#daniel meade

[spocktaculartea]

daniel meade really fired someone for being a lil rude to his assistant about the amount of sun-dried tomatoes she wanted on her sandwich

[siruerto]

the perfect assistant with her cringefail boss ✨🥰

[thesocietalmisfit]

I’m a Daniel was in love with Betty the whole time truther because what do you mean I’m on episode 2x06 and Daniel is threatening to have Henry fired because he knows he’s gonna break Betty’s heart again. Ntm this is coming a few episodes after he fired Gio after he was mean to Betty once. Like this is not normal friend behavior

[mrs-n-uzumaki]

Fashion Week s2 vs s3

[sphooney]

choose

most of these are ships i used to like that i want to revisit for nostalgia

choose wisely

[starseneyes]

MINI Meta - Daniel x Betty - Detty - Ugly Betty - Series Finale

Right now, my brain can’t take in much new in terms of entertainment or consumption. When I am writing, I don’t process new things as well as I do when I’m on a break, for whatever reason.

I feel like I miss too much because my brain starts working on some problem or hitch in a chapter, and too late I realize I’ve missed vital dialogue on the screen.

So, I tend to put things on in the background that I already know. Ugly Betty was such a fun show, and I truly thought I wrote about it at one point way back when. It’s possible it was so long ago that it was on my LiveJournal.

I was always a huge fan of the Detty, but I had no idea this show was part of a series of spin offs of a telenovela when I started watching it. I found out much later that in all the spin offs the handsome boss and Betty eventually became an item.

There was always a lot of debate back in the day about that final episode. For those that don’t know—Ugly Betty found out they wouldn’t be coming back for a Season 5 while they still had some episodes to film, so they were able to wrap as much as they could.

That means, there were some stories that were wrapped up nicely, others that were open-ended, and some that were the subject of much debate—namely, the future of Betty and Daniel.

Nobody can know for certain except those in the know, of course, but I’ve been rewatching that final season and especially that final episode. We all pretty much know what Claire knows by then—Daniel is head over heels for Betty.

I mean, c’mon, he talked about what a great team they made not only because they are a great team, but because some part of him has been getting louder.

I don’t tend to think of it as an awakening—he knew Betty was special to him pretty quickly. But I think he took it as a given that she was always going to be there. And as her determination and talent are taking her elsewhere, he has to reckon with why it bothers him so much.

Claire is quick to point it out, and he tries to shake it off. But, Daniel, honey, nothing in your behavior in that second half of Season 4 came off as remotely platonic. And your neon "I LOVE BETTY" sign was already flashing way back in the day, or Gio wouldn’t have mentioned you when he ran into Betty in London.

So, by the time of the party, Daniel has put together the pieces, realized his mother was right, but he is still stuck, in some ways.

And he thought the promotion/raise would be enough to keep her there, but it’s not. Because that isn’t what Betty wants. She wants to move on, and Daniel has trouble separating, "Move on from Mode" from "Move on from me" because the two have been so intertwined.

When Claire insinuates to Betty that Daniel has a thing for her, she shakes it off. It reminds me of, "I was so stupid to think that he would like me... I should’ve known that when he said I was beautiful, he meant on the inside."

That time, she believed it and got hurt. So, of course she has armor now against believing someone who would like Amanda (Connor and Daniel) would like her. But Daniel does. And Claire knows it.

But, remember what Daniel said to Betty way back then. "Men are stupid. They go for the obvious. Trust me. I know. I’m still doing it and I should know better."

He knows better, now. But Betty shakes it off. It’s just not something she’s ever considered. Daniel wouldn’t be interested in her.

They haven’t spoken since he signed her release. Since she walked in the room and he knew with one glance that he’d lost her. And they both knew it ached in a way they couldn’t soothe. But Daniel also knew that he had feelings for her, and there’s a block in his mind that keeps him from saying anything.

She’s leaving. She’s going. And even as her friends are toasting her goodbye, he isn’t there.

As Claire walks away, Betty thinks it over, trying to connect the dots. That can’t be right, can it? She picks up a glass of champagne and takes a sip, as though alcohol will somehow clear her vision.

It’s not long before Betty steps away from her own party to call Daniel.

"Daniel, this is Betty. It’s my going away party, and you’re not here."

Her voice cracks at the end. No matter what they are to each other, they’re something. And now her mind is whirring.

