'Ugly Betty': Happy endings (for now)

That wasn't what we were expecting!

ABC teased last night's season-ending episode of "Ugly Betty" with carefully edited commercials hyping a showdown of sorts between Henry and Gio. It looked like things were going to get ugly, that Betty would have to choose, that there would be a winner and a loser.

And well, there was a showdown. But not over Betty. Instead, Henry and Gio went head-to-head in a competition over who could charm the most phone numbers out of bar-going women ... by being the biggest jerk. Not exactly what was teased, but more on that in a bit ...

Still, the episode was not intended to be "Ugly Betty's" last. (Just ask exec producer Silvio Horta, who says that, because of the strike, several story lines are now in limbo, as well as a planned musical episode.) And instead of a serial-making cliffhanger, last night's ending left characters in various states of bliss (however temporary they will ultimately be).

Amanda possibly found her father in Gene Simmons. And after her rousing rendition of "Milkshake" earlier this season, she sang sweet love to the KISS frontman, complete with prolonged tongue wagging. (We think the two might really be related -- her tongue is almost as long and pliant as his.)

Claire Mead, newly sprung from prison with nothing to do, has decided to start a magazine for "women of a certain age." She's calling it Hot Flash.

Wilhelmina began her role as nurse maid to Christina, who is carrying a child she doesn't realize is the spawn of Wilhelmina and the late Bradford Mead. Her participation has secured a lifesaving operation for her husband -- but, more important, has become a way to spy on the Slater home.

Daniel may not only have found a lady love in Wilhelmina's sister Rene, he's finally decided to back Betty's ambition to write. Of course, there's that shadowy past of Rene's to look forward to ...

Betty managed to open up her mind long enough to write a thousand words on Phil Roth -- that's Phil, not Philip -- author of "Tap That: How to Score With Hot Bitches," with special assistance from Henry and Gio. (Ultimately, the story is killed by Alexis, still too newly female to promote such a book.)

And then there's Henry, who once again proved that Gio's schoolboy charm won't easily come between him and Betty. Every time we think we've crossed over to Team Gio -- that last longing look he threw Betty at the end of last week's episode almost put us over the edge -- Henry goes and wins us over all over again. Sure, he may be a soon-to-be-dad with only a few months left with our heroine. But he dances, he sings, he raps! (Henry and Betty's "It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right" may have even topped Amanda's ode to her dad.) Then again, now that Betty's promised Henry she'll stop seeing Gio (and his chicken salad sandwiches), is there any clearer sign that things are about to go bad for the pair?

Guess we'll all be waiting until next fall to find out.

-- Denise Martin