Crimes of Fashion (Ugly Betty)
Encyclopedia
"Crimes of Fashion" is the third episode in the third season, the 44th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty
, which will air on October 9, 2008. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and directed by Victor Neili Jr.
where Daniel Meade
was the night of the launch party. Betty hesitates, and the storyline flashes back to six hours earlier.
Betty is getting ready to go to work and notices her umbrella is missing, and ends up getting wet. She is then reprimanded by her father for leaving it outside where anyone could take it. At work, Daniel asks Betty to say they were in Player magazine's office if anyone asks where he was after the Mode launch party. He also asks her to take a dusty coat to the laundry.
Marc announces that Christina was pushed down the stairs, shocking everyone at Mode, but assures them that both Christina and the baby are fine. Then the police arrive and the beginning scene is repeated. Betty tells the police that Daniel was working late, leaving the police suspicious. When the police find footprints at the crime scene matching shoes Daniel owns, he is arrested.
Betty believes that Daniel is innocent, so she decides to try to figure out what really happened. First she visits Christina, but Christina barely remembers anything — but she does remember her fight with Stuart. Stuart arrives to visit Christina, so Betty takes the opportunity to ask him about the incident. Stuart denies pushing Christina, and tells her that his experimental treatment is not working and he is dying.
Betty then approaches the security guard to retrieve the security tape, but the tape has been stolen. When the security guard tells her that a "little blonde girl" also asked for the tape, Betty confronts Amanda. Amanda admits she requested the tape, as she needed the reward Wilhemina offered to cover her credit card bills. Moreover, she tells Betty she saw Marc yelling at Wilhemina after the launch party. Amanda and Betty confront Marc, but it turns out that he was actually yelling at a mannequin that looked like Wilhemina to relieve his stress. Marc recalls shoving Christina to get to the elevator, catching a glimpse of Claire angrily approaching Christina. The trio confront Claire, who admits she was drunk at the party after arguing with Wilhemina and saw Christina by the elevator. However, she remembers Christina helped her to the toilet, and Alexis took care of her after that. When Alexis is asked about that night, she says she was in the restroom worrying about her facial hair growing when she saw Christina and Claire, but did not remember when Christina left.
The investigation leads to a dead end, so Marc, Amanda and Betty decide to reenact the scene by throwing the Wilhemina mannequin down the stairs. The plan fails, so Marc and Amanda try to push Betty down the stairs, which causes all three of them to tumble down. Betty discovers the floor was dusty, and remembering that Daniel asked her to clean his dusty coat earlier, concludes that Daniel might be the culprit.
Then Betty finds the stolen security tape in Daniel's briefcase and watches it, but it turns out to be a tape of Daniel having sex with a woman in the copy room. Daniel tells Betty the woman was Holly, the attorney he hired for Daniel Jr.'s custody battle, and he wants to hide it from the police because it would look bad. Betty is relieved that Daniel is innocent.
When Wilhemina hears the news, she decides to gain PR by offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the culprit, and then visits Christina in the hospital -- accompanied by paparazzi and press. Christina is upset and tells her she doesn't really care about her nor the baby, but when Wilhemina finds out Stuart is dying she begins to have some sympathy and to better care of Christina.
Meanwhile, Hilda borrows Betty's apartment so she and Coach Diaz have a place to talk about their future. Ignacio dropps by to visit Betty while Hilda is out getting ice cream, and is shocked to see Tony, who was in the shower when the door rang and decided to surprise Hilda. When Tony grabs his clothes, he accidentally drops his wedding ring and a disappointed Ignacio realizes he is married. Later, at their home, Ignacio and Hilda argue about her dating a married man.
Finally, Alexis admits that she pushed Christina. She tells Betty about the argument she had had with Wilhelmina that night. She was wearing Daniel's shoes because her heel broke; they wore the same size and she had also borrowed his coat. She defends herself saying that it was not premeditated and for a moment, it was Wilhelmina she saw in front of her and not Christina. To Alexis, the baby Christina was carrying represented Wilhelmina's hold over Mode and her family. Realizing that they would not be rid of her soon enough, she pushed her. Once Christina fell down the flight of stairs, Alexis came to her senses and, feeling guilty, checked whether Christina was still alive (causing the coat to get dusty and the footprints to appear), then called 911. Later on, Betty finds her umbrella, where she had left it with a note from her new neighbor Jesse who had taken it. She then smiles to herself and decides to leave it outside. Alexis is arrested, and tells Claire she was Daniel Jr.'s real father.
