Ugly Betty

Hi- Lauren here filling in for this drama-filled, cliff-hanger-laden, surprising finale!

The show opens with a flashback scene to 1999. Lilo’s 30 second guest appearance is the role she was born to play. In gym class Lindsay, the “mean girl,” chooses Betty for her team only to use her as a human dodgeball shield.

Back in present day, Gio and Betty are discussing Betty’s aversion to sports and their new relationship. Betty wants to take things slow. They notice Betty’s article is finally out- but to their dismay- it's not only small, but completely rewritten. Betty confronts Claire who tells her she needs to stop playing it safe in work and life and needs to take more risks- which becomes the undoubted theme of the show. When asked what she wants- Betty reveals that she wants to be Claire- own a magazine and reach people in a powerful way. Is this some type of foreshadowing?

Meanwhile on the Daniel/Alexis front, a clearly overworked Daniel blames Alexis for bringing Wilhelmina back into the company. Later, Daniel, Alexis and Wilhelmina present to a high profile advertising client where Daniel confuses the client with numbers and graphs. Wilhelmina steps in like an old pro and woos the client with a charity softball game. Daniel is understandably upset and resentful.

Gio and Betty take a quick break from work to brush up on her softball skills and Gio surprises Betty by asking her to go with him on a first date to Rome. Pinned to the ground by him in the park, Betty excitedly says yes (kinda hard to say no), but we all know it’s not that simple…

Back at the office a random, mysterious French boy roams around looking for Daniel. As if things couldn’t get worse, we come to find out that he is Daniel’s illegitimate child- and his mother was a French model from his past that recently died! A plot we’ve seen before, yes, but on Ugly Betty it’s sure to be taken to a new level. Daniel immediately thinks it’s another Wilhelmina scheme and confronts her. Turns out it’s not, but Wilhelmina will obviously use it to her advantage anyway.

Betty returns home to talk to her father and Hilda about Gio when Henry shows up unexpectedly and proposes! He has a job waiting for her back in Tucson. Kinda out of left field, but it forces Betty to make one of the biggest decisions of her love life- and makes for a great finale.

The media gets hold of the news of Daniel’s “bastard” with the help of Wilhelmina, and the big advertising client threatens to pull out. Alexis decides Daniel needs to take a leave of absence in order to get the advertiser back and Daniel feels incredibly betrayed. He later has an epiphany and realizes the French boy is his, offers Betty an all expense paid trip to Rome and reminds her for the millionth time how he couldn’t survive without her- all in the same scene! Is it just me or is the show moving closer and closer to a relationship between Daniel and Betty?

In a side story- Hilda decides to move her relationship with Coach Diaz forward. All seems like it’s going well- he even gives her a beautiful necklace- until he reveals he’s actually married and torn between her and his on and off again wife. Hilda just can't catch a break.

At the charity softball game- both teams clad with metallic uniforms, short skirts and high-heeled cleats- Betty avoids Gio and Henry shows up once again. The two men find out about their separate proposals, putting pressure on Betty to make a decision- and soon.


After Daniel’s alleged son points out Marc, it dawns on Daniel that Wilhelmina was the one who leaked the story to the press. When he confronts her about it she swiftly tells him, in true Wilhelmina fashion, that she is now editor-in-chief and Daniel is out. Alexis confirms that he will no longer be head of Mode. Daniel walks off with his son.

Naomi Campbell’s montage during her runway walk to the plate, the reference to her infamous cell-phone assault and power-house hit to Betty was the perfect setup for her to be knocked out with the ball and thrown into a dream sequence where she is forced to choose between Gio and Henry. Betty awakes knowing exactly what to do.

The season ends with Wilhelmina and Alexis celebrating their softball win (and new partnership), Daniel packing up his office with his alleged son, and Hilda kissing the married Coach Diaz. Betty packs her suitcase and says good bye to her family- but we don’t know who she choses (did anyone else notice she’s not wearing the engagement ring??).

Amongst all the drama- favorite moment goes to notorious scene-stealers Amanda and Marc for the expertly crafted softball taunt that managed to rhyme 'Elle', 'smell' and 'hell.'

So who do you think Betty will pick? Gio? Henry? Neither? Will she ditch them both and start a bold new career? Do you think Daniel’s son is really his? What did you think of the finale- did it live up to all the hype??

Watch full episodes of this season's Ugly Betty in our Online Video Guide.

Hey all! Gina here, and I'll be covering for Mickey. There was so much drama in tonight's episode that I don't even know where to begin! So with that said, let's break it down…

Distractions Galore
Betty is on cloud nine when Claire assigns her an article about "the youth perspective" for Hotflash magazine. And now that her heart has been broken for two weeks since Henry left, the first person she tells the good news to is Gio. Convinced that Betty really likes him more as a friend, he plants one her, right while she's mid-sentence. Betty may have slapped him across the face, but it was obvious that she was really feeling it. Now back at work and ready to start her story, Betty gets and instant message from someone who took a picture of their smooch and the next thing she knows, the whole office is seeing it with the caption "Betty Whorez is out of control!" So much for focusing on her article assignment.

