Okay, so you know how I always make Paris Is Burning references because so many of the girls look like transvestites? Well, this time it's totally legit, because Benny Ninja, of the House of Ninja, makes a visit to teach the girls how to pose and vogue. The girls have to show their catlike agility and posing skills while slinking through a crazy maze of lasers. Trust me when I tell you that it's hilarious. Whitney wins the challenge, and a $40,000 bracelet to boot. Meanwhile, Renee renounces bitchery...or does she? She all of a sudden gets much nicer to her former rivals, but there is some question as to whether it's genuine. After getting disqualified in the crazy maze of lasers challenge, Renee goes back to being her rank self. She calls her husband and asks him to come get her and take her home, and says that she can't stand the other girls and that she's going to beat them down. And of course it's someone else's turn for the phone. And her husband doesn't actually come to get her. The other girls are wary of Renee, which is as it should be. In a special Law & Order-inspired photo shoot, the girls play crime scene corpses. Which, of course, is awesome for Jael, whose friend just died. Interestingly enough, the girls all look better with head wounds painted on to them. Tyra could use some of this magic, since she looks like a prize-winning eggplant at judging. Rancid Renee does a great job and redeems herself, at least in the judges' eyes, and in the end, Dionne and Felicia wind up in the bottom two. The dentist is safe for yet another week as The Great Eggplant speaks and sends cute little Felicia home.
Previously: Jael learned the tragic news of a friend's death, and was pretty shaken up. The girls got all naked-like for a candy-covered photo shoot, and Cassandra failed to impress and was sent home. Ten girls remain! Who will be eliminated tonight? Sadly, the answer is not Renee.
We begin with Diana painting her toes as she says that she doesn't want to be in the bottom two ever again. Whitney says that the judges told her she isn't a model. She interviews that she left a very good school -- Dartmouth, to be specific -- to be on the show. She's not on financial aid, and so is $9,000 in the hole to her father. Wow, Whitney's parents must have some cash if they can send her to Dartmouth and pay full tuition. In any case, she's all about being $9,000 worth of proof that she's a model.
Tyra Mail! "Strike a pose as if there's nothing to it. Love, Tyra." I love how they put the "as if" to try to make us believe that there actually is something to it. Felicia calls Jael her "little grasshopper," and the two go off together on the patio. Felicia tells us that Jael is upset about her friend passing away, and so Felicia thought that she would teach Jael a dance to take her mind off things. You know what I don't do enough of? Dancing away my troubles. I'm serious about that. Jael does not appear to be a very good dancer. Nevertheless, she interviews that she doesn't feel alone going through her trials, and that she's grateful to have friends in the house.
Meanwhile, as Jael and Felicia are bonding, Renee is off by herself on another side of the patio. She tells us that a lot of the girls in the house don't understand her, and "are just looking for ways to be offended by" her. Well, they don't have to look very far. And sometimes it's hard to understand why someone would be such a rancid bitch all the time. Renee doesn't know why this is happening, and thinks that the girls just don't like her. Well, with good reason. I mean, I have watched every cycle of this show, and there are few people who have been harder to like than Renee. And not even in a fun way!
The dawn breaks. We are met by Renee in the confessional. She says that this is a new morning for her, and that she reflected on how she's been getting into it with all the other girls in the house quite a bit. She wants to win the competition and knows that she can't do that with a bitchy attitude. So, she says, she's got to stop being mean. Oh, she's MEAN! Well why didn't she say that in the first place to give some context to why the other girls don't like her? Renee says that she's going to make a change, which will, she hopes, cause the other girls not to want to rearrange her face, like they've wanted to since Day 1. And I have to say, there are two things about Renee that I kind of like. One is that she knows she's a bitch. Two is that she's totally admitting that she's changing her attitude because it will make her look more favorable in the competition. Renee is not into changing her stripes for any reasons of personal growth, I'll tell you that much.
