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Ugly Betty (season 1)
Encyclopedia
The first season of the American
dramedy
television series
Ugly Betty
began airing on September 28, 2006 and concluded on May 17, 2007.
In addition to the twenty-three regular episodes in season one, a special, "The Beautiful World of Ugly Betty", was aired on April 12, 2007. Another special, which was a half-hour update recapping the first ten episodes, aired during the month of January 2007 on local ABC affiliates and various cable networks.
Being produced in Los Angeles
, the success of the season would lead to the production of the show's second season
.
, a promising college graduate from a struggling Latino
family in Queens
. She was promptly rejected at a "job interview" at Meade Publications in Manhattan
based solely on her appearance (thus the series' title). However, company CEO Bradford Meade
spots her and has her hired as an executive assistant to his son Daniel Meade
, the newly-installed Editor-in-chief at MODE magazine. Bradford is primarily motivated by his wish for Daniel to stop bedding his assistants, particularly after catching him having sex in his office with one potential applicant. Betty is not very interested in fashion and is sometimes clueless about the company's motives and organizations, although she has expressed a passion for photography.
Betty finds herself helping Daniel both personally and professionally. Daniel at times has been labeled a "himbo" and a "manwhore" (the latter quoted from the fictional Fashion TV). Daniel had always been outshone by his brother Alex Meade. He has no confidence in his own abilities, except as a lothario
. He is not experienced in the fashion industry and was placed as the editor-in-chief of MODE solely based on his namesake. However, as the story progresses so does Daniel's potential.
Much of the plot early in the season involves suspicions surrounding the death of Daniel's predecessor, Fey Sommers. Fey's death and her involvement with Bradford Meade are used as the backdrop for a scheme to take over the company by Wilhelmina Slater
, a former model currently serving as MODE's Creative Director, and a hospital patient swathed in bandages who in the later episodes would be revealed as Daniel's brother Alex, post-gender reassignment. Alex staged his own death, as he feared his family would not accept his decision to undergo the surgery. Now, Alexis
avenges herself on her father by helping Wilhelmina frame him for Fey's murder. However, Claire
, the family matriarch, confesses to Betty that she was the one who killed Fey, because she could no longer stand to see her husband's infidelity. Claire eventually turns herself in to the authorities in order to release her husband from jail after Betty talks her out of leaving the country.
While being detoxed at a hospital as she prepares to face murder charges, Claire names Alexis as the magazine's co-editor-in-chief in an attempt to improve the relationship between her children and her husband. It is revealed that Claire is MODE' s actual owner, after Bradford started the magazine under her name to evade taxes. These circumstances give Wilhelmina a new scheme to drive a deeper wedge into the family by intensifying the Meade sibling rivalry (especially Alexis, who turned on Wilhelmina after sensing that Daniel had changed after all and decided against firing him), and manipulating Claire into signing a Power of Attorney (Claire refused). As a result of this, Wilhelmina decides to romance Bradford by offering him "a little company," manipulating him into divorcing Claire, so she can marry him and take over Meade Publications. The scheme makes Claire furious, prompting her to team up with a fellow inmate named Yoga to make a prison break so she can stop the planned November wedding.
Along the way, Daniel tones down his womanizing ways, but at a price. First, starting with Sofia Reyes, who was hired by his father to launch a new magazine, Modern Young Woman (MYW). Sofia later entices Betty (who is a fan of hers) into working with her. Unfortunately, just as Daniel proposes to her, Betty discovers that Sofia was fooling them both; using Daniel as the subject of a cover story in order to launch the new magazine. The chain of events results in Betty quitting MYW because of Sofia's deception. Daniel later dates lawyer Grace Chin, an old flame he once stood up back in college, after Bradford recommend that she represent him. But thanks to Wilhelmina's scheming and Alexis' hatred for her father, that romance ends quickly as well. After a deceptive scheme by Lena and Petra, a mother/daughter team who tricked him into believing that Petra was a teenager and would almost lose his job, only to be foiled by Betty after she learns that Petra was an adult, Betty told Daniel that he might be a sex addict due to his family problems and recommended that he seek help. Unfortunately, after taking the advice of a doctor who was also a former sex addict, Daniel starts taking medication that he eventually becomes addicted to. Later, he is beaten up by a drug dealer and eventually ends up overdosing on the pills.
