Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Encyclopedia
"Sisters of the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" is the twelfth episode in the third season, the 53rd episode overall, of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty
, which was supposed to air on January 15, 2009 but was rescheduled and aired on January 22, 2009. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and directed by Lee Shallat-Chemel
.
's recent heart attack, in which he is now recuperating from home after having quadruple-bypass surgery
, Betty
, Hilda
and Justin
end up trying to cater to his every whim. Hilda and Betty agree to work out a deal to help out with Ignacio's medical appointments.
Afterward, Betty returns to her apartment, where she discovers Amanda is worried about her, but at the same time discovers that her place needs work. Not only that, at work her desk is filled with assignments and letters. As she starts trying to make up for two weeks of lost work, Daniel
and Claire
asked her about how her dad was doing, with Claire recommending a doctor to Betty that Ignacio can see at a hospital so he can if is in perfect condition. Betty takes the offer and agrees to stay with him for the next four hours and assures Hilda that she is on top of things.
Meanwhile, Daniel, Molly, Connor and Wilhelmina
try to conceal their escalating love connections, with Daniel and Molly spending the time in St. Barth's while Wilhelmina and Connor spending the time in the Swiss Alps. The relationship between the latter has begun to take its toll on Marc
, who finds himself in the middle of their secret affair, especially when he was stuck entertaining a client. This puts Marc in an awkward situation as he ends up taking over the job to cover for Wilhelmina while she and Conner had their tryst, leading to Wilhelmina dismissing Marc from the meeting after she berates him for doing her job. However hours later she has a change of heart as Marc expresses his true feelings about doing her work that she neglected, as the following day she trusts Marc on entertaining another client while she goes off to have lunch with a potential prospect.
At the same time, Betty gets a call from Daniel after he learns that one of the letters featuring Daniel and Molly were sent to Suzuki St. Pierre and when Daniel learns of this, Betty skips out of the hospital to stop him from using it on Fashion Buzz. After getting the info from an "ex-boyfriend" of Suzuki's who works at Mode, Daniel and Betty head to New Jersey
, where they discover the truth about Suzuki: his real name is Byron Wu, and he is a straight guy who is married with two sons. Afterward, Byron agrees not to use the photos as they promise to keep his secret. However, the photo featuring Molly holding hands with Daniel did end up in the newspaper with Daniel cut out; Connor later spots it, giving him suspicion to find out whose hand she is holding.
Back at the hospital, Betty learns that Ignacio is missing and ends up telling Hilda what happened. As the two return to the hospital, they learn that their father's test results came back negative, but outside the hospital the two started arguing over who should be responsible for looking out for Ignacio. Later that evening at home, Ignacio has to settle the situation by hiring a nurse thanks to his Medicaid
coverage, thus upsetting the two. Later that evening, after seeing Amanda looking over the bills, Betty decides that it was time to move out of the apartment so she can return to help out the family.
(who plays Christina
) was absent from this episode.
's first place showing of Bones
, which moved to its new night with a 6.1/10 and a second place (5.6/9) showing for a NCIS
rerun on CBS
in the same timeslot, even though it was good enough to help ABC win a competitive Thursday night lineup.
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 was supposed to air on January 15, 2009 but was rescheduled and aired on January 22, 2009. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and directed by Lee Shallat-Chemel
Lee Shallat-Chemel
Lee Shallat-Chemel is a television director and producer.She began her professional directorial career at the South Coast Repertory theatre in Costa Mesa, CA, while working at the same time as the head of the theatre's conservatory program...
.
Plot
In the wake of IgnacioIgnacio 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:...
's recent heart attack, in which he is now recuperating from home after having quadruple-bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
, Betty
Betty 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...
, 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...
and 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...
end up trying to cater to his every whim. Hilda and Betty agree to work out a deal to help out with Ignacio's medical appointments.
