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'Ugly Betty' - 'Hello Goodbye' Recap (Series Finale)
by Allison Waldman, posted Apr 15th 2010 12:18AM
(S04E20) A really wonderful thing happened at the end of the series finale of 'Ugly Betty.' Betty Suarez got a new beginning. In the tradition of many television series finales, there were many loose ends tied up, and because 'Betty' was more comedy than drama, it only stood to reason that they were mostly happy endings.
All they needed was Liza Minnelli to sing about it, but alas, there was no musical number to sum it all up. However, there was plenty of character development and plot turns. For more on that and how even Halston got a fashionable farewell, read on after the jump. However, if you don't want to know, consider this a SPOILER ALERT!
There were tears shed when all was said and done. And not just by the characters. Betty made a major decision and stuck to it. She took the job offer in London, set out on a new adventure, and lived up to the lofty opinion of Justin -- he told her that she was brave and had been a role model for all the Suarezes -- as well as Wilhemina. Willie admired her and said, "You've got big balls." It was the ultimate compliment from La Slater, a point Ms. Suarez recognized.
The move to London, however, was not without complications. Daniel had to release Betty from her Mode contract. Wow, she had a contract? Really. That was a shocker because, based on my experience in publishing, Betty was never in a place on the masthead to warrant one. Still, for plot contrivances, it gave the episode some drama. Claire suspected that Daniel's inability to let Betty go had more to do with his feelings for her as a woman, but was that really it?
It was true that Mode had invested in Betty, but she was offered a great opportunity that Mode wasn't matching. Once Daniel did make her a similar offer, the choice became tougher for Betty. And then Hilda ratcheted up the guilt by evoking the Poppy situation. For a nanosecond, it looked like Betty was going to cave in to the pressure.
In other major developments -- and there were many -- Wilhemina survived the shooting, and with a little help from Mark, she did the right thing. Tyler was off the hook, and in a smart twist, Daniel chose to hand over the reins of Mode to Willie. That made her almost as happy as scheming to get Conner out of prison. You knew it was the ending for real when Wilhemina found her bliss.
Everyone took steps forward. Justin got Mark to reach out to Trevor. Hilda and Bobby took the leap to Manhattan, and even Ignacio embraced having the house in Queens to himself.
Those tears that the family shed when Betty drove off were real. I had some, too. It was a bittersweet goodbye. But it was the right time to move on. The original 'Betty' had been a telenovela with a beginning, middle and an end. The ABC series had a great run, an award-winning ride that was legendary. Perhaps it ended too soon, but at least it ended on a high note.
We got Betty in a flashforward of sorts. We saw her adjusting -- thriving -- in London. Just like we knew she would! Betty was always a winner, even with the bad clothes, dopey glasses and metal mouth. The move to London was an excellent way to give her a great finish. Bravo, Silvio Horta.
As a last coda, a tip of the cap to the fans, Betty and Daniel ran into each other in London. They caught up, and he even offered to submit his resume to become her assistant.
So it was completely open ended about their relationship, up to the imagination of the viewer. It was better that way because it would have been too much for Betty to get the great job, get the new life, and get a romantic happy ending, too.
And, truth be told, Daniel may be in love with Betty, but is she in love with him like that? I don't think so, but I may be wrong. So, fans, what do you think? And as series finales go, how did you like the end of 'Ugly Betty'?
Other Points of Interest
-- The death of Amanda's dog Halston was the lone false note in the show. The illegal funeral in the park was slapsticky, as was the dog corpse in the fridge and finally scattering her ashes all over Mode.
-- A better story for Amanda, and her happy ending, was Spencer. He gave Amanda what she had been looking for, a father. He had actually been looking for her while she had been searching for him. Ahh...
-- The mood swings for Daniel were huge. He was selfish, angry, resigned and, in the end, transformed. Deciding to step down from Mode to start over was surprising. Of course, he could return at any time. It is a Meade Publication, after all.
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