Hola!

I am soooo totally hooked on Ugly Betty! Although initially I almost didn’t want to watch this adorable series, as I thought it might just be an American version of the original Betty La Fea (which, I used to regularly watch, haha!). But, boy was I glad to be wrong!

Betty Suarez is a 22-year old Latina from Queens, who gets to work as an assistant to the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine in New York City. From the moment she came in to the office wearing glasses and braces, and dressed in a big red poncho with “Guadalajara” boldly written across the front, it’s expected that she won’t fit in with most of the people there. In a place where looks are everything, Betty had her share of humiliation and insults. But she somehow brings life to Mode, given her idealistic nature and willingness to believe in people’s innate goodness. It’s really no wonder why America Ferrera won as Best Actress, as she portrays Betty adorably well.

Betty may be the star of the show, but there are also other characters to watch out for. I totally love Amanda and Marc, a bitchy version of Will & Grace, who torment Betty endlessly. Amanda is the sexy receptionist whose first words to Betty are “Are you the before?”, and who pigs out every time she’s stressed out. Marc is Wilhelmina’s gay assistant who is quick to capture embarrassing pictures of Betty, and create his own “Betty’s Wall of Shame”. Although they give Betty a hard time, there have been instances where they’re all forced to stick together and sometimes even share a few heart-warming moments. This doesn’t mean that they like her, though.

Vanessa Williams is also great as the scheming villainess Wilhelmina Slater, the Creative Director who is always out to get the editor-in-chief post. And may I say she looks good doing her evil deeds? Gosh, her outfits are deliciously fabulous and just to die for! They got me salivating in every episode, he he he.

Unlike in the original telenovela, Betty does not fall in love with her womanizing boss. Instead, she slowly becomes Daniel’s confidante and friend, who always end up bailing him (and even his family) out of trouble. She always looks out for him and never hesitates to give him a piece of her mind every time he screws up, and Daniel somehow hates it when she’s disappointed in him.

If she doesn’t fall in love with her boss, then who is Betty’s love interest? Her knight in shining armour is in the person of the cute and nerdy accountant, Henry, who knows that pink river daisies are Betty’s favourite flowers, that she likes the band Wicked, and that she likes that extra mustard on her sandwich. They like and laugh at the same things, and even finish each other’s sentences. They’re totally perfect for each other—if only he didn’t have an ex-girlfriend, who’s carrying his baby (or maybe not). Nerd love has never been this romantic and complicated!

So in all, I think Ugly Betty has everything you’d want in a show—comedy, drama, mystery and romance. After seeing it, you definitely won’t judge a book by its cover (or a show by its protagonist) again.