Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

August 11, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The final season of “Ugly Betty” finishes off with style, dignity, fun and many laughs. But also a final tearful goodbye to the characters that we have watched for four incredible seasons. I will miss the well-written episodes and its colorful cast of characters. For fans of “Ugly Betty” and fans of the fourth season, “Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season” is definitely recommended!

DVD TITLE: UGLY BETTY – The Complete Fourth Season

DURATION: 20 episodes (860 minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV PG DLSV

RELEASE DATE: August 17, 2010

Based on the Colombian telenovela “Betty la fea” by Fernando Gaitan

Directed by Victor Nelli Jr., John Terlesky, John Putch, Richard Heus

Written by Silvio Horta, Henry Alonso Myers, Sheila R. Lawrence, Henry Alonso Myers, Jon Kinnally, Tracy Poust, Chris Black, Brian Tanen, Caria DiPaolo, David Grubstick, Abraham Higginbotham, Gail Lerner

Executive Producer: Salma Hayek, Silvio Horta, Jose Tamez, Benjamin Silverman

Co-Executive Producer: Sheila R. Lawrence, Teri Weinberg, Victor Nelli Jr., Henry Alonso Myers, Jon Kinnally, Tracy Poust, Richard Heus, Billy Wrubel

Producer: Jim Weiss

Co-Producer: Jerem Beim, Samantha Thomas

Associate Producer: Gregg Fishman

Music by Jeff Beal

Cinematography by Michael A. Price

Edited by Jennifer Pulver

Casting by Geoffrey Soffer

Production Design by Mark Worthington

Art Direction by Charles E. McCarry

Set Decoration by Rich Devine

Costume Design by Patricia Field

Starring:

America Ferrera as Betty Suarez

Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade

Michael Urie as Marc St. James

Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater

Tony Plana as Ignacio Suarez

Ana Ortiz as Hilda Suarez

Becki Newton as Amanda Tanen

Mark Indelicato as Justin Suarez

Judith Light as Claire Meade

Christopher Gorham as Henry Grubstick

Alec Mapa as Suzuki St. Pierre

Anna Kuchma as Modie

Sarah Lafleur as Molly

Grant Bowler as Connor Owens

Daniel Eric Gold as Matt

Ralph Macchio as Archie Rodriguez

David Rasche as Calvin Hartley

Adam Rodriguez as Bobby Talercio

Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Natalie

The world of high fashion takes on a whole new, hilarious meaning in Ugly Betty: The Complete Fourth and Final Season, available on DVD August 17, 2010 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. There are underdogs and then there is Betty Suarez, the ultimate “fish-out-of-water.” Her efforts to fit in with her colleagues at a glossy magazine may bring unintentionally hysterical results, but they also have audiences rooting for their favorite fashionista. The collectible four-disc release allows viewers to complete their collection and relive every endearing moment of this heartwarming and irreverent comedy with all 20 final-season episodes uninterrupted, with never-before-seen bonus features.

Betty sure has come a long way! She is finally coming into her own and getting what she’s worked so hard for. But what she doesn’t realize is that she’s starting over in so many ways, and if she wants to play in the big leagues she needs to keep up. Ugly Betty: The Complete Fourth and Final Season focuses on her transformation – both personally and professionally – and how she will navigate these new waters as only she can. If Betty wants to succeed, she will once again have to rely on her heart, perseverance and intelligence – along with some help from her family, friends and a few unlikely allies.

“UGLY BETTY”, a series that captured the attention of millions of viewers with its heartwarming and hilarious storyline and it helps that the series is an adaptation of the popular Colombian telenovela “Betty la fea” by Fernando Gaitan. The series revolved around Betty Suarez (America Ferrera, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” films, “Lords of Dogtown”), a woman with a kind heart and is always giving. The problem is that she is not fashionable, known for her thick hair, eyebrows and big glasses and braces. And now the series which won Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Awards bids its final farewell with its fourth and final season.

