NOW PLAYING: Ugly Betty
A plain, young woman becomes an executive assistant in the high-fashion world; however, her employer wants to make sure that her first week on the job will be her last.
Whom amongst us has been watching Mike Flanagan’s new show, hmm? Is it you? Because I am dying to talk about it. Be noted, I am only on episode 6, but damn he’s done it again. I’d say in the Mike Flanagan universe, this isn’t my favorite, but how are we going to beat what has come before.
We are so close to having gone through the alphabet one time around on NOW PLAYING and that’s so exciting! I can’t imagine there’s many V, W, X, and Z shows but there ARE a few U shows and today’s is going to be Ugly Betty. I never saw Ugly Betty as a kid but really wanted to. Given the extremely colorful palette it’s rocking, today is my redemption arc in finally watching the ABC classic.
Toting a four season run, Ugly Betty starred America Ferrera, Mark Indelicato, Ana Ortiz, and more. It premiered on September 28, 2006 and ran until April 2010 with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. Truly, the people I know who have watched the show do sing its praises, and its media coverage falls in line with said songs.
The show focuses on the life of “wannabe-writer” (Same) Betty Suarez who lands an assistant job at a fashion magazine despite her heinous wardrobe. Okay, Devil Wears Prada much? Love it.
Plus, it’s also set in New York City, soooo..
Sorry for the week long delay on this. I’ve been trying to figure out a new way to jazz up the Now Playing newsletter that’s going STEADY with a 147 subscriber viewership and am not sure how to do that!!!!!!!!! I am open to suggestions!!!!!!!
Betty, in a tweed blazer, is all big smiles in the lobby of Meade Publications. A fashionably tall girl sits down next to her in a poncho which Betty immediately compliments to no avail. The girl scoffs and says it’s from Dolce & Gabbana. When the guy calls her name and stands up, he gets a good look at her and denies her the job straight up. She doesn’t take no for an answer, chasing him up the stairs saying she loves to read their publications, and really keeps hitting it over the head. Overhead, an older man sees her tell all of her qualifications and watches as the man closes the doors on Betty.
At home, Betty’s sister and father are asking about her interview and she fumbles. Her dad is like but you’re so qualified!!! Maybe you’ll get it next time, this is your dream! Her sister has a pick me up though and asks her son to tell Betty what he overheard the other night. Namely, Betty’s boyfriend on the phone was telling someone that “she’s the one” and now they’re all excited at the prospect of him proposing.
Oh boy. He’s cheating, isn’t he?
Betty’s very excited Walter may propose and there’s a knock at the door. It’s Walter. He hands Betty some electronic before asking Betty if she’d like to talk. He invites her outside and romantic music starts playing. On the TV, a man reports the Editor in Chief of Mode Magazine was passed over for Daniel Meade, the son of publications owner Daniel Meade.
It’s TIM FROM the L WORD!!!! LMFAO!
He’s asleep in his chair when his dad barges in asking how he likes his new office at Mode Magazine. Daniel is a bit of a playboy and his dad walks in on his assistant giving him head and he’s like no, no no. That’s not going to work.
Meanwhile, at Betty’s - you guessed it - Walter is in love with someone else. Some girl named Gina. She’s very nice about this breakup, nicer than I’d be, and he wishes her good luck with everything before sauntering off. Betty eats a whole pie while her nephew answers the phone to Meade publications. Betty’s got the job!!!
Thank God ONE THING is going in her favor. She’s going to be assistant to the Editor in Chief.
Her nephew is like here? This magazine? Do you have anything fashionable? And she goes actually, I do AND WEARS THE PONCHO FROM GUADALAJARA!
This show is comical.
The woman at the desk asks if she’s the Before. Like in a before and after shoot. She says no I work here I’m the new assistant to the Editor in Chief and this woman’s face is intrigued. She’s Amanda and she says assistants usually get there before their bosses so she better show up early. Betty says this is her first real job and Amanda’s smile is tight. She was told she didn’t have enough experience for this job. Betty goes to the conference room and walks right in to a glass pane. Daniel turns around amidst the meeting he’s running and asks if she’s ok before Wilhelmina bursts in with a gift for his, a nice, fancy crystal thing. Wilhelmina, played by Vanessa Williams, is the chief antagonist of this series - the formerly disgraced Editor in Chief at Mode. Daniel thanks her for her first day gift but says she got her name wrong. Wilhelmina takes the reigns immediately and there’s tension between the two of them and it’s certain she’s’ “my way or the highway.”
