we fans want to compliment something about an episode of Ugly Betty, we say it was “season 1 – worthy”.
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 …read more

Attention Silvio Horta: I now officially forgive you for Jump. 
For the uninitiated, Jump was Ugly Betty’s season finale for season 2, and it left the show in a mess.  Gio fans were mad.  Henry fans were mad.  Fans of Betty and all the other characters wondered, “What the heck is this all about?”  (Not to mention ABC hyped a 30 second Lindsay Lohan appearance, that foreshadowed her disastrous stint on the show in season 3). Like I said, it was a mess. And Silvio Horta,the show’s creator and executive producer, was solely responsible for the script.
As he …read more

Yesterday, TV Guide’s Ausiello gave out his grades to all the season finales in TV land. (By the way, Ausiello is leaving TV Guide! But, he’ll be with Entertainment Weekly, so our spoilers will still be forthcoming).
In his critique of Ugly Betty’s finale (episode 2.18 – Jump), he was pretty harsh. He gave the episode a “C”, and had this to say:
As I feared, ABC is looking at those sagging ratings and fixing what ain’t broken. I’m all for refocusing the show around Betty, but does it have to come at the expense of the funny?
Now, he …read more

Ugly Betty’s Becki Newton recently spoke with the Boston Herald about the show, her characeter Amanda, and moving back to New York.
About Amanda’s search for her father, Newton says, “From birth, Amanda has been trying to find herself. There’s resolve in the search with who her father is and how she sees herself. She’s made peace.”
I’m glad, because I always thought the story line was a little forced. And I say this as a huge fan of “Gene Simmons is my Daddy”.
Becki addresses the show’s return to its roots. “The heart was always there, but I do love …read more

David Hinkley of the NY Daily News has screened the Ugly Betty finale (giving it four out of five stars), and he drops in a few more hints about what will happen.
Now, Hinkley doesn’t reveal anything new about content, but method. He makes it clear that Lindsay Lohan’s appearance is very brief. I figured it would be, there just wasn’t enough time, and the creative reason for her appearance in this season’s finale is for introduction only.
(One nitpick thing I’d like to add. In the high school flashback scenes, Ameri-Betty has perfect teeth. OK, I know …read more

There’s a pretty fascinating article in the LA Times by TV critic Mary McNamara. She starts out examining the feminisation of network television, and the masculinisation of cable TV (especially reality TV). I thought it was interesting that she used Ugly Betty as an example, but I think McNamara misses the mark somewhat. Then she ventures into the depiction of class on television, and I think what she has to say is important (although she still, I think, misreads Ugly Betty).
I didn’t know this, but Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch was the highest rated prime-time show amongst men …read more

Here is the full recap of Ugly Betty episode 2.15 (Burning Questions).  Before the recap, I’d like to give you a few quick thoughts.

America Ferrera carried the episode.  Silvio Horta wasn’t kidding when he said he was refocusing the show on Betty.
Two episodes into the season 2 restart, and we’ve seen the effects of the back-end changes at Ugly Betty.  The comedy was very subdued last night.  This is probably necessary to tie up all the old loose ends, but they need to up the hilarity next week.
Line of the night: Betty literally putting out a …read more

 First of all, I want to make clear that last night’s Ugly Betty, episode 2.12, Odor In the Court, was one of my favorite episodes, ever.  Seeing Betty go berzerk was side-splitting funny.  I loved how, for this one episode, Micheal Urie, Marc Indelicato, Ana  Ortiz, and Eric Mabius all got to play the “straight man” to Betty’s craziness.  America Ferrera is one great comedic actress.  As EOnline’s Kristin (actually, Korbi) said: “These are the moments that Emmys are made of…”
Having said that, there were a few moments that made me say, “Yeah, but what about…?”  I’m not the type that demands …read more

This was a kind of topsy-turvy episode of Ugly Betty.  Betty, normally the conscience of the show, cheats and gets herself into trouble.  Daniel is thoughtful and kind.  He ends up bailing Betty out and lecturing her (sort of).  Justin is a wanna-be gangsta, making moves on a neighborhood girl and drinking “be-ah”.  Henry was not upfront with Betty about the paternity test.  Alexis is the opposite of confident, and doesn’t know how to act as a girl.
The only normalcy at Mode was that Wilhelmina was evil and conniving, Marc was spastic and funny, and Amanda was her usual airhead …read more