133 replies to this topic

[Prettyeyes]

Since great stories are nothing without great villains, here's the thread for Wilhelmina Slater, who loves designer clothes, money, power and especially, Botox. Betty? Not so much.


Say what you will about Wilhelmina Slater, played by Vanessa Williams, here, whether you wear Prada or not.

[MetropolisGal]

Vanessa is fabulously bitchy as Wilhelmina. She's deliciously evil, and I'm glad that a major network show finally has a woman in her late 40s with a younger man.

[Rosalyn578]

Wilhelmina's supposed to be in her late 40's?

[memememe76]

Vanessa looked great in bed with the photographer. She'll be lots of fun.

[babelfish]

I think it's interesting that, unlike Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, she isn't coded 100% villain. She's (moderately) kind to her assistant and, as the photographer reminds Daniel, commands the loyalty of most of the Mode staff. That's probably going to change starting with the second episode, but it's a nice subtle touch.

[Rosalyn578]

Vanessa's 43. That's why the late 40's thing kinda threw me off. That's why I wondered if Wilhemina was supposed to be older.

[Wisla]

I think it's interesting that in a show that makes such a deal about how Betty looks, her archrival isn't well dressed, either.

Take the picture of Wilhelmina in the bus shelter posters (she's in a white outfit standing next to Betty). What fashion editor would wear an '80s style, bustier-like jacket? Or pearls, arranged like a bunch of grapes, hanging from a big old chain around her neck? (Are they trying to imply she is a slave to fashion?) The jacket has a pulled seam, which shows cheap cloth and thread, no matter how much she paid for it. Her hair is swollen like a bag of Jiffy Popp. Also, her bra strap is showing.

In other words, dated and dreadful. Are the producers implying they are both "Ugly Betty"? Or are they just clueless about fashion?

[Sol Apollo]

Ooo, that's a good point. They're both "Ugly Betty." Betty being ugly on the outside, Wilhelmina being ugly on the inside.

[davidmello]

Wilhelmina is also an idiot. She has an alliance with Not Dead Fey, expecting to get the magazine as her payment for her loyalty. Of course, Fey will just re-emerge, claim Wil caused her car crash (although it could have been Daniel's dad in a situation that makes "Dynasty" look like "I, Claudius"), and get the magazine back. That would get me interested.

Edited by davidmello, Oct 7, 2006 @ 11:36 PM.

[cggb]

Wilhemina is definitely an idiot, but I think that's by design. Everything on the show is done in such broad brushstrokes, and I see Wilhemina as the Wile E. Coyote type, who's always getting foiled, in ways where you can see it coming a mile away.

[Edsel Love]

This is going to sound really strange, but I honestly believe too much abuse was heaped on Wilhelmeanie in last night's episode (Queens for a Day). Sure, she was thwarted in business--as well she should be--but the subplot with the Senator who stood her up was genuinely hurtful. Add to that the horrible father who insulted her for only being in the #2 position at the magazine, and I genuinely felt sorry for her.

It just seemed like one pie in the face too many. She is genuinely good at her job, and quite frankly, once Daniel is able to move out of Mode and upward into Meade, she probably should be made EIC. The cruel parent was just . . . too much.

ETA: Yep. Sumofan is right. Am now proceeding to beat myself with a clue stick. Thanks.

Edited by Edsel Love, Oct 13, 2006 @ 2:00 PM.

[sumofan]

The Senator and her father were the same person. The Senator that she kept talking was her father.

[dealan]

Plus, she openly took shots at Betty that singled her out in front of, not only her boss, but Bradford Meade. We expect Wilhelmina to be foiled every week, but this week's ep had her more over the top and vicious than we've ever seen her. It's one thing to go after Daniel; going after Betty is just cheap and easy. I know I was uncomfortable during that scene, and I don't think I was the only one. (VW and AF's performances really sold that scene.)

So in light of that, it's good that we got to see a vulnerable side to Wilhelmina. Props the the writers for giving her some dimension and to VW for selling it so well in that tiny, tiny scene.

[Wisla]

Heh, on the bus stop poster outside my building, someone painted a Hitler mustach on Wilhelmina.

On her, it looked good.

[dorakpasa]

I guess I'll never find Hitler references good.

Wil was sweet to Justin and that just adds another layer to the daddy issues, control bitch, being unnecessarily mean to Betty at the Mode change meeting, et.al.

