Sophia's Betrayal

How awesome was Ugly Betty last night? I was in shock with the way it ended. If someone would have asked me who would end up being an evil, wicked witch a couple months ago, how would I have responded? I would have said names like Wilhelmina, Fey Sommers, Amanda, Bradford, Gina Gambarro, and even Marc. But, for this week at least, that distinction goes to none other than Sofia, the once-pleasant MYW editor who duped not only Daniel into proposing for a silly cover story but also Betty into leaving her cozy, albeit sometimes hostile, home at Mode. After last week's somewhat dull flashback episode, this week's romp was like a shot of Red Bull.

Up until now, Betty's big move to MYW seemed like a good idea for her, even though I knew it was inevitable that she'd end up back at Mode, just for the sake of the premise. Although still assisting an editor in chief, at MYW she'd be working at a magazine where she'd fit in better. Her reception there was much friendlier than when she'd arrived at Mode wearing the notorious poncho. Even as she exited the elevators on the new floor, Betty was accosted by a starstruck but even uglier staffer, Ruthie (who greatly resembled the original Betty from the Colombian version this is based on), who rambled on about the cuteness of Betty's sweater vest, which Marc and Amanda would have trashed immediately.

Before Sofia pulled her Wicked Witch stunt, Betty's move seemed golden. From the outset, however, it was clear that Sofia was up to something. When she and Daniel were in bed eating breakfast, she was fixated on an engagement ring. Her crying act to Betty about losing him was obviously fishy, too. And she was all too quick to send Betty back to Mode, under the pretext of writing a story about her experience there, to get her to tell Daniel how distraught she was.

The plot lent itself to some signature hilarious Betty scenes. My favorite was when Sofia hopped on the elevator with Amanda after everything went down on Rise and Shine America. With a photo of a high heel appropriately placed in the background, Amanda gave it to Sofia with her designer handbag, beating her to what we can only imagine was some sort of bloody pulp. If nothing else, that's sweet, sweet Mode justice, using a stylish accessory as your weapon. And the second best scene this week? When Betty snatched the cover story from the "handi-capable" staffer, threw a beanbag chair at Ruthie, and ran for her life to tell Daniel about Sofia's plot.

Another simply classis moment was when Betty and Christina went to Boylesque to "investigate" Sofia's alleged ex-boyfriend. Christina had another bevy of one-liners, with my favorites being "I'm assuming everything is à la carte," as she stared at a scantily dressed Hunter in front of her, and how she described the bridge-and-tunnel bachelorette party across the club: "That woman is about to marry some fat, bald, pasty-looking dentist. This is her last supper. She is cashing out!" After Christina found out what Hunter did for a living: "Sofia was dating a stripper? Oh my God, I love her!"

The usually show-stealing Wilhelmina was tamer than her well-coiffed 'do this week, subdued first by her Texas man's love and then by his subsequent move back to his wife. I died of laughter when Wilhelmina, waltzing into the office in a extremely pleasant mood and a pair of jeans, told Marc that Ted had taken her to an outlet mall (can you just imagine her there?) where she "shopped next to fat people."

In a very heart-breaking moment, we watched as Betty, who was stuck in the production room at Rise and Shine America, watched as Sofia ripped Daniel's heart out on national television. Always the one to save the day, Betty didn't quite make it this time. Betty's furrowed brows and pained grimace got me so pissed at Sophia. But my gut tells me that even if Betty had been able to tell Daniel the truth, he wouldn't have believed her. The dopey guy was so love-struck by the luscious Sofia that he couldn't see straight. Hell, he was even reading Sofia's book about love, which she claimed she wrote while drunk.

So, in the fallout from Sofia's cover story and revelation to Daniel, Betty quit MYW, which was also heartbreaking to watch. She gave up a job at a dream magazine because of her allegiance to Daniel and her morals. Even as much as we all want to see Betty back at Mode, a few things stand in the way: Amanda, Fey Sommers, who, judging from the previews for next week, seems poised to make her Rebecca Romijn comeback, allowing Wilhelmina to run the show at the magazine, and Daniel himself, who disappeared at the end.