The Lyin', the Watch and the Wardrobe
Encyclopedia
"The Lyin', the Watch and the Wardrobe" is an episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty
, which aired on October 26, 2006. Internationally, it is the sixth episode overall, but in the United States and Australia it aired as the fifth due to the delayed airing of "Swag." The episode name is a play on words of the novel and subsequent film titled The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
in the Chronicles of Narnia series, which incidentally was produced by The Walt Disney Company
, the parent company of Ugly Bettys co-producers, ABC Studios.
card, but he seems too busily immersed in the festivities. Justin on the other hand dresses up as a sailor (he's channeling Gene Kelly
from On the Town
). Betty's idea of celebrating is to dress up as a butterfly for what is supposed to be a work party.
At work, Betty shows up in her outfit... only to discover that there is no costume party (it looks like Marc made a series of prank e-mails). Betty is about to have her work cut out for her when Daniel asks her to track down his lost watch, which he left at a girlfriend's place, but he can't remember which one. He tells Betty to get Amanda to help her, but it appears that Amanda may be holding back in a jealous fit, for it turns out that she has the watch. Betty finally puts two and two together, and confronts Amanda in the bathroom. Amanda reveals to Betty that she always wanted Daniel for herself but she is tired of his constant one-night stands with other women and admits her hope that he'll pick her, knowing it'll never happen. Having got this off her chest, Amanda pulls her self together, and tells Betty to forget what she just said. She gives the watch to Betty, who in turn passes it back to Daniel.
In between the melee, Betty finds herself smitten by Henry from accounting, who has come down to chat to Betty. Earlier in the day, Walter gave Betty a gift of a hollow pumpkin with candy in the middle. He told Betty to eat the candy in the pumpkin until she finds her gift. The gift is the key to Walter's apartment, with a note asking her to move in with him. With so many things distracting her, Betty has no time to give Walter an answer but does find time to have lunch with Henry after he invites her to the Sushi bar across the street. When Walter turns up at Betty's work and asks where she is, Amanda tells him. Walter arrives just as Henry is about to let Betty taste the sushi, confronts the two and walks off. In the end Betty tells Henry that she wants to work things out with Walter. She does just that, with Walter nixing the living arrangements and agreeing to continue dating for now.
As for Daniel, his day is spent visiting his mother Claire, who has been in a rehab clinic for over a month for her drinking problems, the result of her troubled marriage to Bradford after his admitted affair with Fey. While Daniel asks his mother about the music box and the night she burned the magazines, Claire asks her son to take her out for lunch at a restaurant. Daniel is leery about taking her to a place that serves alcohol. They go and during the lunch conversation Claire tells Daniel that he is going the same route as his dad, but this wasn't something Daniel wants to hear...then she tells him to give her the glass of wine so she can have a 'sip' (she swallows the whole glass). Claire tells Daniel that the affair between Bradford and Fey had been going on for twenty years. When she and Fey went to confront Bradford in his office to make him choose, she tells Daniel to guess who ended up dead and who ended up in rehab. Later that day Daniel confronts Bradford about the affair. Bradford says that he didn't want to hurt Daniel or Claire and regrets making that mistake. Daniel discloses to Bradford his knowledge of the burned glasses and license plate from Fey's music box (which Bradford had hidden away to cover his tracks, but lost). Bradford had told Steve to seek out the person who's been leaking the info to Daniel with the aim of having his son turn against him.
After leaving the office Daniel is left confused. Amanda runs into him in the lift and suggests seeing him that night, even just to chat. Daniel is too distracted, wants to be alone, and turns down her offer.
Meanwhile Wilhelmina's plan for a date with a younger man takes a turn for the worse when she is called a cradle robber on Fashion TV, and it appears that Marc, who is dressed up as "Halloween Betty" and was jokingly given a raise for it (but not anymore), may have something to do with it. So she makes him find a replacement date that she can take to a major event and gets Christina (Wilhelmina calls her "Carlotta" since she doesn't know her name) to create a dress for her. When Wilhelmina attempts to try it on she is horrified to learn that she can't fit into the size-2 designer gown, with Christina blurting out that Slater has gained weight. Wils decides to shed some pounds, using steam and diet, which helps as Christina finally gives her a dress that fits better and just in time to take the same young guy out to the event until her daughter Nico shows up.
