Is he still a himbo? I hadn’t noticed. After writing “Queens for a Day,” Marco Pennette returns for his second of six episodes, the same number of episodes he’ll go on to write for Desperate Housewives. Director Sarah Pia Anderson makes her only appearance as director after 14 episodes of the London-based police procedural, The Bill, as well as short-lived sci-fi series Secret Agent Man, Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, and eventually goes on to direct “It’s Not Easy Being Green” from Eureka.

I think someone in the cast this week smokes weed. With Mode empty for the break this week (just another 49 to go), everyone’s eating food, being catty with family, and just like The Bible, characters have revelations. Including Daniel finally realizing that when you hug a friend, you don’t cup their cheeks while they have a partner that they didn’t tell you about before hooking up. Meanwhile, Betty gets told by Neighborzilla that Leah is sketchy. Daniel has almost fully reverted back to himbo status, Santos somewhat realizes that his son’s into show tunes, and Wilhelmina realizes that she’s supposed to be with family today.

Realistically, that’s about the long and short of it, as “Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral” has a moment here or there that’s big and memorable, but I’d be hard-pressed to say it’s anything more than the musical episode of American TV. Or the yearly Christmas episode. A formality that the rest of the world puts up with, which airs timely for these things, then the likes of Channel 4 would air it in April, because there is typically a delay with odd shows like Ugly Betty. It’s not the worst episode we’ll see, but it’s no “Fey’s Sleigh Ride.”

After being invited by Hilda to Thanksgiving dinner in “After Hours,” Santos makes an effort to join the family for what turns out to be a disappointment, fueled by arguments and rumors. You know, normal Thanksgiving. His effort includes some sports-wear, like a Jets shirt (good man) and a white piece of plastic that looks like it could cover an eye. Justin even thinks it’s good enough for a Phantom mask. As a premise, this whole “families trying to get together” with it succeeding for some and others ending in dysfunction, it works, but it doesn’t feel like a great episode of Ugly Betty.

Sofia told Daniel last time out that she’s got a partner, someone who is actually quite serious. If we take the 2026 lens on this plot point, then yeah, that’s a crappy thing to do, especially given you’ve been flirting with the bloke in ways that he’s found difficult to really understand. Riding his lap and making out in public is bad enough, but she’s been actively leading him on. If we’re looking at it seriously, then yeah, that’s terrible. However, “Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral” is actively trying to be drama, almost on the level of the in-show telenovela.

To the surprise of Daniel, Sofia is going to Bradford’s little Editor’s lunch thing he’s hosting at Meade towers, and she’s bringing her sculpted, sort of attractive, tall, and blonde philanthropic boyfriend. Played by Teddy Sears (Zoom in the Arrowverse), Hunter is what if Niles Crane looked like a Nazi’s dream. I would put that in a more delicate way, but honestly, I couldn’t think of anything funnier than that. He’s perfect; he volunteers, is clean shaven down to the dermis, and claims he can’t dance but got to the finals of a competition in Europe. Then there’s himbo Daniel.

Meanwhile, Wilhelmina finds out that Nico is coming home during Thanksgiving, so she does what all mothers do: She says she’s not doing anything because she already had plans. Of course, that goes awry, she buys a whole Thanksgiving meal, and looks up the Turkey once before calling a dear friend. Of course, this dear friend is just Martha Stewart. Who, I believe, would have still been under supervised release from prison for her insider-trading case at the time of the episode. It’s another fun little cameo that’s not too much. I like it.

This is where I think “Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral” (sort of) doesn’t fall apart, but lacks that thing that’s made Ugly Betty what it is thus far. With smatterings of comedy and severity, our two big mysteries come from plots that have maybe taken up six minutes total of the episode, and both come fairly late on. Marc and Amanda get drunk at the office and end up calling the mystery woman at the weird medical facility, hanging up and causing Wilhelmina to get angry during Thanksgiving with Nico. While Bradford takes PI Steve to Fey’s tomb, they realize that the coffin is empty.

As an episode, it doesn’t feel as hectic and “all over the place” while still feeling like a solid bit of 2000s TV. Or basically, what we’ve had from Ugly Betty thus far. There might be five stories going on, but we focus on three of them, with the other two feeling rather like filler. Or maybe the whole Thanksgiving business is the filler to get us to the reveal of the mystery woman wrapped in bandages and Fey’s missing corpse.

The big thing for Betty is that the lawyer the family hired, Leah, takes the money and runs. Mostly to the tune of Hilda once again claiming that Betty isn’t doing enough for the family while she has a full-time job, though as Betty points out (reasonably), she’s trying to do things for the family. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it feels like Hilda being a bit too much, too loud, too everything to be seen either as the comedy or the drama of the episode. She has heavy-emotional moments later on, but those “I’m the new favorite because I stepped up” moments always feel a touch “Childish.”

A bit like Walter, now that I think about it. The difference is that Hilda actually does things in the plot other than hold Betty back and think about herself all the time. As an episode, though? “Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral” does nothing particularly wrong or out there to make it feel nothing like Ugly Betty. It has the big beats of emotion, it has Leah running away with the money, and it has big mystery moments with Fey’s dead body and the woman at the medical center. Ultimately, the biggest fault with “Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral” is how formulaic it is to American TV.

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Ugly Betty "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral"

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Marc and Amanda's vulnerable moment in the closet.
• A memorable moment here or there.

Cons

• Hilda sometimes feels too big and dramatic.
• For 2000s TV, Sofia is supposed to be likable but isn't.
• The Thanksgiving of it all feels as though it drags the plot down.