Aside from constant timeslot juggling, “Ugly Betty” suffered from both far-fetched plot complications and far too many love triangles featuring our titular heroine. Every season, two guys would express their simultaneous love for Betty, leaving audience members wondering who they should be rooting for her to end up with. Ultimately the show zeroes in on Betty’s attraction to Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), the true heir to the MODE Magazine throne. But after so many triangles and on-again-off-again dances, the show didn’t bother to invest in their emotional bond until Season 4, leaving only the possibility that they’ll end up together. At least the series finale gets Betty out of New York and to London, where she’s seen as a fashion maven.
Then there’s the over-the-top soap plotting: perfectly acceptable on a telenovela but sometimes a little too outlandish for a nighttime drama, even in the ’00s. Comas, paternity mysteries, and other soap opera staples loomed large during the show’s run and may not have provided enough of a realistic hook to keep its audience invested long-term.
And let’s not forget that the show also had a tendency to lose regular cast members. Rebecca Romijn (Alexis Meade) left after the second season, appearing in only four episodes of Season 3. Ashley Jensen (Christina McKinney) popped in and out during Season 3 and disappeared during Season 4, depriving Betty of a close friend and sounding board.
And yet “Ugly Betty” definitely impacted broadcast television; it proved that the dramedy was back and worth its salt. It also won an Emmy for America Ferrera and earned several prominent award nominations for the cast. Its legacy has definitely outlasted its uneven broadcast reputation.
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