Later Wilhelmina talks to the mystery woman about what happened between Daniel and Bradford, which prompts the semi-bandaged person to make plans for the return of Fey Sommers.
As Halloween comes to a close, Ignacio finally comes clean to Betty, admitting that he came to the United States illegally, and leaving Betty shocked and stunned by his confession.
This is the only episode whose "Ugly Betty" opening intro following Marc's "Betty" getup featured the festive Halloween colors instead of the usual yellow background with the red "Ugly Betty" title fonts.
This is the first episode in which Claire Meade (Judith Light) appears. Producer Silvio Horta, who had been an admirer of Light, originally worked with her on a proposed TV pilot prior to "Ugly Betty" but it was rejected.
, Michael Sleazak writes, "On paper, the decision of Ugly Betty's writing staff to turn its Halloween episode into an examination of its characters' various disguises sounds like an obvious exercise. And yet, as last night's typically mesmerizing hour reminded us, it's foolish to make snap judgments about anything (or anyone) in the Betty universe
."
. Tony Plana
also submitted this episode for consideration of his work in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
".
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, which aired on October 26, 2006. Internationally, it is the sixth episode overall, but in the United States and Australia it aired as the fifth due to the delayed airing of "Swag." The episode name is a play on words of the novel and subsequent film titled The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
in the Chronicles of Narnia series, which incidentally was produced by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, the parent company of Ugly Bettys co-producers, ABC Studios.
Plot
It's Halloween, and in the Suarez household the day starts with both Betty and Hilda asking their dad about his false Social SecuritySocial Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
card, but he seems too busily immersed in the festivities. Justin on the other hand dresses up as a sailor (he's channeling Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
from On the Town
On the Town (film)
On the Town is a 1949 musical film with music by Leonard Bernstein and Roger Edens and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It is an adaptation of the Broadway stage musical of the same name produced in 1944, although many changes in script and score were made from the original stage...
). Betty's idea of celebrating is to dress up as a butterfly for what is supposed to be a work party.
At work, Betty shows up in her outfit... only to discover that there is no costume party (it looks like Marc made a series of prank e-mails). Betty is about to have her work cut out for her when Daniel asks her to track down his lost watch, which he left at a girlfriend's place, but he can't remember which one. He tells Betty to get Amanda to help her, but it appears that Amanda may be holding back in a jealous fit, for it turns out that she has the watch. Betty finally puts two and two together, and confronts Amanda in the bathroom. Amanda reveals to Betty that she always wanted Daniel for herself but she is tired of his constant one-night stands with other women and admits her hope that he'll pick her, knowing it'll never happen. Having got this off her chest, Amanda pulls her self together, and tells Betty to forget what she just said. She gives the watch to Betty, who in turn passes it back to Daniel.
In between the melee, Betty finds herself smitten by Henry from accounting, who has come down to chat to Betty. Earlier in the day, Walter gave Betty a gift of a hollow pumpkin with candy in the middle. He told Betty to eat the candy in the pumpkin until she finds her gift. The gift is the key to Walter's apartment, with a note asking her to move in with him. With so many things distracting her, Betty has no time to give Walter an answer but does find time to have lunch with Henry after he invites her to the Sushi bar across the street. When Walter turns up at Betty's work and asks where she is, Amanda tells him. Walter arrives just as Henry is about to let Betty taste the sushi, confronts the two and walks off. In the end Betty tells Henry that she wants to work things out with Walter. She does just that, with Walter nixing the living arrangements and agreeing to continue dating for now.
