Swag (Ugly Betty episode)
Encyclopedia
"Swag" is the eleventh episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty
. This was supposed to be the fourth episode, which was scheduled to air on October 19, 2006, but it was replaced by "Fey's Sleigh Ride
". It has been billed as "The Lost Episode" and filled in loose ends via new scenes. On the first season DVD, "Swag" is listed as episode 4 and all the scenes involving Betty moving her things from MODE (when it aired in the United States and Canada) have been removed and the scenes involving the Masked Lady were put back in. In addition, the Betty and Christina flashback scenes were not included in the DVD. For syndication purposes in the United States, the episode with the flashbacks are aired instead of the original scenes.
handbag she gave Betty after noticing a knock-off
on her desk. Betty explained that it all started four months earlier during Christina's swag lottery (which involves designer outfits and other goodies that are now leftovers), which created a cut-throat feeding frenzy among the office fashionistas who placed their name on a list to get in line for the designer closet. Amanda and Marc fight with the other assistants during the free for all and have at it to get their hands on the Gucci purse. The bag seems to be missing as Marc cannot locate it anywhere and he was first on the list. When questioned as to why he would want a handbag, Marc says he doesn't want to use it but rather kept it as a way to trade in exchange for a favor from someone later down the road.
In the flashback Daniel told Betty to have his finances done in time to be turned in to accounting, so she turns to Marc for help, which Wilhelmina agreed to, not knowing that the two sabotaged the memo that Betty never got, not to mention using the errors Marc made in their falsifying expenses. Betty also got a series of pep talks from Bradford about Daniel's spending habits, telling her to keep an eye on his fiscal responsibilities.
When Betty does finally finish the expenses and turns the paperwork in to Henry from Accounting, the results shock Daniel, who lashes out at Betty but later admits to having use the company credit card foolishly. However, it's Bradford who lashes out at Daniel and tells him that his credit card will be cut off for a week, leaving him to use what he has in his bank account: $327.00. The news comes at a time when Daniel is told by his dad that Oshi, a famous Japanese designer, is bringing along his entourage of models to MODE for a series of photo shoots, which gave Wilhelmina the opportunity to upstage Daniel in her effort to take over his job by dangling an invitation over his head with her money, which he resists because it would make him look like a loser in his dad's eyes. This prompts Betty to wear herself out helping a suddenly cash-poor Daniel entertain Oshi and company by using cheaper ideas under $300.00.
But Betty still believes that there was an error when Hilda reminded her that Wilhelmina's $25,000 expenses doesn't add up either, so she looks up an August photo shoot that was done in Brazil, of which afterwards she makes a surprise phone call to a medical clinic (thanks to her impersonation, done in Portuguese
), thus giving Betty an idea that Daniel awkwardly agrees to. At the presentation that was put on by Oshi, Betty tells Daniel that things have been taken care of, but Daniel isn't so sure so he gives in to Wilhelmina. But just as Wilhelmina's scheme was about to pay off, Bradford yells at her; it turns out that she is being questioned by the accounting department, and Bradford, about the misappropriation of MODEs funds after she is accused of using her company credit card expense account for a "Butt Lift" she had done while in Brazil on a business trip paid for by the magazine.
Having settled that, Daniel and Betty came up with a cost-cutting way to entertain Oshi and company: Take them to New Jersey
to have dinner at "White Tassel", a parody of White Castle
. This impresses Oshi, who agrees to a four-shoot deal with MODE. Daniel also gets a call from Bradford that his credit card will be reactivated.
Betty also recalls what happened between her and Walter, who kept stalking her. As he tried to apologize, Betty told him no, and besides she had other things on her mind other than helping Daniel. She learned from Hilda that the HMO had cut off Ignacio, pending an investigation. After learning that the pharmacist wouldn't give her his prescriptions unless she came up with money, Betty found herself stuck in a dilemma over how to pay for them, since the check she'd just received was barely enough to cover for a slice of pizza.
That's when thanks to a gift from Christina - who hid the bag from the staff - Betty found a way to pay for the pills by giving the pharmacist the handbag in exchange for her dad's prescriptions (resulting in 15 bottles' worth). When Walter sees her giving the bag up, he buys the knock-off version and later that evening shows up to give it to Betty as a way of apologizing, and she accepts.
