Petra-Gate
Encyclopedia
"Petra-Gate" is the twentieth episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty
, which aired on April 26, 2007. The episode was co-written by Gabrielle Stanton
and Harry Werksman
and directed by Paul Lazarus
.
, her close friendship with Christina
, and her chance to date Henry all fall apart, Betty
is left with no choice but to turn her back on all three, a la "Frankenstein", this after Daniel tried to ask her about Petra, sees Henry and Charlie argue while trying to get a bagel, and Christina tried to apologize, followed by Hilda
climbing into Betty's room after a night out with Santos, which was also noticed the following day by Ignacio after he bought it up.
For Betty, however, she starts to realize that she needs them in her life after all, as she questions herself about whether she should forgive them. Even Hilda and Justin
thinks she should, after Hilda reminded her of a similar situation when Betty and a friend from high school, Trina DiPaolo, was planning a "anti-prom" night, until her friend bailed out on Betty after she is asked out. While Betty claimed her story was straight out of Carrie
, Hilda told Justin what really happened, since she was there that night.
For Daniel, his aftermath of sleeping with Petra and being blackmailed by Lena would force him to either pay them off or relinquish his EIC job to Alexis
. This prompted Henry to question him about a $75,000 check just to pay them off. When Henry told Betty about this, she and Henry began to suspect something wasn't right about Petra, and they were right. It appears that earlier in the day Betty saw Petra buy cigarettes after bumping into each other. As Betty confronts Daniel over this and for not trusting her, Daniel finally admitted that he made a mistake, but decided that he will hand over his editor-in-chief (EIC) duties to Alexis after he tells her about this. But just as Alexis was about see Daniel sign his EIC duties away, Betty and Henry see Lena and Petra walk in. After Betty remembers her buying cigarettes at the stand, she and Henry snatched Petra's purse and picked up Petra's ID, which revealed her real age: 20! When Daniel and Alexis saw this, Daniel tore up the contract and remained co-EIC. While Betty might have saved Daniel's job, she is concerned that he hasn't changed as he heads towards the elevator to go home. And as expected Betty found herself back at the center of Henry's attention, as the two celebrated their latest victory. But as they looked at each other, they are unaware that Charlie has walked in and seen them together.
Betty also resumed her friendship with Christina and as the two talked, Christina told Betty that she could offer info on Wilhelmina
's schemes, if she was interested. Betty also decided to forgive her former high school friend as well.
Meanwhile, romance is in the air as Alexis catches the attention of Rodrigo, creative director at MODE Brazil and he asks her out. He is also aware of her being a post-op and to him it doesn't matter anyway. After Wilhelmina tells her that it's time to "put the key in the ignition," Alexis finally answers Rodigo's offer, and later on in the evening the two have sex. The following day, Rodrigo asks Alexis about going to Brazil with him, an offer that may prove to be tempting. Unbeknownst to Alexis, Rodrigo is being paid off by Bradford
and Wilhelmina (who suggested the idea to him as a way to get back at "Little Orphan Tranny"), this in exchange for promoting Rodrigo to the EIC job at MODE Brazil by getting Alexis out of the country. This after Bradford offered her $10 million to resign from MODE, leave town, and let Daniel once again take the position of editor-in-chief, which Alexis turned down.
Speaking of Wilhelmina and Bradford, it appears that Wilhelmina might have found a new way into Bradford's heart, so after acquiring fake Viagra pills from Marc
, she stepped up her plot to lure Bradford in. As the two finish talking to Rodrigo, Bradford reminded Wilhelmina that he won't divorce Claire
, but it looks like the "pills" Bradford took might be working, and Wilhelmina seems to be pleased.
Amanda
flirts with Tavares, a designer who she believes is gay, after she falls for his exciting fashions, which impresses even Wilhelmina, who turned him away earlier. But as Amanda falls head over heels for him and his designs, she discovers that he is actually a straight guy and that he's using this ruse just to get his designs noticed, which gives Amanda an idea to help him, even as she falls for him.