In Season 1, audiences got to see how the unfashionable Betty got a job at the high fashion publication Mode Magazine and work as an assistant for Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius, “The L World”, “The O.C.”, “Eyes”)., the Editor-in-Chief. Despite her looks and how badly she is treated at the workplace, Daniel sees the kindness in her heart and she manages to reach out to him and help him through his troubles.

The stories tend to focus on various storylines that revolve around Betty’s world. Betty lives with her father, Ignacio Suarez (Tony Plana, “24″, “Commander-in-Chief”) who happens to be a God believing man and very protective over his family. Her sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz, “Boston Legal”, “Batman: Gotchic Knight”) who moves back at home with her son Justin (Mark Indelicato). They are a strong Latino family with Betty more proper, while her sister is more street smarts.

At Mode Magazine, there is a bit of strife as behind-the-scenes Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams, “Hannah Montana: The Movie”, “Boom Town”, “South Beach”) tries to find ways she can move up and own Mode Magazine and in Season 1, she goes after Daniel’s father Brandon Meade (Alan Dale, “The O.C.”, “LOST”) and has an affair with him. Wilhelmina trusts her loyal assistant Marc St. James (Michael Urie) to do her dirty work. Meanwhile, Marc and receptionist Amanda Tanen (Becki Newton, “American Dreams”) are like two peas in a pod as they gossip about those who work for Mode Magazine, constantly make fun of Betty but yet despite their trash talking, they somehow also end up getting closer to Betty. As for Betty, she can always depend on her friend and Mode Magazine costume designer Christina McKinney (Ashley Jensen, “Extras” and “Eleventh Hour”) to go, if times are tough at work.

In Season Two, Wilhelmina was doing anything she can to own Mode Magazine but her goal to marry Brandon Meade doesn’t go quite well but she manages to have sex with him and gets pregnant right before he dies. Meanwhile we are introduced to Daniel’s brother Alex turned woman named Alexis (Rebecca Romjin, “X-Men” films, “Pepper Dennis”) who is like another rival to Daniel and we also meet his mother who just escaped prison, Claire Meade (Judith Light, “Who’s the Boss”). Meanwhile, two men – Henry and Gio vie for Betty’s affection and one asks her hand in marriage.

In Season Three, we see Betty taking a more proactive approach in her job and trying to rise in the ranks of Mode but things get a bit crazy when her high school rival Kimmie (played by Lindsay Lohan) enters her life once again and takes part in the Young Editors Training Program (YETI). Meanwhile, Hilda’s salon is doing well but the city shuts it down, meanwhile Cliff and Marc become closer and eventually want to marry or will they? As for Daniel and Wilhelmina, the two must work together in ensuring that Mode Magazine becomes profitable.

In Season Four, Betty has now risen in her career at Mode Magazine and has become features editor. But similar to how she had to prove herself as an assistant, now Betty must prove that she deserves to be a features editor despite many challenges including a jealous Marc who was also up for the job.

Daniel is trying to deal with his wife’s death and joins a support group which may be a cult. Meanwhile, Hilda must make a difficult decision in her relationship with Archie, especially when her old boyfriend Bobby enters her life. Justin must deal with the prejudice he faces in high school and most of all, trying to find out about how to deal with his homosexuality and keeping it private or making it public. Wilhelmina gets hooked into a coverup when her daughter Miko has returned and is accused of murder, while trying to deal with the disappearance of Connor. And Claire wants to find the son that she had given up for adoption.

“Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season” features 20 episodes on four discs. Included are (spoiler-less summaries):

DISC: 1

EPISODE 66 – The Butterfly Effect (Part 1 of 2) – Betty begins her job as features editor but people at Mode are not so thrilled, especially Marc. Meanwhile, Justin is being ridiculed in school.
EPISODE 67 – The Butterfly Effect (Part 2 of 2) – It’s the day of Betty’s important photoshoot but when she spends too much time with Daniel, Matt and other editors are unwilling to work with her.
EPISODE 68 – Blue on Blue – Betty is working on a story to show that she is deserving of the job but when Matt and Amanda go out on a date, Betty gets jealous.
EPISODE 69 – The Wiener, The Bun and the Boob – Betty is working on an article of New York’s Worst Jobs but needs an assistant and thus Wilhelmina assigns an unrelectant Marc to become Betty’s assistant.
EPISODE 70 – Plus None - A special event in which higher up MODE employees can attend and are allowed to bring a “Plus One”. With Matt going off and doing something new and Daniel focused on his healing, Betty needs to look for a date.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 71 – Backseat Betty – Hilda’s old flame from high school is back in her life, but this time Betty is interested in him.
EPISODE 72 – Level(7) With Me – When Daniel is planning to hand over the power of Mode to the Community of the Phoenix, Betty, Claire, Amanda and Matt try to save him from the cult.
EPISODE 73 – The Bahamas Triangle – With everyone heading to the Bahamas on a trip, Betty, Mat and Amanda get involved in a love triangle. Special Guest: Shakira
EPISODE 74 – Be-Shure – Ignacio is planning a Christmas/Hanukah dinner for the family and his new squeeze Jean. Both Betty and Hilda take a pregnancy test and Claire goes to meet her son that she gave up for adoption.
EPISODE 75 – The Passion of the Betty – Hilda tells Bobby the truth, meanwhile Claire must decide if she wants to back Wilhelmina’s return and Betty has a special gallery for Matt’s paintings.

DISC 3:

EPISODE 76- Back in Her Place – Betty has her worst week ever and a new hobby causes problems for her work.
EPISODE 77 – Blackout! – Betty plans to have a karaoke party in her apartment building but somehow the building gets robbed.
EPISODE 78 – Chica and the Man – Betty wins a blog contest but it causes problems between her and Daniel.
EPISODE 79 – Smokin’ Hot – Marc and Betty compete in trying to promote a new designer.
EPISODE 80 – Fire and Nice – Betty dates a firefighter who is investigating their house fire.

DISC 4:

EPISODE 81 – All the World’s a Stage- Betty has a new man in her life and now she wants to do a feature on him.
EPISODE 82 – Million Dollar Smile – It’s a big day for Betty as the braces come off. Also, Betty has a dream of what if she never wore braces.
EPISODE 83 – London Calling – It’s fashion week in London and Betty has to cover it, and she brings Amanda and Hilda along. Meanwhile, Betty meets an old flame in London.
EPISODE 84 – The Past Presents the Future – Hilda and Bobby are getting married and a former flame of Betty’s comes to visit, meanwhile Betty is offered a job to run a magazine in London.
EPISODE 85 – Hello Goodbye – The final episode and Betty makes a final decision in regards to her future. Hilda and Bobby are considering moving to a new home and Daniel is having a hard time letting Betty go.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“UGLY BETTY” is presented in Widescreen (1:78:1) and is enhanced for 16×9 televisions. Production for “UGLY BETY” is quite slick and for a drama series, picture quality is along the same lines as abc studio’s other DVD releases. Which is pretty good and compression artifacts and low light noise is not as visible.

As for audio, “UGLY BETTY” is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The series is front and center channel driven. Dialogue is clear, music is clear and overall, not a series to expect a lot of sound effects on your surround channels but for the most part, dialogue is understandable.

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season” includes the following special features:

DISC 1:

Deleted Scenes – Two deleted scenes which include “Connor Checked Out” and “Steam Room”.

DISC 2:

Deleted Scenes – Three deleted scenes which include “I’m Available”, “What is Level 5?” and “Breathe”.

DISC 3:

Mode After Hours – Featuring the following Marc and Amanda “Mode After Hours” segments: Stress-Orcism (3:35), Role-Playing (3:26), Queenseeker (5:16) and Harassment of a Sexual Nature (3:39).
Deleted Scene – Featuring two deleted scenes: “Elevator Chatter” and “Male Models”.

