The BOOK Controller's Blackmail

Snippet 9:

Betty was waiting by the microwave for her plate of empanadas to warm up and when it was done picked it up but while walking through the cafeteria to her seat, all the fashion-compliant (staff) looked at her food with disgust but it seems she didn’t notice any of them. She got to a table where her friends were and they all couldn’t wait to have a piece each except the vegetarian among them. They talked how fashion was not about accepting great looking people but altering pictures to make them look perfect.

Amanda came and stood by Betty complaining about her food and Betty even offered her some but she said the smelt disgusting. They were all surprised when Natalie Whitman rushed to them and asked Betty if she could have some, proper food, she called it, that she was starving and might as well eat the whole thing and still end up looking like Nicole Ritchie (which was joke poked at Mode alterations of photographs). Amanda responded with a fake laughter but Natalie looked at her ignored her and sat with Betty's and her friends at their table chatting with them. Amanda retreated to another sit behind Betty’s looking at her with an evil eye.

Wilhelmina was back with the strange woman in their dark room, wrapped all over as usual looking through newspaper cut-outs. The woman its strange observing from the outside when everybody though you are dead. They both felt that Bradford was behind the car crash, but they needed to get enough evidence to put him away. They also talked about getting Daniel out of the picture so that he would not be able to hold fort in Bradford's absence. Wilhelmina said that to get to Bradford, they will have to use Daniel.

Bradford was on a park bench reading a newspaper when his hired investigator arrived with information for him. He gave him a magazine that showed Fey Sommers Estate with for sale on it. Bradford told the man that he does not hate Fey and the he will enter her property with his spare key and removed any evidence that may incriminate him.

Back to Mode, Betty received an email with a picture of her bunny hanging in a noose with it's eyes crossed out with black cello tape. Betty was disturbed to see this. Just then, Marc appeared with The Book but refused to give it to Betty and insisted on giving it to Daniel himself. Marc placed The Book on Daniels desk, with a brief comment from Wilhelmina in an attempt to sidetrack Daniel from the pictures of Natalie. As he starts to look through it Amanda enters, and asks him to go to the opera with her. Daniel decides to go, leaving The Book on his desk, stating it can wait until the morning.

Daniel and Amanda walk past Betty's desk, and Amanda told her to keep working Betty goes into Daniel's office and notices The Book still sitting on his desk, after attempting to phone him and getting no answer, she decides to take The Book home for safe keeping overnight.

At the Suarez house as usual, a telenovela was showing on the Television and Ignacio was sitting in front of it, watching. Betty was told her father about what happened at work relating Natalie Whitman and that she brought ‘The Book’ home. Justin yelled with delight and grabbed from his aunt in his excitement. Betty was surprised that he knew what the book was. He even showed Betty her name of the masthead spelt ‘Betsy Suarez’.

Hilda came home from work and gave Betty a gift she found at the door from Walter which was a packet of 9 volts batteries. Betty was not bought by it. Her sister told her to be a bit more forgiving as Walter cares for her. Betty said he should have thought of that before dumping her.

Hilda told Betty that Gina is predatory and that Walter didn’t stand a chance against Gina. Justin asked if that was why Gina was called Hyena. It was our fashion guru, Justin, that noticed that the photograph of Natalie Whitman in the book was not altered, which he said was awful as she was still fat. But Betty said it was great.

Just then, someone knocked at the door. Betty thought it was Walter but Gina, their neighbour, busted into the house asking Betty for $4000 (ransom?)to replace her flat screen that she broke. Gina intimidating Betty and the big sister, Hilda defended her by threatening to hit Gina with The Book. Betty quickly retrieves The Book from Hilda and in the process Gina noticed that the folder was Mode’s and written on the front were the words ‘Important and Confidential’. Gina then told Betty and Hilda that she did a year at Juvenile prison meaning that she’ll get even her own way... What way? We shall soon see...

Hear Ugly Betty: "You and Me, We Are A Team"

Snippet 8

He ended his intimate call and he told Betty that he had no idea who he just spoke with (talk about uncountable flings!). Betty said "Good Morning Daniel" cheerfully and asked if she could get him a cup of coffee, but he asked if she had seen an article in the newspaper in which she confirmed he was wearing a Dior Suit, Gucci Tie and Vergini Shoes. The latter was the problem because the pair of shoes was made in a sweat shop.