In between her conspiring, Wilhelmina also tries to win the approval of her father, (a United States Senator), attempts to discipline her rebellious daughter Nico (who, despite not acknowledging it, shares her mother's traits), and starts a relationship with retail
mogul Ted LeBeau (which disintegrates as a result of his own family problems). In addition, she is embroiled in an ongoing rivalry with Italian cosmetics/fashion mogul Fabia, which includes sabotaging an ad campaign, using "duck sauce" as an anti-aging product, and making a trade for a wedding date.
Wilhelmina's former ally, Alexis, has been ostracized and abandoned by her friends post-surgery. Because of her transgender status, she becomes the target of a bet between male patrons at a bar (Wilhelmina punched the winner out). She also has issues with her brother Daniel based on their old sibling rivalry, in addition to all the new developments in their family. Alexis's relationship with her father has also gone downhill, prompting her to hire a hitman to cut the brakes on Bradford's car after he paid a creative director from MODE's Brazilian counterpart, Rodrigo Veloso, to romance Alexis (an idea set up by Wilhelmina). Unfortunately, Alexis ends up taking the car herself after learning of Daniel's drug overdose, and in the process of driving him to a hospital, the two crash into a tree and are left unconscious as the season ends.
Some of Betty's co-workers, particularly receptionist Amanda Tanen
and fellow assistant Marc St. James
often ridicule her appearance and constantly taunt her. They often easily trick Betty due to her naïveté and trusting nature (she ate gluesticks after being led to believe by Marc that she was eating white chocolate, and showed up to work in a butterfly outfit for Halloween party that was fabricated by the assistant). Despite their dislike for her, the two are willing to work with Betty at times. Their personal issues have been addressed, such as Marc multi-tasking for Wilhelmina, mostly in plotting against Daniel, taking advantage of her takeover plans, taking side jobs by tipping off retailers, and coming out
to his mother (who would reject him). Wilhelmina even forces him to test his close relationship with Amanda, leading him to trying to keep the receptionist onboard at MODE.
On the other hand, Amanda was one of Daniel's many paramours, until she realized that he would never commit. In addition to her binge eating
she attempted to replace Betty and would find herself the target of a series of pranks made by another Meade employee after she received a Hobble Dress
that she thought came from a designer. She also had a relationship with a straight designer named Tavares, who was pretending to be gay so he can get his designs noticed, but would end the relationship after he took advantage of her generosity. Prior to working at MODE, Amanda was an actress (one of her former roles was working as a "Serving Wench" at a restaurant), but when the offers dried up her father got her a "Lifetime Receptionist" job. Amanda would later find out why she got her job after she stumbled upon Fey's secret "Love Dungeon", where she would learn that Fey kept pictures of her as a child and a birth certificate that revealed Fey as Amanda's mother.
Betty did briefly befriend a group of similar outcasts. Her best friend and confidant at MODE is Christina McKinney
, the Scottish
seamstress. Christina's goal is to be a fashion designer. But in pursuing her goal, she finds herself becoming an unwilling minion of Wilhelmina's when she is coerced (by winning a spot at Fashion Week
) into turning a package to the police that results in Bradford's false arrest. Fearing that Wilhelmina will manipulate it to look as if she was responsible, Christina goes along with her bidding to protect her friendship with Betty whom upon discovery she fears will turn on her, which eventually did happen after she invited her to a club. However the two would make up and Christina offered to give Betty any info on Wilhelmina's schemes. Christina would also find herself getting locked up with Amanda after learning that Amanda found the "Love Dungeon", where after the two end up intoxicated, told Amanda that she was married to an insurance auditor back in Scotland and that she walked out on him. Christina would be the one who opened the safe that contained Amanda's birth certificate and photos.
At the Suarez home, Betty's father, Ignacio
, is a former chef and ex-boxer whose health problems (he has heart problems and has been warned not to drink any products that has caffeine in it) is one of the reasons Betty needs to work. But after learning that he avoided an HMO provider and discovering that he used the name of a person who had of old 117 years, Betty and Hilda learned that Ignacio is a illegal immigrant who had not applied for residency as he murdered the abusive ex-husband of his[Ignacio's] now deceased wife Rosa (Betty and Hilda's mother) in his home country of Mexico
. His residency status, however, depended on responding to romantic tactics from his caseworker, Constance Grady, which would be thwarted after learning that Constance was fired for being too involved in her clients. After an effort to obtain a visa was denied, Ignacio was told to stay in Mexico, unaware that he is currently the target of a revenge plot 30 years after he murdered the banker, now that he has returned to his home country.