DISC 4:

Betty Goes Bahamas – (8:30) Behind-the-scenes of what the cast did during their stay in the Bahamas. Becki Newton and Michael Urie try to go around the Bahamas to see what the cast is up to.
Betty Bloops – (6:32) “Ugly Betty” Season Four outtakes.
Deleted Scenes – Featuring three deleted scenes: “Guy Talk”, “Wedding Planning” and “Going Too Far”.
Audio Commentary - Featuring audio commentary for “All the World’s a Stage” (episode 81) with commentary by Michael Urie and Mark Indelicato.

EXTRAS:

“Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season” comes with a slip over cover.

I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that “Ugly Betty” was canceled. It started off strong when it was shown on Thursday but as usual, when you air a series on Friday, it’s usually a nail on the coffin. But if there is one thing that abc execs did right for the staff and stars of the series was that it gave them the chance to finish the series with style. And with the way this series ended, “Ugly Betty” fans were treated with a wonderful ending.

I’ll miss watching the Suarez family, the humorous adventures of Betty and Daniel, the troublesome duo, Marc and Amanda and of course the drama that usually had accompanied the series. But most importantly, it’s that ray of sunshine the series had brought to millions of viewers each week.

Having watched the series since it first began, I’ve looked at “Ugly Betty” as a series that was not only well-written and well-cast but also a series that was important as it revolved around a Latino family and truthfully, there have not been many drama/comedy series on television featuring a lead character that is Latino but also a female, so in many ways, the series sure made its mark in American pop culture and it’s a shame that the series was canceled (and several years earlier, the sitcom “The George Lopez” show which broke new ground was also canceled).

“Ugly Betty” has been a wonderful series and although the ratings may have tapered off (as did other ABC drama series such as “Desperate Housewives” and my other favorite series now ended, “Lost”), this fourth season continued the drama, the fun that the show was known for. I felt that this fourth season finally broke new ground for Betty as we have seen her advance in her new career and we finally see the braces come off, but what the writers were able to do is focus on the supporting characters.

The fourth season dealt with Daniel’s healing process after the death of his wife, we see Hilda dating a politician but then seeing how life had affected her after a one night stand with an ex-boyfriend, for years we have seen Justin grow in the series but wondered how the writers would handle his “coming out” and we watched the continued power struggle between Wilhelmina and Claire Meade. As important as the series for Betty fans, the writers gave viewers the opportunity to watch each character grow and in some sense, every character was like family. Despite the class differences between characters, somehow we saw how they intermeshed because of Betty and by the end, everything worked out.

“Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season” features the same fun bonus content as previous releases. I was hoping for audio commentary for this release especially for the final episode or the episode when the cast went to the Bahamas. But you do get the one audio commentary. The DVD picture quality is very good and audio is clear and understandable. I did wish ABC released this series on Blu-ray but overall, fans of the series should be happy with the overall DVD.

In the end, “Ugly Betty” completes its run with style, dignity, fun and many laughs. But also a final tearful goodbye to the characters that we have watched for four incredible seasons. For fans of “Ugly Betty” and those who enjoyed the fourth season, “Ugly Betty – The Complete Fourth and Final Season” is definitely recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

UGLY BETTY – The Complete Third Season (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

September 23, 2009 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment

“A lot of drama, a lot of crazy moments but for the most part, an entertaining, solid third season for ‘UGLY BETTY’. Top notch writing and wonderful performances by the cast. Expect a lot of surprises and celebrity guest appearances in the third season and a DVD with plenty of entertaining special features! Highly recommended!

