Odor in the Court
Encyclopedia
"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.
wakes up on the floor among broken glasses and in handcuffs. She doesn't remember how this all started, and as Gio observes her state of confusion, he tells the police officer who arrested her that he doesn't plan to press charges. Then, through the magic of rewinding, the screen reads Three days earlier...
At the long awaited trial of the State vs. Claire Meade
, Alexis and Daniel try to bond together as they hope that their mother will get a fair trial while at the same time try to keep each other in check, right down to the attire that they will wear. Betty assures the two that the case will go smoothly. As they go visit Claire, she assures her children that everything will be alright as she already entered her plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. She also gives Betty her favorite perfume that Bradford
gave to her as a gift, since perfume is not allowed at prison. Betty accepts.
Unfortunately, while this is happening at the same time, Amanda discovers that everyone has found the Love Dungeon. Stunned by having other workers walk in on her secret hideaway, Amanda walks out in disgust and takes the canvas of Fey with her. As she returns to her desk, Amanda discovers several missing pages of Fey's diary that was taped to the canvas. As she reads it, Amanda learns that Fey had written about giving Bradford a gift after he returned from Scandinavia
, that he would later give to Claire. The gift was the same perfume that Claire just gave to Betty. But as Amanda reads further, she learns that this is no ordinary perfume: Fey had added several poisonous ingredients to it that causes people to act strangely and violently, among other things. While Amanda reads her late mother's sinister plotting, Betty, who brings the perfume back to work with her, can't resist the scent and starts spraying it on her as the toxins start to inhabit her body.
Over at Wilhelmina's, Christina is asked why Wilhelmina would see her and when the word of being a surrogate for her baby came up, Christina turned her down ("My uterus is officially closed to Devil's spawn!"), leaving Wilhelmina to come up with a scheme to ensure Christina's loyalty.
Back in the courtroom, Alexis is on the witness stand testifying that she loved her mother but is crossed-examined by the prosecutor over why Alexis faked her death just to have a sex change operation, which would later be shot down by the judge because Alexis' "personal issues" has nothing to do with the case. Alexis and Daniel are relieved that the trial is going smoothly because of the judge's sympathy, but as they wait in line to get coffee, a barista yells to see if anyone can break a 20 dollar bill, and Daniel walks up to the front of the line to discover that the person who wanted the change was the judge, resulting in unwanted press and the judge excusing herself from the trial. As they returned to the courtroom, Claire and her lawyer are shocked that the new judge that was brought in won't be as sympathetic as the one who was removed.
Back at MODE, Betty begins to act strangely as she starts typing faster than ever and becomes more hyperactive. As Henry comes by to say goodbye before he takes off to Arizona to see Charlie, Betty starts to go crazy by cozying up to him in a horny situation that has Henry freaked out! The erratic behavior would continue as Gio stops by to drop off sandwiches to her. Betty tells Gio that one of them was for Henry's care package, but then she starts acting more weirder around Gio to the point that she passionately hugs him, which seems to please Gio. As Henry exits for the elevator Betty, who has started using more of the perfume, starts babbling nonsense about whether he should cheat on her but doesn't care, only to have Henry assuring her that he won't and she runs to the elevator and jumps all over him and after getting herself off him reminds Henry to call her. As Henry leaves, Betty starts noticing all those fancy designs and as she runs into Christina she get cozy around her as well.
At the Love Dungeon, Amanda tells Marc about the letters. As Marc reads it he tells Amanda that this could be key to getting Claire released, but Amanda won't let that happen because Claire killed her mother, so she forces Marc to burn the letters as she chases Halston, who is upset over Amanda's request.
As Christina returns to The Closet, she shows off a dress, which once belonged to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
, to Betty that she plans to sell in order get the needed money for Stuart's operation. Unfortunately, Marc gets wind of this as he and Wilhelmina sneak in and destroy it. Upon learning what they did after she tried to sell it, Christina is left with no choice but give in to Wilhelmina's scheming request.
The next day at the Suarezes, the family are wondering what has happened to Betty. Even Ignacio is shocked over Betty turning down his eggs, opting instead for whipped cream that she takes out of the fridge. As she leaves Justin starts to like the sassiness in his aunt. During the entire day Betty becomes more addicted to the perfume, even as she starts staring at her cell phone waiting for Henry to call. As Gio stops by to see her, the conversation and behavior (sharpening every pencil on her desk being one of them) starts to get weirder as Betty criticizes Gio about he really feels about Henry and orders him to leave. At this point the perfume has become Betty's drug of choice and as Amanda stops by to ask for cash, Betty slams it in front of her, then notices the perfume after Betty tells her that Claire gave it to her. Later that evening Betty starts acting more delusional by walking toward Gio's deli, taking a trashcan and throwing it at the shop's window.
