"Secretaries' Day" is the 21st episode from the dramedy series ''
Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 28, 2006, to April 14, 2010. It is based on the Colombian telenovela ''Yo soy Betty, la fea' ...
'', which aired on May 3, 2007. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and directed by
Victor Nelli, Jr.
Plot
Betty and
Hilda struggle with a dilemma;
Ignacio
Ignacio is a male Spanish language, Spanish name originating in the Latin name "Ignatius" from ''ignis'' "fire". This was the name of several saints, including the Ignatius of Antioch, third bishop of Antioch (who was thrown to wild beasts by emp ...
needs to return to Mexico and apply for his visa so he can re-enter the country legally and apply for citizenship. However, the fare isn't cheap. Betty is also juggling with the task of planning ''MODE''
's big assistants' week, "
Administrative Professionals' Day", or, as she prefers to call it, "Secretaries' Day". Betty has planned the party at The Middle Ages, a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
-themed restaurant.
Later, at ''MODE'', Betty talks to Daniel about his problems with sexual addiction and recommends ways for him to seek help. Betty brings in Tyler, a writer for ''Psychology Now'', to help him, but Daniel refuses. Frustrated, he turns to Tyler, who passes him some pills to take every time he is tempted to have sex.
Everyone is looking forward going to The Middle Ages, except
Amanda
Amanda is a Latin feminine gerundive (i.e. verbal adjective) name meaning, literally, "she who must (or is fit to) be loved". Other translations, with similar meaning, could be "deserving to be loved," "worthy of love," or "loved very much by ev ...
, who shows her displeasure by making the ''MODE'' staff miserable. It turns out she used to be an actress and did an embarrassing commercial for The Middle Ages that gets played on a loop near the entrance. She is afraid the other assistants will make fun of her, but when they arrive, she notices she was replaced in the video by a younger actress. Amanda gets upset and goes on an eating binge. The young actress later appears, saying her performance was an homage to Amanda's.
Meanwhile, Betty is still worried about the money for Ignacio's ticket. To get it, she decides to ride the restaurant's mechanical steed. She almost wins, but Nick throws something at her and she gets knocked out. Furious, Henry challenges Nick to a joust. Unfortunately, Henry loses and says "I love you" to Betty right before passing out. Charlie arrives, sees Betty trying to wake Henry up and gets upset. She tells Betty to back off and takes Henry home. Christina tries to console Betty, who is confused and distraught. Nick starts mocking her, but Betty defends herself by hitting him with a jousting staff. The following day, Betty gets a lot of respect from everyone at work for putting Nick in his place.
Alexis
Alexis may refer to:
People Mononym
* Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet
* Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC
* Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer
* Alexis (comics) (1946– ...
's relationship with Rodrigo continues going well, until she overhears him on the phone and finds out Bradford paid Rodrigo to seduce her and get her out of the country. Alexis decides to leave Rodrigo and, as the door to his hotel room shuts, she collapses sobbing on the floor. The next day, she makes a phone call to ask about a problem she needs "eliminated", as she tears up a picture of Alex and Bradford.
Meanwhile, Hilda has problems with her teacher at the cosmetology school. She constantly criticizes Hilda on her looks and technique, prompting her to quit before the final. But thanks to advice from Justin and Ignacio, Hilda returns to school, faces her teacher, and passes the test.
Finally,
Wilhelmina prepares for her plan to take over ''MODE'' and Meade Publications. She goes to prison to visit Claire, who threatens to tell people about her affair with Bradford. Later in the evening, Wilhelmina calls Marc to come to the Meade Building. In the stairwell, she asks Marc to punch her until she gets bruises. Marc is unsure at first, but ends up complying, making her tumble down the stairs. The next day, she tells Bradford that Claire hired three thugs to beat her up. Bradford decides to divorce Claire.
The day after the party, Daniel surprises Betty with first class tickets to Mexico for her whole family, saying he was a thoughtless boss. Betty is overcome with emotion and thanks Daniel with a hug. After she tells the family the good news, a model arrives, and smiles at Daniel, who takes a pill, as it appears that he may have moved on to a new addiction.
Production
This is the second episode in which stuntperson
Anna Mercedes Morris would appear as a stunt double for America Ferrera's character in the scene when Betty was riding the mechanical bull. In addition, viewers hear Henry's last name, Grubstick, for the first time. Also, Lorraine Toussaint starts her recurring role as Amelia "Yoga" Bluman in this episode.
The episode also offered another showcase for actress
Becki Newton
Becki Newton (born July 4, 1978) is an American actress known for her roles as Amanda Tanen on ''Ugly Betty,'' Quinn Garvey on ''How I Met Your Mother'', and Lorna Crane on '' The Lincoln Lawyer.''
Early life
Newton is a first cousin once remove ...
who was interviewed in
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media
In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
the week this episode aired. Another clarification would be her character's last name. Originally thought to have been 'Tanner', Amanda's last name is revealed to be 'Tanen', as shown on the computer screen during her acting reel that she shows Marc. In addition, The Middle Ages restaurant commercial is also a reference to Newton appearing in an
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a unit of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in Orange County, Florida. As of 2022, Olive Garden restaurants accounted for ...
commercial, which she did before joining "Ugly Betty." The Middle Ages is also a spoof of the
Medieval Times
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and t ...
chain.
Reception
In a review from
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
, Tanner Stransky wrote "Week after week, Ugly Betty continues to top itself. I mean, you gotta love an episode that features an Administrative Professionals Day party at a medieval-themed restaurant in
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
(complete with a ''robotic'' horse); footage of Mandypants (a.k.a. Amanda) as a phone-sex operator, a bar wench, and a slutty nurse; and Claire Meade dishing with her transsexual daughter about the hotness of Brazilian men. It's like the guts of three Lifetime movies smashed together. But witty! And pretty! And addictive!"
The Recapist also echoed the same sentiments in their review.
Ratings
The episode was watched by 10.7 million viewers in the United States, an increase from the previous episode.
From The Futon Critic (May 4, 2007)
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References
Also starring
*Judith Light
Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap oper ...
(Claire Meade)
*Christopher Gorham
Christopher David Gorham (born August 14, 1974) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, particularly for playing Henry Grubstick on the ABC comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty'', Auggie Anderson on the action-drama serie ...
(Henry Grubstick)
* Jayma Mays (Charlie)
*Max Greenfield
Max Greenfield (born September 4, 1979) is an American actor and author. He appeared in recurring roles in ''Veronica Mars'' and ''Ugly Betty''. He co-starred as Schmidt in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', for which he received nominations at the Pri ...
(Nick Pepper)
Guest stars
* Cristian de la Fuente (Rodrigo)
* Maria Costa (Valerie)
* David Noroña (Tyler Blake)
* Rachel Roberts (Marla)
*Shayna Rose
Shayna Rose (born Shayna Rose Mordue; November 3, 1983) is an American actress and singer.
Early life
Rose moved to Los Angeles in 2002 after declining a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She went between acting, singing, ...
(Replacement Serving Wench)
*Jonathan Slavin
Jonathan Slavin (born November 8, 1969) is an American actor.
Early life
Slavin was born in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Career
Slavin portrayed illustrator Andy Richter Controls the Universe#Character ...
(Squire Josh Weinstock)
* Lorraine Toussaint (Yoga)
* Joe Duer (Dr. Lorenzo)
{{Ugly Betty episodes
Ugly Betty season 1 episodes
2007 American television episodes