The series finale of the four-season ABC feel-good show, Ugly Betty, began with a funeral. Having ended the previous episode on a dramatic gun-point cliffhanger, fans were anxious to discover who was being buried. The corpse wasn't who anyone would have expected; instead, Betty and friends said farewell to Amanda's beloved dog, Halston.
Wilhelmina, the Queen of Mean herself, reinvented herself after a long hospital stay and a visit from her lover. No one expected her to stick to her promise - and, in fact, she almost didn't - but at a highly anticipated press conference, she made good on her declaration. The Meade-Slater feud was put to rest as the newest Meade sibling avoided serious jail-time.
Betty, preparing for her impending move to London, England, had a very difficult time telling Daniel that she wouldn't be around much longer. Thanks to an office-wide text blast from Mark, Daniel found out before Betty could tell him properly. At first cool and unaffected, Daniel quickly changed his tune and made one large gesture after another (think small fires and dramatic announcements) in the hopes of convincing Betty to stay. After finally having a mature discussion, Daniel released Betty from her contract.
Betty wasn't the only one preparing for a big move: the newlyweds, Hilda and Bobby, and Justin were planning to move away from Queens. While Bobby was enthusiastic about the idea, Ignacio's reluctance made Hilda feel incredibly guilty about leaving him alone.
At Betty's Halston's farewell party, Claire shared her theory with Betty: perhaps Daniel has feelings for her, which would explain his unwillingness to let her go. Betty denied the idea, of course. Meanwhile, Mark - who was starting to believe he'd never have a truly fulfilling relationship with another man - rekindled an old flame, with Justin's help. Amanda, who's been searching for her father for the duration of the show, finally discovered his identity, and the reunion was touching for both parties.
The next morning, Daniel was looking through the 100th anniversary edition of Mode, detailing the eras of all of the editor in chiefs - the last one being Wilhelmina and himself - when he had a brilliant idea. He went to Wilhelmina's office, informed her that he was stepping down as co-editor in chief, that Mode was hers, and that she'd earned it! When Willie asked what he would do, he said he'd move on.
Fans pulled out their Kleenexes when it was time for Betty to finally fly the coop. The Suarez family said an emotional goodbye, and Ignacio passed on his blessings - and advice - to both of his daughters. Betty stepped into her awaiting taxi, and began her journey.
In London, Betty's been totally transformed: she walks the streets confidently, takes on lunch meetings, and has new specks. On her way back from lunch, she bumps into ... Daniel! After a short conversation, during which Daniel may have asked Betty out on their first official date, he suggested he apply to be Betty's assistant. The series came to a close as Betty cheerfully told Daniel to submit his resume, and went back to work.
After having waited four seasons for a Betty-Daniel romance, I was disappointed with the results: while the dialogue hinted subtly at a date for the two best friends, there was never any real confirmation. Also, after spending the entire hour hyping audiences up for a possible declaration of love, there was none, and the dialogue that encouraged it seemed entirely pointless. However, I was impressed with the conclusions for all the other characters, and that the show stood true to its roots: Ugly Betty was never a show based on romance, and, in a way, I was happy that the ending didn't involve Betty and Daniel riding off into the sunset together.
But one kiss wouldn't have hurt!
I give Ugly Betty's series finale a 4.5/5
