Ugly Betty: Sofia's Choice
(S01E12) And, so, Salma Hayek's arc comes to an end. We'll miss you, Salma. We'll miss you and your ripe, luscious... acting ability. Sofia broke Daniel's heart, and he's gone off the sadness end. Ted broke Wilhelmina's heart, and she's gone off the bitchy end. It's not going to be pretty at Mode, and will Betty even be back? She quit MYW, but doesn't Amanda have her old job at Mode? With Daniel gone, who is going to take Betty back? All this heartbreak, and I'm worried about Betty's paycheck. Just goes to show you where my sympathies lie.Most experienced soap opera viewers knew that Daniel and Sofia were doomed from the start, and once we got a glimpse at a blissful Wilhelmina, we knew that romance was going nowhere good. It's just as well. Nobody wants to watch a neutered Wilhelmina. What do I want to watch? Apparently, a woman in a wheelchair rundown Betty in a corridor. I really do appreciate this show's commitment to the art of slapstick... and set design. The beanbag chairs around the low table set with aromatic candles at "Feminazi Weekly" was one of the episode's wittiest conceits.
Now that a dozen episodes of Ugly Betty have aired, it's running into a conundrum unique to soap operas and serialized dramas. Lots of interesting characters with not enough screentime to visit them all. This week, no Henry, no Justin and poor Marc and Amanda are always getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. On the other hand, Judith Light reappeared, the fabulous Ashley Jensen got a few extra lines and Ignacio may have made an unwelcome love connection with the very funny Constance. There's really no losing with Ugly Betty. It speaks to the strength of the show and its characters that I miss them when they're not around.
What I might not miss, however, is the "broken heart" theme on the soundtrack. Listen for it. It starts with two simple notes played over and over again on the piano. Then, a solo trumpet comes in. It's actually quite lovely and evocative. It was used to great effect in the Christmas party episode, but it could become hackneyed rather quickly. I wonder if they spent all their dough on music rights early on when they were trying to snag viewers in the fall. See, that's what happens when you review these shows, you start to notice things like how many times a music cue is used and forget that any show that gives us "screensavers of shame" should be treasured. (By the way, www.dudecruise.com brings you to Ugly Betty's web page. Pretty sneaky, sis.)
Wilhelmina Quip of the Week: Ted took me to an outlet mall. I shopped next to fat people.

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