After that flashback, Betty tells Christina that as much as she wanted to keep the real thing, she didn't want to relive the memories of her late mother, who also had the same handbag and gave it to her when she was three. Betty then said afterwards she used the faux handbag as a trade to Marc which he thinks is the real one; he agrees to buy Betty the knock-off they saw on a corner and still owe her a favor. Christina knows that Marc will do the favor for her regardless if he discovers it is a fake because he would be too embarrassed to admit that Betty tricked him. In the end, Christina understands why Betty had to give up something valuable. And as Betty walks off, Christina says she will miss her.
can be seen on a store window's background, which means that the scene was shot in Downtown Los Angeles. The downtown LA bus reflection was probably filmed on the east side of Broadway, between 3rd & 4th Streets. The crew was seen shooting by the poetically named "El Huarache Veloz".
In another scene where Daniel and Betty are standing with Oshi, the translator, Marc, the entourage, and the models after they all have exited the limos at the "restaurant", the Translator delivers Oshi's words, "What place is this? Where have you brought me?" That line was delivered so hilariously, that the actors playing Betty and Daniel, as well as Oshi, actually broke character and laughed. The entourage featured in the episode are using their real names: Belle, Nadia, Jack, David, Jansen, Kyoko, and Gina.
" by The Black Eyed Peas
(a track performed in the Filipino language
Tagalog
) was used in this episode every time Oshi comes in. Although closed captionings had the track correctly listed when it aired overseas, the captions in the U.S. mistakenly listed the song as "Ms. New Booty
" by Bubba Sparxxx
featuring the Ying Yang Twins
. Another track, "9 to 5
" by Lady Sovereign
is played whilst Oshi's collection is being shown to MODE.
, India
, Italy
and Denmark
, "Swag" aired as the fourth episode, thus making them the only countries so far to air the series in its correct order. Despite being advertised to the contrary, the original version of "Swag" (without the additional scenes) was screened for the episode's Australia
n premiere on the Seven Network
. However, as with the U.S. broadcast, it followed "Fake Plastic Snow
", creating continuity problems for viewers.
In Latin America, Sony Entertainment Television
aired "Swag" as the 11th episode. The episode included the additional scenes.
When the episode went to syndication in the United States, the flashback scenes were included, as it follows the US episode chronology rather than in its original order.
, Michael Sleazak had positive praise for the episode: "Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Quite possibly so, considering that tonight's episode of Ugly Betty — the first to air since Nov. 30 — had me alternately reaching for the Puffs
, pressing the rewind button on my DVR (so I could hear dialogue that had been drowned out by my initial hoots of laughter), and fighting the urge to stand up and cheer. All this, and I'd still rank Swag as only my fourth- or fifth-favorite episode of the Golden Globe-nominated series' young run."
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...
. This was supposed to be the fourth episode, which was scheduled to air on October 19, 2006, but it was replaced by "Fey's Sleigh Ride
Fey's Sleigh Ride
"Fey's Sleigh Ride" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. It is the fourth episode in the United States, Canada and Australia but is the fifth overall. The episode first aired on October 19, 2006, even though it was scheduled to air October 26, 2006...
". It has been billed as "The Lost Episode" and filled in loose ends via new scenes. On the first season DVD, "Swag" is listed as episode 4 and all the scenes involving Betty moving her things from MODE (when it aired in the United States and Canada) have been removed and the scenes involving the Masked Lady were put back in. In addition, the Betty and Christina flashback scenes were not included in the DVD. For syndication purposes in the United States, the episode with the flashbacks are aired instead of the original scenes.
Plot
As Betty prepares to move over to MYW, Christina stops by to ask what happened to the GucciGucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
handbag she gave Betty after noticing a knock-off
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
on her desk. Betty explained that it all started four months earlier during Christina's swag lottery (which involves designer outfits and other goodies that are now leftovers), which created a cut-throat feeding frenzy among the office fashionistas who placed their name on a list to get in line for the designer closet. Amanda and Marc fight with the other assistants during the free for all and have at it to get their hands on the Gucci purse. The bag seems to be missing as Marc cannot locate it anywhere and he was first on the list. When questioned as to why he would want a handbag, Marc says he doesn't want to use it but rather kept it as a way to trade in exchange for a favor from someone later down the road.