But Betty reminded him that he had told her that those shoes were the most comfortable pair of shoes he ever had. Daniel said it is best if people don’t the brands of shoes he wore because the press have a way of twisting things and that they also have to twist the truth as a way of protecting themselves against the them. Daniel then told her he had a meeting with Natalie Whitman – a popular actress who Betty admires. They talked about how the actress put on about 30 pounds each time she starred her recurring film role, and how she doesn't seem to lose the weight again afterwards. Daniel then asked Betty if she wanted to be part of the meeting. Betty was excited as she accepted the offer.

Daniel reminded Betty that they, “You and me, we're a team”, and that he was ready to take the coffee Betty offered.

A TV screen airing fashion news anchored by a blonde female Fashion Reporter was asking viewers if Wilhelmina Slater, the Creative Director of Mode, had gotten over her humiliation of Daniel Meade, the son of the owner of Meade publications named the new Editor-in-Chief instead of her. She reminded viewers that the power change was because the former Editor-in-Chief, Fey Sommers died of car accident after being haunted by animal rights activists because she loved wearing fur.

A video clip showed Sommers in a brown fur, while activists carrying placards with ‘Fur is Murder’ written on it lined up by the side of the road and as she walked by one of them poured a red liquid substance on her, face, fur and all. Then another clip showed the accident that claimed her life - a fiery car crash that occurred when she lost control of her car after being chased by angry animal activists.

The television was switched off as Daniel entered Bradford's office. He gave his father an update on the magazine and that it was going for printing the next day. Bradford reminded his son of the importance of succeeding and that he expect him to one day run the company by himself. Bradford then asked Daniel where ‘The Book’ was but Daniel didn’t seems to know what he was talking about.

His father was exasperated but he explained to Daniel that the book was the mock-up of the entire magazine, to which each department submits their pages. As he explained this, we get to see how the book moves from one department to another and at each point the finished job of each department is place on its page in the book until the total package is then handed over to Wilhelmina. Bradford reiterated that whoever controls the book controls the magazine. He then told Daniel that if he wanted to succeed and be where he (Bradford) is someday, he had to control the book, that it was his responsibility.

Then, we see Wilhelmina in the conference room, with Daniel, Natalie Whitman, the actress and another lady looking at Whitman’s pictures on a laptop. They were editing a photograph to the flabby areas. Whitman was not pleased with the editing that has been done to her image; her under-arms were reduced, her bust was elevated. (Betty looked horrified seeing all the changes)

The actress complained about all the adjustments made to her image and said she thought she looked….”normal” said Wilhelmina. Who went on to explain to Natalie that other magazines would have been okay with the photos that that was Mode and they weren’t about looking normal but “aspirational” and that she should give herself the chance to look as stunning as she possibly could. Natalie then asked for Betty’s opinion of the photograph. Betty’s eyes brighten up and was about to say the photographs looked beautiful (I think), but Daniel’s (don’t talk) look stopped her, and he intercepted and said “Natalie, as editor-in-chief I say why not take something that's hot, and make it Super Hot?” Natalie's agent agreed with Daniel, and persuaded Natalie to agree to the touch-ups.

Daniel then told Wilhelmina in front of the staff that he should be getting The Book from now on, since his was now the Editor-in-Chief. Wilhelmina tried to play her usual tricks by saying that with his present responsibility, he would be too busy to look through the book but Daniel stood his ground that it was part of his ‘responsibility’ and she said as he wished smiling but as soon as she turned her back she was as mean looking as ever.

While Betty and Daniel walked from the conference room to their offices she commended that he was strong and editorial in the way his stood his ground with Wilhelmina. Daniel was obviously pleased with himself and said that it was his responsibility. He advised Betty that when faced with a decision that has to do with the magazine she should go with the vibe in the room and Betty said “even though I don’t agree?” Daniel said if it was best for the magazine and he sent her back to the conference room to get his PDA which he forgot there. As she walked by her desk, she noticed that her pink bunny wasn’t on her desk anymore. She asked the other staff around her but they all looked at her and went back to what they were doing, ignoring her.

