Icing on the Cake
Encyclopedia
"Icing on the Cake" is the seventeenth episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...

, which aired March 15, 2007. The episode was written by Dailyn Rodriguez and directed by Jeff Melman.

Plot

As Grace and Daniel chit chat in bed before they start the day, Daniel panics when she informs him that she needs to speak with his mother, but tells her that Claire has gone away and that she probably won’t be able to find her, so Daniel sends Claire off to a hotel to stay low and instructs her not to talk to anyone! Daniel later tells Betty that she can’t let anyone know that he is sleeping with Grace, including Alexis. So Betty swears to keep the secret and heads downstairs to see Christina, only to learn that Christina knows about Daniel and Grace as she sees through Betty's secret.

Henry stops in and gives Betty the invitation to Charlie’s birthday party. Christina is surprised to hear that she is going, but Betty informs her that she does not want to lose Henry as a friend. Christina insists that Betty will need a date for the evening, so they ponder the thought and Betty calls her orthodontist for an appointment and informs him that a wire has snapped on her braces, so he schedules her for one. As she hangs up the phone Betty turns to Christina with a big smile, and in turn Christina snaps a wire. Later in the day Betty arrives for her appointment and tells her that it happened while eating a bagel. After he fixes the problem and she promises to be more careful, Betty responds that he may have to have dinner with her to ensure that she doesn’t eat anything too dangerous. Her plan works and he accepts her proposal.

Over at Casa Suarez, Constance visits Ignacio and continues to pour on the charm by wrestling him down and steals a kiss. As Hilda and Justin walk in the front door they are shocked to find Ignacio hiding in the dark from his case worker. He tells them that he doesn’t know what to do about her. Justin tells them that Constance gave him $1 the other day to call her grandma! Despite all this Ignacio insists that he has to keep her happy until the court date. Later on in the day Hilda gives Constance a new hairdo, only to freak out when Hilda tells her that Ignacio is a ladies' man. Constance tells Hilda that he should have told her if he was seeing someone, but tells Hilda that she is okay with it.

Back at MODE, Amanda tells Marc that she met designer Oswald Lorenzo the other night at a party and tells him the story of how she fought another girl for his affections at the social. Amanda opens a packaged delivery and finds a dress that Lorenzo has sent to her and is thrilled to find out that he has named the dress "The Amanda". Amanda grabs the tiny silver hobble dress
Hobble skirt
A hobble skirt is a skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride, thus earning its name. A knee-long corset is also used to achieve this effect...

 and runs to change into it and it fits as tight as a mermaid outfit. As Amanda struggles to move around she refuses to take it off.

Alexis goes to see Wilhelmina and tells her that she has to at least give Daniel a chance since he was willing to turn his back on their father, only to learn that Alexis is upset and leaves when she sees the news coverage of Grace Chin defending her father. This prompts Alexis to interrupt the board meeting and yells to Daniel about Grace's track record and to point out that their father is a murderer and still blames him for causing turmoil in the Meade family. As Marc listens from around the corner, Daniel tells his sister that he doesn’t know anything about hiring Grace. Amanda rushes over to get the scoop and falls flat on her face because the dress is way too tight.

Later that evening, Betty and Gabe (her orthodontist) arrive at the party, surprising even Henry. Charlie tells Betty that Gabe is so cute and she can sense the chemistry between them. The four of them head over to the bar and manage to make small talk, followed by a slow song as they pair off and dance. But the evening is interrupted when Claire calls Betty and tells her that its an emergency and she needs a corporate credit card fast. As Betty arrives at Claire’s hotel room and finds her packing her bags, she tells Betty that she has to disappear, but Betty insists that she call Daniel first, prompting Claire to throw her cell phone across the room and destroying it. Betty tells Claire that she doesn’t have the credit card with her. Meanwhile Gabe walks in and Claire wants to know what she is doing with him when its Henry that she really likes. So Betty plays it off by kindly suggesting that it was a long time ago.