DVD TITLE: UGLY BETTY – The Complete Third Season

DURATION: 24 episodes (1032 minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, French and Spanish Subtitles, Widescreen (1:78:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

COMPANY: abc studios

RATED: TV PG DLSV

RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2009

Based on the Colombian telenovela “Betty la fea” by Fernando Gaitan

Directed by Victor Nelli Jr., Matt Shakman, John Terlesky, Tom Verica

Written by Silvio Horta, Henry Alonso Myers, Sheila R. Lawrence, Bill Wrubel, Jon Kinnally, Trace Poust, Chris Black, Brian Tanen, Fernando Gaitan, Peter Elkoff

Executive Producer: Salma Hayek, Silvio Horta, Jose Tamez, Benjamin Silverman

Co-Executive Producer: Sheila R. Lawrence, Teri Weinberg, Victor Nelli Jr., Henry Alonso Myers, Jon Kinnally, Tracy Poust, Richard Heus, Billy Wrubel

Producer: Jim Weiss

Co-Producer: Jerem Beim, Samantha Thomas

Associate Producer: Gregg Fishman

Music by Jeff Beal

Cinematography by Michael A. Price

Edited by Jennifer Pulver, Sarah Boyd

Casting by Geoffrey Soffer

Production Design by Mark Worthington

Art Direction by Charles E. McCarry

Set Decoration by Rich Devine

Costume Design by Patricia Field

Starring:

America Ferrera as Betty Suarez

Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade

Michael Urie as Marc St. James

Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater

Tony Plana as Ignacio Suarez

Ana Ortiz as Hilda Suarez

Ashley Jensen as Christina McKinney

Becki Newton as Amanda Tanen

Mark Indelicato as Justin Suarez

Judith Light as Claire Meade

Christopher Gorham as Henry Grubstick

Alec Mapa as Suzuki St. Pierre

Anna Kuchma as Modie

Sarah Lafleur as Molly

Grant Bowler as Connor Owens

Daniel Eric Gold as Matt

Ralph Macchio as Archie Rodriguez

David Rasche as Calvin Hartley

Christine Baranski as Victoria Hartley

There are underdogs and then there’s Betty Suarez. In the snooty world of high fashion, Betty is the ultimate “fish-out-of-water.” Her efforts to fit in with her colleagues at a glossy magazine may bring unintentionally hysterical results, but they also have audiences rooting for their favorite fashionista. In Season Three, Betty’s success shocks her co-workers at Mode—she’s leaving the old neighborhood in Queens for a Manhattan apartment and a slot at YETI (the prestigious Young Editors Training Institute). But it wouldn’t be Betty without some hilarious setbacks along the way!

A lot of drama, a lot of excitement, a lot of wild and crazy moments…overall, highly entertaining and another wonderful season of “UGLY BETTY”.

In Season 1, we see how Betty gets a job at the fashion magazine known as Mode Magazine and work as an assistant for Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius, “The L World”, “The O.C.”, “Eyes”)., the Editor-in-Chief. Despite her looks and how badly she is treated at the workplace, Daniel sees the kindness in her heart and she manages to reach out to him and help him through his troubles.

In Season Two, Wilhelmina will do anything to own Mode Magazine but her goal to marry Brandon Meade doesn’t go quite well but she manages to have sex with him and gets pregnant right before he dies. Meanwhile we are introduced to Daniel’s brother Alex turned woman named Alexis (Rebecca Romjin, “X-Men” films, “Pepper Dennis”) who is like another rival to Daniel and we also meet his mother who just escaped prison, Claire Meade (Judith Light, “Who’s the Boss”). Meanwhile, two men – Henry and Gio vie for Betty’s affection and one asks her hand in marriage.

Featuring even more celebrity guest appearances and exciting episodes, “UGLY BETTY – The Complete Third Season” features 24 episodes on six discs. Included are (spoiler-less summaries):

DISC: 1

EPISODE 42 – The Manhattan Project – Wilhelmina is now Editor-in-Chief at Mode, while Daniel runs another magazine and Betty makes her return. While her father Ignacio get s a job at a fast food restaurant.
EPISODE 43 – Filing for the Enemy – Daniel knows he is up to a custody battle for Daniel Jr., meanwhile Betty becomes Wilhelmina’s assistant.
EPISODE 44 – Crimes of Fashion – Christina is injured and Wilhelmina’s baby is in trouble. But who at Mode Magazine is responsible for the accident?
EPISODE 45 – Betty Suarez Land – With Gio’s return, Betty thinks they can continue to be friends but she finds out that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with her.