Renee goes up to Jael and says that she has something for her, but doesn't want her to take offense to it, because she doesn't mean it offensively. That's a great way to build up your present to someone. Jael is all like, WTF? And then Renee gives Jael a drawing that she's made. It's of Jael in a straightjacket. But, Renee points out, the straightjacket is not tied. The most offensive part of the whole thing is that it looks like it was drawn by a fifth-grader. Renee says that she thought that the drawing would make Jael feel better. And, you guys...you know, I've been feeling a little down lately. You know what would make me feel better? If you all sent me unskilled, rudimentary drawings of me in a straightjacket. That would really cheer me up. Jael, of course, thinks that it's the coolest picture ever and that it was awesome of Renee to give it to her. But then again, Jael's kind of weird.
Meanwhile, there is a really flamingly gay cop directing traffic somewhere in L.A. He pulls over the girls' big Hummer limo. Natasha is scared. The cop -- whose police hat covers a good 3/5 of his head -- tells the girls that he isn't actually a cop. But he looked so official! Instead, he is Benny Ninja. The Father of the House of Ninja! From Paris Is Burning! He's going to be the girls' posing coach for today. And if you've never seen Paris Is Burning, you should do it, if only for the startling number of Jaslene lookalikes. But seriously, it's the greatest. Anyway, Benny Ninja says that the House of Ninja has perfected voguing. Don't tell that to the House of Xtravaganza, queen. He tells the girls that voguing started in the '70s in Harlem, and that people took it to the clubs and started having posing battles. And then Madonna co-opted it in that special way of hers and every ten-year-old white girl in the country was doing it. We see some footage of Benny from the Drag Ball Association's promotional video, soon to be shown in a middle school near you! He says that when you add motion to posing, you get voguing. He tells the girls that they want to exaggerate their positions, and get a different shot each time.
The girls are going to battle it out in a non-official posing challenge. Benny picks Felicia and Sarah to face off first. They have to do "face poses." Benny says that Felicia is an amazing girl and is a natural at posing. Eh, I think she looks just so-so, but then again, I am not the mother of the House of Ninja. Felicia wins the challenge and is happy about kicking Sarah's ass. , Renee and Diana battle it out to see who can show the best shoe. Brittany and Natasha have to imaginary-handbag-vogue. Natasha is clueless, man. But then again, I imagine framing an imaginary handbag is harder than it sounds. Jaslene and Dionne do elegant model-on-the-floor poses. Benny says that they were both fabulous, and Dionne is impressed by her own ability to vogue. Whitney and Jael have to do facial expressions. Benny loves Whitney, who has the ability to transition seamlessly from pose to pose to pose. Renee interviews that Benny Ninja was amazing and that she learned a lot from him.
When they return home, there is Tyra Mail: "The best way to commit this crime is to look good doing it." The girls think that it's going to have something to do with voguing. They'll be awfully surprised when they're turning tricks on the corner! Whitney and Felicia practice fierce face poses in the mirror. Whitney interviews that Felicia has grown on her so much, and that she's like a little sister. She thinks that Felicia is a beautiful girl, and looks like Tyra, and is going to do well in the competition. Whitney has no instinct. She suggests that they go off to look at Tyra's pictures, and Felicia says, "Yeah. Does she have a fierce one?" Way to get yourself kicked off the show, Tyra Jr.
Meanwhile, out on the patio, Renee is braiding Brittany's weave. Yes, Brittany, her former arch-nemesis. Brittany says that her weave wants to be dreadlocks, and Renee tells her that they'll have to get her a new one. Brittany interviews that there are two sides to Renee. She can be fun and nice, but there is often a "bitchy undertone." Brittany says that she's happy as long as Renee is nice to her. Brittany is apparently happy for forty-five seconds a day. Meanwhile, it must be the introduction to the opposite sketch, because Renee's former best friend Diana watches the whole scene skeptically. She interviews that Renee is very manipulative, and looks for a girl in the house for whom she can be there, and who she, in a sense, can control. Diana says that she doesn't buy it at all. Well, she was buying it in bulk for the last three weeks. Commercials.