Betty taps Daniels shoulders and introduces herself saying she’s her new assistant.
Meanwhile, Wilhelmina’s assistant is giving her botox in her office. She’s complaining about Daniel and asks Mark, her assistant, if it’s because she’s getting old and he says no. Daniel is going to fall flat on his face with that new assistant. Betty’s at her desk researching Fabia for Daniel, whatever that means. Her and Amanda are bonding over some photographer Phillipe and Amanda’s like he’s great. She gives the lowdown which is that Daniel hooked up with Phillipe’s ex and also Amanda dated Phillipe. Mama Mia. Daniel tells Wilhelmina he knows she doesn’t want him there, does Phillipe have any new ideas? Daniel thinks she’s trying to sabotage him. Betty asks Daniel if he wants lunch and she digs herself a grave kind of implying Phillipe stole someone else’s idea before excusing herself. Phillipe chews Daniel out for hiring her because she’s ugly and insists he should beat Betty’s morale out of her.
Stop ! With the Hostile! Work Place! Environments!!!!
Not yet because you thought Amanda and Betty were friends but when Betty goes to the break room to eat her lunch, everyone stares. Christina goes up to Betty and says she works in the closet as an in house seamstress. She’s bubbly and upbeat and introduces Betty to Zelda and Nancy. They’re the down to Earth people here and Mark tells Amanda “it’s the bizzar-o version of Sex and the City” she says “stop it I’m gagging.”
Obsessed.
Some mysterious man sits next to Head Meade (don’t know his name) saying “nothing to worry about, she’s gone. Closed casket” and he asks the guy to triple check because if the things Faith knows about the company comes out, he’s screwed.
Plot thickens!
Daniel calls Betty and rides her ass about lunch. He says he loves Coleslaw but hates Cabbage, can she do something about the dressing and asks if she can do something about it before it gets to room temperature. In a break room, she pulls out all the cabbage, going to bed at 3:00 A.M. You guessed it, it’s montage time, and she’s working HARD for the money, for sure. She’s taking gum off his shoes, picking up calls at night, doing all the Devil Wears Prada things. Her sister calls and says she forgot Dad’s birthday and she’s like I’m sorry, I gotta go. She calls Daniel and says “the Red Turkey” is on the move so he can kick another girl out of his apartment to fuck the new girl. He’s not only forcing Betty to work but leveraging his position to fuck all these girls who he might give the job to.
Betty goes home really late and you can tell Daniel feels a bit bad about this but not really. Betty passes Walter and Gina making out on her way home and it’s just icing on top of the cake for a bad day. Her sister is taking all the decorations down and she says this is the first time since mom died we haven’t all been together since his birthday. Hilda, her sister, says she hopes this is worth it. As she goes to bed, she makes a “Work Ideas” journal and sigh. Girl, same. I also have a work ideas journal but in journalism, they never listen to us!!! It’s never realistic!!!!! This gets me down, having a pitch meeting tomorrow I’m truly burnt out on, but Betty, get yours. Pitch that whatever story and get it bought.
Girlboss your way straight in to the sun.
Daniel gets in to the elevator and Betty tries to talk to him about these new ideas she’s got. He gets off the elevator and keeps strutting his way past the entrance but Betty is persistent. Daniel’s like shit, actually, can you get one of the outfits from upstairs for set? Betty goes to the closet and finds her Irish friend Christina and she asks how Betty’s work life is. Betty admits nothing she does is good enough and that Daniel treats her like dirt. Christina said she overheard people talking and they said Bradford, Daniel’s dad, hired her because he didn’t want Daniel to be tempted to sleep with his assistants and Betty is shaken by this. She’s like oh, wow. I guess I should be grateful at least I got a break. I should be going. She hurries out and sad music plays. Her idea is revealed: her sister’s cosmetic industry that is definitely a MLM scheme.
Girl! That’s not a pitch!
