Cheryl Shops

Project Runway recap
While last year's Project Runway was a two-hour finale, this year they're splitting it into two hour-long episodes, I suppose to up the drama factor. This week's installment featured Tim Gunn visiting each of the three finalists at home as they work on their 12-piece collection for Fashion Week. I think Santino realized he came across as an ass on the show, because damn if he wasn't trying hard to look grateful, humble, and sympathetic. And, you know, he did a good job (or maybe it was just the editing). Tim then visited Daniel uptown (it looked like Morningside Heights to me) and Chloe in Texas. Cue the semi-sappy stories about how the designers have overcome the obstacles in their lives. Enough of that. The designers then convened in New York, months later. Chloe and Daniel were obviously happy to see each other...and not so much Santino (whom I'm now actually starting to feel sorry for--gee, can I be manipulated or what?!). The designers gave Tim a preview of what they had so far, and while he seemed kind of lukewarm about Chloe's and enthusiastic about Santino's, he was quite mum about Daniel's. And Daniel kind of threw a hissy fit. (Speaking of being manipulated, remember last year how you started to hate Kara Saun, the clear frontrunner, during the last episode? Exactly.) The designers then selected their models, fit their models...and then Tim and Heidi presented a last-minute challenge! Woo-hoo! In a very Apprentice-like twist, the former contestants came back, and each still-in-the-running designer had to pick a helper for the task--which was to make a 13th-hour 13th piece to add to the collection. Cue the frantic looks from the designers. Daniel, smart boy, picked Nick; Santino picked Andrae, probably just so he could do his Tim Gunn impersonation; and Chloe picked Dirty Diana, which I feel is like a disaster waiting to happen. The episode concluded with a frantic trip to Mood and Santino threatening to send his model down the runway in a maxi-pad. Oh, some things never change...

Like America's Next Top Model, which kicked off its new season with a "Where are they now?" episode. The thankfully Tyra-lite show (she's starting to make little distinction between Tyra the Talk-Show Host and Tyra the ANTM Host) focused on past-season contestants who are actually working as models--which included everyone from the winners to season one's Shannon, season two's Mercedes and Camille (still exaggerating, as always), season three's Ann (who was signed to freaking Elite and is doing quite well for herself), Toccara, and Yaya, and season four's Brittany. Conspicuously absent was season one winner Adrianne Curry, who, in Tyra's eyes, has tarnished the ANTM franchise by appearing on The Surreal Life, schtupping Peter Brady, and posing for Playboy (or so I'd like to assume). And while I was glad to see season five's Kim (my favorite) embracing her newfound status as a lesbian role model, and the fact that Lisa is still batshit crazy, I was kind of let down that only five girls--Bree, Lisa, Cassandra, Kim, and Sarah--were interviewed? What happened to Nik, the runner up? Or Jayla? Or Miss Don't Get It Twisted? Faded into oblivion already, I guess. I did, however, love all the "Look how couture Nicole is!" segments, for their campiness alone. Speaking of which, the new season starts (for real) next Wednesday. Ah, escapism...