Posted by Dustin on 05.24.2008 at 9:46 pm

The season finale opened with a flashback of Betty playing dodge ball back in high school as an example of why she doesn’t do sports and didn’t want to play in the upcoming Mode charity softball tournament. In the flashback Lindsay Lohan played a mean girl in high school who picked on Betty. Before it even seemed to start the flashback was over. All I have to say was that was the big hyped appearance by Lohan? Yes she’s going to return next season, but next season seems so far away right now. I thought there would be more of her in this episode than that!

The first issue of Hot Flash came out, and Betty was upset to find out her article didn’t make it. Claire told her that she liked it, but it was just too safe. She wanted to know what Betty wanted to do in life. Betty said she wanted to own her own magazine like her. Claire told her to do that she needed to stop playing things so safe and take a risk. I have to say I love that Judith Light has been given a bigger role on this show and I hope it continues to stay that way. You can totally see her eventually trying to pair Daniel and Betty up at some point down the road.

A little French boy showed up at Mode while Daniel, Willy and Alexis met with some Dutch woman. She was a major advertiser or designer or something. Daniel had all these charts made to impress her, but she seemed bored and confused. It was Willy to the rescue again when she said Mode would donate their proceeds of their charity softball game to a children’s charity that the woman regularly donates too.

Meanwhile the French boy found Daniel, and Daniel found a translator as the kid didn’t speak English. It seems the French boy was on a class trip and snuck away. The boy’s mom was a model Daniel had a fling with back in Paris. Well off course she ended up pregnant and has recently died. He came searching for his father, who of course is Daniel!

Gio helped Betty practice softball so she could play in the tournament. He then sprung a huge surprise on her. He was planning to go to Rome for a month and wanted her to go with him. Because Claire told her she had to take risks, she agreed!

Betty was shocked when she learned about Daniel’s son, whose name is Daniel Jr of course, but Daniel was sure this was a trick. Either it was a con or it was Willy up to her old games. Willy however claimed she did not do this, and thought it was a gift from God that she could use to further shove Daniel out of Mode. They got a blood test to see if the boy was his, but wouldn’t know for weeks. Daniel gave him the cold shoulder still thinking this wasn’t true, so Willy scooped in and asked him to come to dinner with her.

Betty told her dad and Hilda about her trip to Rome. The dad didn’t like the idea, until Henry showed up out of the blue and asked Betty to marry him! He said he could get her a job at a magazine writing in Tuscon, he wanted her to come back with him as his fiance. Not exactly the most romantic proposal in the world if you ask me. Oh and what are the living arrangements going to be? That should have been brought up, because if this is some “Three’s Company” arrangement then Henry can shove his ring where the son don’t shine!

Daniel was shocked when he saw Daniel Jr on the news apparently picking through dumpsters to find food while Daniel was out partying with models. This made him and Mode look bad. Alexis was furious as the Dutch woman pulled out of their contract because she saw this. She said the only way to save this was for Daniel to keep a low profile and take a leave of absence. Daniel reminded her that he was the one who stood by her when almost all the advertisers bailed on them when she came out as a tranny. She apparently didn’t care, as she said she had learned from that experience and now she was in charge! She then walked off. I was so angry that Alexis did this! She knows what it felt like to be stabbed in the back by their father, and Daniel was the one who accepted her first. She’s really going to be sorry when the day comes that Willy turns on her and Daniel isn’t there!

Later Daniel read a letter that Daniel Jr’s mom gave him upon her death, naming him as her father and wanting Daniel Jr to seek him out. Daniel realized the boy was in fact his son, he didn’t need to wait for the blood test to come back. Oh dear, famous last words? Something about that bothered me. I wonder if this will turn out to be a con in the end after all?

Hilda meanwhile decided to take a chance with Coach Diaz in this episode, only to find out he was married! He gave her the story about how they were separated, on and off again, but he had to tell her and that he felt he was falling for her. Slime! She was furious and stormed off on him.

Willy successfully talked the Dutch woman into returning, then did some major sucking up to Alexis. She said it’s easier getting things done around here without Daniel. She reminded Alexis of their original plan to take over, and perhaps she should find a different position for Daniel. I expected this from Willy, but not Alexis! Alexis looked conflicted over doing this to Daniel, but she didn’t exactly stand up for him either. She knows Willy’s games and should have figured it out that this was one of them!

The softball game finally began. It was Elle versus Mode, and Noami Campbell was on Elle’s team. When she took a call on her cell, everyone ducked like she was going to throw it at them. Hilarious!

Daniel brought his son to the game, and Daniel Jr made a comment about Mark being funny. Daniel soon figured out Willy and Mark were the ones who made him look bad in the press. Willy admitted it, then told him she was the new editor in chief at Mode! Daniel couldn’t believe Alexis did this too him. He argued with Alexis, as Claire watched and was furious herself. He and his son then walked off, Daniel didn’t even play in the game.

Gio and Henry both showed up at the game to be with Betty, and they soon found out about the other’s proposals. Betty had a big choice to make. Go to Rome with Gio or marry Henry?

The show ended with Madonna’s “Jump” playing, which was also the name of this episode. Coincidentally the music through the entire episode was from Madonna’s new “Hard Candy” CD. Anyway, the song and episode title referred to all the decisions having to be made by the characters at the end of the show.

Hilda was trying to decide what to do given she’d already lost love once, and she ended up going to married Coach Diaz and they kissed.

Mode won the game and while everyone partied and praised Willy for helping them win, while Claire gave Alexis the evil eye. Daniel meanwhile packed his office and left with his son.

Betty packed a suitcase and left her house, and the show ended with her on her front porch. Which plane will Betty get on? The one to Tucson or the one to Rome? We now have to wait till next season to find out!

Personally I’m hoping Betty goes with Gio at this point. I suspect she will, because obviously if she married Henry she moves out of New York and the show ends! I bet the show will pick up with her just getting back from Rome with Gio.

I’m not sold on Daniel Jr really being Daniel’s son, they could really throw a curve-ball in next season and say he wasn’t, that the blood tests came back. I would like to see Daniel at this point join a rival magazine or start his own up within the company like Claire did and compete with Mode. A men’s fashion magazine maybe?

I’m surprised Christina wasn’t in this episode, as that would have been a good way to stir up more drama. At this point I think she has to have figured out what Willy did to get her hands on Bradford’s swimmers.

Photos: ABC.com