The following day Betty is bought in for an examination and learns from her doctor that she has drugged-induced toxins in her body, but Betty claims that she is not on drugs and as the entire Suarez family rushes down to the hospital, Betty assures that she is fine and when the doctor mentions the toxin's effects, Betty realizes that the source of the toxins came from the perfume and that Claire was innocent all along. But as she races back to MODE to retrieve it, she learns that Amanda has taken it. Amanda reluctantly gives her the pefume but when Betty takes it to the courthouse so she could tesitfy, the prosecutor tells her that the perfume is water. It appears that Amanda replaced the perfume, but as she tried to get Marc to help her destroy the evidence, Marc told her he couldn't because the person who made all this responsible in the first place all along was Fey Sommers herself. Then he showed her the pages that he kept hidden in his jacket saying that he couldn't burn them. As Amanda slaps Marc, she realizes that he is right, so she heads down to the courthouse and gives Betty the evidence that would result in Claire being found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. As the Meades celebrate their union, Daniel, Alexis and Claire thank Betty for coming through. She also apologizes to Gio and thanked with a hug, which Gio seemed to be pleased with.
At the gynecologist's office Wilhelmina and Marc watch Christina get injected with Bradford's sperm, when all of a sudden Betty barges in. It turns out that Betty has agreed to help Christina with carrying the baby to full term whether Wilhelmina likes it or not. As the gynecologist injects the egg it starts dividing into unimaginable amounts.
, producer Silvio Horta notes that "The strike basically killed everything." "We're still going to do it, and we hope it's this year. But the reality is, we don't know what's left of the season. We're in limbo."
For actress Judith Light
, being in courtrooms is nothing new, for this is the third time in her television career in which her characters found themselves on opposite sides of the law on a TV series, her first being on One Life to Live
where she played Karen Wolek, whose role spawned one of the show's most-remembered storylines in which her character became a prostitute after she became bored with her life as a housewife. On trial, Karen saved her friend Victoria Lord
from being convicted of killing her pimp by admitting that she had been a prostitute to the entire town, including her faithful husband, who would later divorce her. The second time around, Light became a recurring regular on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, where she plays Judge Elizabeth Donnelly
, who served as an EADA and Bureau Chief in the Manhattan District Attorney
's office before being appointed to the bench in Season 7. Light was at the time a recurring regular on that series when "Betty" was still filming and after its ending continues in that role.
A pair of fellow shows produced by ABC Studios got referenced in this episode, as Hilda and Justin mentioned Grey's Anatomy
and Private Practice respectively.
As for the perfume, the Los Angeles Times
did an article about whether a fragance like the one described in this episode can actually be dangerous
This is the second episode, after "Sofia's Choice
", to start at the climax of the episode and then flash back to what happened earlier.
' s Tanner Stransky, it's a relief that the Fey storyline is over and done with: "That axiom about the truth setting you free? It proved to be right for Claire Meade last night on Ugly Betty. And more important, that truth finally cleared up what exactly happened with Fey Sommers' death, a story line that the show has been following — sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse — since its launch a year and a half ago. I don't know what you thought of the final revelations, TV watchers, but I'm totally fulfilled by the sensational wrap-up to the Fey-Bradford-Claire love triangle."
, who scored its highest numbers and gave Fox
its first-ever Thursday night win over Ugly Betty.
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 aired on January 17, 2008. The episode was written by Bill Wrubel and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.
Plot
The story begins at Gio's deli, where a disoriented 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...
wakes up on the floor among broken glasses and in handcuffs. She doesn't remember how this all started, and as Gio observes her state of confusion, he tells the police officer who arrested her that he doesn't plan to press charges. Then, through the magic of rewinding, the screen reads Three days earlier...
At the long awaited trial of the State vs. Claire Meade
Claire Meade
Claire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season...
, Alexis and Daniel try to bond together as they hope that their mother will get a fair trial while at the same time try to keep each other in check, right down to the attire that they will wear. Betty assures the two that the case will go smoothly. As they go visit Claire, she assures her children that everything will be alright as she already entered her plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. She also gives Betty her favorite perfume that Bradford
Bradford Meade
Bradford Emerson Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, played by Alan Dale. Bradford's character was equivalent to Roberto Mendoza in the original Betty la fea, Armando's father, with Armando equalling Daniel....
gave to her as a gift, since perfume is not allowed at prison. Betty accepts.