In Wilhelmina's office, Marc was seated on the floor in front of her luxurious couch on which she was seated, massaging her feet. She complained bitterly about the way Daniel embarrassed her before all the staff. Wilhelmina then cooked-up a plan to leave the untouched, normal photograph or Whitman in the book because she knows that Daniel would not notice them and if it is printed in the magazine the way it is there would be chaos that will result into loss for the magazine. Marc commended his boss for her cleverness.

Back to Betty again, as she got to the conference room, she saw Natalie Whitman sitting by the laptop looking very unhappy. She was reducing her image to become thinner and thinner until there was just a vertical line left.

Fabia Cosmetics Glory For Ugly Betty

Snippet 6

Ugly Betty asked Daniel what he was doing at her house and he said he wanted to talk to her.

Daniel apologized to Betty about the way he treated her, that she did not deserve what he had put her through. Betty appreciated the apology, but pointed out the fact that she was still out of work, and dealing with problems that Daniel would never be able to understand.

Daniel told Betty in confidence that he lost his brother a while back, who was the good one and that he still feels he'll never be able to measure up to what his brother was.

He then told Betty that he saw her idea for the Fabia supplement and he thought it was smart and beautiful. He asked to take the idea to Fabia, giving Betty credit, and giving Betty her old job back. He promised her that things would different if she came back.

Betty was confused and said that she need time to think about his offer. He told her that she had the night to make up her mind because he'll probably be out of the job himself by the next morning. Daniel then left without saying another word.

Ignacio, Betty's father, came in through the back door saying he heard every word.

The next morning at the conference room, Bradford, Wilhelmina and Fabia were waiting for Daniel. Wilhelmina got up, apologized to Fabia, and was about to present her own ideas to her when Daniel and Betty’s arrival cut her off. He apologized for being late and started his presentation immediately. He told Fabia that he is presenting the rough idea due to lack of time for a photo shoot. Betty set the laptop on the table, and accidentally clicked on the wrong photo showing a picture of her and Walter eating hotdogs, that amused Wilhelmina and Marc.

Daniel then started his presentation, talking about the concept of Mothers and Daughters as a selection of pictures were shown of Betty as a child with her own mother. The pictures show typical childhood scenes of riding bikes, cooking, pinning clothes – the small special moments that were usually taken for granted. The final image was of Betty trying on lipstick in the mirror while her mother watched.

Fabia asked why this concept would appeal to her customers, and Betty (bailed Daniel out) explained the statistics, and analytical data that if mothers use Fabia cosmetics there was a high possibility that their daughters would continue with that tradition. Fabia agreed to the concept even without a photo shoot!

Bradford congratulated Daniel, and when he tried to give the credit to Betty, she jumped in to say the idea was his best one. Wilhelmina also congratulated him sarcastically. Daniel and Betty were happy with their achievement.

Wilhelmina went to see a woman in a darkly lit room, this strange woman was reclining on a chair (that look like the one dentists use), and her face and body were covered with cloth. Only her eyes are visible. She said she was unhappy, but Wilhelmina said it was only a setback, that once “he is out of the picture’ (I assume she was referring to Daniel) the company will be theirs for the taking. She told Wilhelmina that considering the way every thing played out, they should keep an eye on that ‘damn’, ‘ugly’ assistant. She asked for her name and Wilhelmina told her it was Betty.

When Wilhelmina called Betty's name, then Gina was shown calling Betty’s name, then Amanda, then Walter, and finally Daniel who called her over to the car he was standing by on the street. Betty was standing outside the building with Christina thanking her for everything as she was leaving.

Daniel asked Betty why she did not let him tell his father that the idea was hers, she said he should not worry that she would let him next time. Daniel then thanked her. She started reminding him of the next day’s appointments but he interrupted and told her that it was okay, that it could wait till the next day.

The lady waiting for Daniel in the car coughed and Daniel said good night to Betty. He watched as she crossed the road in front of him, smiling. She tripped before continuing across the road with a big smile on her face.

Make it a date with me next week as we continue to enjoy this story, have a wonderful weekend!

"Sure, Tosin, we would!"