A Tree Grows in Guadalajara

Abstract is: "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" is the 22nd episode of the first season of the American television dramedy Ugly Betty. It was written by Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally and directed by Lev L. Spiro. The episode was originally broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States on May 10, 2007. Ugly Betty centers on Betty Suarez's job at the fashion magazine MODE, where she works despite not fitting their expectations of female beauty and style. In this episode, Betty accompanies her family on a trip to Mexico and learns more about her mother. Back at MODE's New York office, Alexis Meade has a tense reunion with ex-girlfriend Jordan Dunn. Amanda Tanen and Marc St. James disagree over her relationship, and Bradford Meade attempts to recapture his youth. "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" features guest appearances by Rita Moreno, Justina Machado and Rebecca Gayheart. The initial broadcast of the episode was watched by 9.4 million viewers; it received the second-highest rating for its time slot. The scenes in Mexico have attracted attention from scholars who discussed the episode's representation of Mexico, the Suarez family's cultural background, and Betty's relationship with her mother. "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" received a mixed response from critics, some of whom praised certain lines of its dialogue.