All this puts the Suarez family in a legal bind, as they also struggle to deal with Betty's older sister Hilda
, who is unemployed after the health supplement company she represented is placed under investigation by the government. In addition, Hilda became the victim of a scam perpetrated by Leah Stillman, an attorney Hilda hired to help Ignacio gain American citizenship. Leah takes a large cash deposit from the family after they retain her services, and then vanishes. After several setbacks in her attempts to find a real job, Hilda later her talent for cosmetology. Hilda and her pre-teen son Justin
, whose interests have sparked questions about his sexual orientation, slowly let Justin's father Santos, a gambler who runs into trouble with loan sharks, work his way back into their lives as he attempts to understand his son. Santos eventually asks Hilda to marry him, and Hilda says yes. Unfortunately, the wedding plans take a tragic turn when Santos is shot and presumably killed trying to foil an armed robbery.
In between these events, Betty also finds herself dealing with a pair of romantic situations. At the beginning of the season, Betty discovers that her long-time boyfriend Walter has cheated on her with her next-door neighbor Gina Gambarro. Betty reluctantly takes him back, but eventually realizes that she had lost her attraction to him and they ultimately parted ways. After the split, Betty thinks that she had found a soulmate in Henry Grubstick
, an accountant at Meade Publications. However, Henry's on-again/off-again flame Charlie shows up, prompting Betty to hold off on her pursuit of Henry. But the friction between Henry and Charlie, whose relationship has been on the rocks, heats up as Charlie becomes jealous of Betty and tells her to back off. After seeing a vision in Mexico that she thought was Henry, Betty discovers that he might be the right person for her, and when she returns she tells him that she wants to be with him. Henry and Charlie have just broken up, and he and Betty begin seeing each other. Unfortunately, Charlie shows up in the middle of their first date at Betty's house to say that she is pregnant, crushing Betty's dreams. But Betty later learns that Charlie had been cheating on Henry with Betty's orthodontist, Dr. Gabe Farkas, after Betty introduced him to Charlie at Charlie's birthday party. As Henry and Charlie prepare to go back to Arizona, it is unclear whether Henry or Gabe is the actual father of Charlie's unborn child.
The 23 episodes, along with bonus footage and unaired extras, are featured in "Ugly Betty: The Complete First Season — The Bettyfied Edition", which is distributed internationally by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. According to TV Shows on DVD, BVHE released the six-disc set on August 21, 2007 and is available in regions 1 (United States and Canada), 2 (European territories) and 4 (Asia and Australia). The features include a look at the show's best and worst fashions, a Spanish audio track, a discussion with the cast on the show's origins, and a behind-the-scenes documentary with commentary from the production, set, and costume designers on the program. The discs are presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and have a total running time of 992 minutes/946 minutes R4.
Among the features:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dramedy
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
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...
began airing on September 28, 2006 and concluded on May 17, 2007.
In addition to the twenty-three regular episodes in season one, a special, "The Beautiful World of Ugly Betty", was aired on April 12, 2007. Another special, which was a half-hour update recapping the first ten episodes, aired during the month of January 2007 on local ABC affiliates and various cable networks.
Being produced in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the success of the season would lead to the production of the show's second season
Ugly Betty (season 2)
The second season of the American dramedy television series Ugly Betty started on September 27, 2007 in the United States and Canada and including a long, mid-season hiatus ran until May 22, 2008...
.
Cast
For the first season of Ugly Betty, nine characters were initially included in the main cast. Michael Urie and Kevin Sussman were originally credited as Special Guest Stars but were upgraded to regulars mid-season. However, Kevin Sussman's character was written off the show in the fifteenth episode but was still credited as a regular for the rest of the season. Rebecca Romijn's character was introduced in the middle of the season and was immediately credited as Starring.- America FerreraAmerica FerreraAmerica Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
as Betty SuarezBetty SuarezBeatriz "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... - Eric MabiusEric MabiusEric Harry Timothy Mabius is an American actor known for his work as Daniel Meade on the ABC television series Ugly Betty. He also worked on the Showtime series The L Word and in the films Resident Evil and Cruel Intentions....
as Daniel MeadeDaniel MeadeDaniel 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... - Alan DaleAlan DaleAlan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...