In the flashback Daniel told Betty to have his finances done in time to be turned in to accounting, so she turns to Marc for help, which Wilhelmina agreed to, not knowing that the two sabotaged the memo that Betty never got, not to mention using the errors Marc made in their falsifying expenses. Betty also got a series of pep talks from Bradford about Daniel's spending habits, telling her to keep an eye on his fiscal responsibilities.
When Betty does finally finish the expenses and turns the paperwork in to Henry from Accounting, the results shock Daniel, who lashes out at Betty but later admits to having use the company credit card foolishly. However, it's Bradford who lashes out at Daniel and tells him that his credit card will be cut off for a week, leaving him to use what he has in his bank account: $327.00. The news comes at a time when Daniel is told by his dad that Oshi, a famous Japanese designer, is bringing along his entourage of models to MODE for a series of photo shoots, which gave Wilhelmina the opportunity to upstage Daniel in her effort to take over his job by dangling an invitation over his head with her money, which he resists because it would make him look like a loser in his dad's eyes. This prompts Betty to wear herself out helping a suddenly cash-poor Daniel entertain Oshi and company by using cheaper ideas under $300.00.
But Betty still believes that there was an error when Hilda reminded her that Wilhelmina's $25,000 expenses doesn't add up either, so she looks up an August photo shoot that was done in Brazil, of which afterwards she makes a surprise phone call to a medical clinic (thanks to her impersonation, done in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
), thus giving Betty an idea that Daniel awkwardly agrees to. At the presentation that was put on by Oshi, Betty tells Daniel that things have been taken care of, but Daniel isn't so sure so he gives in to Wilhelmina. But just as Wilhelmina's scheme was about to pay off, Bradford yells at her; it turns out that she is being questioned by the accounting department, and Bradford, about the misappropriation of MODEs funds after she is accused of using her company credit card expense account for a "Butt Lift" she had done while in Brazil on a business trip paid for by the magazine.
Having settled that, Daniel and Betty came up with a cost-cutting way to entertain Oshi and company: Take them 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...
to have dinner at "White Tassel", a parody of White Castle
White Castle (restaurant)
White Castle is an American regional fast food hamburger restaurant chain in the Midwestern United States and in the New York metropolitan area, and the first of its kind in the US. It is known for its small, square hamburgers. Sometimes referred to as "sliders", the burgers were priced at five...
. This impresses Oshi, who agrees to a four-shoot deal with MODE. Daniel also gets a call from Bradford that his credit card will be reactivated.
Betty also recalls what happened between her and Walter, who kept stalking her. As he tried to apologize, Betty told him no, and besides she had other things on her mind other than helping Daniel. She learned from Hilda that the HMO had cut off Ignacio, pending an investigation. After learning that the pharmacist wouldn't give her his prescriptions unless she came up with money, Betty found herself stuck in a dilemma over how to pay for them, since the check she'd just received was barely enough to cover for a slice of pizza.
That's when thanks to a gift from Christina - who hid the bag from the staff - Betty found a way to pay for the pills by giving the pharmacist the handbag in exchange for her dad's prescriptions (resulting in 15 bottles' worth). When Walter sees her giving the bag up, he buys the knock-off version and later that evening shows up to give it to Betty as a way of apologizing, and she accepts.
After that flashback, Betty tells Christina that as much as she wanted to keep the real thing, she didn't want to relive the memories of her late mother, who also had the same handbag and gave it to her when she was three. Betty then said afterwards she used the faux handbag as a trade to Marc which he thinks is the real one; he agrees to buy Betty the knock-off they saw on a corner and still owe her a favor. Christina knows that Marc will do the favor for her regardless if he discovers it is a fake because he would be too embarrassed to admit that Betty tricked him. In the end, Christina understands why Betty had to give up something valuable. And as Betty walks off, Christina says she will miss her.
The deleted scenes
In the deleted scenes that aired overseas, the masked lady visits the auto salvage yard where Fey's car was found and while making a phone call to Daniel, has him listen to the car getting crushed in the background and warns him about Bradford. Betty overhears this on the other line as well. Later on near the end of the episode, Wilhelmina spots the music box in Bradford's office and secretly sneaks off with it by slipping it into her purse and after the conversation with the masked lady, gives the item to her.Production
In one scene where Betty confronts Walter in Queens, a Los Angeles County MTA busLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
can be seen on a store window's background, which means that the scene was shot in Downtown Los Angeles. The downtown LA bus reflection was probably filmed on the east side of Broadway, between 3rd & 4th Streets. The crew was seen shooting by the poetically named "El Huarache Veloz".