When we return, Jael tells us that she has a big ole' burn on her face. Yowsa, it's really big. She burned herself with a curling iron. She thinks it might have something to do with her super-frazzled nerves, which are a result of her friend passing away. You know, when I was in first grade, my mom totally burned my forehead when she was trying to curl my bangs, and when I went to school, another kid noticed and asked me what happened. I said, "My mother burned me with a curling iron," and that kid told the teacher, and then DCYF was all over my parents. Actually, it probably wasn't DCYF -- back then the government really didn't care if you beat your kids. But they definitely got a call home from the school. So, I feel for Jael. That is a tough cross to bear.
The girls arrive at a dark building in downtown Los Angeles, where they are greeted by Benny Ninja. He looks like he is dressed as a condom/superhero. He tells them that they have entered the house of LaBanks, where Tyra keeps her most valuable posing secrets locked up. Today, the girls are going to put yesterday's lessons in posing and movement to the test, and one of them is going to win a $40,000 diamond bracelet from Angara.com. If anyone ever gives me a $40,000 piece of jewelry, I sure as hell hope it's not a charm bracelet. Each girl is going to get a chance to show Benny her catlike agility and fabulous poses while slinking through a crazy maze of lasers. And seriously, bravo to the person who wrote that copy. In case you're having trouble imagining what it actually means, think of that movie with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones where she had to commit some bank heist by slinking through a laser-based security system. The girls change into the slinky bank heist outfits that will take them through the crazy maze of lasers. Crazy maze of lasers, crazy maze of lasers. I can't stop saying it. Renee says that she has to win this challenge. She and her husband are really broke right now, and $40,000 would be a fresh start for her family.
Benny gives the rules of the challenge. Each girl will have two minutes to make it through the entire maze. If you touch a laser, a buzzer sounds, and you have to go back to the beginning of the maze and start over. Each girl who makes it through the maze will get a key, which may open up the box with the diamond prize inside. But it's not all luck, which would have been awesome and cruel. Benny will decide which girl had the most poise and grace while going through the maze, and she will be the winner.
Dionne is first. She interviews that she thought, "What the hell?" when they picked her first, and had no idea how she was going to get through the crazy maze of lasers. Dionne is kind of hilarious. She starts big by going into a full split, but hits a laser and has to go back. She gets sent back a few more times before making it through the maze with a second to spare. She gets to pick a key.
Brittany is , and Benny has to tell her to remember to pose. She makes it through the maze without too much ado, though, and also gets a key.
Whitney says that, going into the challenge, she thought that she should pose her tail off and do the best job she could. Benny says that Whitney blew his mind. Her poses were phenomenal, and she kept eye contact with him the entire time she was coming through the maze. And by "the maze," I mean the crazy maze of lasers. She gets a key.
Jaslene is , and she says she was trying to do her thing, pose, and be as sexy as she could be. She makes it through and gets a key.
Then there's Felicia, who says that the maze was easy for her because she got to use her dance background to her advantage. She gets a key.
Natasha makes it through and looks totally insane, but still gets a key.
Sarah, Diana, and a crazily posing Jael each get a key. So, everyone so far has gotten a key. It must not be that hard, right?
Oh, wait, but Renee hasn't taken her turn yet. She goes, and starts to slink around on the floor. Benny says that she has great use of body movement, but then her va-jay-jay hits a laser and she's sent back. She starts over, and Benny taunts her about how much she wants the bracelet, and how she's not going to get it by hitting lasers with her big butt. She has to start over again and again, and eventually time runs out. She can't believe that all the other girls did it, but that she couldn't. And now she doesn't have a key, and her baby has to continue to eat cat food for dinner. She says that her family is swimming in debt, and have no place to live, and that she feels like she's failed her family. Maybe you want to try moving somewhere other than Maui, and then getting a job other than "reality-show contestant."
