You've got to hand it to the producers of Project Runway. Recently Heidi has been dropping hints that winning challenges would be good for more than just a chance to pin your name on a dummy. It turns out you also get a second chance after you've been eliminated. And it just happens that the only two people who were both eliminated before the final four and were also challenge winners were much-reviled contestants Vincent and Angela.
Now, I'm not one to be cynical, but I have a suspicion that this was not in the original plan. And I also suspect that there isn't any footage of Heidi dropping her hints on camera. If you were to go back through the episodes I bet you would see that they had been dubbed in later. Although I am currently between jobs (and back in the U.S.S.A!) I'm not yet bored enough to do this myself. Suffice it to say that this whole thing stinks of producer manipulation. Of course this is reality TV and I'm sure it says in real small type at the end of the show that the producers are free to change the rules around as much as they want in order to suit their many whims. Fine by me. It made for some nice drama. Could two of the least talented, most annoying contestants of the season somehow skate by into the final four thanks to an arbitrarily rigged contest? The blogsphere would be angry that day my friends.
Back in the apartment, totally missing the point of the plot wist, Laura points out that Angela won a team competition so it's not like she actually deserves to be back. And convenient flashbacks remind us that Laura and Michael won that challenge for Angela. But if Angela actually deserved a second chance, she wouldn't be back. She's only there for the drama.
With the hacks returned to their midst, the designers are given a nice challenge. A black and white cocktail party outfit. And they have to use every bit of fabric they buy. Nice and simple, and it forces everyone to plan ahead. I hope Angela sketched something.
Laura really took last week's drubbing hard. She was somehow shocked that her Cruella De Vil outfit (sorry Dan) didn't go over with the judges so she's on the verge of tears as she tries to youth it up a little this time. A video clip of her kids delivered via cell phone cheers her up, and everyone's heart is warmed along with her. I hope Laura gets a chance to win a competition…
Everyone goes for fairly predictable dresses. Jeffrey does "punk-rock cocktail party," Uli does a wild print dress, Michael does something tasteful and flattering (side note, the Hollywood Stock Exchange predictive market currently has Michael as the favorite to win. Currently trading at $14.76, you'd earn 24 cents a share if he wins.) Angela does something ridiculous, and Vincent goes for clueless and ugly. The only real surprises are Laura, who makes something new, and youthful, and Kayne who does his best to be tasteful.
Sadly, Kayne can't really do tasteful. He makes great pageant gowns. But the dress was only half nice. It really did have a good front, but the back was just weird. He should have given up on white altogether. But it probably wouldn't make a difference. It was his time to go. He was clearly the least talented designer left and the judges made a good decision. Prediction for next week: Uli is out.
And Laura wins the challenge! She's really coming around, and I'm putting her in my top 3 now. But the real winner is the American public, because Laura's win means Vincent and Angela get eliminated twice, finally giving Daniel Franco some company in that particular category.
