Ugly betty 2 hour season premiere 10-16-09

Cafe Society
1

Since nobody else has started a thread, hopefully I’m not the only one who watched.

First off it seems the show is getting back on track a little with the quirkiness and comedic and story-arc angle. While I’m not thrilled about Nico’s reappearance at least there promises to be a story as they hide the murder.

I loved the opening tease about Betty getting her braces off and her bangs cut. She’s supposedly going to have a makeover with both this season.

Was very glad to see Justin and Marc interacting- always some of their best scenes as you see a glimpse of his less bitchy “Willi’s flying monkey” side. They also came as close to saying Justin is gay as they could without saying “Justin is gay”, so apparently he’s going to be a more major character this year. While the kid is tall he’s only 15 in real life so I’m guessing there won’t be a love interest, but it is cool to see them closer to addressing it (and hinting that Hilda, as much as she loves him, is in a bit of denial about it).

Wilhelmina hammering the podium with a stiletto heel at the U.N. was a great reference. And while MODE folk are jerks (especially ex-boyfriend whose name eludes me) they were totally right to be pissed at Betty for dropping the ball on the UN shoot at their expense even if it was for a compassionate cause; what I thought is that she should surrender the job to Marc (who NEVER would have let a grieving friend come first) and return to being Daniel’s assistant for now. Plenty of time to be an editor later and as she’s said repeatedly MODE isn’t really her style anyway, plus Marc’s right about being more qualified for a fashion magazine.

Kristen Johnston- don’t know if they aged her a bit or not but it’s been a hard few years since 3rd Rock hasn’t it? Of course the collagen lips and the intentionally age inappropriate wardrobe were all geared to showing her as the aging partygirl; I wonder how she looks if she goes for a more dress-up role.

Anyone else see it? How’d you like it? Thoughts observations tithes offerings?

2

I’ll play. We actually watched this somewhat accidentally as I turned on the TV to find out if Dollhouse was on (it wasn’t) and Ugly Betty was taping. I agree it seemed better; I’d pretty much lost interest by the end of last season. I could sense a little bit of Diva coming from America Ferrera but maybe it was the writers’ idea to put the show more back on her. I’ve always liked it a bit better when everything isn’t so Betty-centric. I especially like when they show Marc or Amanda as real people instead of caricatures.

I really hope that they do come out and just finally out Justin complete with a love interest. I think it could be a great message, especially if they show his family as supportive and not turn it into a huge thing with his mom. I’m sure most anyone who watches Ugly Betty can’t possibly have a problem with that.

Didn’t much care for the Nico storyline, although I was amused by how they explained the very different looking actress.

Also thought Betty was a bit of a schmuck in this episode. They need to stop setting her back to “total clueless about work” and let her grow.

3

The fact that this show is now airing on Fridays is not a good sign - that is often where they send their old shows out to pasture, never to be seen again.

That said, the opening two hour show was OK. You covered about everything there is to say about it - I agree that Nico was not particularly exciting return - don’t really care if she gets convicted and sent to prison forever.

Daniel was pretty whiny…yeah, I know the love of his life died, but he certainly was a self-centered asshat in this episode.

All in all - just a bit better than OK - and if they don’t quickly get some plot going that I care about, maybe it is time for this show to gracefully fade away. For example, Desperate Housewives has shown that it is indeed possible to introduce new characters and plots to keep things zipping along - so far, Ugly Betty is sort of coasting on the first few storylines and it is getting tiring rather quickly.

4

Agreed all around. Which is a pity because judging from the first season and a half they have the talent. (I think the writer’s strike is where they really dropped the ball; they lost momentum that they never regained, plus Rebecca Romaine [sp?] left and they had to write her out quickly, etc., but I kept waiting all through Season 3 for them to take back their place and they never did.

5

The number of response to this thread don’t exactly bode well, either, do they? Has any show every benefited from switching nights - aside from shows that we’re slotted into NBC Thursdays back in the day?

6

Really. If the views and responses here are any indication you might want to sell that Meade Publishing stock for whatever you can get.

7

The new story lines seem kind of stupid. They had a bunch of stupid gimmicky effects too.

8

As long as this thread is just the few of us, let’s get naked and type in the nude. Nobody’s gonna see us!

So, out of curiosity, how long did Ugly Betty last on the original (Mexican?) channel?

I know the US version pretty much left the original premise after year one, but was wondering how the show progressed, or if it is still running in its original format?

