One of my main complaints about Ugly Betty is its tendency to become mawkish rather than revel in its fun, soapy atmosphere. Amanda and Christina getting trapped inside Fay's love dungeon? Classic. Marc getting traded to rival designer Fabia so that Wilhelmina could score her chosen wedding day at Saint Patrick's Cathedral? Hilarious. Santos getting gunned down in a store robbery and Hilda having a mental breakdown outside the auditorium where Justin performs (and dies onstage) in West Side Story? Not so much.Remember, please, that this is the series that won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy series, beating out NBC's The Office. Yes, that's best COMEDY series. What we've been seeing lately with storylines involving Ignacio's immigration problem, Daniel's sex addiction, and--yes--Santos' wrong place, wrong time murder just doesn't jibe with a show that can, at times (usually involving Marc, Amanda, Wilhelmina, or Justin) be laugh-out loud hilarious. It's the OTT soapiness that turn me off (and according to rival CBS, I'm not the only one, as the series has tumbled 41 percent in the ratings since it launched last fall).
So what did I find to be the most interesting thing about this week's Ugly Betty finale? The scandalous reveal that Amanda is actually the daughter of murdered Fay Sommers. Having gotten her lifetime receptionist job at Mode because her parents were friends with Fay, she's discovered that she was a hell of a lot closer to Fay than she suspected. It's a fun, soapy twist (the evidence was discovered in a red safe whose code was Fay's real measurements, in a secret room at the Mode offices) that begs the question: just who is Amanda's father? Is she a Meade? And, if so, wouldn't that mean that she was sleeping with her brother Daniel all those months?
To me, it's the rare pretty twist in Ugly Betty's rather dull and outlandish (yes, at the same time!) season finale. America Ferrara might be the titular character, but the stars that seem to shine best here are Becki Newton, Ashley Jensen, Michael Urie, Mark Indelicato, and Vanessa Williams. Here's to hoping that Season Two will downplay some of the cloying sentimentality and way-too-serious plotlines for some good, old-fashioned comedy.
Comments
Hilda sobbing on the floor because the father of her child was just shot and killed? Hilarious! Ignacio having more troubles with his immigration papers? I can't stop laughing!
I don't think that every moment has to be filled with laughs but what makes Betty work is the larger than life characters and the bizzaro environment that Betty works in. They need to refocus next season and find the funny again if they ever want Ugly Betty to blossom into a beautiful swan.
The Mode staffers still get the better end of the deal, though. They get to focus on being funny and catty, with only enough personal drama to make you care. Hopefully the Suarezes (and the increasingly hard-to-watch Daniel) can find that same balance next season.
I am sad that they killed Santos. I actually liked his character, especially the moment where he defends Justin against a subway full of people and allows him to perform the music from a Broadway show (I cant remember if it was West Side Story, Grey Gardens, or Wicked that Justin performed in the subway car).
The producers also wanted to retool Vanessa William's character mid-season because she was getting too nice and sympathetic (falling for the Texas advertiser, her relationship with her daughter) but despite appearances, she IS still too nice. She may be playing Bradford but we don't get to see her devious side too much, save the moment she made Mark throw her down the stairs. Let's get Betty back to being funny!!! No more of the Henry/Charlie storyline (looks like we get Henry as a full-on regular next season)!
The real stars of the show are the characters that play Amanda, Marc, and Justin. Bring them to more of the center stage, something that seems to be gearing up with the Amanda as Fay's daughter story. Good call, Jace, that Amanda could be Daniel's sister!! That's a great twist if that happens. I do smell an Emmy nomination for the show and hopefully some supporting noms for Becky Newton and Michael Urie.
Also, if Ugly Betty beats The Office for Best Comedy at the Emmys later this year, there is no justice.
There are other countries besides the US you know. Oh but I forgot, thats just typical of you narrow mined Americans! Wake up! Oh and just to throw another one at you, Ugly Betty screens on SUNDAYS in Australia.
Oh and the show is awesome. As for the office,, well after about 3 shows, I defianlty cannot say much for it. It's the same old usually style of comedy. At least UB is a different type of comedy. Much better that the office.
Get a clue? Ugly Betty better than THE OFFICE? A cold day in hell, more likely. How in god's name is The Office the "same old usually style of comedy"? Whatever that means? If you're going to call someone else narrow minded, you might as well spell it properly. Idiot. You went and proved my point!