This week’s episode still had me reeling over the Betty-Matt breakup from last week. The moment that Betty let him go and hobbled away on her crutches was both touching and indicative of Betty’s burgeoning maturity, but it was still way too sad. This just can’t be the end of them! Now that she’s finally, finally over Henry — although she almost destroyed her relationship with Matt in the process — is she just going to give up on love in order to be unselfish?
On the plus-side of the breakup, though, is Betty’s return to her old downtown apartment (as comfy as the Suarez digs are, it is Manhattan). But even while she refrains from singing the blues, she still manages to make a Bettytastic mistake by letting a pair of burglars into the building. It’s an innocent mistake (and what other kind of mistake could Betty make?), but it’s hilariously frustrating and puts her on bad terms with all her neighbors.
This episode posits some successful returns to the classic, awkward hilarity of the old seasons. For example, Amanda’s Parent Trap antics with Daniel and Wilhelmina are pretty funny. Betty singing karaoke was also way overdue. Seriously, how did that never happen before? The pure comedy of Betty’s attempt to revive the party coincides with a citywide blackout, or as Amanda puts it, “Betty’s voice brought darkness to the land.”
All this having been said, I’m not one to exclude the Daniel-Wilhelmina kiss in the elevator. I have to say I never anticipated this kiss. It’s inconceivable. I mean, she was almost married to his father! Thank goodness the supposed “sexual tension” between the two was the product of the erroneous hypothesizing of an inept couples’ counselor — or was it? Willie’s glance-over of Daniel’s backside as he bent to pick up a folder has me guessing that there might be some cougar action in the near future, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
Overall, it’s a mixed-bag episode for Betty, one that teaches us that with the recent loss of a billionaire boyfriend, one can work toward turning over a new leaf. But as Marc’s and Betty’s friendship seems to be blossoming, tragedy strikes when Hilda discovers she’s had a miscarriage. Meanwhile, Justin gains ground in his acting career by making it into an acting class, and Marc is the new Junior Fashion Editor for Mode.
I guess if it really is the end of Betty and Matt, then let it be a new era of independence for Betty as both an up-and-coming features editor and a single lady. I feel an “outlook good” floating to the top of Betty’s metaphorical Magic 8 Ball.