More Than Mystique on the Latest "Ugly Betty"

Um, wow.

Seriously, just... wow.

I don't know about you, but I did not see that coming. In perhaps one of the best plot twists on ABC since the hatch was revealed to contain a hard-living fitness fanatic named Desmond, the audience of Ugly Betty finally learned the identity of the mysterious Masked Woman that's been plotting a rather fashionable coup at Mode magazine.

And, yes, while we knew it would end up being Rebecca Romijn all along, it was the reveal of who she really was that really had me gasping for air.

Could it be that our mystery woman used to be... a man?

Looks like Ms. Romijn has shifted a lot more in this role than as Mystique. Turns out that the Masked Woman is none other than Alex Meade. (Sorry, Alexis Meade now.) You know, Daniel's supposedly dead brother who perished after jumping out of a helicopter during a skiing trip and whose (mistaken) demise led to Daniel taking over as editor-in-chief at Mode in the first place.

Whah? 'Tis true, though we're still not entirely sure why the former Alex Meade: (A) is seeking revenge against his family, (B) faked his own death, and (C) went through the ruse of faking his own death to get a sex change operation. Because, to be honest, it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg type conundrum here. Did Alex always want to get a sex change operation and so faked his death? Or did he fake his death and then decide to become a woman? Either way, that's one hell of a major life change. And I'm not sure Wilhelmina's quite the right person to be helping Alexis through this metamorphosis.

Still, it's really to be commended in this day and age when a series manages to keep wraps on a major plot twist like this, because I was completely blown away by this little revelation. And with February Sweeps soon upon us, I dare say that we'll begin to dip our toes into the waters of Alexis Meade's revenge scheme. I cannot wait.

Meanwhile, I thought it was totally adorable that Betty and Daniel shared their little night on the town together and it was completely sweet to see them hang out together outside of the office. (Completely unrealistic, to say the least, but sweet nonetheless.) And how adorable was it that when Betty said if she couldn't sleep at 5 am she'd come back to that very spot overlooking Manhattan, Daniel asked her to call him? While I don't think that Betty and her boss are about to hook up any time soon, I am glad that Henry is back in the picture as this girl, fashionista though she may not be, is in dire need of a guy more exciting than poor Walter.

Becki Newton's Amanda continues to steal the show. I'm head over heels for this girl and even more stunned that she played Betty's MYF clone Ruthie the week before. (Don't believe me? Click here.) While I could do with a lot less of the constant melodrama from Hilda and Betty's dad, I'm always up for more Amanda and Marc madness. Amanda might not be Daniel's assistant anymore, but don't consider her down for the count, especially after she tried to sabotage Daniel's photo-op date with Giselle. Her claws are out now and, with a possible palace coup in the works, she might just side with Wilhelmina and end up on top.

In the meantime, I can't wait to see what happens next, for Betty, Amanda, Daniel, and Alexis. Bring on February sweeps, stat.

On the next episode of Ugly Betty, scheduled for February 1st ("I'm Coming Out"), Betty has her hands full preparing for Mode's Fashion Week event, leading to Daniel calling Hilda to help her; Christina is tempted to get ahead as a designer, but will she follow Wilhelmina's bidding to do so?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The Class (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/All of Us (CW); Wife Swap (ABC); Prison Break (FOX); Wicked Wicked Games (MyNet)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Heroes (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); Supernanny (ABC); 24 (FOX); Watch Over Me (MyNet)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC); What About Brian (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Everybody Hates Chris.

Everybody Hates Chris, recently picked up for a third season, returns tonight with a new batch of episodes. On tonight's episode ("Everybody Hates Eggs"), Chris and Greg wind up with that age old heath class project: caring for an egg as an exercise in parenting skills. Meanwhile, Julius makes the frightening realization that the family's electric bill is way over their budget. Ouch.

9 pm: 24.

It's 9 am on Day Six of 24. While FOX doesn't give us much in the way of previews, President Palmer (D.B. Woodside) and his advisers deal with the, er, fallout from last week's nuclear blast in Valencia, while Jack must decide whether or not to come back to CTU. Gee, which way do you think the wind will blow?

9:30 pm: Old Christine.

I can't tell you why I like watching this traditional sitcom, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus is like a warm blanket of coziness after a long Monday. On tonight's episode ("Let Him Eat Cake"), Christine wants credit for turning ex-hubby Richard into a good boyfriend and for recommending a perfect birthday present for New Christine to give to him. Um, Christine, maybe you should try actually not getting involved rather than, you know, gloating.

10 pm: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel.

On tonight's episode, Tony travels to Namibia, where he meets up with Angelina Jolie, Brat Pitt, and their hoard of little kiddies. Um, okay. Maybe not. But Tony does join a hunt with some bushmen and eat some local fare, including an ostrich egg omelette, warhog offal, and Namibian truffles. Open wide!