as Bradford MeadeBradford MeadeBradford 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.... - Tony PlanaTony PlanaTony Plana is a Cuban-American actor and director. He is well known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC show Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
as Ignacio SuarezIgnacio SuarezIgnacio Suarez is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is portrayed by Tony Plana. Ignacio's character is equivalent to Hermes Pinzón Galarza, father to Beatriz Pinzón Solano.-Background:... - Ana OrtizAna OrtizAna Ortíz is an American actress and singer. She is a native of Manhattan, but was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a regular cast-member on the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, in which she plays the title character's older sister, Hilda Suarez...
as Hilda SuarezHilda SuarezHilda Suarez Talercio is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by Ana Ortiz. Hilda's character is the American adaptation's equivalent to Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Beatriz Pinzón Solano's mother, and is loosely based on creator Silvio Horta's older... - Ashley JensenAshley JensenAshley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
as Christina McKinneyChristina McKinneyChristina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip.... - Becki NewtonBecki NewtonRebecca Sara "Becki" Newton is an American actress known for her role as Amanda Tanen on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
as Amanda TanenAmanda TanenAmanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation... - Mark IndelicatoMark IndelicatoMark Indelicato is an American actor, singer, fashion blogger, and photographer best known for his role in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty, as Justin Suarez, the fashion-obsessed nephew of series protagonist Betty Suarez....
as Justin SuarezJustin SuarezJustin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty which is an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela Betty la fea. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato. Justin lives with his mother Hilda, his aunt Betty, and his grandfather Ignacio... - Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
as Wilhelmina SlaterWilhelmina SlaterWilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress... - Michael UrieMichael UrieMichael Lorenzo Urie is an American actor, television producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty.-Personal life:...
as Marc St. JamesMarc St. JamesMarcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie... - Kevin SussmanKevin SussmanKevin Sussman is an American actor of television and film perhaps best known for his recurring roles Stuart the comic book store owner on "The Big Bang Theory" and Walter on the ABC comedy-drama Ugly Betty....
as Walter - 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...
Guest cast
- Christopher GorhamChristopher GorhamChristopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...
as Henry GrubstickHenry GrubstickHenry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses... - Judith LightJudith LightJudith 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...
as Claire MeadeClaire MeadeClaire 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... - Stelio SavanteStelio SavanteStelio Savante is a South African actor, producer, and writer living in the United States. He is a native English speaker and fluent in Afrikaans and Greek. In 2007 he became the first male South African born SAG award nominee. For his recurring role on Ugly Betty...
as Steve - Ava GaudetAva GaudetAva Gaudet is an American television, film, and theatre actress/singer from Providence, Rhode Island.-Background:Gaudet is of French descent and comes from a family of performers. Her mother is an actress and is a theater teacher at Mt Hope High School in Bristol Rhode Island and both her father...
as Gina Gambarro - Salma HayekSalma HayekSalma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
as Sofia Reyes - Kevin AlejandroKevin AlejandroKevin Michael Alejandro is an American actor. Alejandro may be best known for his roles as Nate Moretta in the series Southland and as Jesus Velasquez in the series True Blood.-Early life:...
as Santos - Jowharah JonesJowharah JonesJowharah Jones is an American[actress and singer. She is best known for her television role as Nico Slater, daughter of Vanessa Williams' character, on the series Ugly Betty, which she played in the first season .-Background:Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Hershey...
as Nico Slater - Octavia SpencerOctavia SpencerOctavia L. Spencer is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on Ugly Betty as Constance Grady, the INS Agent turned stalker of Betty's father, Ignacio Suarez and in the 2011 movie The Help as Minny....
as Constance Grady - Gina GershonGina GershonGina L. Gershon is an American film, television and stage actress, singer and author, known for her roles in the films Cocktail , Showgirls , Bound , Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back , Face/Off , The Insider , Demonlover , Category 7: The End of the World , P.S...
as Fabia - Jayma MaysJayma MaysJayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
as Charlie - Bailey ChaseBailey ChaseBailey Chase is a stage and television actor known for his role as Butch Ada in the television series Saving Grace, his recurring roles as Graham Miller in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Christopher "Chris" Robert Hughes in the soap opera As the World Turns and Beckett 'Becks' Scott on Ugly...
as Beckett 'Becks' Scott - Max GreenfieldMax GreenfieldMax Greenfield is an American actor best known for his recurring roles on Veronica Mars as Leo D'Amato, Ugly Betty as Nick Pepper, and for co-starring in the short-lived WB series Modern Men...
as Nick Pepper - Liz TorresLiz TorresElizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
as Evelyn
Plot
Ugly Betty follows the daily life of Betty SuarezBetty 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...
