Perky, endearing protagonist Betty Suarez is back for season four, decked in even wackier ensembles (only Betty could pull off the combination of teal, fuchsia, bright yellow and aubergine) and faced with new challenges at the ever-snide fashion enterprise, Mode magazine. In episode three, Betty struggles with the increased workload of her recent promotion as junior features editor, a job she later learns was the result of a flip of a coin. When Wilhelmina appoints a reluctant Marc (the loser of the coin toss) to be Betty’s temporary assistant, the two find themselves cavorting around NYC dressed as a giant hot dog and a giant bun in typical, hilarious Ugly Betty fashion.
Daniel seems to be recovering slowly from the loss of his wife, Molly. His decision to hire Lexi — a six-foot-five leggy blonde — as his new assistant is reminiscent of his old bachelorlike tendencies. Unfortunately, Lexi is, as Betty expects, completely unqualified, bitchy and conceited. The first “boob” issue arises when Daniel accidentally grazes his new assistant’s boob and fears a lawsuit. Luckily, he convinces her to model for Betty’s “worst jobs of New York” feature, and all is well.
Wilhelmina and Nico continue their covering-up of Nico’s recent murder of her abusive boyfriend. The talented Slater women also employ deception to keep Wilhelmina’s job intact.
Amanda finds herself lusting after Betty’s ex-boyfriend-turned-boss, Matt. Still, her interest is slightly quelled by the fact that he has kissed Betty.
Back in Queens, another set of boobs causes temporary problems when Hilda — in an attempt to spice up her relationship — accidentally hits reply-all to an e-mail to Archie, and sends a sexy photo to all his voters. Eventually, Archie publicly apologizes for the mistake but not for her sexiness. Moral of the story: boobs are awesome.
Things we liked:
1. Betty and Matt finally coexisting peacefully. I am so over Mean Matt. Will they get back together, though? Also, Amanda’s interest in Matt. This should make for some intrigue.
2. Daniel’s new BFF Natalie, a pale, spiky-haired, punkish but perfectly nice woman he met at a loss support group. Perhaps a makeover and future relationship are in the works? What do we think?
3. Ignacio learning to use the computer. Could he possibly get any cuter?
Things we didn’t like:
1. The continued making-over of Betty! They can try to replace the frizzy wig and hideous ensembles with funky striped socks, but “Ugly Betty” has been indubitably beautified. The latest “improvement” of note: her shapely eyebrows. This show was so much better when Betty was a mess.
2. Nico being played by a different actress, and now-Nico being completely incompatible with the paint-throwing, animal-rights activist Nico of the previous seasons. If you’re going to use a different actress, at least come up with a better excuse than “nose job,” and keep the character consistent!
3. Lack of Justin airtime. Last episode, he was being bullied at the new public high school, and sought advice from Marc.