Episode Report Card Jessica: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fake Plastic Snow
By Jessica | Season 1 | Episode 10 | Aired on 11.29.2006
After the ads, Betty goes into Daniel's office and announces that the underwear models are there. He looks up and sees that one of them is his ex-girlfriend, Erin: "She broke my heart. She was my first." Betty looks askance, and he explains that she wasn't his FIRST first -- just his first SUPERMODEL. Erin comes prancing into Daniel's office in her undies, and he asks Betty to bring in the rest of the models. "That's gonna help," snorts Betty.
On Betty's desk, there is yet another pile of résumés. "Amanda?" Betty says, looking at the first one, and wrinkles her nose. Her tone of voice indicates that this is the first time she considered Amanda applying for the job, but they just talked about it, so that was a wee moment of disconnect. She tosses the résumé back into the pile and then looks up to see Erin Underwear caressing Daniel's check. Betty runs in and tells Daniel that she thought he'd like to know that HIS GIRLFRIEND's plane landed safely. And also that the photo department is ready for the models. She presses herself against his door as all the girls do the runway stomp past her. It's pretty amusing, although, to be quite technical about it, I'm not sure that keeping Daniel on the straight and narrow is entirely Betty's concern.
Oh, God, it's time for the Pro Buy Christmas party, where we met Walter's boss, Ralph, and his wife, whom I shall call Janice. As in "OH. MY. GOD. Chandler." Now, to prevent me from spending too much time in Walterland, which would cause me to break out in hives, let me just say the following: Betty's sweater vest has poinsettias embroidered on it, Janice is wearing a skirt with a huge, silk-screened tiger face across the front, and her discussion with Janice makes Betty wonder if a life with Walter will doom her to a life in Queens. You see, Janice used to work in Manhattan as well: "You'll get tired of it, too. We're Queens girls, Betty. Born and bred. We belong here." We've discussed this on the boards a bit, and while I get that the Queens/Manhattan dichotomy is very important to the show, this does seem a bit over the top. I mean, they're right next to each other. It's not like Betty is commuting from Amish country.
Back at the magazine, Marc is sitting under Wil's tree -- which is white and decorated in black lacquered ornaments, most of which appear to be shoes -- and shaking the presents. He hears her coming, so leaps up and hide behind the tree. Thinking she is alone, Wil places a call to Fey. They have another typically vague conversation. "You mean Marc?" says Wil. "I'm working on it. He won't be a problem much longer. After I'm done, he will be silenced. Permanently." Behind the tree, Marc looks terrified. Wil hangs up and looks at the tree, which is shaking a bit. She comes over...but merely adjusts a wayward shoe before walking out. Behind a branch, Marc sucks on his inhaler.