, a promising college graduate from a struggling Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
family in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. She was promptly rejected at a "job interview" at Meade Publications in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
based solely on her appearance (thus the series' title). However, company CEO Bradford Meade
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....
spots her and has her hired as an executive assistant to his son 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...
, the newly-installed Editor-in-chief at MODE magazine. Bradford is primarily motivated by his wish for Daniel to stop bedding his assistants, particularly after catching him having sex in his office with one potential applicant. Betty is not very interested in fashion and is sometimes clueless about the company's motives and organizations, although she has expressed a passion for photography.
Betty finds herself helping Daniel both personally and professionally. Daniel at times has been labeled a "himbo" and a "manwhore" (the latter quoted from the fictional Fashion TV). Daniel had always been outshone by his brother Alex Meade. He has no confidence in his own abilities, except as a lothario
Lothario
Lothario is a male first name which came to connote an unscrupulous seducer of women.In The Impertinent Curiosity, a story-within-the-story in Don Quixote , by Miguel de Cervantes, a man named Anselmo coerces Lothario, his faithful friend, to test the virtue of Anselmo's wife, Camila...
. He is not experienced in the fashion industry and was placed as the editor-in-chief of MODE solely based on his namesake. However, as the story progresses so does Daniel's potential.
Much of the plot early in the season involves suspicions surrounding the death of Daniel's predecessor, Fey Sommers. Fey's death and her involvement with Bradford Meade are used as the backdrop for a scheme to take over the company by Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
, a former model currently serving as MODE's Creative Director, and a hospital patient swathed in bandages who in the later episodes would be revealed as Daniel's brother Alex, post-gender reassignment. Alex staged his own death, as he feared his family would not accept his decision to undergo the surgery. Now, Alexis
Alexis Meade
Alexis 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...
avenges herself on her father by helping Wilhelmina frame him for Fey's murder. However, Claire
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...
, the family matriarch, confesses to Betty that she was the one who killed Fey, because she could no longer stand to see her husband's infidelity. Claire eventually turns herself in to the authorities in order to release her husband from jail after Betty talks her out of leaving the country.
While being detoxed at a hospital as she prepares to face murder charges, Claire names Alexis as the magazine's co-editor-in-chief in an attempt to improve the relationship between her children and her husband. It is revealed that Claire is MODE
Along the way, Daniel tones down his womanizing ways, but at a price. First, starting with Sofia Reyes, who was hired by his father to launch a new magazine, Modern Young Woman (MYW). Sofia later entices Betty (who is a fan of hers) into working with her. Unfortunately, just as Daniel proposes to her, Betty discovers that Sofia was fooling them both; using Daniel as the subject of a cover story in order to launch the new magazine. The chain of events results in Betty quitting MYW because of Sofia's deception. Daniel later dates lawyer Grace Chin, an old flame he once stood up back in college, after Bradford recommend that she represent him. But thanks to Wilhelmina's scheming and Alexis' hatred for her father, that romance ends quickly as well. After a deceptive scheme by Lena and Petra, a mother/daughter team who tricked him into believing that Petra was a teenager and would almost lose his job, only to be foiled by Betty after she learns that Petra was an adult, Betty told Daniel that he might be a sex addict due to his family problems and recommended that he seek help. Unfortunately, after taking the advice of a doctor who was also a former sex addict, Daniel starts taking medication that he eventually becomes addicted to. Later, he is beaten up by a drug dealer and eventually ends up overdosing on the pills.
In between her conspiring, Wilhelmina also tries to win the approval of her father, (a United States Senator), attempts to discipline her rebellious daughter Nico (who, despite not acknowledging it, shares her mother's traits), and starts a relationship with retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
mogul Ted LeBeau (which disintegrates as a result of his own family problems). In addition, she is embroiled in an ongoing rivalry with Italian cosmetics/fashion mogul Fabia, which includes sabotaging an ad campaign, using "duck sauce" as an anti-aging product, and making a trade for a wedding date.
