Ugly Betty: The Complete Third Season

In her third year at the Vogue-like Mode magazine, Betty Suarez (Emmy and Golden Globe Award–winner America Ferrera) moves from Queens to Manhattan. It isn't just a cosmetic change, since the entire production relocated from Los Angeles to New York City for the 2008–09 season, which allows for more location shooting (according to executive producer Silvio Horta, “We did a lot of CGI, but now we don't have to fake it anymore”). Some things, however, never change—like Betty's braces and the support of her family: father Ignacio (Tony Plana), sister Hilda (Ana Ortiz), and nephew Justin (Mark Indelicato). Betty meets a new man, secretly wealthy sex addict Matt (Daniel Eric Gold), and his disapproving mother, Victoria (Christine Baranski), and temporarily gains a roommate in catty Mode receptionist Amanda (Becki Newton). Ignacio, Hilda, and Betty's co-workers Marc (Michael Urie), Daniel (Eric Mabius), and Wilhelmina (Emmy nominee Vanessa Williams) also find love. Although Daniel's recovering alcoholic mother, Claire, doesn't enjoy any significant romantic entanglements, the role provides actress Judith Light with a platform for some of her best work (she's come a long way from the quintessential ‘80s sitcom Who's the Boss?). Patricia Field (Sex and the City, The Devil Wears Prada) continues to design wildly creative outfits. Collecting all 24 episodes, DVD extras include a crew audio commentary on one episode (“Crush'd”), cast video commentary on another (“The Sex Issue”), the web-based miniseries Mode After Hours, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and outtakes. Highly recommended. (K. Fennessy)