Over at the Suarezes', Santos gives Hilda a little surprise, which is a wedding proposal as he asks her to marry him. The news may be good for Justin, who's happy that he finally proposed to his mother, but Ignacio
isn't and will not accept Santos into the family because of his past experiences. However, Hilda does accept. But before that can happen, Ignacio breaks the news to the family that his caseworker has informed him that he'll have to return to Mexico
.
can be spotted in the background. Also, When Betty enters Daniel's office after discovering that Petra was not 16, you could see the camera through the window's reflection (the window on the right).
In this episode, we learned that Henry is a fan of the soap opera
All My Children
, which is also produced by ABC. However when he referenced trivia about Erica Kane
's daughter Kendall Hart
going after Erica's fourth husband (when Erica was a Chandler
at the time), Henry was off by two: Kendall was going after Erica's sixth husband (which was Dimitri Marick).
The episode also had the working titles Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? and Petra-Fined.
's Karen Leigh gave the episode high marks, she notes "Still, I have a major problem with the fact that so many of its characters — Bradford, Walter, even Amanda — are totally cardboard. We do get the rare bit of compassion or sadness from them (witness Marc's coming out to Mama LuPone), but though I think they're funny, when I compare them with fleshed-out Betty, Henry, Daniel, and even Wilhelmina, I can't help thinking that Betty's often fluffy story lines would benefit if these people had a little more soul."
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 on April 26, 2007. The episode was co-written by Gabrielle Stanton
Gabrielle Stanton
Gabrielle Gail Stanton is an American television writer and producer best known for her work on the series Grey's Anatomy and Ugly Betty.-Career:...
and Harry Werksman
Harry Werksman
Harry M. Werksman Jr. is an American television screenwriter and producer.Harry Werksman overcame being born in Pittsburgh by spending the first seven years of his life moving between Pittsburgh , Palm Springs and Scotland...
and directed by Paul Lazarus
Paul Lazarus
Paul Lazarus is an American director, producer and writer of film, television and theatre.He graduated from Dartmouth College, and apprenticed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England.-Directing credits:*Big Time Rush*I'm in the Band...
.
Plot
After seeing her working relationship with DanielDaniel Meade
Daniel Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is played by Eric Mabius.-Background:Daniel is the second son of magazine publisher Bradford Meade and Claire Meade in 1974...
, her close friendship with Christina
Christina McKinney
Christina McKinney is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. She is played by Ashley Jensen. Christina is based on Bertha Muñoz de González, only she isn't plus-sized, but both have a great ear for gossip....
, and her chance to date Henry all fall apart, Betty
Betty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
is left with no choice but to turn her back on all three, a la "Frankenstein", this after Daniel tried to ask her about Petra, sees Henry and Charlie argue while trying to get a bagel, and Christina tried to apologize, followed by Hilda
Hilda Suarez
Hilda Suarez Talercio is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by Ana Ortiz. Hilda's character is the American adaptation's equivalent to Julia Solano Galindo de Pinzón, Beatriz Pinzón Solano's mother, and is loosely based on creator Silvio Horta's older...
climbing into Betty's room after a night out with Santos, which was also noticed the following day by Ignacio after he bought it up.
For Betty, however, she starts to realize that she needs them in her life after all, as she questions herself about whether she should forgive them. Even Hilda and Justin
Justin Suarez
Justin Suarez is a fictional character on the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty which is an adaptation of the Colombian telenovela Betty la fea. He is portrayed by actor Mark Indelicato. Justin lives with his mother Hilda, his aunt Betty, and his grandfather Ignacio...
thinks she should, after Hilda reminded her of a similar situation when Betty and a friend from high school, Trina DiPaolo, was planning a "anti-prom" night, until her friend bailed out on Betty after she is asked out. While Betty claimed her story was straight out of Carrie
Carrie
Carrie may refer to:* Carrie , a given name and those with it* Carrie , a novel by Stephen King** Carrie , a 1976 film adaptation*** Carrie , a 2002 remake** Carrie , a musical adaptation...
, Hilda told Justin what really happened, since she was there that night.
For Daniel, his aftermath of sleeping with Petra and being blackmailed by Lena would force him to either pay them off or relinquish his EIC job to Alexis
Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty. She was initially played by Elizabeth Penn Payne for the first 12 episodes of her appearance and was played by Rebecca Romijn for the rest of the series.-Biography:Alex Meade was a background presence in the...
. This prompted Henry to question him about a $75,000 check just to pay them off. When Henry told Betty about this, she and Henry began to suspect something wasn't right about Petra, and they were right. It appears that earlier in the day Betty saw Petra buy cigarettes after bumping into each other. As Betty confronts Daniel over this and for not trusting her, Daniel finally admitted that he made a mistake, but decided that he will hand over his editor-in-chief (EIC) duties to Alexis after he tells her about this. But just as Alexis was about see Daniel sign his EIC duties away, Betty and Henry see Lena and Petra walk in. After Betty remembers her buying cigarettes at the stand, she and Henry snatched Petra's purse and picked up Petra's ID, which revealed her real age: 20! When Daniel and Alexis saw this, Daniel tore up the contract and remained co-EIC. While Betty might have saved Daniel's job, she is concerned that he hasn't changed as he heads towards the elevator to go home. And as expected Betty found herself back at the center of Henry's attention, as the two celebrated their latest victory. But as they looked at each other, they are unaware that Charlie has walked in and seen them together.
Betty also resumed her friendship with Christina and as the two talked, Christina told Betty that she could offer info on Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina Slater
Wilhelmina Vivian Slater is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Vanessa Williams, who received a supporting actress award at the 2007 and 2008 NAACP Image Awards, a Best TV Villain award at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and a supporting actress...
's schemes, if she was interested. Betty also decided to forgive her former high school friend as well.
Meanwhile, romance is in the air as Alexis catches the attention of Rodrigo, creative director at MODE Brazil and he asks her out. He is also aware of her being a post-op and to him it doesn't matter anyway. After Wilhelmina tells her that it's time to "put the key in the ignition," Alexis finally answers Rodigo's offer, and later on in the evening the two have sex. The following day, Rodrigo asks Alexis about going to Brazil with him, an offer that may prove to be tempting. Unbeknownst to Alexis, Rodrigo is being paid off by Bradford
Bradford Meade
Bradford Emerson Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty, played by Alan Dale. Bradford's character was equivalent to Roberto Mendoza in the original Betty la fea, Armando's father, with Armando equalling Daniel....
and Wilhelmina (who suggested the idea to him as a way to get back at "Little Orphan Tranny"), this in exchange for promoting Rodrigo to the EIC job at MODE Brazil by getting Alexis out of the country. This after Bradford offered her $10 million to resign from MODE, leave town, and let Daniel once again take the position of editor-in-chief, which Alexis turned down.
Speaking of Wilhelmina and Bradford, it appears that Wilhelmina might have found a new way into Bradford's heart, so after acquiring fake Viagra pills from Marc
Marc St. James
Marcus "Marc" St. James is a fictional character in the American comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Michael Urie...
, she stepped up her plot to lure Bradford in. As the two finish talking to Rodrigo, Bradford reminded Wilhelmina that he won't divorce Claire
Claire Meade
Claire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season...
, but it looks like the "pills" Bradford took might be working, and Wilhelmina seems to be pleased.
Amanda
Amanda Tanen
Amanda Tanen Sommers is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Columbian adaptation...
flirts with Tavares, a designer who she believes is gay, after she falls for his exciting fashions, which impresses even Wilhelmina, who turned him away earlier. But as Amanda falls head over heels for him and his designs, she discovers that he is actually a straight guy and that he's using this ruse just to get his designs noticed, which gives Amanda an idea to help him, even as she falls for him.