Wilhelmina's former ally, Alexis, has been ostracized and abandoned by her friends post-surgery. Because of her transgender status, she becomes the target of a bet between male patrons at a bar (Wilhelmina punched the winner out). She also has issues with her brother Daniel based on their old sibling rivalry, in addition to all the new developments in their family. Alexis's relationship with her father has also gone downhill, prompting her to hire a hitman to cut the brakes on Bradford's car after he paid a creative director from MODE's Brazilian counterpart, Rodrigo Veloso, to romance Alexis (an idea set up by Wilhelmina). Unfortunately, Alexis ends up taking the car herself after learning of Daniel's drug overdose, and in the process of driving him to a hospital, the two crash into a tree and are left unconscious as the season ends.
Some of Betty's co-workers, particularly receptionist Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation...
and fellow assistant Marc St. James
Marc St. James
Marcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie...
often ridicule her appearance and constantly taunt her. They often easily trick Betty due to her naïveté and trusting nature (she ate gluesticks after being led to believe by Marc that she was eating white chocolate, and showed up to work in a butterfly outfit for Halloween party that was fabricated by the assistant). Despite their dislike for her, the two are willing to work with Betty at times. Their personal issues have been addressed, such as Marc multi-tasking for Wilhelmina, mostly in plotting against Daniel, taking advantage of her takeover plans, taking side jobs by tipping off retailers, and coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
to his mother (who would reject him). Wilhelmina even forces him to test his close relationship with Amanda, leading him to trying to keep the receptionist onboard at MODE.
On the other hand, Amanda was one of Daniel's many paramours, until she realized that he would never commit. In addition to her binge eating
Binge eating
Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is sometimes as a symptom of binge eating disorder. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food...
she attempted to replace Betty and would find herself the target of a series of pranks made by another Meade employee after she received a Hobble Dress
Hobble skirt
A hobble skirt is a skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride, thus earning its name. A knee-long corset is also used to achieve this effect...
that she thought came from a designer. She also had a relationship with a straight designer named Tavares, who was pretending to be gay so he can get his designs noticed, but would end the relationship after he took advantage of her generosity. Prior to working at MODE, Amanda was an actress (one of her former roles was working as a "Serving Wench" at a restaurant), but when the offers dried up her father got her a "Lifetime Receptionist" job. Amanda would later find out why she got her job after she stumbled upon Fey's secret "Love Dungeon", where she would learn that Fey kept pictures of her as a child and a birth certificate that revealed Fey as Amanda's mother.
Betty did briefly befriend a group of similar outcasts. Her best friend and confidant at MODE is Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip....
, the Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
seamstress. Christina's goal is to be a fashion designer. But in pursuing her goal, she finds herself becoming an unwilling minion of Wilhelmina's when she is coerced (by winning a spot at Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
) into turning a package to the police that results in Bradford's false arrest. Fearing that Wilhelmina will manipulate it to look as if she was responsible, Christina goes along with her bidding to protect her friendship with Betty whom upon discovery she fears will turn on her, which eventually did happen after she invited her to a club. However the two would make up and Christina offered to give Betty any info on Wilhelmina's schemes. Christina would also find herself getting locked up with Amanda after learning that Amanda found the "Love Dungeon", where after the two end up intoxicated, told Amanda that she was married to an insurance auditor back in Scotland and that she walked out on him. Christina would be the one who opened the safe that contained Amanda's birth certificate and photos.
At the Suarez home, Betty's father, Ignacio
Ignacio Suarez
Ignacio Suarez is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is portrayed by Tony Plana. Ignacio's character is equivalent to Hermes Pinzón Galarza, father to Beatriz Pinzón Solano.-Background:...
, is a former chef and ex-boxer whose health problems (he has heart problems and has been warned not to drink any products that has caffeine in it) is one of the reasons Betty needs to work. But after learning that he avoided an HMO provider and discovering that he used the name of a person who had of old 117 years, Betty and Hilda learned that Ignacio is a illegal immigrant who had not applied for residency as he murdered the abusive ex-husband of his[Ignacio's] now deceased wife Rosa (Betty and Hilda's mother) in his home country of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. His residency status, however, depended on responding to romantic tactics from his caseworker, Constance Grady, which would be thwarted after learning that Constance was fired for being too involved in her clients. After an effort to obtain a visa was denied, Ignacio was told to stay in Mexico, unaware that he is currently the target of a revenge plot 30 years after he murdered the banker, now that he has returned to his home country.