The Suarez Sisters' Suitors
Meanwhile, Hilda was on a mission to land a date with the gym teacher, Coach Diaz, and agreed to chaperone Justin's school dance with him -- despite Justin's hatred of such "tacky" events. Unfortunately, Hilda catches Papi's cold, and Betty offers to go in her place so she can interview kids for her article.

While at the dance, guess who Betty bumps into? Gio, of course. He too is chaperoning for his little sister. She ultimately accepts Gio's offer for a dance, but just when there's that tension-filled moment when the two are about the kiss, Betty bolts. Gio finds her by the steps in tears, but manages to make her feel better and they walk home together. At her doorstep, it's actually Betty who asks Gio if he's like to go on a date. He turns her down, but for a good reason. He "doesn't want to be the rebound guy," he "wants to be the guy."

And as for the "Date Coach Diaz" mission, Justin decided to cut his mom off from all the games and just ask his gym teacher how he felt about Hilda. As a result, Coach Diaz showed up at the Suarez home to find Hilda looking like a hot mess. But that didn't matter because he was there to bring her soup and ask her out on a date.

Operation: Break Up The Meades
Meanwhile, now that the announcement has been made that Willie will be having Bradford's baby, she's come back to Mode to claim her thrown. Bradford's will states his empire was to be split equally amongst his children, and by law, that means Willie is entitled to 1/3 of the pot until little TBD Meade is 18-years-old. Clearly 1/3 isn't good enough for Willie, so she sets out to break up the family by attacking its weakest link, Daniel (who turns in a blithering idiot when confronted by her). She shows him up at a meeting, and Marc makes a fool of him when Daniel guest stars on Larry King Live (and yes, it was really Larry). Willie lays her act on so thick that Alexis reinstates her as Creative Director without even consulting her brother or mom (both of whom don't trust her as far as they can throw her). Now the question is will she be able to steal Daniel's job?

Amanda & Marc Reunion
Now that Willie has returned to the halls of Mode, her gofer, Marc, is right behind.
And you know what that means – he and Amanda can be BFF again! But Amanda doesn't want Marc to get too close, especially now that she and her dad, Gene Simmons, are working on a reality show together. May sound glamorous, but the truth is, Gene only acknowledges Amanda when the cameras are rolling, and she doesn't want Marc to see that. But it's only when she goes to her dad for support after a fight with Marc that she notices his tattoo is fake! Turns out Gene Simmons ain't her daddy. She runs back to Marc with her tail between her legs, and the two share a tender moment.

All in all, I thought it was a pretty good episode. I really like how Gio called out Betty on the fact that she has feelings for him, because that's been obvious for quite some time now. But I'm torn as far as who I'd like to see her with – Gio or Henry. I'm fans of both. It was really great to see Willie in the halls of Mode again and back to all her scamming in her ultra-chic office. And I can't even begin to tell you how great it is to have Amanda and Marc join their vapid forces again.

And the Best Line of the Night Award goes to Gio: "You frenched me, Suarez. You frenched me good"

What did you all think of the episode? Were you hoping Gio and Betty would seal the deal and kiss for real? Do you think Willie is going to end up snagging Daniel's job right from under his nose? Are you thrilled to see Amanda and Marc reunited? Let's hear it!

Don't forget to watch Ugly Betty clips and full episodes with our Online Video Guide!

Hey guys, Mickey O'Connor here again. As usual, everyone in the world of Ugly Betty is scheming and scamming this week -- to varying degrees of success. Let's tally the scores:

Scheming the coach
Hottest Gym Teacher Ever Coach Diaz (guest star Eddie Cibrian) is going to fail poor Justin, sending mama bear Hilda into action. And how! After a snappy exchange with Coach Diaz, which was equal parts sass and eye rape, Hilda decides to use her substantial feminine wiles -- and her shears –- to bend the poor coach to her whims, which may or may not only include a passing grade for Justin.

She achieved a certain measure of success: Justin will get to choreograph the cheerleading squad instead of gym class! I like the chemistry between these actors, and I look forward to their inevitable courtship. Ana Ortiz did some fine acting during her "mourning Santos" phase; it's time for the girl to have a little fun.

Advantage: Tie (Nobody's a loser in this pairing.)

Scamming the ladies
So Daniel is depressed about Renee going all cuckoo's-nest last week, so he, naturally, decides to bury his sorrows in a pigpile of willing female flesh. It's happened to the best of us. Claire and Alex –- ever the busy magazine-producing beavers these days -– encourage him to see a shrink, which, eventually, he does. I had higher hopes for these scenes, as I really like Kari Matchett, the actress who played the comely Dr. Wallace. She was sharp as a tack as an acid-tongued corporate attorney on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and I hoped she might be more of a formidable adversary for Daniel in this forum. But… no. They hooked up, driving her shrieking for her own shrink.

It took a typically folksy talking-to from Papa Suarez to encourage Daniel to channel his passions elsewhere, to find his "mole," which turned out to be his work (heh-heh) at Mode, where he knows how to saturate the color-balance and move the photo essays to the front of the book. (Groundbreaking.) It was the Meade version of a tender moment, albeit a short-lived one. Enter Wilhelmina.