Afterward, Betty returns to her apartment, where she discovers Amanda is worried about her, but at the same time discovers that her place needs work. Not only that, at work her desk is filled with assignments and letters. As she starts trying to make up for two weeks of lost work, Daniel
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...
and 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...
asked her about how her dad was doing, with Claire recommending a doctor to Betty that Ignacio can see at a hospital so he can if is in perfect condition. Betty takes the offer and agrees to stay with him for the next four hours and assures Hilda that she is on top of things.
Meanwhile, Daniel, Molly, Connor and Wilhelmina
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...
try to conceal their escalating love connections, with Daniel and Molly spending the time in St. Barth's while Wilhelmina and Connor spending the time in the Swiss Alps. The relationship between the latter has begun to take its toll on Marc
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...
, who finds himself in the middle of their secret affair, especially when he was stuck entertaining a client. This puts Marc in an awkward situation as he ends up taking over the job to cover for Wilhelmina while she and Conner had their tryst, leading to Wilhelmina dismissing Marc from the meeting after she berates him for doing her job. However hours later she has a change of heart as Marc expresses his true feelings about doing her work that she neglected, as the following day she trusts Marc on entertaining another client while she goes off to have lunch with a potential prospect.
At the same time, Betty gets a call from Daniel after he learns that one of the letters featuring Daniel and Molly were sent to Suzuki St. Pierre and when Daniel learns of this, Betty skips out of the hospital to stop him from using it on Fashion Buzz. After getting the info from an "ex-boyfriend" of Suzuki's who works at Mode, Daniel and Betty head to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, where they discover the truth about Suzuki: his real name is Byron Wu, and he is a straight guy who is married with two sons. Afterward, Byron agrees not to use the photos as they promise to keep his secret. However, the photo featuring Molly holding hands with Daniel did end up in the newspaper with Daniel cut out; Connor later spots it, giving him suspicion to find out whose hand she is holding.
Back at the hospital, Betty learns that Ignacio is missing and ends up telling Hilda what happened. As the two return to the hospital, they learn that their father's test results came back negative, but outside the hospital the two started arguing over who should be responsible for looking out for Ignacio. Later that evening at home, Ignacio has to settle the situation by hiring a nurse thanks to his Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
coverage, thus upsetting the two. Later that evening, after seeing Amanda looking over the bills, Betty decides that it was time to move out of the apartment so she can return to help out the family.
Casting
Ashley JensenAshley Jensen
Ashley 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...
(who plays Christina
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....
) was absent from this episode.
Ratings
The episode placed third with a 5.1/8 overall, a 2.4/7 among 18-49s and 7.5 million viewers tuning in, due to increased competition from FoxFox 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...
's first place showing of Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, which moved to its new night with a 6.1/10 and a second place (5.6/9) showing for a NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
rerun 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...
in the same timeslot, even though it was good enough to help ABC win a competitive Thursday night lineup.
Also starring
- Grant BowlerGrant BowlerGrant Bowler is a New Zealand actor who has worked in American, Australian and New Zealand films and television.He is known for playing the role of Constable Wayne Patterson in Blue Heelers and also appeared as Wilhelmina Slater's love interest Connor Owens in Ugly Betty.In November 2010, he was...
as Connor Owens - Sarah LafleurSarah LafleurSarah Lafleur is a Canadian-born actress, most recognizable for her roles in Ugly Betty , The Mentalist , Grey's Anatomy , CSI: NY , Crossing Jordan , Without a Trace , Playmakers ; and the films Shall We Dance? , Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story and Daydream Believers: The Monkees Story...
as Molly - 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/Byron Wu
Guest starring
- Alexander ChaplinAlexander ChaplinAlexander Chaplin is an American actor. Chaplin's most prominent role was that of speechwriter James Hobert on the sitcom Spin City...
as Fabian - Tina Benko as Collette
- Kevin KilnerKevin KilnerKevin Kilner is an American television and film actor.Kilner was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothea, a kindergarten teacher, and Edward Kilner, who worked in advertising sales and insurance. He made his first television appearance on an episode of The Cosby Show in 1989...
as Dr. Mervin Farber