All this puts the Suarez family in a legal bind, as they also struggle to deal with Betty's older sister Hilda
Hilda Suarez
Hilda Suarez Talercio is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by Ana Ortiz. Hilda's character is the American adaptation's equivalent to Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Beatriz Pinzón Solano's mother, and is loosely based on creator Silvio Horta's older...
, who is unemployed after the health supplement company she represented is placed under investigation by the government. In addition, Hilda became the victim of a scam perpetrated by Leah Stillman, an attorney Hilda hired to help Ignacio gain American citizenship. Leah takes a large cash deposit from the family after they retain her services, and then vanishes. After several setbacks in her attempts to find a real job, Hilda later her talent for cosmetology. Hilda and her pre-teen son Justin
Justin Suarez
Justin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty which is an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela Betty la fea. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato. Justin lives with his mother Hilda, his aunt Betty, and his grandfather Ignacio...
, whose interests have sparked questions about his sexual orientation, slowly let Justin's father Santos, a gambler who runs into trouble with loan sharks, work his way back into their lives as he attempts to understand his son. Santos eventually asks Hilda to marry him, and Hilda says yes. Unfortunately, the wedding plans take a tragic turn when Santos is shot and presumably killed trying to foil an armed robbery.
In between these events, Betty also finds herself dealing with a pair of romantic situations. At the beginning of the season, Betty discovers that her long-time boyfriend Walter has cheated on her with her next-door neighbor Gina Gambarro. Betty reluctantly takes him back, but eventually realizes that she had lost her attraction to him and they ultimately parted ways. After the split, Betty thinks that she had found a soulmate in Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick
Henry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...
, an accountant at Meade Publications. However, Henry's on-again/off-again flame Charlie shows up, prompting Betty to hold off on her pursuit of Henry. But the friction between Henry and Charlie, whose relationship has been on the rocks, heats up as Charlie becomes jealous of Betty and tells her to back off. After seeing a vision in Mexico that she thought was Henry, Betty discovers that he might be the right person for her, and when she returns she tells him that she wants to be with him. Henry and Charlie have just broken up, and he and Betty begin seeing each other. Unfortunately, Charlie shows up in the middle of their first date at Betty's house to say that she is pregnant, crushing Betty's dreams. But Betty later learns that Charlie had been cheating on Henry with Betty's orthodontist, Dr. Gabe Farkas, after Betty introduced him to Charlie at Charlie's birthday party. As Henry and Charlie prepare to go back to Arizona, it is unclear whether Henry or Gabe is the actual father of Charlie's unborn child.
Episode summaries
| Series # |
Season # |
Episode title | Writer(s) | Director | U.S. viewers (millions) |
Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States of America
In the following summary, "Rating" is the estimated percentage of all televisions tuned to the show, and "Share" is the percentage of all televisions in use that are tuned in, "viewers" is the estimated number of actual people watching, in millions, while "ranking" is the approximate ranking of the show against all prime-time TV shows for the week (Sunday to Saturday).| Episode # | Title | Airdate | Rating | Share | 18-49 | Viewers | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot (aka I Am Not Going to Sell Herbalux)" | September 28, 2006 | 10.7 | 17 | 35.5 | 16.32 | #9 |
| 2 | "The Box and the Bunny" | October 5, 2006 | 9.5 | 15 | 4.9 | 14.26 | #18 |
| 3 | "Queens for a Day" | October 12, 2006 | 9.3 | 15 | 4.4 | 13.95 | #21 |
