It's Summer, and that means it's time for my Five Questions series, where I reflect on the most recent seasons of some favorite shows and chat about their challenges for the future. Today, I'm posing some questions for Ugly Betty, which will start its fourth season in the Fall.

  1. Will the move to Friday night kill this show? Even if you love Betty, will you love it enough to stay in on Friday to tune in? Usually that time slot is a killer, even with DVD recording taken into account. On the other hand, though, expectations are lower for big ratings — and maybe that will give the writers some flexibility to explore smaller storylines and remember what made the show so special in the first place.
  2. Can Daniel recover from Molly's death? Molly turned Daniel from a playboy into a regular Prince Charming, but with her gone, how will Daniel deal? This is the most committed we've ever seen him — Daniel Meade, married! — and I wonder if he'll keep the good-guy attitude or swear off relationships for good. Will we be in for episode upon episode of Daniel moping? Or will he return to his wild ways with a whole bunch of ladies sweeping in and out of his life? And will he ultimately break down and say something to Betty like, "If I don't get close to anyone, I won't have to feel pain again"? (I'd bet good money that line makes it into the season.)

Three more questions coming up, so read more.

  1. Just how evil is Matt going to get? I think we all called this one: Matt was never to be trusted, and he was always kind of a petulant child. But now he's clearly evil, and he's likely to make Betty's life at Mode a living hell just when she's building up some career momentum. How will she break free of his wicked grasp? How long will it take?
  2. Will there be wedding bells for Hilda? He's a little boring, but the karate kid Archie is really good for Hilda. Remember when he totally was understanding about Betty kidnapping a baby? That's the kind of guy you want to hang onto — especially when you have Hilda's crazy family and crummy dating track record. So is it too much to ask for a big Hilda wedding? She deserves some happiness!
  3. Whom did Willi see in the season finale? Was it Connor? And if so, do we really want that guy back? I'm not so sure. I do know that I like evil, ambitious, scheming Willi more than love-lorn, mushy Willi, and I'm hoping whatever mysterious figure she spotted in those closing minutes means there's lots more devilish behavior to come.

Photo copyright 2009 ABC, Inc.