"I really hope I get to see you before I leave. Okay, bye."

She rushes off the line, because what is she going to say? Your mom insinuated you’re in love with me and now I gotta know if she’s right? No, she rushes off the phone because she has no idea what she is going to say.

Part of her is terrified that she was right that Daniel hates her, that he will never want to see her, again. But the other part is terrified that Claire is right, and she broke his heart and he will never want to see her, again.

When Daniel finally arrives at the party, he’s on the outside, looking in, a glass separating him from Betty. He can see her, and if she looked over, she would see him. But she doesn’t.

Instead, he watches Betty alive and celebrating. She’s a phenom, and he always knew it. He just didn’t imagine a world where she would be so far away. But he doesn’t want to say anything—because she’s moving on and he’s still stuck in place.

"I think I need to let her go."

Because he doesn’t want to hold her back. Because he thinks he isn’t worthy of her. Because he wants her to have everything she’s dreamt of.

Damn, Daniel loves Betty.

And what seems like the very next day, he makes a move. Not for Betty, but for his life. And, to be honest, he needed to do this first. Because he is to the point where he feels like everything has been handed to him, and he wants to go out and earn something.

"And what are you going to do?" "I’m gonna start over."

Because he needs to try a few things. He needs to see what the world holds for him. He needs to get his head on straight and get himself in order. I think Betty leaving really pushes him to do that.

Because Betty so often pushed him to be a better version of himself. And in her absence, he needs to learn how to do that for himself.

Now, that doesn’t mean she (and others) can’t positively influence him in the future, but Daniel needs to learn how to hold himself accountable. Stepping away from Mode was the first step.

We don’t know how much time passes between that and Betty and Daniel’s London meetup. My gut says a few months. But, that is strictly conjecture.

We see from the montage that Betty has created a life for herself, here. She has friends. She meets up with folks. She works hard. She loves her new life.

Presumably, she and Daniel haven’t spoken, still, since he walked out of his own office to avoid her after his heart was broken. That is a huge break in communication for these two.

But, I think by now Betty has assumed Claire was right about Daniel’s feelings. And the last thing Betty would ever want to do is hurt Daniel, so she respects the silence.

Daniel has been working on himself, and after some soul-searching, he is ready to see her. He is ready to take the chance. He crosses the whole bloody ocean just to be near her.

My brain goes a thousand different direction on how he found her, but I love that she’s there, living her life, and accidentally walks right into his arms.

Sitting on the steps together, her legs are crossed toward him. He sits open, and I strangely feel like it reflects his openness toward whatever life brings his way. He’s trying a different approach to things. But he’s still angled towards her.

"I know there’s a lot you can do, Daniel."

It’s their usual rhythm of her encouraging him or him encouraging her. This is part of their thing. As much as casual flirting is her and Gio, Daniel and Betty’s is an endless chain of being each other’s greatest cheerleader.

"Goodbye. And good luck, and have a safe flight." "Thank you, I’ll call you when I get there."

He is thoroughly charmed. He didn’t know how she would react, but here she is, still open to him showing up in the middle of her life without warning. Still smiling at him. Still bringing out parts of him he didn’t know existed.

"So, that’s it? You’re headed back to New York?"

She’s fishing. Rachel of 2010 didn’t catch it, but 2024 Rachel totally sees that she is fishing, here. She wants to know if there’s another reason he is there, but she doesn’t want to get her hopes up.

Because while she has been content these past few months, she is elated he is here, and she isn’t ready for him to leave.

He considers her question for a second.

"No, I think I’m gonna stay around here for a while. See what I can find."

Look. At. Her. Face! Look how she brightens at those words, how a smile plays across her lips.

"Maybe take you to dinner. Tonight, if you’re free." "I would love that."

Ah, my babies! She is nearly blushing as she smiles. Because she knows what it took for him to ask. She knows, now, that Claire was absolutely right. Daniel is down bad.

And look how satisfied he is with himself. That little smile is clearly, "Hell, yeah, she said yes!" Because, at this point, they both know what they are saying. They no longer work in the same building. They are friends, but this is different.

Daniel told Wilhemina that he was starting over. And he is.

It’s too short a shot after his little, "f*ck, yes" smile, but Betty’s face before the bell tolls and she realizes how long she’s been sitting on the steps is something to behold.

She’s smiling. She’s holding his gaze. She’s seeing him in a new light. Because she is allowing herself to see him in this light, and to imagine how he sees her. Years earlier, he told her she was beautiful.