| 4 | "Swag" | January 4, 2007 | 7.8 | 12 | 3.9 | 11.65 | #22 |
| 5 | "Fey's Sleigh Ride" | October 19, 2006 | 8.9 | 14 | 4.3 | 13.17 | #21 |
| 6 | "The Lyin', the Watch and the Wardrobe" | October 26, 2006 | 8.9 | 14 | 4.3 | 13.14 | #21 |
| 7 | "Trust, Lust, and Must" | November 2, 2006 | 9.3 | 14 | 4.4 | 13.62 | #22 |
| 8 | "After Hours" | November 9, 2006 | 8.6 | 13 | 4.1 | 12.81 | #27 |
| 9 | "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral" | November 16, 2006 | 8.9 | 14 | 3.9 | 12.95 | #23 |
| 10 | "Lose the Boss?" | November 23, 2006 | 5.3 | 11 | 2.9 | 8.74 | #48 |
| 11 | "Fake Plastic Snow" | November 30, 2006 | 9.0 | 14 | 4.3 | 13.02 | #21 |
| 12 | "Sofia's Choice" | January 11, 2007 | 10.4 | 16 | 4.4 | 13.49 | #14 |
| 13 | "In or Out" | January 18, 2007 | 9.5 | 15 | 4.5 | 14.10 | #14 |
| 14 | "I'm Coming Out" | February 1, 2007 | 9.3 | 14 | 4.8 | 14.00 | #13 |
| 15 | "Brothers" | February 8, 2007 | 9.1 | 14 | 4.7 | 14.27 | #20 |
| 16 | "Derailed" | February 15, 2007 | 9.1 | 14 | 4.5 | 13.66 | #19 |
| 17 | "Icing on the Cake" | March 15, 2007 | 7.4 | 12 | 3.5 | 10.80 | #19 |
| 18 | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | March 22, 2007 | 7.4 | 13 | 3.2 | 10.41 | #24 |
| 19 | "Punch Out" | April 19, 2007 | 6.7 | 12 | 3.0 | 9.46 | #25 |
| 20 | "Petra-Gate" | April 26, 2007 | 6.8 | 12 | 3.1 | 9.62 | #29 |
| 21 | "Secretaries' Day" | May 3, 2007 | 7.1 | 12 | 3.6 | 10.68 | #27 |
| 22 | "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" | May 10, 2007 | 6.6 | 12 | 2.9 | 9.63 | #32 |
| 23 | "East Side Story" | May 17, 2007 | 7.1 | 13 | 3.5 | 10.50 | #25 |
United Kingdom
Ugly Betty was aired on Channel 4 on a usual time of Fridays at 9.00pm.| Episode # | Title | Airdate | Rating (Millions) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot (aka I Am Not Going to Sell Herbalux)" | January 5, 2007 | 4.89m | #4 |
| 2 | "The Box and the Bunny" | January 12, 2007 | 3.53m | #13 |
| 3 | "Queens for a Day" | January 19, 2007 | 5.27m | #5 |
| 4 | "Swag" | March 23, 2007 | 2.20m | #16 |
| 5 | "Fey's Sleigh Ride" | January 26, 2007 | 4.07m | #9 |
| 6 | "The Lyin', the Watch and the Wardrobe" | February 2, 2007 | 3.42m | #8 |
| 7 | "Trust, Lust, and Must" | February 9, 2007 | 3.30m | #10 |
| 8 | "After Hours" | February 16, 2007 | 3.12m | #8 |
| 9 | "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral" | February 23, 2007 | 3.32m | #3 |
| 10 | "Lose the Boss" | March 2, 2007 | 2.98m | #8 |
| 11 | "Fake Plastic Snow" | March 9, 2007 | 2.71m | #9 |
| 12 | "Sofia's Choice" | March 30, 2007 | 2.36m | #12 |
| 13 | "In or Out" | April 6, 2007 | 2.16m | #12 |
| 14 | "I'm Coming Out" | April 13, 2007 | 2.48m | #5 |
| 15 | "Brothers" | April 20, 2007 | 2.58m | #5 |
| 16 | "Derailed" | April 27, 2007 | 2.25m | #15 |
| 17 | "Icing on the Cake" | May 4, 2007 | 2.34m | #7 |
| 18 | "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | May 11, 2007 | 2.24m | #13 |
| 19 | "Punch Out" | May 18, 2007 | 2.63m | #10 |
| 20 | "Petra-Gate" | May 25, 2007 | 2.51m | #6 |
| 21 | "Secretaries' Day" | May 25, 2007 | 2.60m | #4 |
| 22 | "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" | June 1, 2007 | 2.59m | #11 |
| 23 | "East Side Story" | June 8, 2007 | 3.28m | #9 |
DVD release
| DVD name | | Ep # | | Release dates | | Additional Features | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... | Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... | Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
|||
| The Complete First Season - The Bettyfied Edition | 23 | August 21, 2007 | September 24, 2007 | October 31, 2007 | This six disc box set contains all 23 episodes from the first season. |
Among the features:
- "Becoming Ugly"
- America Ferrera and the cast discuss what it means to get Bettyfied
- "A La MODE"
- Behind-the-scenes with production, set and costume designers to discover how the world of MODE was created
- "Green is the New Black"
- See the high fashion of Manhattan and coziness of Queens all created on a Hollywood sound stage
- Deleted scenes
- Audio commentaries
- Bloopers