Bad Amanda is the tenth episode of the third season and the 51st episode on Ugly Betty overall.
Synopsis[]
Plot[]
As the day begins, Betty tells Hilda about Amanda and is very concerned about her expenses and living arrangements, including not paying part of her rent, and when they see her arrive with shopping bags, Betty attempts to tell Amanda that she has to come up with a way to pay her part of the rent, stop eating Betty's food and wearing Betty's clothes. Amanda however ignores Betty as usual, blaming it on an imaginary person named "Bad Ronald." As Betty tells Christina about her situation, Christina warns Betty about living in an apartment in Manhattan that is out of Betty's bracket, even with cash-strapped Amanda around, and that she can't survive on ramen alone let alone pay the rent.
That same day, Daniel and Wilhelmina has announced that Mode just launched ModeNY.com and has opened it up to the staff. Betty pitches, and with Amanda's social savvy, lands a story idea: How to have fun in NY on zero dollars. So Amanda come up with the perfect title for the article, appropriately called "How I Blew Ten Grand Without Spending a Dime". And despite Betty's reluctance, even after telling her family about her first article for the website, their partnership is pretty good, to a point.
Amanda seems to have all the ideas and know-how, as she shows Betty how to take advantage of makeup samples from pricey stores, tucking in the tag of a $2000 garment to return later, drinking free booze at gallery exhibits, and allowing generous men to buy them dinner. All goes well when the two guys that they met at the gallery, Claudio and Luca, ply the girls with expensive champagne during a dinner date ... until the bill comes and the men were nowhere to be found. Stunned by the high priced bill, Betty uses a ploy by telling the manager that she plan to feature the restaurant on the Modeny.com website. After seeing sweat pouring down Betty's face, the manager buys Betty's story. Unfortunately, after they leave the restaurant, Amanda discovers that her wallet is gone (it was stolen by the aforementioned guys), along with the rent money. Betty becomes furious over what Amanda did and tells her flat out that they will be evicted because of Amanda's irresponsibility (by calling her "Bad Amanda"), then walks away and heads towards her family home in Queens to have a heart to heart talk with Ignacio.
The following day, Daniel tells Betty that he liked the article and thinks that she and Amanda make a great team. But as she sees Amanda running from her, Betty is stunned to see Amanda wearing a waitress' outfit, as Amanda has taken on a second job. While Betty tells her that there's now extra cash, she tells Amanda that she may want to keep that second job. Later back at the apartment, Betty surprises Amanda with a dinner for her day at work and gives her roommate a new wallet.
Wilhelmina's feelings for Connor continues to consume her. It appears that she has Marc spying on Connor's every move. Even Christina (who reminds Wilhelmina she's not due for at least two months) notices and calls her on it. Christina also reveals that the unborn Meade will be a boy and also calls Wilhelmina out on whether she really wants this child, which Wilhelmina responds by finally admitting that even though her main reason was to get part of the Meade empire through the baby, she tells Christina that she wants to be a part of the child's life.
Meanwhile, Daniel and Molly's friendship has become more noticeably closer than ever, a move that has observer Claire literally slapping Daniel's face, warning him that she is still engaged to Connor. Later that evening Daniel shows Molly "The Closet" where she gets to pick an outfit. After she settles on a red dress Daniel and Molly starts to share an almost-kiss until Molly runs off and leaves Daniel standing there, which is caught on surveillance that's conveniently viewed by Wilhelmina (courtesy of Marc), who just found a way to win Connor as her man, future husband and acting father to her yet unborn son.