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Review: Ugly Betty, Season 3, Episode 21: The Born Identity

5.00 avg. rating (99% score) - 1 vote

Waiting for Season 4 to begin – especially since Ugly Betty has been moved to the Friday Night Death Slot – has become a good time to indulge in watching some of the past season’s episodes. And, since I didn’t review all of them, it’s also a great time to go over some of the episodes I didn’t blog about.

This was a great episode, where Baby Williams’ true identity finally comes out; while Christina might have had her suspicions for awhile, while she couldn’t think of any other way to get her child back, and, in all honesty, I can understand why she cracked, I don’t think it makes what she did any less bad.

Then again, it did make for good television.

I loved the fiasco of Hilda’s announcement; while she’s trying to announce Archie’s candidacy and that she will be in the television spot, Ignacio’s guesses are nowhere near that. First, he joyfully thinks the two are getting married (awwwwwwwwkward!) then gets desperate when he think Hilda is about to announce that she’s pregnant (even more awwwwwwwwkward!). The result is, of course, hilarious – especially when contrasted with his less than enthusiastic response to the actual announcement. Poor Archie.

The main question raised by this episode’s plot is the extent to which one should go to help a friend. At what point does ‘helping a friend’ become the contrary? It reminds me a little bit of the joke: ‘A good friend will bail you out of jail after a wild night; a great friend will be sitting in the cell with you and chuckling over what you did.’ I don’t know if that is how I would define friendship.

In the same vein, I was a little uncomfortable with Archie encouraging Betty to be ‘creative’. Is there really a difference between that and playing dirty?

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Notable fashion moments:

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There are always amazing fashions on Ugly Betty, and two of the characters are noted for their style: Wilhelmina and Amanda. While I LOVE Wilhelmina’s black dress in the opening scene (which designer is it from?), I was a little put off by what Amanda was wearing, which looked like, well, an umbrella. I know things are dark and gloomy at Mode these days, but seriously, wearing an umbrella won’t help.

And while she doesn’t put them together in a way I – or probably, most other people – would, Betty does wear some really nice pieces. SeenON! makes their case by pointing out the gorgeous tweed jacket Betty is seen wearing in this episode; check it out here.

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Favourite lines:

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Hilda: The camera adds 10 years, right?
Betty: Ten pounds, Hilda.
Hilda: Oh God, I have a lot of work to do.

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Wilhelmina, taking about a baby’s effect on adult: It’s nature. Put one in your arms and you turn into a grinning idiot – like that (points at Daniel who is baby talking to William).

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Wilhelmina: Mark, put on your game face.
Mark does the Blue Steel look with a squint.
Wilhelmina: Not your gay face, Mark, your game face.
Mark: But they’re the same!

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Wilhelmina: You like babies?
Hartley: I always have. Maybe because they don’t ask me for money.

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Suzuki St-Pierre: Today’s colour: amber, as in Amber alert.

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Amanda: I’ll only speak on the condition of unanimity.
Suzuki: Do you mean anonymity?
Amanda: Exactly.
Suzuki: But you’re on TV – everyone can see you.
Amanda: I know.

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Claire: Kidnapping is not my MO.
Daniel: It bothers me that my mother has an MO

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Amanda: Betty, when I marry Hartley, I’ll be your Mom.

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By the way, Canada’s very own Great Big Sea was featured in the opening scene of this episode. If you don’t remember, check it out:

5.00 avg. rating (99% score) - 1 vote

1 thought on “Review: Ugly Betty, Season 3, Episode 21: The Born Identity

  1. Hey, I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog!…..I”ll be checking in on a regularly now….Keep up the good work! 🙂 🙂

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