Ugly Betty Episode 209 Recap: “Giving Up the Ghost”

Hilda tells Betty she thought she wouldn’t want to go ahead with the trimming, given it’s Bradford’s funeral that morning. But Betty says they need to maintain their mother’s tradition.

Cemetery, Bradford’s Funeral. Between this and Heroes’ Hiro, this is shaping up to be Dead Dads Week on TV. Maybe Daniel can also go back in time for no apparent reason other than to meet a slightly younger George Takei.

Waiting for the fun of Bradford’s burial to kick-off, the mourners are all abuzz. Daniel’s pissy that no one told him about the Meade family plot. Christina’s wondering if they’re going to be paid for being there. And Amanda is hectoring Ileana Douglas about whether they’ll let her take over the company, given her mother was Fey Sommers. Then she sees a police car pull up.

Amanda: Oooh. Men in uniform. Marc’s going to be so pissed he missed this.

Not as pissed as if they were out of uniform.

The police drag Claire out in a bright orange prison jumpsuit and chains, which seems a bit extreme, given that even The Sopranos’ Johnny Sacks got to go to his daughter’s wedding in a suit and tie, and all Claire’s really done is kill off a bulemic fashionatrix nobody liked.

Daniel blah blah blahs his way through his eulogy about how his father left “big shoes” to fill. And if what they say about big feet is true, then Claire and Fey were both very lucky women.

Next, in a gesture that’s as inappropriate as it is heartfelt, Betty gets up to speak, talking about Bradford’s love of his family. But she doesn’t get to say much before Wili makes a stunning surprise entrance, with Marc whipping up the excitement of the crowd by whispering in people’s ears, “What is she doing here? Who is she wearing? I can’t believe she came!”

Wili: Oh, hello Claire. Decided not to wear black I see.

Claire, not taking well to this unsolicited fashion critique, responds by using her shackles to trip Wili and send her flying right into Bradford’s open grave. I’m surprised this wasn’t met with an angry mob running over saying, “Wait your turn, sister. There’s a line waiting to dance on that grave.”

Claire then gathers Daniel and Alexis over and, taking advantage of having inherited the company along with all of her late husband’s assets, calls a “motion to terminate Wilhelmina Slater as creative director of Mode.” Next on her agenda: making every day 2-for-1 Martini Monday in the Mode cafeteria.

Claire: The motion carries. Rest in peace, bitch.

Cut to Mode. Wili limps off the elevator with a run in her stocking, saying she’s not going down without a fight.