The girls stand before Benny Ninja, who tells them that they were all terrific. He says that Renee didn't make it through, but that she tried her hardest. That's some cold comfort, right there. Benny tells the girls that he picked the winner based on who had the best posing and movement throughout the maze. Her key will open the box with the diamond prize inside. Each girl stands before a box with her key, and on cue they all open them. Whitney is slow getting hers open, but as she sees all the other empty boxes around her, she realizes that she is the winner. Go, Whitters! She's really excited. She says that even though she owes her father $9,000, she's going to keep the bracelet, because it has sentimental value. Well, that's good, because it's ugly.
When the girls return home, there is Tyra Mail. "Don't kill yourself with over-thinking the competition, but kill me with your drop-dead gorgeous looks. Love, Tyra." Renee tells us that her spirit has been broken. She came into the competition thinking that she was going to rock it, but rocking has not, in fact, occurred. Jael goofs around and makes the other girls laugh, while Renee goes off to call her husband, Jason. She asks Jason if he wants to come pick her up. He gets a tone in his voice like, "Aw, man, not again," and asks her what's wrong. She says that she's tired of being there, and that it's stupid that she's there because she should be with her family, and not with the other stupid girls in the house. You know he's panicking now and wants to scream, "Don't come home! Make someone else put up with your stank ass for a change!" Meanwhile, the other girls start to twitter that Renee is past her allotted phone time. Renee cries and tells Jason that she misses them all so much. He says that he, and the rest of her family, miss her, too. Lies.
Renee starts to talk about her bad day, and Felicia and Natasha go over to the phone room to tell her that it's someone else's turn. They see that she's crying, and Felicia asks if she's okay. Renee tells her to go away, and that she's talking to her husband. Way to receive kindness, jerk. Felicia tells her that two people need to use the phone. When she and Natasha leave, Renee cries harder and tells Jason that she can't stand the other girls, and is in fact going to beat them all down. So ladylike! With annoyance, Felicia recounts the tale of what happened to the other girls. She interviews that Renee knows that she's been lashing out at the other girls, and that her attitude has been flaring. However, despite the whole "dawn of a new day" bit, once the girls got back to the house, nothing had changed. She says that Renee can switch on you, and that you never know which side you're going to get. But, probably most times it's a safe bet that it's the evil one. In any case, Felicia says that you have to be careful. Renee continues to sulk as we head to commercials.
When we return, the girls head to the twelfth floor of the Alexandria Hotel, where they meet Mr. Jay Manuel. He confirms with the girls that they've been learning all about posing this week, and then says that sometimes you have to bring life to a dead pose. For the shoot, the girls are all going to be crime-scene victims. Chung chung! Well done, The CW. Nothing says "free to be" more than the sexualization of corpses. Also, did I call it or what? Jay says that the girls will all be dead in their photos, and the twist is that they've killed each other. Renee looks particularly gleeful about this bit of news, though the truth is that if there were a Ms. Body, it would definitely be her. Jay says that even though they're supposed to be dead, he wants some life in their shots. Felicia interviews somewhat confusedly that they're supposed to be dead, yet alive, which is an oxymoron. And, in fact, was a concept probably devised by a moron on OxyContin. The photographer for the shoot is Mike Rosenthal, most recently of Cycle 7's circus freak shoot.
The girls head to hair and makeup where various head wounds and that sort of thing are applied. Jay can't believe that Jael burned her face with a curling iron, given her small amount of hair. She says that she's been frazzled, but is going to bring a good picture.
Renee is first to shoot, as "poisoned by a model." She says that she's really nervous, because she was the only girl who didn't make it through the Crazy Maze Of Lasers challenge. She sounds so sad when she says it that I almost feel bad for her. Almost. As it happens, Renee does really well. Jay has only positive things to say, and tells Renee that she was good in a way that he would expect from a high-fashion, editorial supermodel. Well, how-dee, Renee can really play dead! Renee is excited about how well she did, but isn't going to tell the other girls about it, because they already hate her enough as it is. Cut to Jay telling the other girls how great Renee was. He tells "Cha-Cha" -- a.k.a. Jaslene -- that Renee is coming for her. Jaslene says that intimidation is her motivation. Jay continues by saying that that every frame, including Renee's test shots, is perfect for judging. Renee comes in the room, and Jay whispers that he already told everyone how good she was. Renee laughs and says that they hate her enough as it is. Jay asks why, and Renee says, "I'm a bitch." Okay, that was pretty awesome and surprisingly self-aware. Renee gets half a point.
