Ugly Betty: A Midseason Update

Last season of Ugly Betty ended with Betty trying to choose between dueling paramours, Gio and Henry. Season three starts, however, with Betty choosing neither and moving out of her father’s house and into a pricey (and unrealistically spacious) Manhattan apartment. She soon gets another unrealistic addition in the form of a new roommate, Mode receptionist Amanda. The two have the typical Odd Couple type quarrels but in the end come to see they aren’t as different as they think. Awwww. Their interactions, particularly their night out on the town, was the highlight of the first half of the season, so let’s hope that lasts.

Speaking of Mode, Alexis steps down as Editor in Chief after she tries to murder Christina and her, or rather Wilhelmina‘s, unborn baby and one-third heir to the Meade empire. As Alexis leaves, Wilhelmina steps in and becomes co-editor in chief with Daniel, who’s also returned to Mode and continues strongly even as he learns he’s not really the father of his French love child (it’s Alexis!). Anyway, Daniel and Wilhelmina naturally butt heads until Daniel tricks Wilhelmina into hiring his college buddy, Connor Owens, as the new CFO. But Wilhelmina is not too upset about this as she quickly moves in to seduce Connor away from his schoolmarm fiancée. Meanwhile Daniel has likewise grown fond of Connor’s fiancée. Expect this storyline to come to a head at the end of this season.

Across the East River, Hilda calls things off with married coach Tony and works on setting up her home beauty salon. Of course she runs into a regulatory roadblock and has to shut down until Councilman Ralph Macchio karate chops a loophole into the regulation, clearing the way for cheap perms and a budding romance with Hilda. It’s about time she had a decent relationship.

Career-wise, Betty is finally moving up in the world. After helping Daniel during his stint at Player magazine, she returns as his assistant at Mode, recognizing that she does not want to be a personal assistant for the rest of her life. After some competition from guest star Lindsay “LiLo” Lohan, Betty brings more to the table at Mode, yet still flubbing things up in her own special way. In the end, though, she shows up everyone by winning a fellowship with a young magazine editors training program. But she only got it because of affirmative action or something so she feels sad about it but with some wise words from her father, she takes the position anyway. When we return from the break, we’ll likely see Betty going through the program, and since Marc is also in the program, you can expect the usual drama that goes on between those two.

Those were the big storylines this first half of season three. There were some minor storylines about Justin having trouble keeping friends, Wilhelmina dealing with Christina’s pregnancy (and Christina dealing with her pregnancy and her husband’s continuing illness), Marc cheating on Cliff and the end of their relationship, and Betty’s new love interest in the apartment across from hers. But these were minor points, and speaking of minor points, where have Ignacio and Claire gone?

Overall, we’re seeing Betty (finally) develop more as a character instead of being her angsty, awkward self. Ever still, I’ve been disappointed with the season so far as the show has lost some of its bearings. The show is good for the interpersonal drama and scheming at Mode magazine, but with the exception of the Betty-Amanda connection, the characters each seem to be off doing their own thing. I hope this will change, otherwise Betty needs to get her personal makeover and move on real soon.

Ugly Betty returns to ABC Thursdays at 8/7 Central beginning on January 8, 2009.

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Photographs courtesy of ABC.