But pretty much most of the reasons, but I think since the relationship (by that I mean friendship...for now) between Daniel and Betty is the heart of the show (writers have said such, this isn't my Detty love talking) that is the one I would have to go with...I mean if you keep them apart for too long the show feels like it is missing this important link...the one that ties it all together, Betty and Daniel's relationship, is one between Queens World and Mode World, they tie it in together, make it flow, so when you take away that link, it is like untying the string, does that make sense?!

besafe- yes, i guess that what you are saying makes sense :). i know where you are coming from. i personally didn't like season 2 that much. if you have read my review on it in the articles section here in the ugly betty spot, then you'll probably realise why i took a dislking to it.

for me, there were a range of reasons why i didn't like it- it was less funnier, characters were being dumbed down, the writing wasn't that good, too much emphasis on the betty/gio/henry love triangle, which for me became annoying towards the end. as a detty shipper' myself, though, i wasn't really enthused by that storyline and the longer it went on, the more boring it became. i could go on... but yeah, season 2 right now, i rate it last behind season 1 in first place, and season 3 in second. although if season 3 continues the way it is, then i'd definitely rank it as my number one in the end.

Yep I know what you mean and I totally agree, there was WAY too much emphasis on the Betty/Henry/Gio love triangle last season, and even if I wasn't a Detty shippper, it got sooo boring, I felt like I didn't care by the end of the season I just wanted it to end, I agree with your rating system of the seasons as well and I would put them in the same order as you do for now, of course if this season keeps going in the positive direction it is going than I'd definately put it at number one by seasons end...:)

what actually strikes me about the lack of betty and daniel in season 2 though is that when those two were separated- i.e betty was with either henry or gio, or daniel was trying to patch things up with his sister alexis, as well as his mother being on the run from the police at the time, both betty and daniel sort of drifted apart. betty is the glue that holds daniel together, whilst daniel tries to help betty develop further not just in her career but as a person. and yet seeing as we didn't see much of them together meant that we hadn't seen them grow as individuals and that they were occupied on other things. rather than being there for each other, and that was a problem.

as for betty choosing between gio and henry, i know a lot of getty fans in particular were unhappy that she didn't choose betty. but i think they are missing the point if they think that at the end, betty will fall for gio, because the plot is setting itself up for a betty and daniel romance, as well as betty getting a make-over.

Liu, I gotta say, this pick is slightly biased. You are assuming that season 1 and 3 are similar and that people like them both. (I don't like season 3 and I can't agree that season 3 stories are as interesting or less over the top than season 1 or 2).

Now, Problems with season 2?
Well, I think they just got too many crazy plots and stories at once. Too over the top at some point. But the scattered ideas concept were the doom of season 2. Too little episodes, too many plots.

First they had to deal with the first batch of episodes 1-10 when they tried to introduce the stories. But right approaching mid-season. They got hit by the writer's strike. But then it came the three remaining quick episodes (2nd set) at the start of the year 2008 and then they tried to fix it all at once in just five episodes (3rd batch) trying quickly to return to "the heart of Betty". So it all seems a bit too forced because they had to cut stories from 24 episodes to only 18 and re-plan everything from scratch -and having to deal with the move to New York which they knew about even before they filmed the final 5 episodes. They fired a lot of people -now it is proven some of them were really good because after they left the show is lacking something-. So I think they lost most of the logic of their stories... they just wrapped it up lazily.

I remember Horta said once (before the 5 final episodes were released) that the writers met at his house for days trying to get back to "the heart of Betty". Gosh! That's kind of lack of planning. But they did release something good: Daniel grew up and learned to be a father, Betty was leaning towards a healthier relationship with Gio, Claire had her magazine -potential place where Betty could develop her skills-, Cliff and Marc were together, Willy was as mean as ever, Betty discovers her passion is writing and she starts doing what she loves and gets published. Not bad those five final episodes.
What they did? they discarded all that. Now turning season 2 nothing but a dream. We know Horta is not the best in keeping his head straight with steady ideas, he proved that all through season 3. :-/

So many stories, really: introduced the baby drama with Willy, Willy taking over Meade corp., the Amanda quest for her father, the Alexis/Daniel plots, the awful triangle with Henry-Betty-Gio, Betty and Hilda falling into an inexplicable destructive relationship with her exboyfriend and a married man, respectively... etc. Just too much!

I remember disliking season 2 a lot. But they just messed it up in season 3. Now season 2 doesn't seem as bad in comparison. Some of the crazy plots now seem crazier because they just discarded them.

beatrice- you know something beatrice, i wrote that comment 4 months ago and when i think about- i realised that gio was a great guy thanks to freddy. it's just that love triangle that annoyed me a lot in season 2, amongst other things- and let me tell you it just wasn't that love triangle. and yeah, the writer's strike that season, led to season 2 being shortened to 18 episodes.

the amanda finding her father storyline bored me actually and as much as i love amanda, i felt that back in season 2 her and marc weren't as funny as they were in season 1, because the writers seemed to sacrifice their humourous side and making them boring. also there were some OTT and silly storylines like betty acting nuts after spraying herself with fey sommers perfume in odour in the court- that ep was so embarassing, and stupid, and alexis trying to make out with a dwarf. and excluding freddy, hiring all these irrelevant celebs like posh spice victoria beckham, gene simmons, naomi campbell to name just to boost ratings, instead of improving on the writing.

so yeah, season 2 bothered me a great deal. freddy as gio was a great addition- i just wish we could've done without that love triangle, all those celeb appearances and those stupid and childish storylines.