up is Jaslene, who has been "pushed off of a roof by a model." Jay loves how the angle she's lying in makes it look like her ankle is broken. Renee interviews that her biggest competition in the house is Jaslene, who is very, very good at modeling. Jaslene does seem to be doing a good job, I have to say. Jaslene says that she doesn't care if the other girls watch her shoot, because she's the best. She adds that "Cha Cha Diva sure is out." Jay tells her that what they've shot so far is really beautiful.
up is Brittany, who's in a tub, having been electrocuted by a model. She asks Jay if she can be falling out of the tub, and he tells her to go for it. He then pours water all around her, which is great for her, since she's on a really skanky-looking bathroom floor. And come to think of it, ANTM is kind of like the skanky-looking bathroom floor of television, isn't it? It's all a metaphor! Jay tells her that she did a good job, and always commits, and then asks someone to get her a towel and a tetanus shot. That's what all the boys need after visiting Ms. J.
Dionne takes a moment to make us fully appreciate the Thriller-esque gashes and wounds that are being painted onto the girls, and then it is Diana's turn. Diana's rather high-concept crime scene is "organs stolen by a model." Yes, Whitney apparently cut her open, stole her organs, and stitched her back up. I guess it's Whitney who did that, because Diana's organs wouldn't fit inside any of the other girls. If they'd put them in Jaslene, she would have looked all bulgy. Diana loves the makeup. Jay tells her that she did a good job.
is Sarah, who comes with the usual instructions not to think about her pose too much. She gives us the whole "blah blah I'm a photographer" spiel, before posing as a girl who has been pushed down the stairs by a model. Who knew that models were such a murderous bunch? It makes the past seven seasons of this show much more interesting in retrospect. Sarah seems to do okay.
is Jael, who has been strangled by a model. Poor Jael, with the dead friend and all. It doesn't help that she's lying across a bed in what appears to be a crackhouse. Jay isn't thrilled with her shoot. Jael looks upset and teary. After the last shot, Jay asks her what she's thinking about. She tells him that her friend overdosed a week ago. Awkward! Jay tells Jael that she got into a really heavy place, and that it distracted her from her modeling. He says that it's important to use emotion without its overwhelming her, but in this instance, it overwhelmed her. Jay interviews that he, unfortunately, didn't know what was going on in Jael's life. He says that she did okay, but that it was clear that her focus wasn't on the shoot. Jael interviews that she doesn't think anyone realizes how traumatic this is for her right now. She says that she doesn't even remember getting her photograph taken -- all she remembers is trying to hold back tears. And for week's shoot...the girls dress up as participants at a funeral for someone who overdosed! Quelle coincidence!
is Felicia, who has been "decapitated by a model." Except that her head is still there. Do they think we don't know what "decapitated" means? Felicia makes a funny dead-person revenge voice, but it isn't helping her modeling any. Jay tells her that she actually looks just plain old dead, which isn't so hot. She interviews that she was thinking about nothing when she posed -- she just gave a blank stare into the clouds. It was at this moment that I began to suspect that Felicia might be a goner. The photographer tells her that it looks like she's taking a nap, when she should be looking like she's just been brutally killed. They totally should have put her head in a jar. That would have been bad-ass.
Whitney is , and was stabbed by a model. And then, apparently, fell on a divan. Whitney reminds us yet again that at the last panel, some of the judges didn't think that she was a model. That just added fuel to the fire, she says, and so she posed her butt off.
