Here at Pop Culture Spin we refuse to accept that Halloween is only one day. We’re going to be celebrating Halloween all month, by highlighting one of our favorite Halloween episodes every day. Today we’re kicking things off with the Ugly Betty episode “The Lyin’, the Watch and the Wardrobe.”
Basic Info
Directed by: Rodman Flender
Written by: Donald Todd
Episode Number: Season 1, Episode 5
Where to Watch It: Hulu
Why It’s Great
Ugly Betty walks a fine line, making Betty goofy without making fun of her. It was pivotal that in this early episode Betty finds herself as the object of affection for two different men. Her boyfriend Walter is ready for her to move in with him, but she’s finding herself attracted to a cute accountant named Henry, who definitely feels the same way. She ends up realizing that she could never juggle dating two people, not because she’s not desirable enough but because she would never want to hurt anyone.
Daniel asks betty to track down a watch. He knows he left it at a woman’s house but can’t remember which one. He gives Betty a list of women he’s been with in the past week so she can try to track down the watch, but forgets about Amanda. Amanda is heartbroken since she was really hoping her night with Daniel would be the one he wouldn’t forget. It’s absolutely brutal seeing how hung up on Daniel she actually is.
At the same time, we get much more insight into Daniel when he visits his mother in rehab to find out more about his father’s affair with Faye. His mother doesn’t hesitate to draw a parallel between Daniel’s womanizing and his father’s.
Wilhelmina struggles with accepting that she’s “a woman of a certain age” after seeing how the press is covering her relationship with a younger man. Just when she’s come to terms with thing and is ready to feel confident, she’s completely thrown off by a visit from her adult daughter Nico.
Why It’s Full of Halloween Spirit
Betty dresses up as a butterfly after an office email about a costume contest…that she quickly realizes was only sent to her, courtesy of Marc. Watching Betty walk around conducting herself with dignity while dressed in a goofy homemade butterfly costume is a reminder of why she’s a role model and also adorable.
Meanwhile, Betty’s dad Ignacio gets caught up in the holiday, enjoying all the silly pranks and over-the-top decorations. But, it turns out he’s so involved in the festivities as a distraction from telling his daughters a difficult truth– he’s an undocumented immigrant.
Costume Count
Marc St. James is Betty
Justin Suarez is Gene Kelly from On the Town
Betty Suarez is a butterfly
Walter is a butterfly catcher
Henry Grubstick is a Superaccountant
Hilda Suarez is a cat
Ignacio Suarez is Dracula