As Marc and Wilhelmina plow through the closet looking for a specific dress, they learn from Christina that Daniel had it, so when Wilhelmina becomes suspicious and demanded to know what Daniel did with the dress, Christina refuses. But when Wilhelmina threatens to call Betty to tell her about the "evidence" she that got her into Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...

, Christina lashes out at her and tells her that she can’t keep treating her like this, but gives in and tells them that Daniel gave the dress to Grace. Both Wilhelmina and Marc are puzzled since Daniel has told everyone that he doesn’t even know Grace, so Wilhelmina quickly puts 2 and 2 together and orders Marc to follow Daniel everywhere he goes and to get proof of his affair with Grace.

Daniel panics when Betty comes in and informs him that Grace is going to talk to Claire. Daniel locates them at a restaurant and tries to interrupt, but Grace insists that she be able to speak with Claire. Claire informs Grace that Fey was cruel and manipulative. Grace excuses herself to take a phone call. Daniel takes the time to ask her again to stay clear of Grace, but she insists that she knows what is best. Daniel steps out to the lobby of the restaurant and uses his charm on Grace. She tells him that he has six minutes and they rush inside the coat check room where no one is allowed in. Inside they quickly undress each other and start to have sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

, unaware that someone was watching. It was Marc who took out his cell phone and started recording, he didn't like looking at it but managed to.

Hours later Wilhelmina is thrilled to get the video that Marc has captured on his cell phone of Grace and Daniel having sex on a dirty floor, so she burns it on CD and delivers the proof to Alexis, who becomes furious. Wilhelmina tells her that she knows exactly how she feels because she has been betrayed by a so called friend (Alexis). As Grace tells Daniel that she knows that Claire is the one that killed Fey and tells him that she is confident that she can help her mother out of the situation by getting her doctors to testify, Alexis walks in and scolds her brother for lying to her. As Alexis shows Daniel and Grace the footage, she tells them that she wants Grace to remove herself from the case or she will show it to the judge. Grace becomes furious and tells Daniel that he needs a shrink and tells Alexis that she needs a closer shave! When she leaves, Daniel tells Alexis that he can’t believe what she has done and shocks Alexis when he tells her that Claire killed Fey, and thanks to Alexis's interference and the CD, their mother will go to jail because of it!

Across town, Betty takes Claire and Gabe to her house to get the credit card, even as she tries to convince Claire not to leave the country. But as Claire reminds Betty of how she killed Fey, Gabe takes this as a sign that he needs to leave, but Betty lies, saying its a game. As Betty goes upstairs to get the card she leaves the two of them alone. Ignacio walks in and mistakes Gabe for Henry. Claire corrects him and tells him that she has seen the accountant and that he is much hotter. He once again screams to Betty that he really should go, but she yells back for her father to put on some coffee for them all. Ignacio takes Claire’s coat and asks her how she likes her coffee ("vodka and ice...hold the coffee!") She takes a seat on the couch and Constance spies through the window. Betty calls Daniel and prays that he will answer. A loud knock at the door suddenly comes as Ignacio is in the kitchen, and when Claire opens the door she finds Constance there accusing her of stealing her man and gets into a shoving match until Ignacio and Gabe come between them. Ignacio takes Constance to the kitchen and tells her that Claire is not his girlfriend, and neither is she! But as he turns to the sink, she slaps an electronic tracking device to his ankle and tells him that she will now know where he is at every minute of every day! When Betty rushes downstairs to see what is going on, Gabe tells her that she still has feelings for Henry and he leaves.

Betty gives Claire the credit card so that she can leave the country, saying that she watched the man she loved love someone else and it killed her and makes her promise not to make the same mistake that she did. Betty sits with Claire on the couch and tells her that she needs to be strong right now and that running away isn’t the answer so Claire calls the police and turns herself in for murdering Fey. The cops swarm the house and take Claire into custody.

Meanwhile, another package arrives for Amanda. She tells the delivery guy that she has rubber burns all over her body from that dress and that she doesn’t want anymore gifts, but gets excited though when he tells her that this time its a hat. As she opens the box Amanda puts on the rubber cone shaped hat on her head, unaware that she is the target of a rival worker at MODE, who set Amanda up with help from the delivery guy, for she hated Amanda.