Then there's Natasha, who has been drowned by a model. Jay pours water all over her and she screams. He tells her that this isn't as cold as Russia. She interviews, "Oh my gosh, they are pouring the water on me, it feeling like needles going through my body from my skin." She looks like she has just been dragged from the river, and Jay says that she's doing a great job. He adds that he doesn't know what's gotten into some of the girls, who have gone from disaster to model in just a week.
Dionne is , having been shot by a model, and says that she looks like "a dead-ass rich woman for real." She says that her dress was "black and so scandalous," and I don't even know Dionne that well, but I'll bet "scandalous" is her signature word. Mike, the photographer, tells us that Dionne took a little while to warm up, and didn't take much initiative in terms of improvising her body position. Nevertheless, Jay says that it's scary how everyone's doing such a good job, and that he's not sure what that means. Felicia pipes up to say that it means no one is going home. Or if they do, they'll go in a body bag so as to look better than they normally do. Jay says that he thinks the judges are going to have a tough time, because a lot of the girls have delivered in a way that he never would have expected.
When the girls return home, there is Tyra Mail. Someone is getting the big-ass boot out of Deadsville. A few girls stand out on the porch, and Felicia says that she'll be relieved if she gets a good review. Jael asks who everyone thinks is going home. Felicia says that if she gets a good review, she'll do the "I ain't going home" dance. She demonstrates while wearing her underwear and a t-shirt and bouncing on a bed. Why are we suddenly watching Porky's? Felicia interviews that she thinks her photo shoot kicked ass, and that she's almost positive she got a good shot for Panel. Jael says that she wishes she'd gotten an opportunity to do her thing. She's worried, and thinks that she didn't do her best. She adds, "I was traumatized. That's not cool." No, no. Indeed it isn't. As we head to commercials, Jael says that she thinks she might be going home, which is very upsetting to her. It would be pretty harsh to kick off the girl whose friend just died. Commercials.
We enter Panel with a photo of Tyra looking like...I don't even know what. A one-handed lumberjack? Her one arm looks like it's growing out of her cleavage. I don't know what's going on. Just in time to explain everything to us all, however, is the Great Eggplantyra. She is outfitted in a purple halter dress with silver sequined empire waist and shoulder detail. It is, I think, a purple version of the black dress she wore last week. Is there only one dress that Tyra can fit in these days, so Production ordered one in every color? Keep a look out for the fuchsia one week! Tyra looks ridiculous. There are prizes, there are judges. Twiggy is wearing a blue velour puffy-sleeved t-shirt over a skinny black long-sleeved t-shirt, and also looks insane and not at all unlike the star in the senior center's low-budget production of Alice In Wonderland. The guest judge is Mike Rosenthal, photographer.
They jump right to the individual evaluations. Have I mentioned how delightful I find it that there are no stupid judging-panel challenges this year? It was a real stroke of genius to axe those. Renee is first, and you can tell she's feeling good. Twiggy loves her heart-shaped jaw in her photo. Ms. J. says the wonderful thing about the photo is that she can look beautiful even in death. Nigel says that Renee looks beautiful in front of him, and great in the photo, and that she's the complete package right now. Why does no one notice that Renee looks totally cross-eyed in the photo?
Dionne is , and Tyra and Twiggy both criticize her outfit. Twiggy hates her pink tank top, which is too much with the lace and "the twinkles." I'm sorry, but this week the Great Eggplantyra and Twiggy in Wonderbread-land have no business giving anyone the "what not to wear" routine. Tyra thinks that Dionne's photo is gorgeous, and Ms. J. says that her broken-down leg is absolute genius. Tyra notes that Jay said that Dionne did well and had good variation on her shots, but that she had to be positioned. Dionne says that this is true. Nigel says that the photo works because of the body positioning, background, and lighting, and wonders, if he took that away from her, how she would look.
Natasha is , and Twiggy thinks her photo is powerful. Tyra notes that this week's shot is similar to last week's, because they're both upside-down. She says that Natasha actually looks better upside down, because her puffy fish-face is pulled into a more normal shape. She wants Natasha to work on that even when she's upright. Mike says that it was freezing, and that Natasha still did a great job.
