Ugly Betty Recap: I’m Coming Out

Title: “I’m Comin’ Out”
Original Air Date: 2/1/07
GMMR Recapper: Julie

Hilda chomps on uncooked cookie dough and watches her stories one morning. Betty is in working girl mode, answering her cellphone with an earpiece rapid-fire style. It’s fashion week and she’s one busy lady. Before she heads out, Hilda asks if Mode is hiring any help for fashion weeks. Betty doesn’t offer.

Bradford and Daniel meet at Bradford’s office. Though Daniel thinks he’s there for yet another “this is how you’re disappointing me” talk from his dad, Bradford says he’s really proving himself. He intends to give Mode to him entirely. He’s proud of his son. Aw.

Marc admires an “Island Boys Cruise” website when Amanda pops up. Where would he get the money for such a cruise? By doing what he’s done every year in the recent past: selling out the hottest item from fashion week to a knockoff company, for a tidy sum.

Fabia, the horribly-accented designer from the pilot, is back, visiting Mode before fashion week. She wafts into Wilhelmina’s office, offering compliments. “I love your assistant. I have the same one in beige.” They’re friendly until she spots the signature dress Wilhelmina’s planning to wear…that was supposed to be a one-of-a-kind promised to Fabia herself. “Graciously” letting Wilhelmina wear it, Fabia has a tip for her: duck semen. For the complexion. Ew. Wilhelmina claims to be a few years away from having a duck “quack off” in her face, but makes an appointment as soon as Fabia has skedaddled.

Betty gets her uniform for fashion week, a way-too-big Mode t-shirt, then bumps into Henry. Henry! We get a quick minute of awkward/adorable before Hilda sweeps in full of verve, wanting to make copies of her resume. Betty gratefully takes the opportunity to ditch out of the conversation. Boo! Make out with him already, Betty!

Daniel’s friend Becks, definitely bearing a resemblance to his namesake, arrives at Mode. A photographer who’s just returned from Africa, he shamelessly flirts with Betty, then tells Daniel the purpose behind his return to the States: he’s back to scout chicks with Daniel at fashion week, their annual “bootylmpics.” Daniel rebuffs him. This week isn’t about that anymore. His friend heckles him till he gives in.

Hilda’s made all her copies and is loitering at Betty’s desk when Daniel pops out of his office and spots her. When she explains that she’s on the dole, he offers her some work for fashion week. Hilda’s psyched. What a great team she and Betty will make! If her sister doesn’t kill her first, judging from the irritated look on Betty’s face.

Ignacio meets with his caseworker, Constance. She asks him to fill out some forms, but he’s already filled them out. She’s distracted because her boyfriend dumped her. She bursts into tears and starts to creepily flirt with Papa Suarez. “Ignacioooooo,” she croaks, holding his arm.

Wilhelmina and Alexis confer on the phone. She wants to get to fashion week early to mingle and find out what people think of her…er…the him she used to be? Alex Meade.

Betty’s ready to go, wearing her ill-fitting muumuu-like Mode shirt. Hilda, meanwhile, has torn hers up into something a bit sexier. They’re on their way, as soon as they can find the keys to the car, which are in the possession of a very dapper Justin. He’s suited up and insistent on being taken to fashion week. They acquiesce.

Tim Gunn (cameo alert #1!) does an announcement live from the tent at fashion week. Daniel ends his interview as Becks starts hovering like a horndog. Becks proposes their usual bet: “whoever scores with the hottest girl within one hour wins.” Daniel disagrees, but then Alexis struts in, sporting a revealing red dress, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. One long look, and he’s up for the bet. Speaking of things being up, I think I feel my dinner making a comeback…

Betty, Justin, and Hilda arrive. Hilda and Justin start to overreact about the celebrities within seconds of walking in, but Betty gets them under control and gives them instructions how to behave at the shindig.

Wilhelmina, to no one’s surprise, has pulled a Samantha Jones and had a terrible reaction to the duck lovin’ that nearly blinded her. She enlists Marc to be her “seeing-eye gay” and guide her around the crowd. He agrees and manages to lure Amanda into doing his dirty work to find the “it” item for the knock-off folks.

Walter, chilling with Ignacio at Casa Suarez, complains about how Betty is busy and distracted lately. Constance shows up unexpectedly with a bag of groceries and a mostly-eaten box of chocolates. She brought dinner and a movie. Walter and Ignacio play dominos while Constance cooks. In the face of her smothering affection, Walter counsels Ignacio to get her back with the boyfriend – and off his back.

Becks flirts with Alexis, but isn’t making much headway. One putdown from Daniel later (“I think you dropped your game over there”) and Alexis and Daniel are having a chat of their own.