As for Daniel, his day is spent visiting his mother Claire, who has been in a rehab clinic for over a month for her drinking problems, the result of her troubled marriage to Bradford after his admitted affair with Fey. While Daniel asks his mother about the music box and the night she burned the magazines, Claire asks her son to take her out for lunch at a restaurant. Daniel is leery about taking her to a place that serves alcohol. They go and during the lunch conversation Claire tells Daniel that he is going the same route as his dad, but this wasn't something Daniel wants to hear...then she tells him to give her the glass of wine so she can have a 'sip' (she swallows the whole glass). Claire tells Daniel that the affair between Bradford and Fey had been going on for twenty years. When she and Fey went to confront Bradford in his office to make him choose, she tells Daniel to guess who ended up dead and who ended up in rehab. Later that day Daniel confronts Bradford about the affair. Bradford says that he didn't want to hurt Daniel or Claire and regrets making that mistake. Daniel discloses to Bradford his knowledge of the burned glasses and license plate from Fey's music box (which Bradford had hidden away to cover his tracks, but lost). Bradford had told Steve to seek out the person who's been leaking the info to Daniel with the aim of having his son turn against him.
After leaving the office Daniel is left confused. Amanda runs into him in the lift and suggests seeing him that night, even just to chat. Daniel is too distracted, wants to be alone, and turns down her offer.
Meanwhile Wilhelmina's plan for a date with a younger man takes a turn for the worse when she is called a cradle robber on Fashion TV, and it appears that Marc, who is dressed up as "Halloween Betty" and was jokingly given a raise for it (but not anymore), may have something to do with it. So she makes him find a replacement date that she can take to a major event and gets Christina (Wilhelmina calls her "Carlotta" since she doesn't know her name) to create a dress for her. When Wilhelmina attempts to try it on she is horrified to learn that she can't fit into the size-2 designer gown, with Christina blurting out that Slater has gained weight. Wils decides to shed some pounds, using steam and diet, which helps as Christina finally gives her a dress that fits better and just in time to take the same young guy out to the event until her daughter Nico shows up.
Later Wilhelmina talks to the mystery woman about what happened between Daniel and Bradford, which prompts the semi-bandaged person to make plans for the return of Fey Sommers.
As Halloween comes to a close, Ignacio finally comes clean to Betty, admitting that he came to the United States illegally, and leaving Betty shocked and stunned by his confession.
Production
During the scene in the bathroom with Amanda, Betty's costumed wings are reversed. The reason for that was the camera is looking at Betty through the mirror.This is the only episode whose "Ugly Betty" opening intro following Marc's "Betty" getup featured the festive Halloween colors instead of the usual yellow background with the red "Ugly Betty" title fonts.
This is the first episode in which Claire Meade (Judith Light) appears. Producer Silvio Horta, who had been an admirer of Light, originally worked with her on a proposed TV pilot prior to "Ugly Betty" but it was rejected.
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 writes, "On paper, the decision of Ugly Betty's writing staff to turn its Halloween episode into an examination of its characters' various disguises sounds like an obvious exercise. And yet, as last night's typically mesmerizing hour reminded us, it's foolish to make snap judgments about anything (or anyone) in the Betty universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
."
Awards
This episode was submitted for consideration in the category of "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series" for the 2007 Emmy Awards59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
. Tony Plana
Tony Plana
Tony 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:...
also submitted this episode for consideration of his work in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series
This is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-1950s:*1954: Art Carney – The Jackie Gleason Show as Ed Norton*1955: Art Carney – The Jackie Gleason Show as Ed Norton...
".
Also starring
- 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:...
- Marc St. James - 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....
- Walter - 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 Grubstick - 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...
- Claire Meade - Elizabeth Payne - Masked Woman
- 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...
- Steve - 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...
- Nico Slater
Guest stars
- Patrick FabianPatrick FabianPatrick Fabian is an American actor. He has played numerous roles in TV shows , and after twenty years of acting achieved a breakthrough of sorts in the 2010 movie The Last Exorcism.-Life:...
- Fashion TV Anchor - Alison McAteeAlison McAteeAllison McAtee is an American actress and fashion model.-Education:Allison McAtee studied at Carnegie Mellon University trained in Suzuki and Viewpoints and earned a BA degree in Theater Arts from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences...
- Friday Night - Tasha Taylor - Thursday Night
- Jean-Christophe Febbrari - Waiter
- Amanda Lockwood - Mode Girl
- Jesse Marchant - Jason
- Jeanne Simpson - Receptionist