On this week's Ugly Betty [1], the senior management at Mode is whisked away into the country for a team-building retreat led by Daniel and Connor. This is a brilliant move, as it makes possible all kinds of good stuff, including a plethora of hunting and forest jokes and some amazing costumes that are supposed to denote a casual time in the woods (see Claire's get-up below).

And while the adults are away, the young assistants at Mode do play. However, things go awry rather quickly. Before we know it, Marc, Betty, and Amanda are on a road trip to the country to help save their bosses, which is, as one would expect, pretty hilarious. To see the rest of my thoughts, just .

• Betty dressed up in Amanda's clothes from her "hefty years" is just more reason that these two as roommates is a great development (Amanda: "You look like a plus-size princess!").
• Amanda has so many laugh-out-loud lines in this episode, it's hard to keep track. When Betty earnestly says the retreat sounds like fun, Amanda responds, "Fun like herpes."
• Meanwhile, Wilhelmina is extremely frustrated that Connor is not on the market and tells Marc she's looking forward to her time in the country: "If I can’t be with the man I want, at least I can kill something."
• And another hunting joke comes when Claire restricts all cell phones at the retreat. Wilhelmina whispers, "Just so you know, I'm going hunting later today — feel free to stand in the way."
• So Hilda tries to get a permit for her salon per Ralph-Macchio-the-councilman's advice and is denied. She and Justin decide to start an "underground styling speakeasy."
• The way it works is people have to leave the salon with a hat on. I love the phone conversation between Hilda and Betty about the hats. Hilda: "Where’d you put the hats during your ugly hat phase?" Betty: "I never had an ugly hat phase." Hilda: "Oh yeah . . . your hat. . . phase."



• Daniel goes for a walk in the woods at the retreat (how funny was his inner monologue thinking about "bold ideas"?) and Molly, Connor's fiance, falls out of a tree. They spend just enough time together for Daniel to form a crush on her.
• Willi and Connor, out hunting together, see Daniel helping someone they can't quite make out through the forest (Willi: "It's Daniel and some crippled wood nymph").
• Claire tells Daniel he obviously has a crush on someone and then says, "Her name wouldn't be Betty, would it?" Huh?! Daniel just shrugs that off as if it's not a wildly misguided statement. That line threw me for a loop.
• Amanda, Marc, and Betty in the car is so funny! And even funnier after they crash. Amanda's little dance in her stilettos to get some help cracked me up.
• After Betty walks a long way to get help (and beef jerky for Amanda) she saves the day with an airplane fly-over message to Daniel about the tornado issue. Also, Amanda throws the jerky at Betty's head: "This is teriyaki, Betty!"
• Daniel allows Betty to take the fall for the inappropriate tornado cover after he lets it run and Betty gets harassed ("Someone put my phone number on EnemiesOfTheHeartland.com")
• Finally, Marc's informant moment with Betty at the office is silly and fun: "Things are not what they seem. Not all birds fly south in winter."

So Betty is terribly disappointed in Daniel. Daniel is totally falling hard for Connor's woman. Willi thinks Molly is rather unextraordinary, and Cliff knows the truth about Marc's infidelity. Oh, and the councilman is clearly starting to have eyes for Hilda! What did you think of last night?

I really loved Wilhelmina's "hunting look," and CelebStyle [2] has all the details here [3].

Photos copyright 2008 ABC, Inc. [4]