Episode Report Card Al Lowe: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Fare'Well Ra'Mon
By Al Lowe | Season 6 | Episode 6 | Aired on 09.24.2009
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Everyone feels like the competition is getting stiff, and it certainly is. This week, the designers are challenged to select from five film genres, invent a character that lives in that genre, and design for them. Irina, (her nemesis) Althea, and Louise will each design pieces for Film Noir. Logan and Carol Hannah both choose Action/Adventure. Ra'Mon and Nicolas go for SciFi. Gordana and Christopher each choose Period Piece; and Epperson and Shirin are stuck, to their horror, designing for a Western.
They are given 30 minutes to sketch, $150 to shop, and only one day to complete the challenge. Though they are working individually, Logan and Carol Hannah chat about their designs. Love is in the air. Or, well, Carol Hannah thinks he's "really hawt!" Ra'Mon is adorably excited about his SciFi opportunity, being a lifelong Trekkie.
The vibe in the workroom is getting more competitive. Louise casually accuses everyone of stealing her bobbins. She's more worried about that than she is about the story she needs for her character. Tim Gunn comes in, encouraging some and striking fear in others. He encourages everyone to be as ambitious as they can be.
The models arrive for fittings and makeup consultations and Ra'Mon starts doubting his reptilian jumpsuit. Yeah, with a description like that, how could it not be working, right? Well, it isn't. With two hours left, he starts over.
The morning of the show, no one is ready, and everyone is snappy. They finally hit the runway, and the results are theatrical to say the least. There are some amazing creations, and definitely some awesome hair and makeup, but a few bombs. Ra'Mon's snake dress is a mess, and Louise's film noir ensemble was bland. The judges once again disparage Gordana for being a good dressmaker, but perhaps an unimaginative designer. At long last, Epperson gets some love with his Western design -- his rustic ruffles look great and his model works it. However, Nicolas's ice queen is named the winner of the challenge. The bottom two are Louise and Ra'Mon and sadly, because his dress just did not come together well at all, Ra'Mon is sent home.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Okay, first of all, my Tivo has finally bit the dust and I am having to recap this from the full-episode video Lifetime provides on their website -- a video that is apparently incapable of being paused or reversed without causing the whole Internet to fall apart. Rage. So, I'm ultra-crabby. However, fear not. Al Lowe will rise above.
It's a new day in the room shared by Ra'Mon and Logan. "It's kind of weird waking up... to two empty beds," Ra'Mon says, and remembers his two booted roommates with a sad: "Oh, Malvin! Oh, Johnny!" That being said, he also adds that Johnny's exit is good for the competition. "I wish Johnny luck," he says, "but I'm kind of glad that he's gone. It makes the competition a little more serious for everyone." The roommates in the neighboring room agree. "We can focus more on design," Christopher says. Nicolas: "Not on comforting Johnny." Perfectly stated. I know the majority of our passionate forum posters don't like Nicolas and think he's the season's villain, but I have to disagree. He just wants to win. He may have been bitchy to Johnny, but Johnny was trying to sabotage himself and whoever he could take with him, crying on his throne of unnecessary lies. Now, Nicolas may not be the best designer -- I don't know, it remains to be seen -- but even when he says the standard "I'm not here to make real good friends" reality show line, I think the truth is, he is no more bitchy than anyone there. They all want to win.
The ladies are nervous about the stiffening competition. "I don't even know what to think about the next challenge," Gordana tells her roommates. She then reminds us in an interview that yes, she was once again in the bottom three last time. "I was shocked, to tell you the truth," she says. It is shocking, really. She's very talented, but I think she's facing a generational problem -- she's there to make clothes, not be on a reality show that requires you to have an above-and-beyond personality and willingness to go way out of the box on your designs. I just don't think she's down with the concept, really, and kudos to her, because let's keep it real -- this is a ridiculous way to get a job.
The designers arrive at the runway to be greeted by Heidi in a demure, classic black dress... that is so tight you can see her navel. Can I make a request that in future seasons Heidi doesn't sport so many bun hairdos? Can the Garnier people back there not whip up some fructis for a sister? She reminds the designers that Irina has immunity and tells them that today, they'll be getting a chance to get out of the sewing room. This challenge, she says, will be all about the thing for which LA is most famous. Botox? Terrible reality programming? Two-and-a-Half Men? No. Movie-making. The designers are thrilled. Nicolas interviews that he has done quite a bit of costume work for films, and thus feels like this challenge could be "very, very interesting" for him.