Finally, Henry goes to see Betty in her office and tells her that he hated that she had to leave so soon last night, so he invites her to have lunch with Charlie and him, but Betty tells him that it is not good for her to hang out with the two of them and she just can’t do that right now. She informs him that right now they can only be two people that happen to work in the same building. As Henry gives her a slice of birthday cake and leaves, Betty instanly threw it away without him noticing.

Production

Viewers hear Amanda's last name during this episode. Though it sounded like 'Tanner' it was shown to be 'Tanen' in the 21st episode Secretaries' Day
Secretaries' Day (Ugly Betty episode)
"Secretaries' Day" is the twenty-first episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on May 3, 2007. The episode was written by Henry Alonso Myers and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.-Plot:...

, where a screen shot of Amanda's acting reel shows her name to be spelled 'Tanen'.

The silver latex "Amanda Dress" was custom made by Syren.com in Los Angeles. Also in a deleted scene that is featured on the DVD, it would be Betty who would tease Amanda while she was wearing that dress.

The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...

 is referenced yet again when Wilhelmina tells Marc to "fly my pretty!" The first time was in "I'm Coming Out" when she told Fabia that she would "get her...and her little dog too" and again when Christina said she was "not one of [Wilhelmina's] flying monkeys"

When Claire checked in the Grand Regent Hotel, she went under the pseudonym "Brandy Shelloe" so she can keep a low profile. Interestingly, Brandy Shelloe was also the name of JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...

's character on "Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...

" from 1976 to 1977.

Casting

This is the last episode in which lawyer Grace Chin (Lucy Liu) appears. Also, Alan Dale
Alan Dale
Alan Hugh Dale is a New Zealand actor. As a child, Dale developed a love of theatre and also became a rugby player. After retiring from the sport he took on a number of professions to support his family, before deciding to become a professional actor at the age of 27. With work limited in New...

, although credited, was absent from this episode.

Awards

Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who portrays Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class. He is openly gay.-Life and career:...

 submitted this episode for consideration of his work in the category of "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.-1980s:Outstanding Guest Performer In A Comedy Series*1986: Roscoe Lee Browne – The Cosby Show as Dr...

" for the 2007 Emmy Awards
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...

.

Music notes

The song played during the slow dance of Charlie's party is "You Give Me Something
You Give Me Something
"You Give Me Something" is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on 16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July 2006. The song has been nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in...

" by James Morrison
James Morrison (singer)
James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...

.

Reception

The episode is considered the weakest of the series. In a review of the episode, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

's Tanner Stransky notes, "You'd think an episode titled Icing on the Cake would be sweet and totally Betty-licious. Coated in wonderful Betty one-liners. Whipped up with delicate Betty care. And smoothed over with a perfect Betty glaze. Just the way fans ordered it. But that's not how our dessert was served up tonight. There was something actually ugly — okay, maybe just unattractive — about this episode of Betty, don't you think, TV Watchers?"

Ratings

The episode was only seen by 10.63 million viewers in the United States, down slightly from the previous episode.

Also starring

  • Judith Light
    Judith Light
    Judith Ellen Light is an American actress. Her television roles include Karen Wolek on the soap opera One Life to Live, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Claire Meade on ABC's TV series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.-Early life:Light...

     (Claire Meade)
  • Christopher Gorham
    Christopher Gorham
    Christopher David Gorham is an American actor.- Early life :Gorham was born in Fresno, California to David Gorham, a certified public accountant and Cathryn Gorham, a school nurse. He attended high school at Roosevelt School of the Arts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in Film & Theater Arts...

     (Henry)
  • Jayma Mays
    Jayma Mays
    Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...

     (Charlie)

Guest stars

  • Lucy Liu
    Lucy Liu
    Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...

     (Grace Chin)
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson
    Jesse Tyler Ferguson
    Jesse Tyler Ferguson is an American actor who portrays Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family. Previously he played the role of Richie Velch in the CBS sitcom The Class. He is openly gay.-Life and career:...

    (Dr. Gabe Farkas)
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