Episode Report Card Potes: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Swag
By Potes | Season 1 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.03.2007
And then Marc comes flitting through the office yelling that Oshi is on his way! Yes, it's true. The master of minimal! The king of clean! The sumo of simplicity! Seriously, Oshi is kind of a big guy. He also has a big entourage, including a guy holding a boom box that is playing what I guess is Oshi's theme. It's not quite as lovely as Arthur's theme, but then again I highly doubt that Oshi has ever been caught between the moon and New York City. Wilhelmina quietly tells Marc to get the champagne. Daniel tests out one of his new Japanese phrases, but Oshi's translator only comes back with, "Good morning. I'm very thirsty. Are you?" There is awkward silence, which Betty breaks by cheerfully saying that they have fresh coffee. And then in walks Wilhelmina with her kisses and her champagne. Oshi is glad to see her. Which, kind of, wouldn't you be? I'm just saying. May I add that Vanessa Williams can really wear a suit.
Oshi, through the translator, says that today and tomorrow he'll be fitting his models, and then tomorrow evening he'll come back and put on a show for Daniel and the Mode editors. He'll use their tube entry for his runway. He likes it because it's round, white, and minimal. Remember these words. They might come into play later. Then, Oshi dictates, they will drank champagne (pronounced like The Continental would pronounce it) and Daniel will take them out for a wonderful meal. After that, they will talk business. Or not. Oshi whips his fan open, turns around, and takes his leave.
Daniel starts freaking out about the fact that Oshi is expecting a wonderful meal. Wilhelmina turns around and innocently says that she'd be happy to come along and pick up the tab, but this of course would require that she be invited to the dinner. Later, Daniel says to Betty that Wilhelmina knows that he's broke. Betty says that she thinks it would be a very bad idea to let Wilhelmina pay, because the Japanese are very attuned to nuance, and it would appear that Daniel is not in charge. Daniel says that he gets it, but he doesn't have a choice. It's a lose/lose situation, because either Wilhelmina will get all the credit and Bradford will know that Daniel's broke, or they'll lose Oshi, and Bradford will still know that Daniel's broke. Either way, he ends up looking like a financial incompetent, and Wilhelmina gets the publisher position. Betty argues that neither of these has to happen if Daniel will just look at her list of fun things for cheapos. Daniel is all, "Bitch, please," and says that $300 won't buy Oshi a new scrunchie. How about a new banana clip? A white one? Betty says that he could take Oshi to the movies, or the Statue of Liberty, or maybe ride the Staten Island Ferry. Daniel hears these options and, like anyone sane, is ready to admit defeat.