DISC 2:

EPISODE 46 – Granny Pants – Kimmie visits Betty and asks for help to get her a job at Mode. But despite all the bad things Kimmie did to Betty in the past, maybe she’s changed.
EPISODE 47 – Ugly Berry – Kimmie has become Assistant Editor at Mode and steals Betty’s spotlight.
EPISODE 48 – Crush’d – Jesse becomes attracted to her neighbor/musician Jesse. Amanda needs a place to live after being evicted and lives with Betty temporarily. Can Betty stand her new roommate?
EPISODE 49 – Tornado Girl – With the MODE Magazine upper management on a retreat, Betty is in charge but with a tornado on its way, Betty must avert a PR nightmare. Can she pull it off? Meanwhile, Marc must make a major decision.

DISC 3:

EPISODE 50 – When Betti Met YETI – Betty and Marc apply to YETI (The Young Editors Training Program) and become each other’s rival. Daniel starts to become more attracted to his friend’s wife, Molly.
EPISODE 51 – Bad Amanda – Betty and Amanda must work on an article “How I Blew Ten Grand Without Spending a Dime”.
EPISODE 52 – Dress For Success – Betty wants to impress her idol Jodie Papadakis, editor of YETI. Meanwhile, she meets her match with ELLE Magazine’s Teri.
EPISODE 53 – Sisters on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown – Betty and Hilda have sister problems and Daniel and Molly, Wilhemina and Connor have an affair.

DISC 4:

EPISODE 54 – Kissed Off – Connor tries to find out who is admiring his wife, Molly. And musician Jesse starts to distract Betty once again.
EPISODE 55 – The Courtship of Betty’s Father – Betty works on a video tribute for Claire Meade’s 60th Birthday but by leaving the camera at home, she discovers something about her father.
EPISODE 56 – There’s No Place Like Mode – Wilhelmina starts to worry that this affair is affecting her job and a new face joins MODE Magazine.
EPISODE 57 – Things Fall Apart – With YETI having Betty and Marc analyzing the magazine’s budget, she discovers a surprising discovery. Meanwhile, Betty sees that Henry is trying to friend her on Facebook and we learn something surprising about Molly.

DISC 5:

EPISODE 58 – Sugar Daddy – With the Suarez’s landlord wanting to sell their house, they must find a rental home. Meanwhile, Ignacio takes part in a TV cook-off.
EPISODE 59 – A Mother of a Problem – The Suarez family try to hook Hilda up with City Councilman, Archie from Queens.
EPISODE 60 – The Sex Issue – Wilhelmina and Daniel decide to do an issue all about sex. Matt wants to take his relationship with Betty to a higher level.
EPISODE 61 – Rabbit Test – The Suarez get an invitation to meet Matt’s billionaire father at his Easter Egg Hunt event. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina thinks that William might not be her biological son.

DISC 6:

EPISODE 62 – The Born Identity – Matt’s billionaire father is willing to bail Mode Magazine, meanwhile baby William has been kidnapped.
EPISODE 63 – In the Stars - Betty must work with Matt and Marc on their final YETI project. Meanwhile, Claire and Wilhelmina square off against each other. Someone gets married…
EPISODE 64 – Curveball – Betty agrees to move in with Matt but while things go good in her new relationship, her former fiance returns to New York.
EPISODE 65 – The Fall Issue – With the passing of an editor at Mode, this leaves a position open and Betty and Marc compete for it. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina has dirt on Claire and wants her to resign. Meanwhile, things go terrible for Betty and a someone dies.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“UGLY BETTY – The Complete Third Season” includes the following special features:

DISC 1:

Mode After Hours: Six “Mode After Hours” episodes featuring Marc St. James (Michael Urie) and best friend Amanda Tanen (Becki Newton) in hilarious episodes featuring what they do at Mode after hours. Included are the following episodes: “Gwadalaharahh”, “Friend-iversary Vlog”, “Bowling for Cliff”, “Slumber Party Secrets”, “Sommer’s Seance” and “Trapped in the Elevator”.
Deleted Scenes – Three deleted scenes are included on Disc 1: What Are You Doing Here?, Don’t Let that Foam Fizzle, Lettuce