She knows he thinks she is truly beautiful. She knows he thinks she is smart, capable, talented, hard-working, and so many other things. Now she knows he crossed an ocean to take her to dinner.

Not only that, he let her know that he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. This isn’t some knee-jerk reaction to her leaving. He’s had time to think it through, and process. When he told her he couldn’t live without her, that was within the former paradigm of their relationship.

Here, as they sit on these steps, all the hierarchical elements are gone (well, at least until a few lines later, but we’ll get to that). This is Betty and Daniel—two people who know each other better than they know themselves.

And Daniel knows he adores Betty. And as she looks back at him, she sees possibilities she’d never considered before. And she is almost surprised to realize she wants to explore them. With him. With Daniel.

With the clock chime, she stands, awkwardly holding her bag in her left hand. As she stands, she remarks on needing to get back to work, and that could be the end of it. But Betty gives us a little more.

"I’m really glad you’re here."

And then she reaches up for a hug. She reaches for him first. She didn’t have to do that. But she wants to hug him. She wants him to know she means it. She is so glad he is there.

Because Betty’s life no longer revolves around Mode and her family. It’s a different—but still beautiful life—and she wants Daniel in it.

He wraps his arms around her, and as he does, Betty closes her eyes. She’s savoring this. They’ve hugged before, but this time is different. The next time they see one another, they’re going to be on their very first date.

When she pulls away, they’re both just a touch awkward. Because this is real, now. He mutters about calling her later while she pulls her arm away a little too quickly. They can both feel the shift in their relationship. Subtle, but there.

But she only gets a few steps before she has to turn back around, to see him, again. To smile at him, again. To talk to him, again.

And the framing here on him is great because he is still in the same shot from the hug—same camera positioning. Like Daniel is still hanging there in that moment, and I just love that.

"Hey, if you want something to do, I am looking for a new assistant." "Well, maybe I’ll submit my resume."

They’re both smiling. They’re enjoying this. The awkwardness left as quickly as it appeared. Betty chuckles, leaning toward him as she does.

She turns to leave, and even as she takes the stairs carefully, pushing her windblown hair from her face, she is still smiling.

Daniel watches her go. We see Daniel of old in his face—smiling in appreciation of the woman Betty is. But he also ever-so-subtly looks her up and down as she walks away. Oh, yeah, boy is down bad.

And Betty, though she really needs to get back to work and knows she’ll see Daniel in a matter of hours... she has to sneak one more look back at him. And the smile on her face could rival the sun in its brightness.

So, while there is a lot of debate around how things ended for these two, I think the clues are there for us to surmise they are both excited about that first date.

And while I wish there was more Ugly Betty to tell us for sure, I like my little head cannon that they were happy together in the new life they built.

Thanks for reading this random mini Meta I didn’t intend to write. It just got stuck in my head and I long ago learned I need to write it out it I’m going to get through. See ya on the next!

[arachniasbride]

Rebecca Romijn as Alexis Meade | Ugly Betty (S02E17)

[warped25]

Eric mabius said in an interview that filming the last scene of ugly betty in London was one of the most saddest days of his life. How am I suppose to function after hearing that?!

[star-burrry]

Hi does the Ugly Betty fandom exist?

And would they perchance take a sad attempt at an edit? Of the Meade Siblings mayhaps?

Uhm I don’t really make. Edits. Like ever. But I couldn’t get this song and them out of my head. It’s less an edit more some clips and music. Bit of audio mixing. Slap some filters on and BAM. There’s some weird glitch in the filter in one of the last clips but eh whatever. I could have do e more but I’m tired and going to sleep after posting this ok BYYYE

[fadedsaturated]

This really was THE show, you guys. It never got better than this four season warm blanket.

[davealgonquins]

Daniel bookmarking the blog about Betty’s outfits, Betty’s actual blog, and probably setting (or getting someone to do it for him) Google alerts for Betty

[shrutithemisfit]

I just have to accept the fact by now that if my otps become endgame, their actual couple era will begin once the show ends and it always start with a date I don't get to see.