Unfortunately, while this is happening at the same time, Amanda discovers that everyone has found the Love Dungeon. Stunned by having other workers walk in on her secret hideaway, Amanda walks out in disgust and takes the canvas of Fey with her. As she returns to her desk, Amanda discovers several missing pages of Fey's diary that was taped to the canvas. As she reads it, Amanda learns that Fey had written about giving Bradford a gift after he returned from Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, that he would later give to Claire. The gift was the same perfume that Claire just gave to Betty. But as Amanda reads further, she learns that this is no ordinary perfume: Fey had added several poisonous ingredients to it that causes people to act strangely and violently, among other things. While Amanda reads her late mother's sinister plotting, Betty, who brings the perfume back to work with her, can't resist the scent and starts spraying it on her as the toxins start to inhabit her body.
Over at Wilhelmina's, Christina is asked why Wilhelmina would see her and when the word of being a surrogate for her baby came up, Christina turned her down ("My uterus is officially closed to Devil's spawn!"), leaving Wilhelmina to come up with a scheme to ensure Christina's loyalty.
Back in the courtroom, Alexis is on the witness stand testifying that she loved her mother but is crossed-examined by the prosecutor over why Alexis faked her death just to have a sex change operation, which would later be shot down by the judge because Alexis' "personal issues" has nothing to do with the case. Alexis and Daniel are relieved that the trial is going smoothly because of the judge's sympathy, but as they wait in line to get coffee, a barista yells to see if anyone can break a 20 dollar bill, and Daniel walks up to the front of the line to discover that the person who wanted the change was the judge, resulting in unwanted press and the judge excusing herself from the trial. As they returned to the courtroom, Claire and her lawyer are shocked that the new judge that was brought in won't be as sympathetic as the one who was removed.
Back at MODE, Betty begins to act strangely as she starts typing faster than ever and becomes more hyperactive. As Henry comes by to say goodbye before he takes off to Arizona to see Charlie, Betty starts to go crazy by cozying up to him in a horny situation that has Henry freaked out! The erratic behavior would continue as Gio stops by to drop off sandwiches to her. Betty tells Gio that one of them was for Henry's care package, but then she starts acting more weirder around Gio to the point that she passionately hugs him, which seems to please Gio. As Henry exits for the elevator Betty, who has started using more of the perfume, starts babbling nonsense about whether he should cheat on her but doesn't care, only to have Henry assuring her that he won't and she runs to the elevator and jumps all over him and after getting herself off him reminds Henry to call her. As Henry leaves, Betty starts noticing all those fancy designs and as she runs into Christina she get cozy around her as well.
At the Love Dungeon, Amanda tells Marc about the letters. As Marc reads it he tells Amanda that this could be key to getting Claire released, but Amanda won't let that happen because Claire killed her mother, so she forces Marc to burn the letters as she chases Halston, who is upset over Amanda's request.
As Christina returns to The Closet, she shows off a dress, which once belonged to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
, to Betty that she plans to sell in order get the needed money for Stuart's operation. Unfortunately, Marc gets wind of this as he and Wilhelmina sneak in and destroy it. Upon learning what they did after she tried to sell it, Christina is left with no choice but give in to Wilhelmina's scheming request.
The next day at the Suarezes, the family are wondering what has happened to Betty. Even Ignacio is shocked over Betty turning down his eggs, opting instead for whipped cream that she takes out of the fridge. As she leaves Justin starts to like the sassiness in his aunt. During the entire day Betty becomes more addicted to the perfume, even as she starts staring at her cell phone waiting for Henry to call. As Gio stops by to see her, the conversation and behavior (sharpening every pencil on her desk being one of them) starts to get weirder as Betty criticizes Gio about he really feels about Henry and orders him to leave. At this point the perfume has become Betty's drug of choice and as Amanda stops by to ask for cash, Betty slams it in front of her, then notices the perfume after Betty tells her that Claire gave it to her. Later that evening Betty starts acting more delusional by walking toward Gio's deli, taking a trashcan and throwing it at the shop's window.
