Episode Report Card Jessica: B+ | 5 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Pilot
By Jessica | Season 1 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.27.2006
Meanwhile, Evil Marc is adjusting Wilhelmina's Botox. In her office. Which has glass walls. God bless. She's complaining that she can't believe Daniel got the EIC job instead of her: "He's a self-absorbed Lothario punk who knows NOTHING about fashion." Evil Marc is sympathetic. "Is it because I'm getting old?" Wilhelmina wonders, as Evil Marc injects her. "ABSOLUTELY NOT," Evil Marc huffs, syringe in hand. "Although you could do with a tad more between the brows." He wonders what she's going to do. "Just wait and see," Wilhelmina tells him. Evil Marc assures her that Daniel is well on his way to failure already. "I mean, can you BELIEVE that ASSISTANT? This is Mode, not Dog Fancy."
Wilhelmina and Evil Marc get up to see if she can move her eyebrows. She's appropriately frozen, and tells him he can have the rest of the Botox. "I love you," he mouths to her in the mirror. I love him, even if he is a bitch. Wilhelmina gets a call on her cell phone, and dismisses him. "How are you recovering, darling?" she says into the phone, as Evil Marc eavesdrops. "Well, I'm sure you'll feel better once everything here starts coming to a boil. Hmm MMMMM." Cue maniacal laughter.
Over at her desk, Betty is diligently working away, researching Fabia. Amanda leans over her desk to see what she's working on. "Ugh! She's so fabulously douchey," she announces, when she sees Fabia's photo. That's a great line. Betty tells Amanda that Daniel is in a meeting with the photographer Philippe Michaud -- who, despite the name, has an accent that's closer to Italian than French, and closest of all to Fictional. Amanda tells Betty that Philippe is "amazing," but that there's been some drama with him and Daniel: "Daniel hooked up with Philippe's ex-girlfriend a couple years ago. They're fine now. Yeah, we went out for about a week...and they don't call him The Tripod because he's a photographer, if you catch my drift." With this, Amanda slinks off again. I seriously sort of love her. (I seem to like douchey tertiary characters.) Betty makes a sort of funny "Are we allowed to talk about penises in the office?" face, and gets back to work.
In Daniel's office, Daniel is confessing that he doesn't think anyone on the masthead wants him there, especially Wilhelmina. Philippe is like, no kidding. "I think she's trying to take me in the wrong direction with this Fabia thing," says Daniel. "Do you have any ideas?" "Like...A MILLION," says Philippe. He suggests keeping their brainstorming on the QT, since most of the staffers are loyal to Wilhelmina. Betty pops her head in the door to ask if they need any lunch, and Daniel tells her that they're fine, and lets her go. She doesn't leave, though, and introduces herself to Philippe, telling him that she loves his work. She then compares a recent shoot of his to another photographer's piece, and he gets all offended that she's accusing him of stealing ideas, and she frantically tries to backtrack as Daniel just looks amused. Finally, she scampers off. "What is the story with her?" Philippe asks, and Daniel explains that his dad made him hire her. "She appears to be good, capable," he says. "FUGLY," Philippe editorializes. (Is it obnoxious to link to one's own website? I will try not to do it again.) He doesn't think Betty is attractive enough to represent Daniel, especially in front of the paparazzi. Daniel sighs that he can't fire her for being fug, so Philippe just suggests that he force her to quit, by beating her down. To a pulp! Cue dramatic music, as we go to the ads.