Ugly Betty Episode 201 Recap: “How Betty Got Her Grieve Back”

Wili privately tells Marc she’s worried about where that “gin soaked hag” Claire is, since she still owns Mode. Marc reassures her that she’ll control all the rest of the Meade publications when she marries “Old Man Liverspots,” but Wili is worried that as long as Claire is on the loose, she can mess with her plans.

Next door, Betty asks Christina if she’s been looking in the mirror calling herself “Mrs. Matt Damon” again. Betty, please just let her just keep doing that, since she’s got nothing else to do on this show, other than serving as your own personal plot exposition sounding board. Christina tells Betty that she’s been working too hard, and is clearly hurting over Henry, who she should just call already. Betty argues that he’s with his girlfriend, who is pregnant, but Christina reminds her the baby might not be his.

Betty says, “I can’t be distracted by Henry right now. I need to look straight ahead” and BLAM! Right on cue, she walks smack into an enormous mock-up of a Mode cover with the headline “Love Hurts.” Not exactly subtle but still funny. I love this show.

Opening credits with that Ugly Betty slot machine thingie. No whammies! No whammies! And … braces. Hey, it’s Betty. Jackpot!

We follow a train map up to the wilds of Scarsdale, then focus on a posh house and then on a horsey painting.

Marc: So, this is where you grew up?
Amanda: This is it. The house of lies. [shouting upstairs] Mother! If that is your real name.

I was figuring they’d use the occasion of introducing Amanda’s parents as an opportunity for cameos from washed-up former celebrities, like maybe her mother would be played by Goldie Hawn or Gwyneth Paltrow. But when they come downstairs, I have no idea who this woman is, and the guy playing her father is recognizable from countless roles, none of which come to mind except a pretty funny stint as Karl Rove on That’s My Bush!

They’re wearing these skimpy bathrobes and are fairly surprised to see their daughter in the middle of the day. She accuses them of keeping secrets from her, and they’re all, “What secrets? We don’t have any secrets in this house.” And right on cue, this other couple come downstairs, also wearing bathrobes and clutching wine glasses, calling out, “Yoo Hoo! Did somebody forget about us? We were getting lonely.” Huh? Oh. OH! Ewww. Straight people on TV are such sex maniacs these days. Gross.

Amanda’s parents introduce them as “Elaine and Bob Klein, our new Internet friends,” and then launch into this story about how they came over for tennis, which gives new meaning to the phrase “mixed doubles.”

Amanda says she can’t take this and is ready to storm out, when Marc blurts out about the birth certificate. So they sit on the couch with her parents, and we’re lucky dad’s legs are crossed here because those robes are cut so close to the ballpark we’re perilously close to “Britney in the back of the limo” revelations from the old man.

Amanda’s mom explains that Fey became pregnant while Amanda’s dad was working as her accountant. Since Fey was only interested in her career, and they couldn’t have kids of their own (“Your father has lethargic sperm”), Fey agreed to give the baby to them.