I assume you have seen this episode or don’t mind spoilers…

Ugly Betty has become quite the downer these days, not that that is an awfully bad thing. If anything, I find it far more balanced that before. Besides, there has been so much drama over the past few weeks it is almost too much to comprehend, but the show is and shall always be completely wholesome and affecting. Besides Mo’Nique guess stars as the weekend security guard “L’Amanda” – she sure elicited a few laughs.

In this week’s episode, the drama of the whole Wilhelmina and Bradford wedding reaches a peak {…or, judging by next week’s sneak peak, does it?}, what with Brad on his death-bed at Willie clutching at ever straw Mark can find her. Betty, being fired and okay with it. When she bumps into herself, or rather who she used to be with the gigantic poncho and all, at work, she gets a glimpse at what she has become and what she has left behind since she became a Mode employee. And the troubles her poor bunny has gone through as well. Well, older, more naïve better cannot comprehend how any of this has happened, and in retrospect, who did?

Daniel hates Betty. Betty is fired. Betty is fired because she lied about Wilhelmina sleeping with her bodyguard because Wilhelmina knows Betty snuck into her apartment and stole “The Book.” Oh yeah, Betty is badass. But perhaps, just like the show, she has found a balance between what is right and what is wrong – all her “mistakes” have been for everyone else’s benefits, so it is hard to say whether or not this is how Betty will be forever. She cannot be all starry-eyed, do-gooder all the time, right? She is only human.

When Betty goes home, with all her office-possessions in hand, her father offers to tell Daniel why she did what she did, and help her get her job back. She tells him not to worry, and goes up to her room. Surprise, surprise, Claire Meade and her mentor/sidekick Yoga are hiding in her room. Claire wants to leave the country, but needs Betty to check Brad’s will to see if he changed it. Betty will do it, only because it will be to the benefit of Daniel. *do-gooder, badass, which one?*

Coincidence, but Wili and Marc are chatting up a storm in a limo, and she tells him she too would like to see if Brad changed the will. She bets that he changed it to read that all his money will be left to charity, to which Marc replies: “We need to find this Charity person, and kill her.” Between Marc and Amanda, the show is more than your average comedy, they are the funniest supporting characters in any television comedy – ever.

So both Betty and Henry and Wilhelmina and Marc need to figure out a way to find the will and read it before the other pair. In order for Betty to get past the now-Henry obsessed L’Amanda, she needs to use Henry as bait. So, he puts on his best “player” act and flirts with L’Amanda – one line he says is particularly so-awkward-it-is-funny “I’m sweet like sugar, soft like suede, but unlike a piano, I never get played.” L’Amanda calls him Sugarstick and would love to lick him. And Henry plays along, because he has Betty’s best interests in his heart. If only Amanda and L’Amanda could cross paths; that would be one hell-of-a-funny moment indeed.

Henry and Betty make a good pair, an adorable one even. Makes it even sadder that their relationship is almost over and the amount of time they have left with each other grows alarmingly less with each episode. Their little escapade was pretty enjoyable as a brief distraction from all the real drama, such as the reason as to why they would need to go on such a mission in the first place. I do not know what kind of man it would take to put up with Betty and the numerous activities she takes part in, but Henry fits the mould perfectly.

In terms of Claire’s return to prison, it feels awful. Her family seems to have finally patched things up, and then everything falls apart again. Not fair. I only hope she finds a way to get out of prison again, hopefully her lawyers can clear her name. But then there is the question of whether or not she wants to be deemed innocent, now that Bradford is dead, what is the point of flaunting her involvement in Fey’s death? It will only hurt her children even more.

Speaking of Bradford’s death, I must admit that it most certainly was time for him to go. Nothing new amounted from his character, and every time he opened his mouth, out came something regurgitated from a previous episode or theme. He did leave the show on a high note, having made amends with everyone that mattered to him most, as well as rejecting Wilhelmina once and for all.
Finally, what on Earth is Wilhelmina up to with that doctor in terms of Brad’s corpse??? Whatever it was, Alexis and Daniel have their work cut out for them over the next few episodes. I mean, do they want Wili running the company and ruining their father’s legacy? Didn’t think so.

Season 2, Episode 8,”I See Me, I.C.U.”
Written by Bill Wrubel. Directed by Rodman Flender.

Song featured in this episode:

“Sometimes You Can’t Make it on your Own” by U2

Originally Aired on the 15th of November 2007 in the US.
Aired in SA on the 13th of May 2007.