Does anyone think maybe Justin is going to have a puppylove interest in the form of hot football player?
StG
I was really wondering if they’ll do anything that bold. The actor’s 14 (Justin- no idea about the closeted jock), was probably 13 when that episode was shot, so it’d be a bit risky. Not that they’d have a lovemaking scene (I don’t think anyone’s had one other than implication or afterglow) but even a smooch would be really pushing the envelope. OTOH, it’d probably really get talked about and that’s one of the best things that any show can hope for.
I was glad to see them deploy Justin again. He’s been little more than an extra for the last several episodes and he’s one of the most interesting characters. I think it’s great seeing an obviously “one of us” character in that age group on TV- it lets so many gayteen year olds know they’re not alone and even represented. I also love how the family not only completely accepts him but has made it obvious “we love him and we will never ask him to change”. I think most of the problems of the world would be solved if more people had a Papi in their life.
The show in general seems to be going downhill though, which I hate because it’s one of my favorite shows. I REALLY hope they’re not going to make Betty’s musician neighbor a regular because her love-triangle is one of the reasons the show has gotten worse. I’d much rather see her just settle into a quirky romance with Gio (though Henry can come around for some gratuitous underwear shots now and again).
I hate that they got rid of Alexis, but it’s understandable. Rebecca Romijn (about whom- damn! Has anyone else noticed that she’s hot I wonder? She could make a living at it) is pregnant which would be pretty difficult to work into a plot about a mtf transsexual and the walking around with a box in front of the stomach’s been done to death on other shows.
Lindsey Lohan was supposed to do 6 episodes with options for becoming a semiregular, but it was changed to 4. Rumors are substance abuse/difficult to work with/salary demands, but who knows. I don’t really think she’s added that much anyway, and the show has enough pretty-bitches already.
I wondered last night if they’re moving towards a Daniel-Wilhelmina romance. Could be a really good or really bad thing. (It was pretty obvious who his date was going to be when they said “former model”.) Of course there’s an age difference and he’s had sex with her kid sister, but if they brought Nico (Willi’s daughter) back and Daniel fell for her it could be interesting. (When last seen she was a senior in high school, so she’d now be about college freshman age- young for Daniel, but then Willi’s about 10 years his senior.)
They also need to give Marc and Amanda more to do than play Jack and Karen background bitches. I know being gay makes me a bit prejudiced, but the episodes with Marc’s mother and with Cliff were some of the best and show that Marc’s really not just a cartoon but does have some depth; presumably so does Amanda, though there’s no real proof of that.
I could settle with a quirky romance with neighbor guy, too.
I thought it was that the show was moving to NY and she wanted to stay in LA. Still, They need to deal with the plot problem. Alexis was running Meade enterprises. It’s silly for Daniel & Wilhelmina to be fighting over 1 magazine. Who’s tending to the other 20?
Also, that was horrible casting. That girl was 28 if she was a day and looked it. It made no sense for her to be still in highschool.
Still, there’s no major story-arc right now and there needs to be one.
I agree that this season is weaker. Same with My Name is Earl. I think as far as Betty is concerned, I’m just not into soaps.
Sampiro - I think they’ve gone farther than any other show (except maybe some Afterschool Special - I wonder if they still have those?) to show a gay teen. And the jock would be a nice counterpoint to the fabulous Justin and Marc.
StG
A minor nitpick, but I thought it was silly that Justin or the other kid either one would be auditioning for Billy Elliot. They’re both too tall and too old and Justin’s way too obviously not English (the character’s Mexican/Puerto Rican by ancestry, the actor Puerto Rican/Italian). They should have used maybe a revival of Peter Pan or a fictitious musical.
Could be, though she is pregnant as well. (Can’t understand the judgment of anyone who trades John Stamos for Jerry O’Connell, incidentally.:D)
Speaking of the move, I’m sure if I were from NYC or LA then I’d notice that “hey, that’s in Studio City, not Greenwich Village!”, but since I’m not I really can’t tell the difference. The green screens of Queens (how’s that for a nice rhyme) worked just fine for my part.
I think they totally forget about those other publications. Another thing that they didn’t make enough of is that Wilhelmina, while diva-ishly evil, had a completely legitimate reason to be pissed: she was clearly the best person to run MODE and really did get passed over in order to give the boss’s unqualified immature son the job he never would have even been considered for on his own merits. In real life the position as editor of PLAYER he had at the beginning of the season would have been waaaay more suited to him.
Doesn’t Claire own MODE? I’m sure this has been addressed, but I’m trying to remember how.
Things I’d like to see:
I’d love to see Yoga return as Claire’s assistant. I loved their relationship. (“It’s not like that… well once, almost, but…”.)
I’d love to see Octavia Spencer return as Constance, Ignacio’s deranged immigration worker/stalker. He doesn’t need her services that way anymore, but I think she’d be great like Frank Nelson was on The Jack Benny Show and Sanford & Son (the old man who would turn around and say “Yesssssss!”)- a recurring character who just pops up from time to time while drifting between jobs. One idea- if [don’t remember his name- the “closeted straight” black designer Amanda dated]'s coconut shell button collection became the rage and he would only allow MODE (who he’s pissed at because of their snubbing) to do a spread IF they’d hire his unemployed cousin who raised him, Constance. (Of course I’m prejudiced perhaps since she’s from Montgomery [I don’t know her myself but I know people who do], but I think Octavia Spencer’s a genius- just check out her Jodie Foster impersonation.)
Either Diahann Carroll or Joan Collins should have a recurring role as Wilhelmina’s mother.
The Daniel Jr. plotline didn’t really work, they should just leave it alone. (Pretty kid, though.) It showed a softer side of Daniel but we already know he has a soft side.
More Claire- Judith Light steals every scene she’s in. A love interest would be good (what are Patrick Duffy and or Leonard Nimoy and or Ricky Martin doing these days?) Couldn’t care less about seeing her reunited with Tony Danza, but a reunion with Katherine Helmond as her mom might be cool (her mother: an elderly socialite who lost a fortune gambling and is publishing memoirs in which she claims to have had affairs with Hitler, JFK, and the Marx Brothers and thus must be stopped).
I was shocked they went that far with Justin and the jock. I heard last season they were going to “straighten” Justin up. They still might, but this ep was cool, as far as this show goes.
I don’t know what the hell they think they’re doing with Daniel and Wilhelmina though. That’s just icky.
Amanda had her arc about looking for her father (and her disappointment re: Gene Simmons) that worked well, IMHO. But I agree that they need more to do. Is Marc still with Cliff anyway?
It hasn’t been mentioned one way or the other since the wedding episode. The actor who played Cliff (David Blue) was on another show (Moonlight) but it was cancelled, so perhaps he’ll be back.
I wouldn’t mind seeing an arc with Justin and The Jock but I think it would be really tragic if the arc was “Justin has a terrible crush on this kid so he tries to jock up to get the kid to notice him but there’s a terrible mix-up because the kid IS NOT GAY.”
I would just hate to see that because I feel like, even if the jock kid is cool with it and they have a laugh, that’s so predictable and overdone. And if the kid is not cool with it and it causes problems, I feel like it’d be perpetuating the irrational fear that every gay man is out to bone every straight dude in the world. Ugh.
If it turns out that Justin is a sweet gay teen that has a crush on another sweet gay teen and they have a normal teenage relationship, well that’d be awesome.
Yeah, that would be awesome. I’d like to see Justin & Jock turn to Marc for some adult guidance.
Yeah, I want a pony, too.
How much time has passed on the show? Because this is the third season, so I’m surprised the title character hasn’t lost the braces. And given that she works at a fashion magazine, I would have expected her appearance to improve at some point.
Marc’s scenes with “Betty’s son” have actually been some of the best on the series, particularly when Marc stood up/came out to his mother in defense of Justin (and of course by extension himself). I think they may be afraid of having him become very close to Marc because of the fear it would look somehow ephebophilic, but I think with some oversight it could be nice (for example, if Cliff and Marc coached Justin for something).
I doubt they’ll ever have Justin say “I’m gay” due to the age of the actor (who’s, let’s face it, clearly gay- Justin’s not a big departure from his own persona). They did have a character call him a “Fairy” on the “Hairspray on the subway” episode, but that’s as close as they’re likely to come.
I’ve wondered that also. The second season began very soon (days?) after the first season cliffhangers, but three began several weeks at least after season two (Betty had been on a leave of absence evidently and Gio in Italy). Henry’s girlfriend went from expecting to full term during Season Two, and they’ve had two Fashion Weeks. My guess- about 18 months.
Close guess. In the latest episode Daniel mentioned Betty’s been there two years.
He was back this week. It was only a short scene, but very funny and sweet.
As for Justin in this episode? I would have been mortified too. That costume was over the top even for a gay teen. You can count me in with the others who would like a see Justin date the jock. It would be great if they would treat it as simply happening, like most of what makes Justin special.
Did anyone else spot Ralph Macchio as the councilman? Daniel-san is all grown up now!
I was too busy slobbering over the new Connor Owens character.
Uhuh. I bet the name was a total accident too. Hot attractive Brit ala Daniel Craig/Clive Owens. He can certainly whisper dirty things to me too. 
I did. Even though he’s past his movie hey-day (I guess MY COUSIN VINNIE was his last really big hit) he’s big for a walk-on role, so I’m wondering if he’s going to be a new love interest for Hilda. (He looks different but still looks young for his age- hard to believe he’s been married 21 years in real life.)
The show still isn’t “back”. The show doesn’t really have any continuing story lines, at least not that hold your interest. Gossip is that Lindsey Lohan was supposed to be on for several more episodes but due to personality conflicts with the cast (especially America) and of course legendary unreliability the character was cut short.
Seeing Cliff was nice- they need to do more with him and Marc to show that Marc isn’t totally without substance. (I think it may have been significant Cliff was on the sofa though- could be the actor had a commitment and his cutaway was spliced in separately.)
What’s up with Daniel and Clive pulling a con on Willi? She was clearly pro hiring him so it didn’t seem necessary for that. Perhaps he’s going to be Daniel’s mole.
And I thought Claire owned MODE and at least part of Meade.
My impression was that Daniel wanted a business adviser who was loyal to him rather than Wilhelmina and the only way he could make that happen was to make her think that this was someone he hated.
If was nice seeing Cliff again; I hope they do more with him.
Also, apropos to the timeline discussion above, it was mentioned twice in the latest episode that Betty has worked at MODE for two years.
It’s all about who’s on your side or their side. Willi’s an expert empire builder, and Daniel’s decided to play the same game. They made a point of Daniel telling Betty “you have to decide what you’re willing to do to get ahead in this business.”
If Connor tells Daniel exactly what Willi spends money on, they may get enough dirt on her to force her back out. In fact, Connor could encourage Willi to do something fraudulent with company funds, as a set up.