'Ugly Betty' finale is actually kind of pretty

THE SHOW "Ugly Betty"

WHEN | WHERE Wednesday night at 10 on ABC / 7

REASON TO WATCH Series finale

CATCHING UP Last week closed with a shocker. Tyler (Neal Bledsoe), the alcoholic, ne'er-do-well son of Claire Meade (Judith Light), pulls a gun on Mom. But Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) steps between them, and . . . blam! Meanwhile, Betty (America Ferrera) has a job offer to join a magazine launch in London. Betty's nephew, Justin (Mark Indelicato), finally comes out of the closet at the wedding of Hilda (Ana Ortiz) and Bobby (Adam Rodriguez). Also: Henry Grubstick (Chrisopher Gorham) came back to see if he and Betty still had that old spark. (Um, no.)

WHAT THE EPISODE IS ABOUT "Hello Goodbye" opens in a driving rain, with a funeral in progress. Marc (Michael Urie) is in tears. Could this be the funeral for . . . ? Back at Mode, Daniel (Eric Mabius) has yet to learn of Betty's offer, and she has no idea how he'll take the big news.

Meanwhile, there's cold comfort for Amanda's (Becki Newton) dog, Halston. Hilda and Bobby are thinking of leaving Queens for Manhattan. Something happens or has happened to Wilhelmina? What's that? You'll find out.

MY SAY Four years ago, "Ugly Betty" was one of the hottest shows on TV. Today, not so hot, and tomorrow gone. That's a remarkable burnout trajectory, even for network TV. What happened? Honestly, it's not entirely clear. "Betty" was as progressive as any show on TV when it came to depicting gay relationships - not always a ratings-grabber in certain parts of the country, or among certain viewers. Maybe fans wearied of the endless "What's Wilhelmina gonna do now?" merry-go-round. Or maybe it was just time: Betty was never "ugly," just awkward, with braces, and a fashion sense that screamed "burn these clothes."

In time, the braces were gone, the clothes turned chic, and the style went haute. Time for a new life, or an end to the old one. Certainly an end to the title. Next for Ferrera? She's developing a telenovela for MTV, from behind the camera.

BOTTOM LINE A sweet ending to a gentle series.

GRADE B