In another scene where Daniel and Betty are standing with Oshi, the translator, Marc, the entourage, and the models after they all have exited the limos at the "restaurant", the Translator delivers Oshi's words, "What place is this? Where have you brought me?" That line was delivered so hilariously, that the actors playing Betty and Daniel, as well as Oshi, actually broke character and laughed. The entourage featured in the episode are using their real names: Belle, Nadia, Jack, David, Jansen, Kyoko, and Gina.
Music notes
The song "BebotBebot
"Bebot" is a promotional single from The Black Eyed Peas' fourth studio album, Monkey Business. The single was released in the Phillippines, Asia and Australia on August 4, 2006. The title of the song is derived from a Filipino slang word analogous to "babe", playing the English slang term for "hot...
" by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
(a track performed in the Filipino language
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
) was used in this episode every time Oshi comes in. Although closed captionings had the track correctly listed when it aired overseas, the captions in the U.S. mistakenly listed the song as "Ms. New Booty
Ms. New Booty
"Ms. New Booty" is a hip-hop song by rap artist Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins from his 2006 album The Charm. It was his first Top 10 single, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" by Bubba Sparxxx
Bubba Sparxxx
Warren Anderson Mathis , known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American Southern rapper. His biggest hit is "Ms. New Booty" featuring The Ying Yang Twins which peaked at #7 in the United States...
featuring the Ying Yang Twins
Ying Yang Twins
The Ying Yang Twins is an Atlanta-based American crunk rap duo consisting of Kaine and D-Roc . The group debuted in 2000 and rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 collaborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low"...
. Another track, "9 to 5
9 to 5 (Lady Sovereign song)
"9 to 5" is the third single from UK hip hop artist Lady Sovereign's debut album Public Warning, following the release of her first UK top 75 single "Random". It was her debut single for Island Records and was released on 8 August 2005. It contains a sample from the British movie Time Bandits.Lady...
" by Lady Sovereign
Lady Sovereign
Louise Amanda Harman , better known by the stage name Lady Sovereign, is an English rapper & grime artist. She is noted for her professional success in performing styles of music generally dominated by males...
is played whilst Oshi's collection is being shown to MODE.
Continuity
In the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, "Swag" aired as the fourth episode, thus making them the only countries so far to air the series in its correct order. Despite being advertised to the contrary, the original version of "Swag" (without the additional scenes) was screened for the episode's Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n premiere on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. However, as with the U.S. broadcast, it followed "Fake Plastic Snow
Fake Plastic Snow
"Fake Plastic Snow" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty. It is the eleventh episode overall in the series, but in the United States, Canada, and Australia, it is the tenth episode, which was written by Veronica Becker and Sarah Kucserka and directed by Jim Hayman...
", creating continuity problems for viewers.
In Latin America, Sony Entertainment Television
Sony Entertainment Television (Latin America)
Sony Entertainment Television, commonly shortened to Canal Sony , is a general entertainment channel co-based in Perú, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil and Miami, Florida, United States. It airs in 26 countries in Latin America, and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment...
aired "Swag" as the 11th episode. The episode included the additional scenes.
When the episode went to syndication in the United States, the flashback scenes were included, as it follows the US episode chronology rather than in its original order.
Reception
In a review from 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...
, Michael Sleazak had positive praise for the episode: "Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? Quite possibly so, considering that tonight's episode of Ugly Betty — the first to air since Nov. 30 — had me alternately reaching for the Puffs
Puffs
Puffs is a brand of facial tissue manufactured by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1960, it is among the leading national brands of facial tissue in the United States...
, pressing the rewind button on my DVR (so I could hear dialogue that had been drowned out by my initial hoots of laughter), and fighting the urge to stand up and cheer. All this, and I'd still rank Swag as only my fourth- or fifth-favorite episode of the Golden Globe-nominated series' young run."
Guest stars
- Jamison Yang (Translator)
- 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...
(Henry) - Kurando Mitsutake (Oshi)