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Way ahead of you. In fact I’m naked except for some olive oil flavored PAM.

[QUOTE=DMark]
So, out of curiosity, how long did Ugly Betty last on the original (Mexican?) channel?

I know the US version pretty much left the original premise after year one, but was wondering how the show progressed, or if it is still running in its original format?
[/QUOTE]

Per Wiki, the Mexican version only lasted a year (2006-2007). The original Colombian lasted 2 years. My understanding is that telenovelas are more like very long miniseries than they are either soap operas or sitcoms and usually are created with the full story arc and ending in mind. (HBO’s ROME comes to mind.)

[QUOTE=tr0psn4j]
The new story lines seem kind of stupid. They had a bunch of stupid gimmicky effects too.
[/QUOTE]

The Matt-Amanda and Betty-Designer “double date” was worked well by the actors but disastrous date/misunderstandings/let’s make them jealous plots are all such clichés- THREE’S COMPANY did them all several times a year- that it was disappointing.

This show is in need of MAJOR renovation/remodeling/restructuring/overhaul/tune-up/etc.. It could almost be a reality show of “Pimp this Talent”.

While it may sound evil given the economy and all but the network needs to either ask Silvio Horta (the creator/director of the show) to step down and give somebody else creative control providing he’s the problem OR if he’s not the problem then he needs to play Roseanne and fire most of the writers. The quirky humor and interesting characters of the first couple of seasons just aren’t much there anymore- only glimpses.

Daniel’s mini-romance-grieving-session with Marla Singer was, like most Daniel plotlines, boring. I was wondering if Nicole would spy Connor with Molly in Bermuda, but apparently she really is dead, which meant that I thought Connor would mention it or be devastated to learn of it (the death of the wife of a fashion publisher isn’t necessarily huge news he would have heard), but nope- apparently he knows but is over it.

The Nico murder plotline needs to be rapped up quickly; she may work as a character but viewers aren’t invested enough in her to care whether she’s found guilty or innocent.

Betty is slipping fast into total incompetence. At this point I think Marc, however despicable he can be, is infinitely more qualified for the job; he never would have fumbled that ball with the publisher or, as mentioned earlier, the UN photo shoot. Betty needs to go back to being Daniel’s assistant until something non-fashion related comes up in the Meade world.

More Justin/more Suarez family/more Justin interacting with Suarez family and Marc: I don’t think they realize how much a part of their viewership that is. Even for middle aged homos like myself seeing a gay adolescent is something they can relate to and it’s a nice break to see yourself on screen instead of High School Musical and other hetero teenflicks. Also, a family totally accepting a gay teen is a powerful message to send across, especially to gay teens. Plus I just think their home plotlines are more interesting than their work plotlines- they could almost split into two different shows with each being better than UGLY BETTY.

Less Daniel. Frankly I’d probably get rid of Daniel; an aging pretty-boy of no great depth just isn’t that interesting, especially without a foil. Claire can carry the Meade part of the show (and Judith Light is way underused) and Matt (has anybody ever looked so much less attractive when they shaved than Daniel Eric Gold did? Go back to the stubble) can provide romantic tension so Eric Mabius is basically just getting a paycheck, and I’m sure he could get a role on LAW AND ORDER: QUEENS or CSI: HELENA, MONTANA or NCIS: MILWAUKEE or whatever other criminal justice ensemble shows the producers have sway with.

AND MAKEOVER BETTY QUICK!!! It’s old! Give us America Ferrera experiencing newfound hotness (or if not hot at least unconventionally attractive). Not even Betty would be that clueless about her appearance- you’ve got a nice shape, show it, and how long do people wear braces anyway?

Generally though I think they’ll pull the plug before season’s end. Pity, as it has potential they’re just not using.

10

I don’t know if being straight or gay has anything to do with it but I don’t like Justin THAT much. He’s a great character but the season opener had too much of him. He also seemed to be gayer than previous seasons. Episode 3, on the other hand, didn’t have nearly enough of him. The other seasons seemed to handle him well.

As far as Marc being better than Betty, I don’t know. I don’t see how he is any different from all the other editors. Betty just gets all sorts of unique opportunities because she’s different from all the others. She did screw up the whole UN thing but the date/interview debacle was not really her fault (at least in a T.V. show universe).

11

Oh come oh come ye few but faithful for last night’s episode.
BAD: You knew where Hilda’s naughty pics were going from the get-go: they were going to go wide, be a major campaign issue, and ultimately work in his favor.
GOOD: Nice ‘vulnerable’ side of Marc.