DISC 2:

Audio Commentary for “Crush’d” with Executive Producers/Writers Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally and Co-Executive Producer/Director Victor Nelli Jr.
Deleted Scenes – Five deleted scenes are included on Disc 2: A Bitch Never Changes Her Stripes, You are My Hag, The Roof, Go Get’Em, You Must Be Molly

DISC 3:

Deleted Scene – Only one deleted scene Disc 3 titled “No Shoes!”

DISC 4:

Deleted Scenes – Two deleted scenes on Disc 4: Either Way I’m Cool and Good Amanda

DISC 5:

Look Who Keeps Popping Up – View “The Sex Issue” with video commentary hosted by Michael Urie & Becki Newton along with several surprising guests. We see two screens side-by-side, on the left there is commentary with the right screen showcasing the episode.

DISC 6:

Coming Home to New York City – (12:43) We learn how “UGLY BETTY” is shot in Los Angeles but how the series moved to New York and how the cast found out that the show is moving to another location and how they all reacted. How New York is essential to “UGLY BETTY” and the best way to capture the city is to go back to New York. Interviews with the executive producers and cast members.
Mode After Hours – Two “Mode After Hours” episodes featuring Marc St. James (Michael Urie) and best friend Amanda Tanen (Becki Newton) in hilarious episodes featuring what they do at Mode after hours. Included are the following episodes: “I Spy” and “Prank Calls”.
Deleted Scenes – Seven deleted scenes are included on Disc 6 which include You Can Wow Anyone You Set Your Mind To, Padded Walls, I Fell Like I’m Dating Daniel, To Be Terminated, It’s Just a Nice Buff, Your New Trophy Wife and the Wedding Dance
Betty Bloops – (8:39) Bloopers from “UGLY BETTY” Season 3.

“UGLY BETTY” continues to have another solid, stellar year with season 3. If there is one thing that is consistent with the series is that the writing has always been top notched since the very first episode and most importantly, the cast has been quite awesome for the series. The series has been nothing but a pleasure to watch and see Betty’s journey as a professional but also in her personal life. Everything seems to come together and work.

With this third season, there is quite a bit of laughter, typical backstabbing but even more emotional, dramatic scenes. The season finale for this third season of “UGLY BETTY” was very well done and the best so far.

Of course, this season had a lot of hype with what went on behind-the-scenes between Lindsay Lohan and the cast and crew. Whether or not the gossip surrounding what took place behind-the-scenes were true or not, the gossip definitely made people want to turn in to see this rivalry between Betty and Kimmie. Another actor who brought some interest in the show was “Karate Kid” actor Ralph Macchio who played the city councilman that Hilda was interested in. Pretty interesting role and hopefully we see more of him.

The third season also had featured episodes that had focused on character development of Marc, Amanda and Claire’s character. Also, the other characters brought in to the series helped bring out emotions that we have never seen from our main characters. For example, Molly brought out the best in Daniel Meade. In fact, this season was a dramatic season for Daniel as he had to deal with a custody battle, a family member who may go to prison and then facing loss. It was good to see Daniel being put through these rollercoaster type of events.

Last but not least, this DVD release of “UGLY BETTY – The Complete Third Season” is solid. I found the featurettes such as the “Mode After Hour” web episodes and the “Coming Home to New York City” cool special features but also seeing the “Look Who Keeps Popping Up” video commentary. I hope in the next season’s DVD release, we get more of that.

Overall, there’s nothing negative I can say about this season of “UGLY BETTY”. Last year, was hit by the Writer’s Guild Strike and thus shortened to 18 episodes but fortunately, this third season, the move to New York, solid acting performances and writing definitely made this season the best in the series thus far.

“UGLY BETTY” fans, “UGLY BETTY – The Complete Third Season” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews