The high drama and big laughs keep on coming with the third season of Ugly Betty.
I have to say that this is a show I never wanted to watch. Alas, my wife did, so I sat and watched it with her. And I’ll be damned if the characters weren’t interesting and well developed. Ugly Betty is actually really well written and quickly sucks you into the melodrama that drives the show.
What really makes this show work is that even the villains are likeable. Characters like Willhelmina (Vanessa Williams) and Marc and Amanda (Michael Urie and Becki Newton) are given depth so that you at times to feel for them. Sometimes you love to hate them and other times you really just love them.
The writers really know the characters and put them into completely ridiculous situations and find very entertaining ways for them to deal with them. In this season Betty has to deal with an over ambitious friend (Lindsay Lohan), a new super rich boyfriend (Daniel Eric Gold) his uber-bitchy mother (Christine Baranski) as well as all the usual drama that permeates the show.
This is a very entertaining series that you don’t have to be a fan of fashion or magazines in order to enjoy (I know, cause I don’t like either). However, if you haven’t seen the show yet you should probably start with the first season, cause if you start here you’re going to be seriously lost.
Episodes:
Disc 1:
The Manhattan Project 9/25/08
Now that Wilhelmina has reestablished herself at Mode, Daniel must make some changes due to her manipulations. Meanwhile, Betty makes an important decision regarding her life, and Ignacio gets a job at a fast food restaurant.
Filing For The Enemy 10/2/08
Wilhelmina, now preparing for her first issue as editor, puts Betty in a difficult situation when she offers her a job as her assistant. Meanwhile, Christina becomes suspicious of Stuart’s true intentions, Daniel faces a custody battle to keep Daniel Jr. in the United States, and Hilda’s romance with Coach Diaz reaches a new level of hotness.
Crimes Of Fashion 10/9/08
Everyone at Mode is stunned when Christina gets injured and Wilhelmina’s baby is in danger. Later on, Betty tries to figure out what really happened along with Marc and Amanda when a detective comes by with the same purpose. Meanwhile, Ignacio is shocked when he learns a truth about Hilda and Coach Diaz, and Alexis makes a shocking revelation to Claire.
Betty Suarez Land 10/16/08
Gio returns and Betty tries to make amends, but he’s not having it. Meanwhile, Daniel struggles with some shocking family news.
Disc 2:
Granny Pants 10/23/08
Kimmie asks for Betty’s help in finding a job, Daniel tries a matchmaking service with surprising results in his “perfect” match, and Justin tries out for a Broadway musical.
Ugly Berry 10/30/08
Kimmie and Betty restart their feud as Kimmie starts to steal the spotlight; Ignacio prepares to vote for the first time while Hilda uses the Election Day angle to bring in customers at Hilda’s Beautilities; Wilhelmina wants to hire a CFO that Daniel dislikes.
Crush’d 11/6/08
Wanting to grasp the attention of her neighbor, Jesse, Betty decides to work overtime. Meanwhile, Amanda becomes Betty’s roommate when the former finds herself in financial instability, and Cliff proposes that he and Marc move in together.
Tornado Girl 11/13/08
Betty must avert a PR nightmare involving an upcoming issue of Mode, but Daniel is at a retreat and can’t be reached; Hilda finds a new way to keep her salon in business after she is turned down for a license; Connor’s fiancé shows up.
Disc 3:
When Betty Met YETI 11/20/08
Competition gets fierce when Betty and Marc both apply to YETI, the Young Editors Training Program that could be their ticket out of assistant-land… but there’s only room for one of them. Meanwhile Justin makes an unlikely friend, Daniel finds himself attracted to Molly and Wilhelmina does her best to get Connor’s attention.
Bad Amanda 12/4/08
Amanda and Betty are forced to work together for an article called “How I Blew Ten Grand Without Spending a Dime” for the new Mode NY website. Daniel and Molly’s relationship goes to the next level.
Dress For Success 1/8/09
Betty juggles work and family without much success as she struggles to impress her idol, Jodie Papadakis (Bernadette Peters), the editor running YETI. Things go from bad to worse when she encounters Teri (Nikki Blonsky), an assistant at ELLE magazine, just as the long-running Mode/ELLE rivalry heats up.
Sisters On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown 1/22/09
After a family crisis, Betty is torn between work and home, putting her at odds with Hilda. Meanwhile, Daniel, Molly, Connor and Wilhelmina try to conceal their escalating love affairs.
Disc 4:
Kissed Off 2/5/09
Betty comes up with a solution to deal with her personal problems, but she has her sexy neighbor Jesse, who keeps her distracted from her goals. Daniel does his best to cover his tracks as Connor is adamant on unveiling Molly’s admirer.
The Courtship Of Betty’s Father 2/12/09
Betty tapes a video tribute for Claire Meade’s 60th birthday that’s very revealing, just not in the way she planned. But the real shocker comes when Betty accidentally leaves the camera on at home and discovers some revealing footage about Ignacio. Meanwhile, Daniel and Wilhelmina have difficulty adjusting to the new significant others in their lives.
There’s No Place Like Mode 2/19/09
Fashion Week brings chaos to the Modies, as Betty copes with simultaneously putting on a show for a bizarre new designer named Heinrich and with an assignment from YETI to partner up with Matt, who works at a sports magazine, to learn about each other’s jobs. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina fears she’s lost her edge in the fashion world because she’s been spending too much time with Conner, Daniel tries giving Molly a makeover, and a new member of the Mode team makes a dramatic entrance.
Things Fall Apart 2/26/09
Betty makes a surprising discovery when an assignment from YETI finds her and Marc analyzing Mode‘s budget for the past year. Meanwhile she has to deal with increased attention from Matt and the knowledge that old flame Henry has posted some unexpected news on Facebook.
Disc 5:
Sugar Daddy 3/5/09
The Suarez family tries to come up with the cash to buy their rental home after their landlord decides to sell, with Ignacio even entering a TV cook-off with celebrity chef Frankie Burrata (Steve Schirripa). Meanwhile, the Mode staff deals with the shocking aftermath of recent events.
A Mother Of A Problem 3/12/09
Betty meets Matt’s mother but things don’t go as she expects. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina gets creative to solve a cash flow problem, Daniel deals with the latest wrinkle in his relationship with Molly, and the Suarez family conspires to set Hilda up with Archie (Ralph Macchio), the promising city councilman from Queens.
The Sex Issue 3/19/09
Daniel and Wilhelmina hope that an issue of Mode devoted to sex will turn their fortunes around. Meanwhile, when Matt seems a little shy about taking his romance with Betty to the next level, Marc and Amanda team up to give Betty a sexy makeover, and Hilda is uncertain she wants to continue dating Archie.
Rabbit Test 4/30/09
The Suarez family gets an invitation to meet Matt’s famed billionaire dad, Calvin Hartley (David Rasche), at his legendary Easter Egg hunt. While Betty sees this as a chance to get closer to Matt, Daniel seizes the opportunity to get Mode a bailout. Meanwhile Wilhelmina suspects that little William might not be her biological son.
Disc 6:
The Born Identity 5/7/09
Just as it looks like billionaire Calvin Hartley is going to give Mode the bailout it needs so the magazine won’t go under, baby William is kidnapped – and Betty is dragged into the ensuing drama. Meanwhile Archie asks Hilda to be part of his latest political campaign.
In The Stars 5/14/09
Betty teams with Matt and Marc for their all-important final YETI project, a photo shoot with Grammy winner Adele, but Matt’s slacking off could jeopardize everything they’ve worked for. Meanwhile, love is everywhere as two wedding proposals are made, but only one couple will walk down the aisle; Claire and Wilhelmina square off over their roles at Mode; and Matt’s mom asks Betty for a favor.
Curveball 5/21/09
Just as Betty agrees to move in with Matt, Henry pays a visit to NYC, forcing Betty to admit she still has feelings for her former fiancé. Meanwhile, Betty and Marc wait to see if their YETI editor interviews resulted in actual jobs; Daniel’s transformation from playboy to devoted husband makes him a media darling; and Wilhelmina cozies up to Victoria Hartley to find out just what kind of connection Claire Meade has to Cal Hartley
The Fall Issue 5/21/09
The sudden death of a Mode editor leaves Betty and Marc competing for the same job. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina demands that Claire tender her resignation at a big awards ceremony… or she’ll reveal Claire’s dark secret to Cal Hartley; Matt lets his jealousy over Henry get the best of him; and Justin nervously waits to see if he got into performing arts school. Matt breaks up with Betty, and what seems to be a delightful change in Betty’s life soon becomes a horrible one…
The episodes are presented in anamorphic widescreen 1:78.1. Sound is Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. French and Spanish Subtitles. This is a very pretty show. The colors are very vibrant and pop right off the screen.
Commentary: For Crush’d you get an audio commentary with various producers and writers. You also get Look Who Keeps Popping Up, a video commentary for The Sex Issue hosted by Michael Urie and Becki Newton. The audio commentary is full of information but not very lively. The video commentary is pretty entertaining, however.
Deleted Scenes: There are tons of these on most discs for many of the episodes. Some of this is goof stuff that just had to be cut due to time.
Mode After Hours: You get twelves of these separated over a couple discs. These are pretty funny 3-4 minute shorts that give more insight with Marc and Amanda.
Coming Home To New York City: (13 min.) A featurette about the show moving production from LA back to NYC.
Betty Bloops: (8 min.) Pretty solid gag reel. Some really funny stuff here.
This is another very solid season from a very entertaining show. And there are tons of special features to appease the die hard fans. But I’m left with just one serious question: It’s been three years now, when the hell is Betty going to get her braces off?
ABC Studios presents Ugly Betty: The Complete Third Season. Created by Fernando Gaitán. Starring: America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, Vanessa Williams, Ashely Jensen, Becki Newton and Michael Urie. Running time: 1032 minutes on 6 discs. Not Rated. Released on DVD: September 22, 2009. Available at Amazon.com.