ALSO BAD: Nico could gobble up babes in their cribs for all I care, they’ve got plenty of veteran characters without having to bring her on and I don’t care whether or not she goes to prison. It would have made far more sense if Willi herself had killed the guy beating her daughter; to quote Officer Toody when discussing theatre on CAR 54, "Now THAT’S some plot elementing I could get into!

ALSO GOOD: Ralph Macchio is still hot, though take away the bun costume and Michael Urie is strangely hot in the Indian attire (the jewel between the brows actually working for him).

IS THE SHOW BACK ON TRACK: Closer than it was a year ago but nowhere near.

ODDS THIS WILL HELP: I wouldn’t sell it insurance.

12

They actually addressed Justin’s sexuality.

Liked how Marc (who they’ve now almost gone overboard on his big brothership of the kid) handled it also.

Justin: I’m not gay.
Marc (to Hilda): Then he’s not.

Please let the cult take Daniel to an island and lose him there.

Didn’t see Connor’s death coming.

Anyone?

13

Just watched it this morning. I wonder if Daniel will drink the purple kool-aid. Also, not sure where they are going with Justin not being gay. Is he really not gay - and if so, is this because the writers are squeamish on the topic or do they just want to show that not all femme boys are gay? Or will it become a closeted to himself issue?

Also did not see the death of Connor coming. Will this be a soap opera thing and it later comes out that he is alive?

Nico is not an interesting or likeable character. Seems a mistake bringing her in, although I’d guess it’s just a plot device for messing with Wilhelmina.

14

This episode was a pretty solid hour of TV. I’m not sure if Justin is gay or not. I won’t pretend to understand the gay experience, but he has a very supportive family and doesn’t seem to have a problem expressing himself, so it’d be a bit weird to be in denial over his sexuality, like I said though, I’ve never been gay, so who knows.

As for Conner, i was really impressed that he was killed, it’ll do a lot for Wilhelmina’s character. As will her own daughter trying to blackmail her. She’s my favorite character and it could be an interesting season for her.

15

I’m gay and I don’t pretend to understand the gay experience of an adolescent in modern Queens [heh heh], but I’m pretty sure he’s in denial and I think Marc knows it. The “Then he’s not” comment was “He’s not ready to deal with it yet, so let it go for now”.

16

That is exactly how we interpreted it as well. To be “outed” in front of your entire school, and worse - your entire family - is pretty intense. The fact that he blurted out “I’m not Gay…” when they got home and ran up to his room? Well, after a day like that, I think the last thing he wanted was to come out to his family - especially at that age.
If any of you are also watching GLEE on Fox, the high school kid that just came out to his dad was also going through some shit at school - and even though it was no secret to anyone who knows him, it was still very stressful.
I have to admit - I wish there had been one single show like either of these when I was growing up as a kid. Back then, I assumed I was the only homosexual on earth…don’t laugh…I really thought that when I was growing up.

17

I assumed I was bisexual. Except for the liking girls part. But that would come. And when it did- the liking guys part is goin’ away! One reason I felt that way was actually TV and movies: the gay guys were usually either flamers there for comedy relief or some bizarre stuff like Cruising or according to the televangelists they were a bunch of guys who dressed as women and like to molest little boys, and I wasn’t any of those things, so…

With Justin though- if I had been asked in front of my family at that age or at 25 for that matter I’d have definitely said “Nope”.

18

Thank goodness! Can we be over the Daniel & Molly self-pity fest now? Nice little slap at scientology, assuming that’s what it was.

Pretty fun episode. Do we believe the Great Barrier Beef is really dead? Nah!

A little closer towards finding Mrs. Meade’s lost adopted son. C’mon already!

Amanda and Matt are actually a cute couple.

No Justin & Hilda this week. That’s a relief really, especially Hilda. She’s been pretty prominent lately but I can only take her in small doses.

I so knew Willi was setting up her daughter to bust her. Glad that’s over now too. Listening to Willi jabber on and on about parenting and children first was giving me the creeps.

19

Oddly I’m more excited speculating about who they will cast then about the actual character.

Yep! Time for a new Betty romance.

Me too. But it wasn’t clear to me whether Mark was in on it and acting or really hurt by Willi’s fake rejection of him.

20

Who do you think would be good? It would have to be someone very unique from both Daniel and Matt. Someone intelligent would do nicely. :wink: