Ugly Betty/The Office - Crush'd and Customer Survey

I take back what I said about the cuteness between Betty and Jesse last week. The interchange that opened last night's episode of Ugly Betty was seriously ho-hum. And the tape (Was it a tape? Does anyone still make "tapes"?) of Jesse's music that Betty was listening to at her desk was almost as bad as Betty's singing.

Fortunately, by the time Jesse and his band, Dark Sexual Journey, played at Betty's Mode after-party, the music was definitely an improvement. Unfortunately, it seems Jesse does not improve upon closer inspection: Betty catches him making out with impromptu roommate Amanda. Hurt and angry, she kicks the recently evicted Amanda to the curb--only to relent after Amanda's heartfelt--albeit back-handed--apology.

(How in the world did Amanda get from flirting on the roof at Connor to kissing Jesse in Betty's apartment so fast anyway?)

Wilhelmina suffered a bit of a setback of her own: after Daniel confesses that he and Connor "played" her, she decides to blackmail him. But she ends up being charmed by the former captain of the crew team (and former captain of the Kahana!) After Connor declares to the scheming Wilhelmina and the steaming Daniel, "I'm nobody's bitch," Willie apologizes to him saying, "I always blackmail people when I'm nervous. It's kind of my go-to..." Like Betty, her crush ends up being crushed by the reality that dream guy is already engaged...

The episode also featured Marc's boyfriend Cliff (David Blue) again. He asks Marc to move in with him--which cause Marc to freak out completely. By the end of the episode, Marc has done a 180 and asks Cliff to marry him (Sadly ironic following the passage of Proposition 8 in California...). But was that proposal a true expression of Marc's feelings--or his attempt to escape the temptation of the cute guy at the after-party?

Loved the teasing interplay between Daniel and Betty regarding her crush on Jesse. Especially Daniel's sweet speech after a distraught Betty is crying over Jesse. Also touching was the final scene between Wilhelmina and Betty--the two busted crushes silently commiserating on the roof of Betty's building.

Although what is going on with that swoopy bang thing that Willie is sporting? Are they doing product placement for Nike or what?

The writers of The Office have come up with the perfect solution to the Jim/Pam long distance relationship: a miniature Bluetooth. It was a cute and clever way to give us our Jam fix as well as incorporate a bit of dramatic conflict.

The episode revolved around the review of customer surveys for the sales people--which affect their sales bonuses. Not surprisingly, Dwight was rated as aggressive, hostile and difficult.

Surprisingly, Jim rating were also "poopy" with comments such as "smudge and arrogant." "Smug," Jim corrects Michael. "There's that smudgeness," responds Michael.

Dwight is convinced that there is some nefarious plot at hand and accuses Kelly: "I know you're the mastermind, but you're too stupid to do it yourself!" "Get out of my nook!," Kelly responds. "That's what she said!," chimes in Pam via Jim's Bluetooth.

So funny.

Turns out Dwight isn't crazy (well he IS crazy, but in this case he happened to be right...), and Kelly manipulated the surveys to punish Jim and Dwight for not attending her America's Got Talent Finale party. Confronted by Michael, Kelly says "I was raped." "You cannot say "I was raped" and expect all your problems to go away," counters Michael.

In an uncharacteristic display of managerial brilliance, Michael empathizes with Kelly telling her, "I cannot tell you how much leftover guacamole I've had to eat by myself over the years..."

Andy and Angela's wedding plans progress. Given Angela's demands to be married in a field with a barn where you can see starlight through the slats in the roof, Andy locates the perfect setting: Shrute's Beet Farm. Obviously a disaster waiting to happen...

In other news, the episode in two weeks is titled "Frame Toby."

YES! I knew Toby would be back!