Ugly Betty Episode 3.24 The Fall Issue

In the Season 3 finale, Mode's wedding issue gets nominated for a Magazine and Media Association Award. The press swarms all over Claire when Wilhelmina arrives at Mode, so Ms. Slater takes the opportunity to rattle Claire by mentioning "Madison, South Dakota" and her "inner child."

Meanwhile, Betty has to check on the reclusive features editor, Penny Meadows, to see if her piece on Yves St. Laurent is ready for the fall issue. Penny insists that art can't be rushed and is more concerned with shooing away the pigeons outside her window.

Hilda advises Betty not to tell Matt about Henry, but Betty feels she should. Matt's back from his artists' retreat. She's about to tell him what happened with Henry, when they're dramatically interrupted: Penny plummets from her 28th-story window and lands on a car right in front of the Meade offices! We'd wait until the body was cold, but Daniel suggests that Betty take over Penny's job and Betty is thrilled to finally be an editor. Because of the circumstances, she asks Daniel not to mention it right away.

Hilda convinces Betty that Penny's accident was fate telling her to keep quiet about the Henry kiss. When Matt calls to ask what she was about to tell him, Betty says it was nothing important.

Claire confesses to Wilhelmina that she was pregnant by Cal Hartley, but that she terminated the pregnancy and Cal never knew. Wilhelmina threatens to tell Cal unless Claire steps down as Senior Vice President, specifying that she should announce her resignation at the MAMA awards.

Marc and Wilhelmina reminisce about their many triumphs at Mode and she says she'll miss him. Before he goes to his new job at Vogue, she has one thing to ask him. At Penny's memorial service, Marc announces that he's been named as Penny's replacement. Wilhelmina and Daniel argue over whose protege gets the job and they decide that Marc and Betty will both complete Penny's article and whoever does best gets the position.

Justin's letter from LaGuardia School of the Performing Arts arrives and he's crushed to find that he didn't get in.

Amanda tells Betty that Penny did her real work at home. She's just about to rush to Penny's apartment when Matt shows up to take her to lunch. He asks whether she saw Henry again before he left. Betty says she did, but that it "wasn't a big deal." Matt reveals he saw the kiss. "I've given you every opportunity to tell me the truth," he says bitterly and she assures him that it was just a goodbye kiss. "I don't believe you," is his reply. Sorry, Betty, but we don't blame him.

Betty and Marc can't find a trace of Penny's notes at her cluttered apartment. Her cranky twin sister finds the notes, but throws them out the window, saying how much Penny hated Mode. Betty and Marc decide they have to join forces and the next day, they give their bosses an ultimatum: "Unless you want us both to resign, you have to decide who gets promoted to editor."

Betty is so empowered that she goes to try to win Matt back. She gives him a ticket to the MAMA awards and says, "I hope you'll come."

Daniel is getting ready for the awards when he realizes that Molly is running a fever. She convinces him to go without her and that she'll join him in time for his awards category, although he insist on having a nurse come by and check on her.

Marc correctly guesses that Justin, who's there as Betty's date, is worried about attending public high school in Queens. Marc says he survived public school and tells Justin, "The trick is to find your niche and if you can't find one, make one."

At the awards, Cal counsels Matt that he'll always be competing with Henry, as Betty's first love. Cal says he knows what that feels like and that he's channeled all his rage into his work.

Daniel and Wilhelmina end up flipping a coin to decide between Betty and Marc. Daniel takes Betty aside to tell her, the job is hers! Betty's joy is tempered by Marc's disappointment at the news.

Mode wins for the wedding issue and Daniel and Wilhelmina accept the award together. Daniel looks up to see Molly, stunning in a red dress, enter the room. He speaks from the heart, saying, "This award means so much to me personally," adding, "it's a symbol of love. Sometimes we're fated to meet certain people who change our lives, people who make you a better person. To my wife, Molly, I love you." Molly whispers back, "I love you." When he looks toward the doorway again, Molly is gone. He asks Betty where she went and Betty insists she didn't see her.

Claire informs Wilhelmina that she's not stepping down, so Wilhelmina promises to make good on her threat to reveal her secret to Cal." "I already know," Cal says, "And it's none of your business." Claire adds, "We've decided to reevaluate your role in the company." Wilhelmina's job is in jeopardy, unless she can buy out Cal Hartley. She hires a man to find Connor Owens, dead or alive. "As long as you get the money, I really don't care," she says. She walks into the next room and is stunned when she sees who's waiting for her. "What are you doing here?" she asks.

Betty is celebrating in her new office when Matt comes in. He asks, "Do you still love him?" She says she'll always love Henry, in a way, since he was her first love, and asks Matt if he doesn't feel the same way about his. "Thing is, Betty," Matt says with tears in his eyes, "You're my first love." He tells her it's over. She wants to know if she'll see him again and he tells her she'll be seeing her every day: His dad's offered him a job at Mode and he's taken it. "I'm your new boss," he says. We say, "Oh, crap."

Daniel arrives at home: Molly's body is being taken out by ambulance. He texts Betty, "I need you," and she rushes to his side to comfort him.

Claire cries as she looks at an adoption certificate before she burns it in her fireplace. Sniff. Now all we can do is wait for Season 4.