Last week, Ugly Betty warned us of the perils of jealousy; this episode, the show celebrates the pleasures of honesty. So what do we know about truth? It hurts. It sets you free. It leads to awkward interactions with supermodels (see below).
When Marc hits Betty with the first of many nasty comments regarding her promotion, she fights back with a gutsy retort: “Oh, I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over your loud shirt.†A truism, and touché! The defeated Marc unhappily becomes Betty’s assistant on her first Mode feature, and after they bicker again over who’s more qualified, the truth comes out: Betty scored the job on a coin toss (she was tails).
Despite the discouraging news, Tails still has a job, or jobs, to do — ten of the hardest in New York, to be exact, ranging from pedicab driver to meatless-hot-dog hostess, which generates the episode’s supreme sight gag: Betty in a puffy hot-dog suit and Marc as her bitchy bun. Their Bollywood-inspired dance is supposed to conclude with Betty launching herself at Marc, giving Michael Urie the show’s best line so far: “As much as I love giant wieners flying at me, this is a little outside my comfort zone.†(See the video above!) Glee, we’ll pause for rebuttal.
But Marc isn’t all snark. He reveals the truth: He’s jealous of Betty because he just can’t seem to catch a break in his own life, and in the end, the duo manage to reconcile. Archie embraces transparency, too: After Hilda texts him — and his entire e-mail distribution list — a sexy photo in an attempt to reignite their relationship, he owns up to it in public. And Wilhelmina admits she only okay-ed a plan to put vampire chic on the cover to show she’s a team player and save her own neck.
And then there’s Daniel, who finds a replacement assistant (supermodel Brooklyn Decker) whose name is “Lexie — like, sexy!†She’s only eye candy, but she has good ears. She overhears Betty castigating her old boss for only hiring help he wants to sleep with, then he accidentally brushes her breast while apologizing, and it becomes a situation.
Truth to the rescue! Daniel’s new BFF Natalie (Jamie-Lynn Sigler — less Goth, still annoying) brings him to “the Community of the Phoenix†to see an inspirational speaker played by Dylan Baker, who dares him to try being honest in his daily life. So he tells Lexie she’s a crap assistant but a perfect model, and voilà : problem solved.
There are a few loose ends, though: Wilhelmina’s daughter Nico is still under investigation for the disappearance of her boyfriend. And what’s the deal with Amanda’s daydream of making out with Matt morphing into a kiss with Betty? For Betty to stay truly edgy, it has to push its peripheral plotlines along — and fast.
More Recaps:
UglyBettyNews observes that while Daniel is rewarded for his honesty, Betty saves the day by fibbing.
Rickey.org loves it when Marc and Betty bond. Don’t we all?