[MidwesternFlair]

Hands down, the funniest line of the whole last episode was Wilhemina saying "... and that disgusting fat carol... she gave it away willingly... and, so, she gets the axe!... now get out of here before I change my mind."

Vanessa is getting better and better, and is looking less botoxy lately, which is nice.

[cordygirl]

Anyone else feeling a bit sorry for Wil after last night's ep? No? Just me then?
Alrighty.

I love that she has a daughter that looks older than Betty, I love that she seems to be as loyal to Marc as he is to her, and I love that she kept calling Christina "Carlotta". Because if you're a One Life To Live fan like I am, you can recall that name being yelled a lot to a "servant" type person by a bitchy, beautiful, older lady not unlike Wil. Hee. Mostly I really love that they're giving her layers, and Vanessa Williams is playing them beautifully. You can't completely hate her, but she makes it impossible to like her too. I think she's going to come to have a gruding respect for Betty, but I also think she'd love nothing more than to force Betty to lose weight so she could make her over. I can just see the wheels turning in her head when she looks at Betty, or when she looked at Marc-as-Betty this week.

[The Other Daughter]

I have to say I'm loving Wilhemina as a character more every week as she becomes more and more layered. She's never going to be a sweetheart but she's not some two dimensional villainess like the Anna Wintour takeoff in The Devil Wears Prada either. She's an actual human being (who as our dear recapper Jessica notes really does seem to be quite good at her job and probably should have been put in charge of the magazine )and that's in great part thanks to Vanessa Williams. And can I say how happy I am that Vanessa got this part? She's so talented and gorgous and Hollywood frankly has never put her to good enough use...fact is Hollywood usually doesn't have many good uses for black actresses period especially when they're over forty so to see Vanessa land plum role like this that you can see she's just reveling in is quite heartening. I'm also very interested in learning more about her relationship with Niko especially since she apparently goes out all out insane trying to do a family Thanksgiving thanks to Niko being around.

[Trini Girl]

So Wil has a daughter...but I don't get why she was so upset about Nico contacting her. Yadda, yadda, she doesn't want to feel old...but goodness gracious, can't you call back your own child?

[Research Girl]

I wasn't bothered by her not wanting to talk to Nico- she was at work after all and I got the impression that they have one of those difficult mother-daughter relationships. At this point it could go either way- she's a cold, distant mother or she's a loving mother who never sees eye to eye with her daughter.

[mshobo]

Vanessa Williams is an incredible looking woman, but no way is she a size 2. I know that is part of the episode that she had gained some weight, but she is more like a six, a hot six, but not even close to being a 2.

[Edsel Love]

Wow, did she sink low in last night's episode! Even Amanda's attempt at binge-eating plastic grapes couldn't match pulling a box of cereal out of the trash.

VW really sells the pathos, the cruelty, the coldness, the defeat, the anger, the understanding, and the respect. Am I missing any layers?

[cordygirl]

The lonely, the (slightly) pathetic.

[Sociophobic]

I know that is part of the episode that she had gained some weight, but she is more like a six, a hot six, but not even close to being a 2.

I bet you that she's a larger size but Marc changes out the tags in her clothes. Either that or they just pretend she's smaller than she is, but I like the first explanation better.

[backupmars]

What I love about Willie's character is that she makes it totally believable that she is qualified to be a better EIC of Mode than Daniel .... she has the wiles, smarts, and quick thinking to do it. All of her professional survival instincts were on display in this episode, especially that damage control part when she joined her daughter in a full-length fur coat. In my opinion, VW never commanded a scene as greatly until that one.

Edited by backupmars, Nov 4, 2006 @ 3:44 PM.

[dorakpasa]

Did they ever say what became of Hudson magazine, the one for which, Alex was EIC?
Why wouldn't Wil or Daniel be EIC of that one?

[Neuri]

Maybe Hudson isn't a fashion magazine. In any case, Daniel was picked to run Mode because Fey's death had left the EIC position open. Wilhelmina was expected to be handed the reigns as she's worked for the magazine for 20 years and knows more about how to run it than practically anybody else. It might've been nepotism on Bradford's part or something more. We don't know for sure at this point.

[dorakpasa]

Well, I guess Hudson could be a dead issue (hee). But it could be another story line that Daniel heads one magazine and Wil heads another in the ultimate fight to replace BradDad.