When Amanda reports that she’s found the “it” item of the season, a rabbit fur micro-mini, Marc pushes Wilhelmina off on a mannequin to go nab it. Moments later, Wilhelmina has a new seeing-eye boy: Justin, who’s giving her all the dish on the attendees and their ensembles. “You’re good, Jason.” “It’s Justin, but you can call me whatever you want, I love you.”

Meanwhile, Hilda’s become a big hit with the models, and Betty’s jealous. After leaving her sister, she bumps into her hot accountant, Henry. While I’m curious about why an accountant is at fashion week, I don’t really care when he does such an adorkable dance for Betty. Plus, he brought her something: a more flattering Mode shirt! “Too nerdy?” Just nerdy enough, in my opinion. Seeing they’re on friendly terms, Henry asks why she never called him back. After the ‘what call’ confusion, she realizes Hilda didn’t give her the message, so she’s about to go bust a cap in her ass.

Amanda forces Marc to flirt with the mini-skirt sporting model in an effort to divest said model of said “it” item. Marc is wary, but with the promise of “Mantasy Island” gives it a shot. Fortunately, Becks turns up to handle the seducing and they just float nearby waiting for the clothing cast-offs.

Hilda, who has headed into the hair tent, is giving the models some serious hair don’ts. After she and Betty get into an argument fiery enough to light a model’s hair on fire, Betty fires Hilda. Yep, definitely saw that one coming.

Betty goes to report to Daniel, and he notices she’s seriously stressed out. He reassures her as Alexis eavesdrops. Seeing that he’s become nicer, she tells him: “You’re not the Daniel Meade I thought you’d be.” What does that mean? After first saying she used to date Alex, she then comes clean with him, whispering her secret in his ear. Daniel is stupefied. He can’t believe it. Alexis tells him, “look into my eyes, ’cause that’s about the only thing they couldn’t change.” Finally, she reveals the tattoo she still has, and Daniel, horrified, believes her.

Daniel asks why, how could she do it. Her explanation: “Since I was five, I felt like I’d been dropped in the wrong skin. This was about correcting a mistake.” She talks about how they’ve totally forgotten about her and moved on, despite Daniel’s insistence otherwise. She then storms off, presumably to get ready for the show.

Betty, still whirling about, bumps into Katherine McPhee (playing herself – cameo #2). Betty explains she’s Daniel’s assistant and she totally loves her, but Katherine just wants to talk about how she met Hilda and she was so excellent. What a great sister!

Ignacio called the former boyfriend, trying to get him back together with Constance. The ex, however, is wise to him, spotting that Constance is his caseworker. That’s how he hooked up with her too. Now she’s on to another sucker, and he washes his hands of her. Dang.

Misery loves company: Daniel has drowned his sorrows in champagne, and Hilda joins in the moping about her firing. By the time Betty finds them, they are both drunk and smooching. Hilda has a total cat that swallowed the canary look. Maybe I’m biased because I’m a younger daughter, but she gets a big thumbs down here. That is not how you roll.

Betty, ever one to roll with the punches, tells Daniel the show’s starting. He starts to explain, then drunkenly walks off. Betty assumes this is Hilda’s way of getting back at her, doing what she always does: “My entire life, nobody has ever paid attention to me when we’re in the same room.” Hilda insist otherwise: “First impressions are all I got.” Betty dismisses that as crap, then segues into asking why Hilda didn’t tell her Henry called. Hilda claims she was trying to protect her from some big-city guy, but she “should’ve known you can take care of yourself.”

Runway session. Betty spots Henry across the room, smiles and waves. The last model to appear on the catwalk is Alexis, in a serious show-stopper ball gown. Wilhelmina walks out to announce Christina, then asks Bradford up to the stage. He’s about to make an announcement, when Alexis rushes up and pre-empts it with a speech of her own. Do they all remember how Bradford lost his son, Alex, two years ago? “What Mr. Meade doesn’t know is that while he may have lost his son, he gained a daughter.” A chorus of gasps around the room. After that blow, the next one is even harsher: the police have arrived, and they’re there to arrest Bradford for the murder of Fey Sommers.

Watching the scene with a gloating Wilhelmina, Christina realizes her role in supplying the police with the evidence. “You used me,” she tells Wilhelmina. I guess maybe they don’t know the phrase “duh” in Scotland?

Alexis poses for the adoring press while Daniel looks on, nauseated. “Is it fun having a sister?” He asks Betty. Yes, it is. Unless she hates you, which may very well be the case.

Next week: Alexis fires Betty, squabbles with Daniel, and looks to be having a damn good time back at Mode.

Julie is a firm believer in “all things in moderation” — except when it comes to TV, writing, Logan Echolls, and carbonated beverages. When she’s not debating TV Boyfriends with GMMR, she’s writing for her site, TV & Sympathy, or kicking ass and taking names.