[fandomgalore-blog]

Who’s the most prolonged slow burn? Lorelai and Luke or Daniel and Betty? Both pained me

[thesocietalmisfit]

Betty vs Daniel’s Feelings

So I’m watching Ugly Betty for the first time and every time there’s a scene where Daniel gives Betty heart eyes(which is a lot of them) I’m thinking to myself “Daniel wants Betty so bad” but I realize I’m rarely thinking to myself how much Betty wants Daniel. And I don’t think it’s because she doesn’t fall for him back or because he loves her more than she does him. I think it’s because since the very start Betty has always been aware that Daniel’s a catch. That he’s hot, rich, a good guy deep down, and that most women would kill to be with him. So it doesn’t register for her to see him in a romantic light because he’s out of her league and by the time her confidence is built up and they’re no longer boss and employee her feelings for him feels more like a natural progression of their friendship rather than something she’s been harboring in for a long time.

Daniel on the other hand his feelings for her feels like a dam being cracked open. Something always simmering beneath the surface. Sure he doesn’t register her as a romantic option either because like he said himself “guys go for the obvious” which Betty isn’t. But that doesn’t mean on a subconscious level he doesn’t know he’s falling for her. That she’s beautiful and amazing in her own way. That he can’t live without her. That she helps him grow. That she knows him better than he knows himself. He needed a push to become aware of what he always known deep down, that being Betty leaving Mode. Leaving him. And only then the dam finally broke.

[reallyunluckyrunaway]

Who was the best boi?

Throughout the show Ugly Betty, our title character Betty, has multiple love interests. All of them had great chemistry with her, but every one of them felt different and had distinct dynamics together...

But who was truly the best interest in the show?

[twinge-of-cosmicangst]

I have a half a Detty story arc for the reunion mini series that will never happen.

I do think Daniel and Betty would’ve married and had kids 100% but as they were only ever hinted at and not fully canonised so seeing them happily married would be anti climatic, but we can’t see them get together, because it’s been too long, so I think they’d be getting back together…

So I think it should start with Daniel in New York because as his mom is older, he has come back to lead Meade corporation. Wilhelmina is still editor and chief of Mode, and Marc with Willy’s old job, which was creative director I think. Tyler runs Player, he’s married to Amanda and they have a daughter (called Faye ofc) Amanda is now a full time fashion influencer on TikTok and Instagram. DJ has moved to New York and Daniel got him a job at mode as Mode app manager or something, he sleeps around a lot like Daniel did when he was younger (except he’s bi, because I say so) Wilhelmina but especially Marc are annoyed by DJ’s presence, and Marc sneerily refers to him as Mini Meade. Justin has been in quite a few broadway shows, but that doesn’t pay enough for New York rent these days, so he also works as a seamster at Mode and helps maintain the Mode’s closet. DJ and Justin are friends, even though Justin finds DJ to be entitled and slightly immature, they are also friends with the Mode’s current donut girl, as well as Daniel’s assistant, and there could be subplots with these guys, to appeal to the younger audience or whatever. At one point DJ will want a favour from Justin, and DJ will be like “Please we’re practically cousins” and Justin will be like “no we’re not” and then DJ will say “we’re cousins by marriage, cousins in-law?” and then Justin sighs and says “Even if that does count, we wont be for much longer, Daniel and AB are on the verge of divorce” and DJ insists that they won’t go through with it, and is actually weirdly defensive about it, Justin notices, and DJ confides that he spent a lot of time in London with Daniel and Betty, and they seemed liked the perfect couple, when he was a kid “If they can’t make it” he says “who can”

Daniel and Betty decided to go long distance but by the time the show starts, Betty said that they should separate, she didn’t really want to, but she was upset and angry, she did not want Daniel to go in the first place, Daniel can can see her and the kids quite a lot though because of use of a private jet (At some point in the season Betty will call Daniel out for his private jet usage because of the environment and they will have an argument about it, because that’s so them)

Betty takes a trip to New York with the kids to see everyone but it’s also a business trip, because as the publishing industry is failing, she needs investment, one of the investors she meets up with is Matt, who has taken over from his dad, which annoys Daniel, Daniel and Matt see more of each other these days then either of them would like, as they share a brother: Tyler, Tyler wants both of his brothers to get on, so he occasionally invites them both to football matches or to dinner, but they do not get along. Matt is married and there is no longer romantic feelings and between him and Betty, even Daniel can see that, the real romantic rival is of course… Henry.