Over at the Suarezes', Santos gives Hilda a little surprise, which is a wedding proposal as he asks her to marry him. The news may be good for Justin, who's happy that he finally proposed to his mother, but Ignacio
Ignacio Suarez
Ignacio Suarez is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. He is portrayed by Tony Plana. Ignacio's character is equivalent to Hermes Pinzón Galarza, father to Beatriz Pinzón Solano.-Background:...
isn't and will not accept Santos into the family because of his past experiences. However, Hilda does accept. But before that can happen, Ignacio breaks the news to the family that his caseworker has informed him that he'll have to return to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Production
The scene where Betty sees Petra buy cigarettes at the newsstand is actually Downtown Los Angeles; a Los Angeles County MTA busLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
can be spotted in the background. Also, When Betty enters Daniel's office after discovering that Petra was not 16, you could see the camera through the window's reflection (the window on the right).
In this episode, we learned that Henry is a fan of the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, which is also produced by ABC. However when he referenced trivia about Erica Kane
Erica Kane
Erica Kane is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children.The character has been portrayed by actress Susan Lucci since the show first aired in January 1970, until the last broadcast television episode aired in September 2011. Erica is considered to be the most popular...
's daughter Kendall Hart
Kendall Hart
Kendall Hart Slater is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. The character was portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar from 1993 to 1995, and by Alicia Minshew from 2002 to 2011....
going after Erica's fourth husband (when Erica was a Chandler
Adam Chandler
Adam Chandler, Sr. is a fictional character from the daytime drama All My Children, portrayed by David Canary from December 1983 through his departure on April 23, 2010. Adam Chandler was one of the most devious and powerful individuals within the town of Pine Valley, Pennsylvania...
at the time), Henry was off by two: Kendall was going after Erica's sixth husband (which was Dimitri Marick).
The episode also had the working titles Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? and Petra-Fined.
Reception
Although Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment 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 Karen Leigh gave the episode high marks, she notes "Still, I have a major problem with the fact that so many of its characters — Bradford, Walter, even Amanda — are totally cardboard. We do get the rare bit of compassion or sadness from them (witness Marc's coming out to Mama LuPone), but though I think they're funny, when I compare them with fleshed-out Betty, Henry, Daniel, and even Wilhelmina, I can't help thinking that Betty's often fluffy story lines would benefit if these people had a little more soul."
Also starring
- Judith LightJudith LightJudith 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 MeadeClaire MeadeClaire Meade is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Judith Light.Light's performance as Claire has resulted in a nomination for outstanding guest actress in a Comedy series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, when Claire was a recurring regular in season...
) - Christopher GorhamChristopher GorhamChristopher 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 GrubstickHenry GrubstickHenry Grubstick is a fictional character in the American drama series Ugly Betty. He is played by Christopher Gorham.Henry's character is equivalent to Nicolás in Betty la fea. Henry and Nicolás have similar features. They are both tall, have dark brown hair, and wear square glasses...
) - Kevin AlejandroKevin AlejandroKevin Michael Alejandro is an American actor. Alejandro may be best known for his roles as Nate Moretta in the series Southland and as Jesus Velasquez in the series True Blood.-Early life:...
(Santos) - Jayma MaysJayma MaysJayma 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
- Cristian de la FuenteCristián de la FuenteCristián de la Fuente Sabarots is a Chilean-American actor.-Early life:De la Fuente was born in Santiago, Chile, as the only child of chemist Hugo de la Fuente and Adriana Sabarots, a homemaker of French descent...
(Rodrigo) - Mykel Shannon-JenkinsMykel Shannon-JenkinsMykel Shannon Jenkins is an American actor, perhaps best known as the winner of the first season of the SOAPnet reality television series I Wanna Be a Soap Star.-Career:...
(Tavares) - AnnaLynne McCordAnnaLynne McCordAnnaLynne McCord is an American actress. Known for playing a range of vixen-type roles, McCord first gained prominence in 2007 as the scheming Eden Lord on the FX television series Nip/Tuck, and as the pampered Loren Wakefield on the MyNetworkTV telenovela American Heiress...
(Petra) - Ivana MilicevicIvana Milicevic-Early life:Miličević was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina to a Croatian family, the daughter of Tonka, a homemaker, and Damir Miličević, a slaughterhouse worker and entrepreneur. She emigrated to the United States at the age of five and was raised in Michigan...
(Lena) - Rachel Style (Trina DiPaolo)
- Andrew Reville (Student)