What I'm Watching: Ugly Betty

Ugly Betty: Season 3, Episode 6 "Ugly Berry" (B)

The contrived setup coming out of last week's episode is here remedied quickly by a positive outcome that reaffirms the strengths of "Ugly Betty." I was a bit fed up with the constant, unsubtle badgering of characters to vote (also on "Dirty Sexy Money" this week), but giving Hilda a new plotline is probably for the best, especially since Eddie Cibrian seems to be gone for good (the men on this show don't last long, do they? See Christopher Gorham and Freddy Rodriguez for further evidence). Lindsay Lohan wasn't a bad guest star per se but she didn't add a whole lot (like, say, Mary-Kate Olsen, whose performance on "Weeds" was better than I could ever have expected). I love any chance to see more of Marc and especially Amanda, and in this case when they're working for the common "good" with Betty it's even more delicious. What really makes me happy is the heart of "Ugly Betty" that is driven home in the end with the notion that Betty can always save the day and bond with the big stars through simple honesty and kindness. And while I was pretty sure he was Sean Bean, I'm glad to see Grant Bowler (the freighter captain from "Lost") as Daniel's new buddy who worked with him to trick Wilhelmina into hiring him.