Diana is , and her photo causes Ms. J. to say something about all the girls looking like broken-down dolls. He loves that turn of phrase. Nigel says that it's a good photo, and that Diana executed the idea very well; Mike also gives her kudos. Tyra thinks it's a great shot, too.
is Jael, and Tyra acknowledges that the shoot must not have been easy for her. Nigel thinks that Jael's shoot is remarkable, and says it shows the judges that she's able to perform under adversity. Mike says that, in the end, Jael ended up with a great shot, and she looks relieved.
is Jaslene. Nigel says that hers is a great shot, and that death becomes her. Ms. J. says he loves that she has eye contact. Mike says that Jaslene took direction well and wasn't shy. Twiggy agrees that it's another great shot.
Sarah is up . Ms. J. says that it's a great picture, and Nigel tells her that the look on her face is extraordinary -- she looks beautiful and dead. Mike says that she put too much thought into the pose, but still did a great job with the facial expressions.
Brittany is , and the judges ooh and aah. She says that she suggested getting out of the tub for her shot. Tyra says that it's an amazing photo, and that if she hadn't spoken up, she would have had just a beautiful photo instead of one of the best of the bunch. Well done, rag-weave Britters!
is Felicia. Nigel says that all of the other girls managed to have some spark, even in such a morbid situation, but that Felicia actually just looks dead. Ms. J. says that Felicia is so used to moving that when she has to play dead, she just looks...well, again, dead. Tyra says that Felicia was one of the girls who started with so much variation, and asks why she thinks she got so stuck. Felicia says that she doesn't know, and that she thought her photo was going to be better than that. Well, she thought wrong.
Whitney is , and proudly displays the diamond bracelet she got for winning the challenge. Ms. J. says that Whitney looks wonderful in her photo, and Twiggy adds that it's the first time she's seen Whitney looking like a fashion model. Whitney pumps her fist and says that's what she was going for. Nigel agrees that it's a fashion shot, but says that Whitney looks like she's dying, rather than dead. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.
The judges deliberate. Nigel thinks Natasha's photo is fantastic, and Tyra says that Natasha's large head gives more area for the camera to focus in on. Way to go, bobble-headed Natasha! Twiggy was distressed by what Dionne was wearing, and Nigel agrees that she lacks presence. Tyra says that she knows it's Week 5, but that she still thinks Dionne has something in her and that, if dressed appropriately, the judges would be saying that she's fierce. Twiggy finds it disturbing when Diana smiles and wrinkles up her face. And...ha! Twiggy hates it when Diana tries to be cute. Nigel agrees, and actually says that Diana's smile is shocking. Tyra says that she used to smile too hard, too, and that you have to be mindful not to make your top lip disappear. And if Tyra can learn, so can Diana. Nigel says he knows that Jael has had some personal tragedy in her life, but that there's so much baggage that he can't get past it. Twiggy hates Jael's hands in her photo, but thinks the face is beautiful. She admits to being a bit mixed up about Jael. Felicia is very beautiful, according to Twiggy, but her photo this week is lacking. Nigel agrees that there's no light in her eyes. He says that he thinks Felicia has gotten cocky with the judges' praise over the last few weeks, and that she wasn't really bringing it. Brittany's photo is great, says Ms. J., who also notes that they haven't been talking about how the girls make the clothes look. Tyra thinks that Brittany is making the clothes look kind of fierce. Whitney looks great, even if not dead, says Mike. Twiggy still doesn't think Whitney looks like a model, but she loves this week's photo. Nigel thinks that Sarah is a good example of the type of girl who isn't typically pretty, but translates amazingly well on film. Jaslene has had great photos week after week, and also showed a little more personality at this week's judging. Everyone loves her. Twiggy says that Renee's photograph is her favorite, and that Renee stands out compared to the other girls. Nigel says that Renee photographs on the old side, but still has a beautiful face. Tyra says that Renee's "whole thing" was working today.