" and "Odor in the Court
") to begin at the climax of the events and then return to reveal what had happened earlier.
on CBS
, the NLCS game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers
and Philadelphia Phillies
on Fox
and the surprise debut of another Reveille
-produced series that aired during the second half-hour, Kath & Kim
on NBC
, this episode helped Ugly Betty maintained its second-place showing with a 5.8/9 overall and a 2.6/7 among 18-49s with 8.5 million tuning in.
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, which will air on October 9, 2008. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and directed by Victor Neili Jr.
Plot
The episode begins with the police asking BettyBetty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
where Daniel Meade
Daniel Meade
Daniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...
was the night of the launch party. Betty hesitates, and the storyline flashes back to six hours earlier.
Betty is getting ready to go to work and notices her umbrella is missing, and ends up getting wet. She is then reprimanded by her father for leaving it outside where anyone could take it. At work, Daniel asks Betty to say they were in Player magazine's office if anyone asks where he was after the Mode launch party. He also asks her to take a dusty coat to the laundry.
Marc announces that Christina was pushed down the stairs, shocking everyone at Mode, but assures them that both Christina and the baby are fine. Then the police arrive and the beginning scene is repeated. Betty tells the police that Daniel was working late, leaving the police suspicious. When the police find footprints at the crime scene matching shoes Daniel owns, he is arrested.
Betty believes that Daniel is innocent, so she decides to try to figure out what really happened. First she visits Christina, but Christina barely remembers anything — but she does remember her fight with Stuart. Stuart arrives to visit Christina, so Betty takes the opportunity to ask him about the incident. Stuart denies pushing Christina, and tells her that his experimental treatment is not working and he is dying.
Betty then approaches the security guard to retrieve the security tape, but the tape has been stolen. When the security guard tells her that a "little blonde girl" also asked for the tape, Betty confronts Amanda. Amanda admits she requested the tape, as she needed the reward Wilhemina offered to cover her credit card bills. Moreover, she tells Betty she saw Marc yelling at Wilhemina after the launch party. Amanda and Betty confront Marc, but it turns out that he was actually yelling at a mannequin that looked like Wilhemina to relieve his stress. Marc recalls shoving Christina to get to the elevator, catching a glimpse of Claire angrily approaching Christina. The trio confront Claire, who admits she was drunk at the party after arguing with Wilhemina and saw Christina by the elevator. However, she remembers Christina helped her to the toilet, and Alexis took care of her after that. When Alexis is asked about that night, she says she was in the restroom worrying about her facial hair growing when she saw Christina and Claire, but did not remember when Christina left.
The investigation leads to a dead end, so Marc, Amanda and Betty decide to reenact the scene by throwing the Wilhemina mannequin down the stairs. The plan fails, so Marc and Amanda try to push Betty down the stairs, which causes all three of them to tumble down. Betty discovers the floor was dusty, and remembering that Daniel asked her to clean his dusty coat earlier, concludes that Daniel might be the culprit.
Then Betty finds the stolen security tape in Daniel's briefcase and watches it, but it turns out to be a tape of Daniel having sex with a woman in the copy room. Daniel tells Betty the woman was Holly, the attorney he hired for Daniel Jr.'s custody battle, and he wants to hide it from the police because it would look bad. Betty is relieved that Daniel is innocent.
When Wilhemina hears the news, she decides to gain PR by offering a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the culprit, and then visits Christina in the hospital -- accompanied by paparazzi and press. Christina is upset and tells her she doesn't really care about her nor the baby, but when Wilhemina finds out Stuart is dying she begins to have some sympathy and to better care of Christina.
