David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place. "Ugly Betty:" Pretty funny
Kudos to ABC for finally figuring out that TV critics like screeners of midseason episodes of network series, to keep up when they otherwise might not be able. I’m pretty sure I have more episodes of ABC shows airing in the next week than the network sent out in the whole of last season.
First up, “Ugly Betty,� which remains stylish good fun. Salma Hayek, one of the show’s executive producers, returns tonight as a guest star as a new employee in callow Daniel Meade’s father’s magazine empire whom Daniel (Eric Mabius) decides will be his next conquest; her opinion doesn’t really enter into it much until, of course, it does.
Meanwhile, Betty (America Ferrara) and her sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz) have to raise cash – quick – in order to pay an attorney to get their father (Tony Plana) a belated green card, a quest that results in an unexpected family revelation, one fully worthy of the show’s telenovela roots. Betty finds an unlikely ally in this mission – uber-bitch Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) – and must decide whether to make this deal with the devil, while Wilhelmina is busy butting heads with her rebellious daughter in a canny clash of sensibilities that results, kind of, in a draw.
Debi Mazar (“Entourage�) picks up a story arc as an attorney who might help Betty and Hilda's pop. One of “Ugly Betty’s� interesting accomplishments is that it allows its non-Latino characters to make cutting, bitchy jokes referencing Latino stereotypes; no other show can do this so cleverly – “George Lopez� has its Latino characters shiv themselves, or, when whites insult them, they do so clunkily and humorlessly. But “Ugly Betty� is keen on snappy dialogue, trusting that audiences will understand that no matter how witty the insult may be, the character delivering it remains a backwards dolt in terms of enlightenment. A deceptively deft trick.
Only complaint: While the desire not to overwork Ferrara is commendable, and while this episode seems designed to give her an Emmy clip should the show decide to opt to posit her work as dramatic rather than comic, her funny stuff is far too enjoyable to stifle like this for significant periods of time.
And tonight’s episode allows the wildly witty Ortiz to proffer the definitive description of the show’s inventive set design of the magazine offices at which Betty works: “It looks like a gay version of ‘Star Trek,’� she says. I couldn’t’ve said it better myself, and if I had, someone, somewhere, would’ve complained.
Comments
Huh. I kind of gave up on this show after watching the pilot -- it felt too El Diablo Wears Prada to me -- but I'll give it another whirl on your say-so.
Posted by: MoroccoMole | November 2, 2006 11:43 AM
Do try it again, MorrocoMole. It's just a great, fun show.
Posted by: Suzy Q | November 2, 2006 2:41 PM