Episode Report Card Jessica: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fey's Sleigh Ride
By Jessica | Season 1 | Episode 4 | Aired on 10.18.2006
After the ads, Wilhelmina has the whole staff in the conference room. Justin peeks around the corner and spies on the meeting. Daniel informs the crew that Isabella is doing a post-apocalyptic Christmas for its December issue: "They copied our entire concept." Wilhelmina bitches that, actually, they took it. Daniel reminds everyone that the holiday issue is Mode's biggest source of ad revenue for the year. They could easily lose ads and circulation and, eventually, everyone's jobs. "Which is precisely why Mode does not tolerate leaks," Wilhelmina barks. She'll give the guilty party one chance to confess, she tells them: "Did any of you speak to anyone at Isabella?" Everyone looks silent and shifty. Betty starts to raise her hand, but Marc slaps it down and Amanda kicks her in the shins. Wilhelmina cocks a brow and says that they'll all be treated as guilty until there's a confession: "But by noon on Thursday, someone's head will roll." Betty gulps and adjusts her collar.
While Betty's getting nervous, Bradford and Mysterious Leatherman are having yet another Mysterious Meeting. Bradford wants him to investigate "everyone" to find out who stole the music box. ML wisely wonders why Bradford didn't burn the box along with everyone else. "I couldn't," says Bradford. "That box is personal." ML points out the obvious: the box connects Bradford to Fey and provides a motive for killing her. Um, isn't he already connected to Fey as her boss? I guess if it's presumed that her death is an accident; nevertheless, I feel like there's no way he would have gotten away with not even being part of an inquest thus far. "Who knows about the affair?" ML asks. "No one but my wife," says Bradford. Seriously, he's, like, an incredibly bad murderer.
Meanwhile, in the conference room, Daniel tells everyone that, in addition to tracking down their leak, they also need to think of and execute an entirely new concept for the December issue. He needs them to cancel any plans, because he needs all hands on deck. "What Daniel's trying to say is, kiss your loved ones goodbye, and expect to come home to dead pets," Wilhelmina translates. "Now what are you waiting for?" Everyone scampers out of the room.
Evil Marc and Amanda drag Betty right to the place where all good schemes come to light: the ladies' room. Marc is wheezing like...I don't know what wheezes. But he's really wheezing a lot. "You KICKED ME," Betty says to Amanda. "With your two-year-old shoe!" There's the sound of vomiting from the stalls, and Fat Carol emerges, wiping her mouth. "Got something to be nervous about, Carol?" Amanda asks, shoving a bagel in her mouth. "I ate half a bagel," Fat Carol says pointedly, and leaves. Amanda just chews frantically. Marc points out that they ALL talked to Carlo Medina. "What exactly did you tell him?" Amanda asks through a mouthful of carbs. "Not that much," says Betty.