Meanwhile, Hilda borrows Betty's apartment so she and Coach Diaz have a place to talk about their future. Ignacio dropps by to visit Betty while Hilda is out getting ice cream, and is shocked to see Tony, who was in the shower when the door rang and decided to surprise Hilda. When Tony grabs his clothes, he accidentally drops his wedding ring and a disappointed Ignacio realizes he is married. Later, at their home, Ignacio and Hilda argue about her dating a married man.
Finally, Alexis admits that she pushed Christina. She tells Betty about the argument she had had with Wilhelmina that night. She was wearing Daniel's shoes because her heel broke; they wore the same size and she had also borrowed his coat. She defends herself saying that it was not premeditated and for a moment, it was Wilhelmina she saw in front of her and not Christina. To Alexis, the baby Christina was carrying represented Wilhelmina's hold over Mode and her family. Realizing that they would not be rid of her soon enough, she pushed her. Once Christina fell down the flight of stairs, Alexis came to her senses and, feeling guilty, checked whether Christina was still alive (causing the coat to get dusty and the footprints to appear), then called 911. Later on, Betty finds her umbrella, where she had left it with a note from her new neighbor Jesse who had taken it. She then smiles to herself and decides to leave it outside. Alexis is arrested, and tells Claire she was Daniel Jr.'s real father.
Production
This is the third episode (after "Sofia's ChoiceSofia's Choice
"Sofia's Choice" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on January 11, 2007. It is the twelfth episode in the series, which was written Silvio Horta, produced by Salma Hayek and directed by Jim Hayman.-Plot:...
" and "Odor in the Court
Odor in the Court
"Odor in the Court" is the twelfth episode in the second season, and the 35th episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on January 17, 2008. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.-Plot:...
") to begin at the climax of the events and then return to reveal what had happened earlier.
Ratings
Despite strong competition from Survivor: GabonSurvivor: Gabon
Survivor: Gabon — Earth's Last Eden is the seventeenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 25, 2008, with the first two episodes screened back-to-back....
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, the NLCS game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
and the surprise debut of another Reveille
Reveille Productions
Reveille Productions is an independently-owned television and motion picture studio and production company based in Los Angeles. The studio was founded by Ben Silverman in March 2002....
-produced series that aired during the second half-hour, Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim (U.S. TV series)
Kath & Kim is an American version of the Australian television comedy series of the same name starring Selma Blair and Molly Shannon. The series premiered on NBC on October 9, 2008...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, this episode helped Ugly Betty maintained its second-place showing with a 5.8/9 overall and a 2.6/7 among 18-49s with 8.5 million tuning in.
Reception
Zap2it gave this episode a positive review: "Oh boy. I wasn't quite sure where this season of Ugly Betty was going, but the third episode in was not only juicy, but kind of touching as well".Also starring
- Rebecca RomijnRebecca RomijnRebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
as Alexis MeadeAlexis MeadeAlexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the... - Eddie CibrianEddie CibrianEdward Carl "Eddie" Cibrian is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cole Deschanel on Sunset Beach, Jesse Cardoza in CSI: Miami, Jimmy Doherty on Third Watch and Russell Varon in Invasion.-Early life and career:...
as Coach Diaz - Julian de la CelleJulian De La CelleJulian De La Celle is an American actor of French descent. He played Daniel Meade, Jr. -- Alexis Meade's son in ABC's Ugly Betty. De La Celle first appeared in Ugly Betty in the Season 2 finale, "Jump"...
as Daniel Jr. - Heather TomHeather TomHeather Marie Tom is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless, Kelly Cramer on One Life to Live and currently Katie Logan Spencer on The Bold and the Beautiful....
as Holly Wright - Derek RiddellDerek RiddellDerek Riddell is a Scottish television actor.He was born in Glasgow, the son of actress Hope Ross and former St Mirren footballer Ian Riddell...
as Stuart McKinney - Alec MapaAlec Mapa-Personal life:Mapa, a Filipino American, was born in San Francisco and attended George Washington High School . Mapa is openly gay and lends his support to various projects supporting the gay, lesbian, and Asian American communities...
as Suzuki St. Pierre