Ugly Betty: Season 2

Critics lambasted Ugly Betty: Season 2, charging that its increasingly less-homely lead (America Ferrera) strayed from the series’ signature Puffs-worthy moments. Sure, the Americanized telenovela suffered from protracted romances and a lack of inspired story lines (really, how do you top season 1’s tranny saga?). But a second pass is redeeming: Betty White and Gene Simmons appear in killer cameos, Marc (Michael Urie) unexpectedly falls for Cliff (David Blue), and Betty makes her runway debut. The EXTRAS blessedly serve up more of who we all want anyway: Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams)! In the ”Love to Hate Her” featurette, ever-feisty White says of the diva: ”She put the ‘mean’ in Wilhelmina!” Without a doubt, it’s Williams who puts the kick, even if it’s ever so slightly lower, in this still-j’adorable season. B