Episode Report Card Jessica: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT After Hours
By Jessica | Season 1 | Episode 7 | Aired on 11.08.2006
The next morning, Justin -- who looks like he had a growth spurt since the last episode was filmed, and who definitely had a haircut -- and Betty briefly chat about shampoo, until she leaves for work, totally proud about her hotel review, and excited to turn it in. Hilda comes in and tells Justin that she needs to talk to him for a second, because she has a surprise for him. "Guess who's coming to Thanksgiving dinner?" she asks. "MARTHA STEWART? I WON THE CONTEST?" Justin squeals. No, kid, just your good-looking but deadbeat Dad. Justin snorts that he'll believe it when he sees it, but Hilda swears that Santos means well, and loves Justin. Justin is totally doubtful. "Martha would have been a better surprise," he tells her, and leaves the room.
Over at Mode, Salma is clearing out the conference room, telling Daniel that she and her staff are getting out of his way. Daniel gets all touchy-feely with her and tells her he hasn't stopped thinking about her all weekend. Did she get his messages? His emails? His IMs? His singing telegrams? His billboards? Salma sniffs that she was busy. "I had plans. With my boyfriend." She looks mildly guilty -- whether because she didn't tell Daniel about the boyfriend, or because there isn't one, I can't tell -- and leaves.
In Wil's office, Marc apologizes about bailing on Friday night. "There's something about drinking out of body parts that makes me feel kind of pukey," he explains. Wil, smiling broadly, examines a package on her desk, and tells him that she landed the account, "among other things." Marc chortles that it must have been some weekend, because he peeked into the gift box, and "a straight man bought [her] shoes!" And indeed he did, lovely white cowboy boots that certainly make Wil smile. She smiles even more broadly when she reads the note, which reads, "a little high fashion and a little down home country make a great match! Love, Ted." Wil seems terribly pleased, and the reuses the shoe box to put together a care package for Nico, including the picture of them together that used to sit on her desk. She does not forget the jelly beans.
In the EIC's office, Daniel reads Betty's review. He says that she did a great job, and he loves it. But he can't publish it. "It's really you, Betty. It's just not really Mode." Betty sadly says that she understands. Daniel explains that what she wrote isn't at all in tune with their customary tone, and it's inappropriate for their readership. He offers to print a shorter version, and Betty doesn't offer to edit it, but merely thanks him for the opportunity and asks him to keep her in mind the next time something like this comes up. Daniel, very sincerely, promises that he will. Poor Betty goes to the bathroom to cry and I do feel her -- she worked hard, and this is disappointing -- but she should have written in the tone of the publication. It's like Journalism 101.