Advantage: Daniel (though feminism is the only loser here)

Scamming the Meades
Can I get an Amen for "the biggest comeback since Jesus"? With the help of one hell of a PowerPoint presentation, "Pretty Barbara, not Freckly Barbara" from PR powerhouse PMK, and a lot of hand-on-hip posing, Willi's ramping up to her version of a coming-out party. Christina is far enough along that it's pregnancy-announcement time, and I'm guessing it's this revelation that will facilitate Willi and Marc's re-entry into the Mode fold that was hinted at in the previews for next week. In Marc's words, it was blasphemous…. and sexy. Thank Prada!

Not so fast though. It seems that Christina and her scheming, terminally ill husband Stuart are fighting Willi's schemes with one of their own. And it's a doozy. Christina actually asked Willi to watch the beating heart on the sonogram, and "for once in [her] monstrous life," think about the baby. She asked her to love it (ack) and give it everything that it needs. What could be a more devious request of someone like Willi? Ashley Jensen, who I already loved from her run on Ricky Gervais' Extras, really demonstrated some fine, straight-faced acting in this scene, despite her Scottish burr that always makes me giggle. ("Mur-der!")

Advantage: Team Slater (for now…)

Scheming the pregnant ex
So Betty takes a little of her own advice to Daniel and decides to become Charlie's best friend and yoga partner, and plan una fiesta del bebe for Charlie, which includes flying some tamales in first-class from Tucson (the hell?). Because she's Betty, she thinks this is a good idea, but I'm with Claire Meade on this, planning a baby shower for your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

Although it was clearly a thinly veiled attempt to give Amanda something to do this week, Becki Newton owes the writers big-time for their clever inclusion of Amanda at the festivities. One of my favorite details about Amanda is that she is powerless in the face of Latino cuisine. Watching her scarf down Charlie's precious tamales while she equated the pain of her not-a-nose-job to childbirth was richly comic.

What a difference a week makes. Last week I was railing against the producers' attempts to pit Henry against Gio, and I was all Team Henry. This episode changed my tune. As I watched Betty tear up as Henry cradled his new baby boy, I started thinking that meeting Henry halfway in Springfield, Missouri -- where they have… weather -- was probably the worst idea yet for Betty. I still don't think she should end up with Gio, but nevertheless, I'm hoping the powers that be agree with me and ship Henry off to the desert for good. I know – I'm as surprised as you are.

Advantage: Betty (as it should be)

Are you as ready as I am for Willi's comeback? Do you think Betty would be better off playing the field for now? Did your gym teacher look like Eddie Cibrian? And does anyone know the name of that soulful song they played over the end of the episode. I'm in the habit lately of only downloading songs I see on TV, in a movie, or in Apple ads, and I must have it.

[UPDATE: I love the Internet! The song is "Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime)" by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Off to iTunes!]

Hey guys, Mickey O'Connor here filling in for Adam tonight. I'm an avid watcher of Ugly Betty, but my love for the show is a tough love, so I apologize in advance if I seem too negative or if things aren't up to the quality you expect around here. In the meantime, worship me, bitches! We've got a lot to cover…

I'm sure it's tough juggling an ensemble cast of gifted comedians such that Ugly Betty boasts, and tonight's episode demonstrated the difficult choices the producers and writers must have to make every week. I love this show, but unfortunately, for me, they seem to have made some strange choices tonight. Some tired stories got the spotlight while more intriguing ones enjoyed little screen time. Let's survey the damage:

Henry vs. Gio: I am a fan of Freddy Rodriguez as an actor, and loved Rico, the very real character he portrayed on Six Feet Under, but boy, is he misused on Ugly Betty. Here's the problem: I really like Betty and Henry together, and while Gio is a perfectly innocuous guy, I don't believe in the idea of Betty and Gio getting together. So while the producers have tried to up the dramatic tension, forcing us to take a Team-Jolie-vs.-Aniston-type stake in Betty's choice, it's really no contest for me. I feel the same way about Charlie and her pregnancy. (I'm also a fan of Jayma Mays, who has done great work in guest spots on Heroes and Pushing Daisies.) I think the romantic comedy that Betty and Henry provide really works, and I hope to see more of that in the future.

Christian Siriano and Nina Garcia: On the other hand, I wish that Project Runway celebs Christian Siriano and Nina Garcia were permanent fixtures in the Betty world. Both displayed very un-cameo-like line readings, and played well off their real-life (or reality-TV-life?) personas. Christian's entrance was flawless, and he didn't make me hate the words fierce or hot tranny mess as much as I did every time he spat them out on Runway. So, bravo (so to speak), writers, for giving them excellent stuff to work with!

Marc and Willi: When Bradford Meade died and Willi and Marc left Mode, it let some of the air out of their wickedness. I know they'll be back eventually, but in the meantime, their illicit pregnancy is going to take nine months to hatch, and it's left them in a bit of a holding pattern. Their machinations to convince Dr. Facial Hair to put Renee in the booby hatch seem to lack motive. I mean, what's the endgame in breaking up Renee and Daniel besides just plain enjoying it? I suppose if Daniel is heartbroken, you might argue the magazine would suffer and they'd need Willi back, but come on, how much work does Daniel really do anyway? In the past, Willi's schemes have had much more precision, furthering her ultimate goal to take over Mode. We need to get back to that somehow. For now, their bumbling lacks teeth.

