Episode Report Card Jessica: B+ | 5 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Pilot
By Jessica | Season 1 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.27.2006
Over at the gym (or, according to the bright orange letters on the wall, the GYM), Bradford does Pilates and tells his downtrodden son that Fabia is thinking about pulling all her ads from every single one of Meade's publications. Why didn't Daniel consult Wilhelmina to being with? Daniel sputters that he was pretty sure Wilhelmina was trying to sabotage him. Bradford snorts that the only person sabotaging Daniel is himself. Daniel says he's sorry, and Bradford snorts. "I'm sorry I keep hoping you'll be someone you're clearly not," he says. Daniel begs for a second chance.
Cut to Wilhelmina, all bed-headed and disheveled, refusing to accept Daniel's phone call. She hangs up, and turns to Philippe, who is sharing her bed and holding two glasses of champagne. "He really should have come to me earlier," she purrs. "It wouldn't have made any difference, now would it?" asks Philippe. "Not really," Wilhelmina admits, and bursts into laughter. She looks fantastic, just by the way. "To teamwork," she says. "To revenge," he counters. They drink, and then start making out. I really should have gone into publishing.
While Philippe and Wilhelmina are doing it, Daniel is burning the midnight oil at the office. You may be stunned to hear that Daniel finds Betty's proposal on his desk, and finds it very interesting indeed. I know, I was likewise terribly surprised.
Meanwhile, on a television in Queens, Salma Hayek is getting slapped across the face. Betty isn't paying any attention to Salma's troubles, however, because she's on the phone with the HMO about her father's heart medication. I get that this show is trying to mix real-life issues with camp, but in all honesty, if I wanted to think about health insurance, I would be paying my bills right now. Let's get back to the slapping.
Speaking of people who could use a good smack, Walter comes by. He wants to know why Betty hasn't been returning his calls. "I've been busy," she says. It seems that Walter, having been dumped by Gina, wants his girlfriend back. But Betty is having none of it, and is conveniently helped out when Daniel shows up on her doorstep. "Are you DATING THIS GUY?" Walter asks incredulously. Betty just shoves him outside, and takes Daniel into the dining room, where she's folding laundry.
"Nice place," Daniel says. Betty remarks that they're between decorators right now. "Really?" he asks. "No," she says. "Oh. Right," says Daniel. "It's a joke." There's some awkward silence before Daniel apologizes, telling Betty that she didn't deserve what he put her though, and admitting that he listened to all the wrong people about a lot of things: "I have no one to blame but myself." Betty says she appreciates that, but that Daniel's going to get to take his town car back to his loft, while she'll be there, out of work, and dealing with problems he will never understand. Daniel looks thoughtful: "I lost a brother a while back. He was the good one in our family. I have never quite measured up, but I am trying. Betty, I could never compare my problems to yours. But they're mine. Nothing's ever easy." In other words, he will call your HMO problems and raise you a dead sibling. Daniel then tells Betty that he saw her Fabia layout idea, and that it's great. Will she please come back to work? "I promise you, things will be different," he adds. Betty tells him that she has to think about it. "You have tonight, or I'll probably be out of a job as well," he shrugs. Betty just looks thoughtful, and Daniel leaves. Her dad comes out of the kitchen and looks at her. "Did you hear that?" she asks. He nods. "Every word."