Written by Vickie
October 02, 2009
When any TV series enjoys a hugely successful inaugural season, expectations run high for its sophomore year. And when a series is riding the kind of massive critical and viewer acclaim that Ugly Betty enjoyed, returning with greatness – and not resting on its laurels – becomes even more challenging. Face it: some people are just waiting for a hit show to fall flat on its face.
Happily, Ugly Betty bucks the sophomore-slump trend and continues to deliver on all fronts. Picking up shortly after season one left off, the show finds Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) ensconced in the chic offices of Mode magazine, where internal upheaval rivals personal challenges in the life of our bespectacled heroine. For starters, perpetually scheming Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams) – aided by lackey Marc (Michael Urie) – is fiercely determined to snatch the reins and sieze control... going so far as to plot to marry Bradford Meade (Alan Dale) and, later, engaging in sperm theft. Seriously. No pushover, Bradford’s son, Daniel (Eric Mabius), enlists Betty’s aid in preventing Willie from taking over the family and its business.
Meanwhile, Claire Meade (Judith Light) is in hiding after a prison break, and has one finger on the pulse of the Mode shenanigans with an aim to return to power herself; Alexis (Rebecca Romijn) awakens after faking her own death and has no memory of the sex-change operation; Amanda (Becki Newton) discovers that her real parents are the late Fey Sommers and the very much alive Gene Simmons (guest-starring as himself), and sets out to stake her claims to fame; and Betty’s flamboyant little nephew (Mark Indelicato) scores a gig interning at Mode.
Away from the office, sort of, Betty copes with her own romantic angst – former flame Henry (Christopher Gorham) returns to work at the magazine... but also has a pregnant girlfriend, and all manner of sparks fly when Betty meets new sandwich-guy Gio (Freddy Rodriguez), who brings more than just pastramis on rye when he arrives.
Season two of Ugly Betty builds on what worked best in season one – a deft mixture of comedy and soap-opera outrageousness. The combination works beautifully, and the entire show seems to have really sunk nicely into its own quirky groove. Cast members have embraced their characters, heart and soul, and the result is a terrific ensemble. The caliber of the show is also evident in its high-profile guest stars in its second year, including Victoria Beckham, Lindsay Lohan (as one of Betty’s former high-school rivals), and fashion-industry heavyweights like Naomi Campbell and Vera Wang (playing themselves).
One can only hope that this momentum carries through to Betty’s third year.
DVD NOTES
The bonus features, while decent, aren’t really anything exceptional. Alongside the requisite bloopers and deleted scenes, viewers can tour the Mode offices with Marc and Amanda in a featurette called On Set With the Besties, learn what Vanessa Williams and her co-stars think of her character in Wilhelmina Slater: Love to Hate Her, and get a rather ho-hum look at the Suarez abode in The Suarez Tour.