The following day Betty is bought in for an examination and learns from her doctor that she has drugged-induced toxins in her body, but Betty claims that she is not on drugs and as the entire Suarez family rushes down to the hospital, Betty assures that she is fine and when the doctor mentions the toxin's effects, Betty realizes that the source of the toxins came from the perfume and that Claire was innocent all along. But as she races back to MODE to retrieve it, she learns that Amanda has taken it. Amanda reluctantly gives her the pefume but when Betty takes it to the courthouse so she could tesitfy, the prosecutor tells her that the perfume is water. It appears that Amanda replaced the perfume, but as she tried to get Marc to help her destroy the evidence, Marc told her he couldn't because the person who made all this responsible in the first place all along was Fey Sommers herself. Then he showed her the pages that he kept hidden in his jacket saying that he couldn't burn them. As Amanda slaps Marc, she realizes that he is right, so she heads down to the courthouse and gives Betty the evidence that would result in Claire being found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. As the Meades celebrate their union, Daniel, Alexis and Claire thank Betty for coming through. She also apologizes to Gio and thanked with a hug, which Gio seemed to be pleased with.
At the gynecologist's office Wilhelmina and Marc watch Christina get injected with Bradford's sperm, when all of a sudden Betty barges in. It turns out that Betty has agreed to help Christina with carrying the baby to full term whether Wilhelmina likes it or not. As the gynecologist injects the egg it starts dividing into unimaginable amounts.
Production
"Odor in the Court" marked the end of one the show's most on-again/off-again storylines: Who killed Fey Sommers, and with that Claire's career as a criminal. While that one may have run its course, the question of other storylines featured in this episode, including Wilhelmina's "planned" pregnancy, the Betty/Henry/Gio triangle, Amanda's search for her father among them, are still up in the air. In an interview with USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, producer Silvio Horta notes that "The strike basically killed everything." "We're still going to do it, and we hope it's this year. But the reality is, we don't know what's left of the season. We're in limbo."
For actress Judith Light
Judith Light
Judith Ellen Light is an American actress. Her television roles include Karen Wolek on the soap opera One Life to Live, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Claire Meade on ABC's TV series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.-Early life:Light...
, being in courtrooms is nothing new, for this is the third time in her television career in which her characters found themselves on opposite sides of the law on a TV series, her first being on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
where she played Karen Wolek, whose role spawned one of the show's most-remembered storylines in which her character became a prostitute after she became bored with her life as a housewife. On trial, Karen saved her friend Victoria Lord
Victoria Lord
Victoria "Viki" Lord is the principal fictional character and matriarch of the Lord family on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live...
from being convicted of killing her pimp by admitting that she had been a prostitute to the entire town, including her faithful husband, who would later divorce her. The second time around, Light became a recurring regular on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, where she plays Judge Elizabeth Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly
Elizabeth Donnelly is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Judith Light since 2002.-Character overview:...
, who served as an EADA and Bureau Chief in the Manhattan District Attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
's office before being appointed to the bench in Season 7. Light was at the time a recurring regular on that series when "Betty" was still filming and after its ending continues in that role.
A pair of fellow shows produced by ABC Studios got referenced in this episode, as Hilda and Justin mentioned Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and Private Practice respectively.
As for the perfume, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
did an article about whether a fragance like the one described in this episode can actually be dangerous
This is the second episode, after "Sofia's Choice
Sofia'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:...
", to start at the climax of the episode and then flash back to what happened earlier.
Reception
According to Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Ratings
The episode scored a 6.4/10, placing second behind Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a television game show format based on asking grade-school level questions to adults, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy...
, who scored its highest numbers and gave 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...
its first-ever Thursday night win over Ugly Betty.
Also starring
- Freddy RodriguezFreddy RodriguezFreddy Rodriguez is an American actor known for playing the characters Hector Federico "Rico" Diaz on HBO's Six Feet Under and El Wray in Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror...
as Giovanni "Gio" Rossi - 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
Guest stars
- Anne Bellamy as Judge Heller
- Caroline AaronCaroline AaronCaroline Aaron is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as acid-tongued talk show host Mary Pat Lee on Wings.-Personal life:...
as Judge Biotch - Paul McCranePaul McCranePaul David McCrane is an American film, television and theatre actor, as well as an occasional television director. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Montgomery MacNeil in the 1980 film Fame and Dr. Robert Romano on the NBC medical drama television series ER.-Early life:McCrane was...
as District Attorney Weitz - Barry BostwickBarry BostwickBarry Knapp Bostwick is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, replacing Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the sitcom What I Like About You, and playing mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City...
as Roger Adams - Louis GiambalvoLouis GiambalvoLouis Giambalvo is an American actor, frequently seen on television in guest roles.His television credits include: Barney Miller, Hart to Hart, St...
as Dr. Squazzi