Who knew that one frustrating arch nemesis could spark an ambition in Betty that has since just been spoken of? For the past two years, we’ve heard Betty pontificate on how she wants to be a magazine editor. How it’s her dream and passion to work on a magazine that’s making a difference for the better. So far, though, all we’ve seen is that she can get the Meade clan out of any sticky little problem they get themselves into. Enter the devil spawn Kimmie for only two weeks and suddenly Betty is ready to take things into her own hands. Thank the writer gods.
See, even though Kimmie only started two weeks ago, she’s already an Associate Editor. No, really. She has cards and everything. And she uses them to taunt Betty into a slowly rising anger. But Betty wants to be the bigger person so she lets it go. At least she does until two very important things happen: First, Kimmie gets to write a feature about a sizzling club for Mode’s “Sizzling Issue” while Betty gets looked over. And second, a chance encounter with her adorable neighbor. He tells her that nothing can stop her and that he’s learned he can’t give up ever. That means really knowing what you want and not being afraid of it. The following day, Betty asks Daniel why she wasn’t picked for the sizzling issue and he tells her the most common sense answer, she didn’t pitch anything. Turns out this whole time she could have been pitching ideas to Daniel. Huh. This is her big chance. She has about three minutes before Daniel gets in the car and her chance is gone. Frantically searching the street for some kind of inspiration, she sees a fruit vendor. Betty wants to find the “Sizzling Fruit.” You know that fruit that makes you smarter, faster, and a genius all while tasting delicious.
Finding a new and exciting fruit isn’t as easy as it seems. The entire Suarez clan tests a table full of unique fruits but nothing is stepping up and kiwi is just too done. Then, Daddy Suarez remembers a fruit he heard of long ago. It comes from Brazil and not only tastes amazing but is supposed to help your health, too. The tico berry. I know, I have no idea what it is either. It comes from Brazil and the only thing Betty can find out about it on the internet is that it’s the beloved fruit of…Adriana Lima (the supermodel, who makes a cameo appearance).
Not only did Betty find the sizzling fruit she also found the one thing that would make Adriana appear, not only in the magazine, but on the cover. She’s never worked with Mode so Wilhelmina and Daniel decide to cut the “Sizzling issue” down to just Adriana. What’s that you say? Who’s in charge? Betty, of course. For the first time, she’s given real responsibility as the Project Coordinator. She’s in charge of the photo shoot, the story, everything. She’s also the one who has to speak to that little fashion man who’s always given us updates on Willie and the Meade’s. She’s doing really well, too, considering it’s live TV and she’s as nervous as ever. Until she starts sweating like a horse on a hot summer day. You didn’t think everything would go so smoothly for Betty once Kimmie’s sizzling club was pulled, did you? Tsk. Tsk. Has all your TV watching taught you nothing? Kimmie flirted with the lighting guys and convinced them to turn up the lights to be unbearable. She also convinced Betty that she wanted her to do well so the magazine looked good. Silly people. Betty was a disaster and Kimmie swooped in to save the day. Guess who’s not in charge anymore. Yup, Kimmie and Betty are now supposed to be partners.
Betty still takes the high road, though. She has the shoot ready, the photographer ready, and a million ideas that will make Adriana’s cover one to remember. Only one small problem. She sends out an itinerary for Adriana and who should meet her at the airport but Kimmie. They, not surprisingly, hit it off and Kimmie tells her all the amazing ideas she has for the shoot. She also changes the photographer so Mark’s sweetie is no longer shooting. By the way, Kimmie has totally been ignoring Mark and Amanda now that she’s a big shot. She even goes so far as to put her bag on one chair and her feet on another when they come to her table at lunch. Our favorite little schemers are not so happy and now that Mark’s boy is fired, all bets are off.
Betty is still taking the high road. I know. Even after Kimmie rushed Adriana away before Betty could talk to her and even after all the little smirks thrown her way courtesy of the new beast of Mode. Then, finally, Betty confronts Kimmie. God, at least she’s doing something. Kimmie, dear Kimmie, tells her that Mode isn’t big enough for the both of them and that one person will be gone by the time the shoot happens in two days. According to Kimmie, she’s not going anywhere. Think Betty’s still taking the high road?
Yay. Betty’s joined forces with Amanda and Mark. First step is letting Kimmie think she’s completely in charge. They’re all on set and shooting the background models when Mark and Amanda start whispering in Kimmie’s ear. There’s this necklace that just doesn’t look right, according to Mark and Amanda, but Wilhelmina wants it in the shoot. But it just looks so gross. Doesn’t it Kimmie? Viewers, learn your lesson here and never give in to peer pressure the way Kimmie does. The necklace is out. Now it’s time for Betty’s part of the plan. She oh so coyly complains to Kimmie that she wishes she could be stronger when it comes to Wilhelmina. Betty knows that Willie really wants some one to stand up to her and she shares that with the ever gullible Kimmie. And right on time, because Willie and Daniel arrive just then to see how things are going.
After a quick word with Daniel about how it’s hard to work with people you don’t like but you have to do it anyway, Betty’s guilt overcomes her and she confesses her plan to Kimmie. Only Kimmie thinks she’s sabotaging her now. She goes with the original plan and when Willie asks where the necklace is, Kimmie tells her it’s disgusting and she won’t have it in her shoot. Final decision made. Seriously, she told off Wilhelmina. All Betty can do is stand by and watch silently, as Mark and Amanda cackle nearby, while Kimmie is fired. She definitely doesn’t go quietly, though. She takes the tico berries for the shoot and throws them into the lake behind the Central Park photo shoot. Then she’s escorted away by security. I’ll give you a minute to wipe your happy tears.
This time it’s Betty’s turn to save the day and she really does. She finds more tico berries in the fruit basket she sent to Adriana’s hotel room and she even gets to talk to Adriana about her ideas, which Kimmie did, in fact, tell the supermodel were hers. Bravo Betty. See what actually speaking up can do. Not to mention a little bit of scheming.
Speaking of scheming. Daniel has become quite the little mastermind. After Claire spoke to him and Willie about how dire the company’s finances are, Willie is determined to hire a CFO to help them. This person would report directly to the two of them but also allow them to focus more on the magazine. And she knows the exact person for the job. She actually is fortunate enough to run into him outside the building but when they start talking, she finds out he and Daniel don’t really get along. But he is the right person for the job. He’s a genius when it comes to business and so Daniel agrees to sit in on the meeting, where he throws a little silent treatment temper tantrum.
After Willie caves and says she won’t hire the guy, Daniel caves and does hire him. Poor Daniel, always bullied into doing things like this. Only, when the guy comes to discuss his terms of hire, he and Daniel smile and do the whole fist bump thing and say “Wilhelmina doesn’t suspect a thing.” And that’s it. Que pasa? What is going on? No clues this week but stay tuned because after a short stunt casting debacle, Ugly Betty is back.