Renee: In TV time, it only took Renee seven days to go totally – as Amanda put it – ca-ha-ha-ra-zee. Anyone who has followed the career of Gabrielle Union (Bring It On, Deliver Us From Eva) knows that she has the potential to be a true leading lady. And again, I really liked Daniel and Renee together, so I feel like tossing her the nutjob card really does her a disservice. I'm sure the strike truncated what could have been a more complicated storyline. So I wonder if that's the last we've seen of our beloved pyromaniac. I hope not.

Amanda: A puffy-shirted Gene's Kid had a nice moment with Daniel, advising him to be more sensitive to other people's feelings when he lets them down. Of course, since it's Amanda, her advice is totally misguided, since Betty isn't in love with Daniel at all (yet). Otherwise, Becki Newton's fierce comic timing was fun to watch as Alexis yanked her out of Christian's conference room walk-off.

Alexis: Speaking of Alexis, you've probably already heard that Rebecca Romijn will be around less frequently next season (see below). As sad as I am to see her go (she acted the hell out of what could have been a one-liner story), I feel like Betty's momentum is moving away from the Meade family, so it's probably all for the best.

La familia Suarez: Though, as always, it's Betty's family that represents the true heart of the show. I have to admit that the idea of Hilda's beauty salon intrigues me, and I'm hoping they make better use of it as a setting in future episodes. Ana Ortiz really inhabits her character, and together with Justin and her papa, they make you realize why Betty is as genuinely nice a person as she is.

Betty: The producers have announced their intention to get America Ferrara back to the charming Betty with whom we all fell in love last season. And I think we're getting there. Her superhuman assistant skills are fun to watch (check out that schedule, so many Post-Its!), and if any of you ever get a job in which you have to extinguish a fire in your boss' apartment, quit immediately. But it's fun to watch Betty do it, right? "You don't pay me enough," Betty complained, as she waved away toxic fumes. Indeed.

Quotable Quotes:

"Hilda's Beautility, are you ready for a glamour opportunity, a glamourtunity?" –Justin, cold-calling for Hilda

"Crazy train, now arriving at Gars du Renee…" --Marc

"Don't pout, Marc; you haven't the lips for it." –Willi

"You shouldn't feel bad; everyone gains weight on a cruise." –Hilda, to Gina

"Go away, you wanker!" –Christina, to Marc when he offers her a "decadent foot rub"

"You smell good, like muscles and power." --Betty, to Daniel, in a dream sequence

"Mur-der!" --Christina, in that awesome Scottish burr

"This is Prada; this is nada." –Hilda, to Gina, comparing their shoes

And, of course...

"Worship me, bitches!" –Christian Siriano, spawning his latest soon-to-be-annoying catchphrase


What do you think? Was I too hard on "Burning Questions"? Who are you rooting for -- Henry or Gio? Will Willi and Marc ever get their well-toned butts back into the Mode fold? What did you think of Gabrielle Union's guest-starring arc, assuming it's finished, of course? And how about Ausiello's scoop that Lindsay Lohan might be appearing in a few upcoming eps (see below)? Work it, my friends, in the comments section below.

Related:
• It's Official: Ugly Betty Demotes Rebecca Romijn
• Exclusive: Lindsay Lohan Finally Getting Ugly?

Watch full episodes of Ugly Betty in our Online Video Guide.

Hey old friends (and hopefully some new ones!) It's been a long time. I've missed you! Well, not you really but I have definitely been missing my Betty. I recently even checked out the Ugly Betty celebrity playlists on Itunes and cracked up at some of the song selections the cast had made. But it wasn't until the "Previously on Ugly Betty..." came on this week that I fully realized how much I actually missed the show. Damn strike! But on a positive note, I read somewhere that America Ferrera and the writers spent their post-strike hiatus coming up with ways to bring the show back its original charm that some felt had been lost at the start of season 2. Let's see if it worked.

The episode started out with Betty in wonderland. Betty's birthday has arrived and her boy Henry waited for her in a horse-drawn carriage. They kissed passionately as they watched fireworks. Time to wake up! Betty started out the day with the usual Suarez family breakfast before heading off to the Poconos with Henry. Meanwhile in Manhattan, Willie went over to Daniel's apartment to warn him about her sister and Christina was getting a bit of cabin fever being locked up in Willie's swanky pad. She decided to make it her mission to figure out the mystery that is Renee. When Betty reached Henry's apartment to begin her romantic weekend getaway, she was horrified to find a very pregnant Charlie answering the door. Cue opening credits.

Henry apologized profusely for having to deal with Charlie during what was supposed to be Betty's birthday extravaganza. Over at Mode, things were business as usual. Daniel and Alexis were trying to figure out what to do with Mama Meade's new magazine "Hot Flash" and Amanda was rocking a Kiss t-shirt to support her newfound daddy. Now that her weekend with Henry was ruined, Betty needed something just as good to do in New York to make up for it. While perusing through Daniel's invitations to countless social engagements she came across a concert in Central Park accompanied by a fireworks display. Perfect! The only problem being that upon learning of her cancelled weekend plans, the Suarez family decided to throw their own party for Betty.

When Renee showed up for lunch with Daniel, he decided to confront her about the things Willie warned him about. As Betty continued to plan the perfect birthday celebration for herself (shouldn't that be Henry's job?) Gio arrived on the scene sporting a new, much shorter, hairdo. While Betty went down the list of all the great things she had planned for the night, Gio suggested the one thing she hadn't yet booked but dreamt about the night before; a carriage. Betty was a little freaked he had suggested it and fled the scene. Over at Willie's apartment, Renee called her sister out for trying to break apart her and Daniel while Christina eaves-dropped and took notes.

Hilda brought some of Ignacio's homemade cupcakes over to Henry's apartment and decided to use the opportunity to threaten Charlie for trying to come between Betty and Henry using her most powerful weapon...acrylic nails. Charlie wasn't going to give up that easily and so she played the only card she had left, sickly mother-to-be. And of course, Henry took the bait. He tried to cancel his date with Betty but her newly bedazzled cell phone cause his voicemail to get muffled. Betty met him at the restaurant only to get stood up. Back at Willie's apartment again, Marc brought over some baby supplies only to find that Willie was MIA. Renee seized the opportunity to get some info out her sister's loyal assistant. How'd she get him to spill the dirt? Choco-tinis! As the drinks flowed so did the stories. The juiciest bit of info being the truth behind Christina's pregnancy and Willie's plot to have an heir to the Meade empire.

At the Suarez home, Ignacio and the rest of the family got word that Henry wouldn't be making it to dinner to meet Betty. Rather than feel sorry for poor B, they saw this as an opportunity to throw her the party they've to have all along. Gio dropped by the Mode office to give a piece of birthday cake to Betty only to have Amanda reveal that Henry cancelled Betty's big romantic plans. Leave it to Gio to save the day! Just as Betty was about to leave the restaurant lonely and heartbroken, Gio came in the horse-drawn carriage that Betty imagined for her ideal birthday date. The Slater sisters met up once again so Renee could blackmail Willie with the info that Marc drunkenly confessed. Desperate for a way to take down her sister once and for all, she sent Marc to sneak into Daniel's apartment. Gio and Betty rode around the city and discussed her unrealistic hopes for a Romeo & Juliet romance (minus the whole death thing.) Gio decided to take Betty on the romantic date she'd hoped for. However, the night didn't go as well as he had hoped either. The carriage wheel broke and Betty fell off. Dream date or not, Betty and Gio still got to share the romantic evening that she had originally planned with Henry. Over at Daniel's, Marc got into the apartment and got busted so confessed fake feelings for Daniel to try and get out of it. By the time Daniel and Renee were finally alone together, she decided to come clean and tell him the truth about her mysterious past. Apparently she literally went a little crazy in college and takes pills to keep her sane. Daniel didn't mind and invited her to move in with him. Before Marc got kicked out of the apartment though, he was able to switch out Renee's crazy pills which means she'll lose her mind any day now. And according to Willie, that could lead to some very violent things. When Betty returned home, the rest of the family was asleep. She found Henry sleeping on the couch. He woke up just in time to wish her a happy birthday before the day was over.

First off, my apologies for this ridiculously long blog. It's been so long since the last recap and I didn't want to miss any of the details. I also realize that I didn't really discuss the whole Claire Meade and "Hot Flash" magazine thing. It was a pretty weak part of the episode and didn't really develop into much aside from Alexis not having any money to devote to the magazine's launch. Overall, I was a little disappointed with the return of UB. Henry acted completely ridiculous this week and it really ruined the episode for me. Anyone would have been able to see through Charlie's manipulation (even a nice guy like Henry.) However, it looks like next week we might finally reach the end of this Henry/Betty/Gio triangle. I'm so ready for Henry to be officially gone. I am still loving Gabrielle Union as Renee though. I can't wait for her to go psycho next week. I would have loved to get more Amanda and more from the Suarez family. So what'd you all think? Was it worth the wait? Should Betty jump right in with Gio or live the single life for a bit? I leave you with a few of my favorite moments:

-Justin bedazzling Betty's cell phone and referring to it as fierce (someone's preparing for Christian Soriano's arrival next week!)
-Amanda trying to be all weirdly sexual like Gene Simmons
-Amanda to Betty:
"What's your favorite part about getting old? Is it your hair thinning or kids asking you about Vietnam?"
-Claire to Betty (in the bathroom)
"Betty, I'm so sorry...I try to keep up the appearance that I never use the bathroom. I hope you won't think any less of me."

And in case you've forgotten what's been going on with Betty and the gang...check it out it our online video guide!

Happy Thursday everyone! It looks like this is going to be the last happy Thursday for a while. We had a good run though didn’t we? In this last Betty outing, we got a great guest star (Gabrielle Union) who totally brought it (sorry, I had to do it!) and a nice cameo by Gene Simmons. On top of it all though, we got two of the best moments I’ve ever seen on this show but we’ll get to those later.

As things got started we were treated to another classic Suarez family moment with Hilda testing out her beautician skills on Betty while Justin provided some brutally honest feedback. Betty was preparing for a night out on the town to see the band Henry manages at a little place called The Beer Hole…not to be confused with The Bear Hole, which is an entirely different type of establishment. The night got interesting when Daniel entered the scene and was immediately hit on by Renee (Gabrielle Union.) Daniel was about to close the deal with Renee when a text came in letting him know a writer had to drop out of writing a story. With no one else to get in such a short time, Betty called in a favor she was owed and got herself the story allowing Daniel to resume his evening with Renee. However, his big plans were cut short once again when he found himself feeling up the wrong chest in the darkness of his bedroom. Who’s mysterious bosom was he copping a feel on? Mama Meade! Eww. Time to call up the shrink!

While Betty, Henry, and Daniel partied the night away to the sounds of I.R.S, Marc and Amanda were scheming as usual in Fey’s no-longer-secret sex room. This week, they were cooking up a plan for Amanda to get in contact with the man she believed to be her father, Mr. Gene Simmons of Kiss. After failed attempts to reach him by phone, e-mail, and father’s day cards, Marc suggests she reach the man by using his own language…the language of song. If only Amanda could find a band to help her perform her little ditty to daddy. Well, as luck would have it, she found what she was looking for when the lead singer dropped out of Henry’s band. With a gig locked down, Amanda and Marc got to work writing the song that would hopefully get Gene’s attention.

At the office, Gio seemed just as excited to have the famous author Phillip Roth in the Mode conference room as Betty. Much to Betty’s disappointment though, the man she believed to be one of her favorite authors was actually the author of a book on how to pick up women entitled “Tap That! How to Score with Hot B*tches.” As she tried to make the best of her assignment, it seemed that Phil Roth wasn’t going to give her much to work with based solely on his demeaning approach to the opposite sex. When Betty presented her article to him, she had decided to write a piece on Hilda starting her own business instead. Daniel was disappointed but relieved as he broke the news that Phil Roth requested a new writer anyway. Determined to prove the misogynistic author wrong, Betty set out to write the best article she could with a little help from Henry and Gio. The 3 amigos hit up a bar to try out Phil Roth’s A.S.S method, which quickly escalated into a competition to see who can get the most phone numbers. When Henry won, Betty was obviously pretty ticked off that not only did the A.S.S. method work but that Henry was able to execute it so successfully. They discussed how Betty didn't like seeing Henry hit on other women but Henry came back by saying it was exactly how he felt watching her and Gio together. Nonetheless, Betty ended up putting together a great article that was later scrapped and she found out that Phil Roth never actually complained about her in the first place. Nicely played Daniel! Elsewhere however, things weren’t going so well for our man Dan.

Shortly after his second date with the gorgeous Renee, Daniel learned his new squeeze is actually Wilhelmina’s sister and what’s worse is that he learned this by walking in on Willie in the shower. After trying to make a clean break from Renee, Daniel found it to be quite the task to get Renee off of his mind. Rather than let Wilhelmina get the better of him yet again, Daniel turned the tables and stepped things up a notch with Renee. As the two grew closer, their relationship dug deeper under Willie’s overly botoxed skin while Christina lounged around Wilhelmina’s apartment enjoying every minute of the show playing out in front of her.

On top of his issues with the Slater women, Daniel also dealt with a bored Claire Meade. With no husband to care for and kids busy at work, Mama Meade was desperate for something to do. Her solution? Start up a magazine for older women called “Hot Flash.” Looks like there will be plenty of more fun with Claire in the episodes that will come whenever this strike ends.

As things wrapped up, Amanda finally got her time on stage to perform her ode to Gene. And this, my friends, was favorite Betty moment number 1. The combination of the song lyrics, the way she sang the song, and the gyrations she made while singing had me re-watching that scene at least 6 times. Once Amanda saw that Gene Simmons had actually turned out to hear her sing (he Googles himself every morning,) she left the stage to have some father/daughter bonding time. This left an opportunity for Betty to push Henry up on stage to live out his own rock star fantasy (favorite Betty moment number 2.) Betty and Henry rapping along to It Takes Two by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock was another scene I watched numerous times before sitting down to write this recap. I was only sad that it took 55 minutes into the episode to get to this scene. The episode ended with Wilhelmina threatening to reveal her sister’s dark secret if she continues to date Daniel while Christina eavesdropped from the bathroom.

This episode is up there as one of my favorite all-time Betty episodes. Both musical performances and the competition between Gio and Henry at the bar almost had me in tears. I even loved the little evil glare Marc gave when Gene Simmons confessed to picking Fey Sommers instead of Cher that night at Studio 54. I must admit that I was really enjoying Henry this episode (though I still like Gio) and I’m even coming around to the Christina story. The pregnancy still stinks but it seems like she’s taking advantage of the opportunity to get some dirt on Wilhelmina’s past and her family drama. I’d love to see the wrath of Christina. If anyone could take down Wilhelmina, it’s gotta be Christina. Those two will have a lot going together in the next 9 months. Anyone else have a change of heart with that? I would have still liked a bit more Hilda though. It seems like she hasn’t had a lot to do since Santos’ death. They need to find her another storyline fast! So that’s it folks! It’s been fun. I hope to see you all again when the show comes back…whenever that will be.


Quotes of the Week:
-Amanda’s initial reaction to Marc telling her to speak to Gene in his own language:
“Hebrew?!”
-Phil Roth’s approach to picking up women: “Approach, Subdue, Score…easy way to remember it: A.S.S.”
-Betty and Daniel discussing “Tap That!”: “Betty, you are literally judging a book by its cover!”
-Betty, in response to Justin’s interest in what he was told was a book about tap-dancing:
”Always remember tapping is demeaning to women!”
-Marc’s reaction to Amanda’s song:
“I can only hope that one day I’ll have an illegitimate daughter who will sing me a song that beautiful”
-And finally, Amanda’s intro to her ode to Gene: “It’s Mandy, b*tch!”

It's Thursday night and with 30 Rock, The Office, and Grey's Anatomy all either not on or not new, I've got just one single hour of prime time television to take my mind off of what became a pretty cold and dreary night here in NYC. Of course, I'm referring to a brand-spankin' new episode of Ugly Betty. And what's more is that this week's episode marked the return of everyones favorite homicidal matriarch, Claire Meade. Let the good times roll!

As the episode opened, Betty was passed out on the floor of Gio's Sandwich Shop after apparently tossing a bar stool through the store window. Betty awoke in handcuffs having no recollection of how she wound up there. Rewind to three days earlier as the Meade family prepared for the start of Claire's trial. As Daniel and Alexis contemplated how they could help their mother earn sympathy from the jury, Betty was sent off to gather some of Claire's belongings including some perfume she had once received from Bradford. Meanwhile, Christina met with Marc and Wilhelmina where they pitched the idea of using her womb to carry Willie's child (but failing to disclose who's sperm was used to father the child.) As many of you predicted, Christina wasn't so quick to volunteer for the job and elected instead to find another means to come up with the dough for her husband's medical needs. Her only hope was to sell off a dress that Jackie O wore to a state dinner that she found in the Mode closet. Those plans were foiled however when Marc overheard the plans and destroyed the dress leaving her no choice but to agree to be the surrogate.

Over in Fey's secret sex room, word about the room had finally reached the rest of the Mode staff and it was starting to get used as a break room much to Amanda's dismay. As she gathered some of her mother's belongings to keep away from the vultures, she stumbled upon hidden pages of Fey's diary which she hoped would shed some light on her father's identity. While Amanda perused the pages, she uncovered her mother's secret plot to get rid of Claire once and for all by poisoning the perfume that Bradford gave her after a business trip. When Betty brought Claire's things to the courthouse, Claire decided to give her perfume to Betty hoping it would bring her and Henry the same positive results it brought Claire and Bradford. And thus began Betty's brief descent into madness.

When the trial kicked off, things weren't looking so good for the Meade family. Both Alexis and Daniel were torn apart by the prosecutor (played by ER and Fame's Paul McCrane.) Even Daniel's attempt to make nice with the judge backfired when it appeared he was paying her off rather than giving her change of a twenty. The judge was then replaced with the honorary Judge Biotch, the judge who presided over the one case that Claire's lawyer lost.

Back at the Mode offices, Betty decided to give Claire's perfume a go and immediately felt the effects. It was as if she had taken a combination of cocaine and Viagra. She found Henry irresistible, handled all of her tasks in hyper-speed, and compared the tomatoes on Gio's sandwich to eating sunshine. All the while, she was oblivious to Gio's various attempts to come on to her. He first tried to convince her that she couldn't be sure of what Henry would be doing with Charlie out in Tucson. As Betty saw Henry off on his trip, it was hilarious watching his reaction to her outlandish behavior as she played with his tie, told him he could sleep with whomever he wants, and then finally when she gave him his "care package." Hyper-Betty continued on with this behavior through breakfast with her family the next morning and then up until she woke up on the floor of Gio's shop with a note describing how much she loathes him. Despite breaking his store window and her hate letter to him, Gio still escorted Betty to the doctor's office where her family rushed to her side. The doctor informed her that she had been drugged with toad venom and once she realized the only thing she had being differently was using the perfume, everything became clear. When she rushed back to Mode to grab the bottle and get Claire exonerated, she had quite the time trying to convince Amanda to give it up. Although Amanda fooled Betty into believing she had actually given up the perfume, it was Marc who later got her to do the right thing but not before Betty got her time on the stand to be ripped apart by the prosecutor. Marc had a great point that although he can be evil and manipulative, he's always stayed on the right side of the law and has only acted out to advance his career. Amanda made her way to the courthouse just in time to help free Claire. And so everyone, Mama Meade is back and better than ever! Things came to a close with Wilhelmina, Marc, Christina, and Betty at the doctor's office getting the embryo implanted into Christina's uterus. This is going to be one helluva pregnancy!

First off, phew! With the length of this recap, transcribing the entire episode might have been an easier option. Hopefully you all have made it this far to read my actual thoughts on the show. I thought toad-venom Betty was awesome! From the way she interacted with the other employees at Mode to her rant about Molly Ringwald movies, it was all just so much fun to watch. It really showcased America Ferrera's talent and why she deserved that Emmy she got last year. As I pointed out earlier, I also loved Marc's justification for his actions and why Amanda couldn't destroy the evidence that would free Claire (not to mention the fact that its illegal.) Of course I'm ecstatic that we not only get Claire back but it seems like she will be playing a much bigger part at Mode in upcoming episodes. The one thing I'm iffy about, and it seems many of you are as well, is this whole Christina as surrogate story. I was hoping she'd find some way out of it this week. However, that was just a small part of what I felt was another classic Betty episode. And really, what's better than a great episode of Ugly Betty? Oh wait, I know. How about knowing that while most people are searching high and low for new shows to watch during this strike, we still get another new episode next week! Just one more reason to love it.

Quotes of the week:

— Mark, after Willie explains that she can't get pregnant: "It's tragic! Bono and Sheryl Crow should do a benefit for her lady parts."
— Amanda telling off the Mode employees invading the secret sex room: "All of this belonged to my mother who, I like to think, had multiple orgasms right where you're sitting. That's right, she was that kind of lady!"
— Betty, high as a kite and eating one of Gio's sandwiches: "The flavors in this pastrami taste like purple."
— Hilda's comment: "As soon as the blood work comes back we'll know what's going on. Oh my God, would you listen to me? I could soo be on an episode of Grey's Anatomy right now!" followed by her and Justin's banter about missing Addison.
— Amanda's text to Betty: "Meet me in the hallway, cheese fingers"

Find more Betty clips in our Online Video Guide!

Welcome back all you UB fans out there! It looks like we've got a few more glorious weeks to enjoy with our homely heroine before the writer's strike takes hold. Lets try and make the best of the short time we have with her. First off, I should explain that though I'm a first time blogger for this show, I've been a fan since day one and I've been known to comment on here every so often. I think I've got what it takes to keep this blog going though I hope nobody holds it against me that I'm rooting for Betty and Gio over Betty and Henry. Anyway, here goes.In Betty's first outing of the new year, fashion week was underway once again at Mode which means two things: Loads of stress for the Mode employees and plenty of guest stars for us viewers at home. Remember Katherine McPhee's cameo from last year?

While Betty was helping Daniel prepare for the Mode fashion show, she also played the cool aunt for Justin and his classmates by guiding them on a tour of the office. As she led the kiddies around, it became apparent to her how seeing size zero models everywhere was starting to affect the impressionable young minds. Recalling her own weight issues as a child, Betty set out on a mission to prove that being skinny isn't the only way to be beautiful. Betty seemed to gain support from Daniel who was eager to prove his abilities as a leader. When Alexis quickly shot down his idea, he resorted to rigging the scale at the weigh-in to appease both Betty and Alexis. When Betty figured it all out, she convinced him to go behind his sister's back and cast real women in the fashion show. Although the show was a success, Betty wasn't quite as successful at getting through to the girls in Justin's class.

In the mean time, Wilhelmina and Marc continued on their quest to get Bradford's bun in Willie's oven. Unfortunately, Willie's doctor informed her of her hostile womb which causes her to be infertile. Time to find a surrogate! At first, it seemed that Willie's manicurist was the perfect woman for the job until Marc and Cliff uncover her big secret while perusing the porn section of their local video store. With the manicurist no longer an option, Willie needed to find someone who was so desperate for money they'd do anything. Enter Christina...who had just received word that Mode's health insurance would not cover her husband's experimental procedures. Poor Christina always seems to end up in these situations! However, it looks like we'll be getting more on that storyline next week.

Over at the reception desk, Amanda continued her search for her father. Even with a private detective on the case, she was no closer to finding out her father's identity and was about ready to give up hope. As a last resort, she takes up Marc's offer to visit with a psychic (played by Annie Potts) whom he swears by based on the fact that she knew he was gay when he met with her for the first time. I loved Amanda's response to that: "Is that the doctor who delivered you?" Annie Potts did an amazing job with the role leading Amanda on a scavenger hunt trying to find the clues that she mentioned in the reading. The whole thing amounted to Amanda finding a picture of Gene Simmons from Kiss and believing him to be her father. While I'm sure it won't end up being true, the very idea of it made me cringe. They better get us someone so much better to fill those shoes. I'd rather not see some cast-off from Celebrity Apprentice.

By the end of the hour, Betty walked the runway during fashion week, Bow Wow and Omarion performed a song from their new album, and it looked as though Willie found herself a surrogate. Did I mention how glad I am this show is back? Even if its just for a little while. This show is a perfect blend of over-the-top drama and hilarious one-lines which makes it pretty tough to catch everything and fit it into one little blog. As I've stated in previous comments on this blog, I love any scenes that pair up Marc and Amanda and this episode is no exception. I was completely content with the minimal screen time given to Ignacio though a little more Hilda would have been nice. Betty and Henry's relationship has run its course for me and I'm waiting for Henry to leave so Betty can have other love interests (even if it's not Gio.) Before I go, I also need to mention how much I miss Judith Light as Claire. I'm so psyched for next week when her trial for Fey's murder begins. It's gonna be a great one folks! I leave you this week with a few of my favorite little tidbits from this week's show.

-The cheesecake/heroin diet
-Amanda feeling close to Jimmy "JJ" Walker, Dy-no-mite!
-Marc turning everything into sexual "inenendo": "Dick Tracy" was "shooting blanks"
-"They're New York teenagers. If they can sorta read and they don't kill me, I'm happy!"
-Bow Wow likes em freaky
-Amanda's dog is a little racist (but adorably ugly)
-Marc wanting to watch "Bring It On" or "Bring It On 2: Bring It On Again"
-The secret fashion show code names: Princess Daisy/Betty, Black Dragon/Henry, Falcon/Daniel
-Willie referring to Christina as a Scotch on the rocks