At the photoshoot, everyone is running around and Phillipe tells Daniel the Brazilian model is late. Essentially, Phillipe insists she needs a stand in Latino and points to betty. “Someone with her skin tone” lmfao. Anyways, Daniel asks Betty and she gets nervous and runs away. They all think she quit but she comes out in her leather and poses for Phillipe. People on set are laughing and I feel so bad for her. She’s shorter and bigger and everyone’s laughing as Daniel asks Phillipe to stop shooting. Betty grabs her purse to go and Daniel chases her to apologize but she says point blank: this is what you wanted. Now you don’t have to work with the ugly girl your dad forced you to hire.
Good for her!!! Stand up for yourself!!!
At home, her nephew gives her a pep talk on how her sister wants her to be more realistic and how he thinks she’s full of crap. Two doors down, she spies Walter kissing Gina and she races out of her house to confront him. She throws open the door to Gina straddling some man who is not Walter and Gina’s like he’s over. I told him from the start I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I used him for a discount on a flat screen TV. Betty storms out closing the door behind her, breaking the TV.
At the meeting, Daniel shows Fabia the photos from the shot and she says no, these are fucking stupid and throws M&M’s at him. Wilhelmina smiles, smug, and Daniel is confused. Mark says Fabia’s probably still sensitive about the accident. You didn’t know she backed her SUV in to twelve people at a bar? Wilhelmina was like if I may, you didn’t include me in the concept.
Daniel’s in huge shit.
Fabia’s thinking of pulling advertisement from every magazine. Bradford chews out his son for his decision to work alone on this ad and Daniel is begging for another chance to make this better. Daniel keeps calling Wilhemina but she is not picking up. She is, in fact, sleeping with Phillipe and did indeed sabotage Daniel’s campaign. At the office, Daniel is trying to figure out how he’s going to save face and sees Betty’s proposal on his table. At home, she’s on the phone dealing with the government for her dad’s sake and he’s complimenting her on her tenacity. She’s about to fucking need it because Walter’s at the door begging for her back. She says did you realize this before or after Gina dumped you and he says no, I broke up with her at the same time Daniel shows up. He says he “wants to talk” and apologizes while having a coming to Jesus moment. He’s got no one to blame but himself </3 and she says that’s nice but you’re going to leave here and I’ll still be out of work. She’s like you have no problems like mine you just sleep with models and eat at fancy restaurants but oh no, Daniel DOES have a moment. His brother died and yeah, that doesn’t measure up, but he has trauma, too <3
I want to strangle him.
He says Betty, I saw your ideas. They’re great. I want you to come back and be my assistant. I’m taking your portfolio to Fabia. She stands her ground and says I have to think about it which, that’s what the night is for. She better make a decision by tomorrow. Her dad shuffles in and I’m assuming he’s going to convince her to see the good in this guy’s heart. Go back to the job, sweetheart <3
Aaaand she does because that’s the whole show!
The next day, Fabia is pacing. She’s wondering where Daniel is because he said 10 A.M. - Wilhemina says I am so sorry, let me show you some of my ideas just as Daniel strolls in with a new idea. Betty opens a slideshow of her and her mom and he says “we’re going to focus on mother and daughters because it’s the small moments that matter" and Fabia is like ok, show me the stats. Betty says about 58% of your demographic would be settling down having kids and Fabia’s like sure, that’s fine, I go now. Bradford’s congratulating Daniel but Betty doesn’t take the compliment, deferring it back to him.
The writers are so clearly setting them up to date later and I hate it!!!
Wilhelmina speaks to an unspoken figurehead who says soon they will have control over the company if they can just get rid of Betty.
The plot thickens.
Betty tells Daniel all of the things she has planned for work tomorrow as Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall plays.
They really couldn’t have picked a different song!?
Overall, I’d give this a 9/10. Honestly, I like it. The colors are fun, the costumes are great, and there’s enough mysterious subplots set to be invested in multiple things. They, like it or not, established a couple to root for (I do NOT stan Daniel and Betty but I get their dynamic is stan-able) and have a great set design to establish a bigger world than Devil Wears Prada could play on. This one is more upbeat and lively than the sinister undertones to the perfect 2006 movie. Also, I think I have to legally enjoy this given this is literally how cruel a world journalism is. Unrealistic that Betty, an intern, would sell a pitch on her first day and I got some catharsis watching her get absolutely dunked on in the pilot. Not because I’m a mean, callous person, I just acknowledge I hate my job because journalism is cheap labor. I need someone else to fail to qualm my own failures!!
Sorry, Betty!