Shoot The Moose

If the 11/16/06 Ugly Betty ("Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral") is any indication, this show is in for a good, long run. The comedy is back! There were two moments where we were laughing so hard, we missed something important and had to rewind (more on that later).

Granted, the drama was still there (Betty and Hilda REALLY get into it, bringing back way too many stressful holiday memories for me), but this week, it wasn't the whole show.

It'll be hard to tell you about the two best moments without giving too much away, but here goes. As was set up last week, Justin's father comes over for Thanksgiving dinner (in return he agrees to provide the $5000 Hilda needs to retain the immigration lawyer for her father). He brings Justin a gift of an entire New York Jets uniform, whick Justin misconstrues as a "costume". There is something SO funny that happens with the "protective cup", all I can say is you HAVE to go to ABC.com and see this episode for this moment alone!

The other wonderful moment involved Amanda and Marc. Amanda had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving (her "date" had to do something silly like be with his wife and kids), and Marc really didn't want to go home to his family because apparently he's still in the closet and didn't relish the thought of spending the weekend talking about his non-existent girlfriend. So, the two of them decide to sneak into Wilhemina's office, get drunk, and watch the Macy's parade.

This sets up an incredibly funny sequence where both of them are trying on designer dresses and dancing around the office. I can't describe how funny this is, you'll just have to see it.

In the meantime, Daniel is pining over Sofia (Salma Hayek), and apparently "something happened" between them that has not been shown on screen (I actually like this). But Sofia has a boyfriend, the absolutely perfect "Hunter". Daniel actually agrees to go to his father's Thanksgiving get-together because he knows Sofia will be there (unfortunately, with Hunter). The rest of the episode has Daniel trying to compete with Hunter, which of course is impossible when you're dealing with a hunky, Scandanavian model who works with the Peace Corps.

Finally Wilhemina has a sweet moment with Nico, who comes back to New York for the holiday. She makes a home-cooked meal as a surprise; in order to accomplish this she calls Martha Stewart for directions (Please, producers, don't do this again - it really seemed out of place!)

Two things happen that advance the mystery backstory: 1) Marc and Amanda, in their drunken stupor, call the "mystery lady", mistakenly thinking she's Wilhemina's lesbian girlfriend. Now, mystery lady and Wilhemina both (mistakenly) think that somebody is onto them. 2) Bradford hires a second hit man to dispose of the first hit man, which he does by "burying" him alive in Faye Summers' crypt, which they have discovered, is empty.

All in all, this was the best episode so far - it hit all the right notes and had a great mixture of drama, comedy and mystery. The producers are being pretty daring, going from a 'Devil Wears Prada' feel, almost to a 'The Birdcage' farce. The over-the-top comedy carries the risk of offending both gay and religious sensibilities, but they pull it off. My stomach still hurts from laughing.

Episode Parental Advisory: The "gay" theme was in full force, although, as usual, only implied. I can't tell you how masterfully they straddle the line (and believe me, I'm Mr right winger - I'd cut my kids off in a second if the line were ever crossed). Marc and Amanda wonder out loud if Wilhemina is a lesbian. There, again, is one usage of the word "B**ch" (is this like a drinking game thing? There has been exactly one "B**ch" utterance in every episode. Do they have a quota?). Marc and Amanda spend almost the entire episode drunk. You may also have to explain to the kids why Justin is mistaken about the protective cup.

Labels: Ugly Betty