Betty bumps into Henry, because of course she does, and they agree to hang out as friends, somehow both Matt and Daniel hear about this, and Matt makes Daniel even more anxious then he already is, reminding him that Henry was Betty’s first love, that she always had a soft spot for him, and that she kissed him while she was dating Matt leading them to break up. This leads to Daniel confronting Betty, and Betty says it wasn’t a date (she is telling the truth, she actually talked to Henry about wanting to patch things up with Daniel) but his accusations anger her and she reminds him, he’s the one who left and moved out so she can date if she wants to. After their fight Daniel starts dating again out of spite, Betty hears about this probably via Marc.

Betty hears “I got you babe” on the radio, while working at home, she gets this look on her face and gets a taxi into the city centre”

Daniel is on a date with a model when he gets a call from Betty, he excuses himself then answers.

The fact that the last time they spoke they had a massive fight doesn’t seem to faze her and she says to him “Do you remember that time you fell for Sofia Reyes and then she publicly humiliated you on national television telling the whole of America, your whole relationship had been a farce, in aid of an article for her magazine”

Sounding confused and put out Daniel replies “I’m hardly likely to forget that”

“God, we hadn’t even known each other a year back then, I was miserable as well, I had fallen for Henry but I saw him kiss a model at the Christmas party”

“Did you call me up just to pine over Henry?” Daniel says sulkily.

Betty sighs “I’m not talking about Henry, I’m talking about us, Henry is just context, as is Sofia, she really did a number on you. Luckily for you, you had a wonderful assistant who booked you a date with Gisele, to cheer you up”

“No you didn’t” Daniel laughed.“I think I would remember if I had dated Gisele”

“Don’t you remember? She stood you up”

“Well if she stood me up I’m hardly going to remem-“ but then he pauses recalling “Wait, is that the night the paps were outside and you had dinner with me instead?”

“Mmhmm, except the restaurant was only selling that awful micro food that was popular at high end restaurants at the time, so we went to a place that I knew”

“And then you got me to sing for half off our dinner”

“Yep” Betty replies and then they both say ‘I’ve got you babe’ at the same time, then are both silent for a couple of seconds.

Daniel breaks the silence “Then we got drunk and got chips and went to Brooklyn bridge he sighs “God how long ago was that”

“Almost 18 years, a lifetime”

“It feels like yesterday”

“You said somthing to me that night”

“That you were better than any model”

“Yes, but you said something else, you said if I ever needed anyone to talk to, to come back to the bridge and call you, and you’d meet me here”

“Hey, you never took me up on that offer”

“It’s not too late is it?”

Daniel makes a shoddy excuse and abandons his date to meet Betty.

When he gets their Betty offers him some chips, he takes some “Someone’s feeling nostalgic tonight” he smiles.

“They’re stone cold” Betty says apologetically

“Still good though”

…………………………………………………………………………….

Sorry I’m getting a little carried away with that scene, Daniel and Betty make up at the bridge but don’t get back together because it’s not practical right now, throughout the mini series they both are dealing with various career issues, I don’t know about all that, I’m just here for the romance bit, they are both stressed out but especially Daniel as he struggles to run a major media empire which struggling to adapt to modern times but then…

Betty gets a call from Daniel Junior towards the end of the season, he’s in tears “It’s Uncle Daniel he collapsed, they’re saying he’s had a heart attack”

If you think that sounds too dramatic, rewatch the show this is ugly Betty we’re talking about, someone needs to almost die, and Daniel in his 50s, whose father died from cardiac arrest is the perfect candidate.

So Betty rushes to the hospital, Daniel is in a induced coma, Betty is in tears, thinking he might die, she talks to him while he is in the coma “Shortly after your dad died you asked me his last words, I told you he asked for you mother and then his last sentence was asking me to get him some water, that was true but there was something else he said between asking for Claire and asking for water, he talked about you, us, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, but I was just your assistant back then, well friend too, but I was embarrassed, because he said I had to stick by you, that you needed me, that you’d be lost without me, it took us both a while to realise it, but he was right, he realised before us, but one thing Bradford didn’t know, what it took me even longer to realise, is that I’d be lost without you too” she takes Daniel’s hand and he wakes up.

………………………………………………………………………….

So happy ending they have a the kiss we’ve all been waiting for when Daniel recovers, both their career issues are sorted out etc…

Obviously the ‘Ugly’ in Ugly Betty was taken out in the series 4 finale but ‘Betty’ is bit boring so I was thinking the mini series would be called ‘Betty: Back in New York” or something.