Never a show to pull back from the drama, this week’s episode of Top Model is bookended with reactions to and repercussions from Celia’s big Tahlia-under-the-bus-throwing reveal at last week’s panel. The house is in chaos, and interestingly enough, though Tahlia is rightly pissed, it’s Aminat and Teyona who want to punch a bitch in the throat. And yet, when they go to take someone to task for being a rat fink, they don’t focus on Celia and instead go after Allison and Natalie. Aminat gets in Natalie’s face and would like to wipe the floor with it, but for the stupid no-violence rule. In the end Tahlia and Celia actually talk about the whole things like adults, which is refreshingly bizarre.
Beth Stern, the wife of Howard Stern and a model who’s appeared on the cover of Hamptons magazine a whole bunch of times, teams up with Jay Manuel to teach the girls how to make expressions with their faces. It seems so basic, and yet some girls have trouble with the concept. The challenge for the week involves life-sized cardboard versions of Tyra from several different photos. The faces are cut out (as if we needed inspiration for another Tyra-themed nightmare) and the girls have to occupy the face-hole and use an expression that goes with the photo’s body language. Natalie wins, much to the chagrin of Tahlia and Aminat, and gets 50% more frames at her photo shoot.
And speaking of the photo shoot, the girls are doing close-ups. They have colored powder blown all over their faces, and have to emote the color that is spattered all over them like alien jizz. Celia, certain all episode that she’d be going home, manages to turn it out and thinks that maybe she’s not so doomed after all. Fo is far and away the best of the week, and Tahlia and Teyona put in good performances as well. Though Celia’s photo was great, she lands in the bottom two along with Sandra, purely because the judges can’t stand to look at her rat-fink self anymore. In the end, she gets a reprieve, having learned her lesson not to mess with another model’s money, and it’s only-good-in-profile Sandra who finally gets the boot.
Previously on America's Top Model: The girls took a trip to Ellis Island to prove that immigrants are fierce and, subtextually, that our nation's immigration policy needs revamping. Tahlia mysteriously did well, while Sandra and Kortnie continued to suck. Kortnie got the boot, but it was Celia who shocked Tyra and the other contestants with her plus-sized faux pas in trying to rat out Tahlia for wanting to go home. Nine bitches remain! And if you don't think that Tyra can't wait to teach one of them a major lesson, you're a rookie.
It is night at the Top Model house as the girls return from judging. Tahlia tells us straight off that she's so angry and hurt because of Celia's backstabbing ways at panel. We replay the whole thing in excruciating sepia-toned flashback. Tahlia was called first by Tyra, for having the best photo, which was a boost and shot of excitement and confidence. Like fierce wheatgrass. And theeeeeen Celia got a crazy look in her eye and stepped forward to address The Great and Terrible Tyzard in a very formally stank way. Tahlia felt like she had been thrown under the bus. And hasn't she had enough tragedy in her life? Celia interviews that it wasn't fair for Kortnie to get eliminated when she wanted to be America's Top Model so bad, while Tahlia didn't even want to be on the show. It's news to me that Kortnie gave a rat about the competition, frankly. If her drive was that big, then it makes her terrible performance even sadder.
Celia sits in her room and says that she knows she caused so much drama, but thought that Tyra should know if a girl's heart isn't in the competition. She interviews that she absolutely doesn't regret what she did, and if she's to be sent home then so be it. Something makes me think she filmed this interview after she wasn't sent home. Allison and Natalie are in Celia's room when she says this, and some of the other girls are upstairs with Tahlia. Sandra says that earlier she overheard some of the girls talking about how Tahlia wanted to go home, but she didn't think they'd be janky enough to actually do anything. We flash back to Celia promising to cause a ruckus if Tahlia wasn't eliminated. Sandra interviews that she doesn't think Celia should have done what she did. It was none of her business, and Sandra thinks that Celia should be worried about going home. I mean, at least she gave people something to talk about in this otherwise dull season.
Tahlia hangs out in her sports bra and says that she's waiting for Celia to come up and say something to her. Aminat, meanwhile, wonders why Tahlia is waiting for Celia to come to her. Proactive, that one. A real go-getter. Tahlia says if she goes to talk to Celia, she'll explode. Aminat tells Tahlia not to hold herself back, reasoning that Celia didn't hold herself back. In the process, says Tahlia, Celia made herself look hella-low. Hella-low, I love you, let me jump in your game. Aminat asks Tahlia, since she's not going to say anything to Celia, if she minds if Aminat goes down and takes care of some business. Tahlia does not mind, as it turns out.
Aminat goes downstairs, with Teyona following behind her. It's Teyona who actually speaks first, asking Celia if she feels like a fool and what her motives were for doing such a foolish, hella-low thing. If any of the girls thought there was something wrong, Teyona says, they should have gone to talk to Tahlia about it. Now they all look fake as hell, says Teyona, who then accuses the other girls of plotting with Celia. Allison yells out that nobody was plotting. Aminat tells Allison not to sit there and look confused and sad and like she doesn't know what the hell is going on. Allison looks at Teyona in a way that can only be described as confused and sad and like she doesn't know what the hell is going on. It hurts Aminat's feelings that Allison conspired with Celia, because Aminat thought Allison was better than that. There is some yelling and some pointing from Aminat and Teyona, and Allison interviews that she was reminded of why she hated high school. I am reminded of why I hated high school every time I heard the words, L'il Abner: The Musical.
At some point, Celia and Tahlia end up standing to each other on the stairs watching all the action in silence. Aminat tells Celia that she disgusts her, and then tells Allison that she is even more disgusting because Aminat thought they were close. Allison yells back that she hasn't done anything, which is entirely true. Celia interviews that it was pretty weird that she and Tahlia were standing silent on the stairs while the other girls battled out their issue. Celia mouths to Allison that it's not worth it to engage with Aminat and Teyona. Sadly for Celia, Teyona can read lips. Teyona mocks Allison for having Celia as some sort of mother figure who insists that she be mute, and Aminat calls them "Dumb One" and "Dumb Two." While she's at it she might as well assign dumb numbers to all of them -- it might be easier than remembering names.
Tahlia finally makes the following proclamation: "I have no problem telling Tyra that home to me right now is the best place in the world. Because I had to question my motives in being here." This is all pretty nonsensical, and leads Allison to interview that it was too "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul" for her. Awesome. Allison is also wearing fingerless gloves with some sort of a fox or raccoon appliqué, which are much more intriguing than this whole conversation. Tahlia continues that now that she finally sees her picture displayed, she knows that she actually belongs there. Natalie, conspicuously silent to this point, starts clapping and saying, "Bravo." We get a repeat of Natalie's interview from last week, where she says that when Tahlia is doing poorly she doesn't want to be there, but the minute she does well she's all about it. It's annoying, she says, and I imagine that's true.
Natalie tells Tahlia that this is a competition, and if she doesn't want to be there the others are going to try to send her home. Aminat calls out Natalie for being part of the conspiracy. Natalie could care less. Aminat tells Natalie straight up that she doesn't like her, and if she wouldn't get eliminated due to the no-violence clause she'd wipe up the floor with Natalie's face. That might have the effect of making the floor dirtier and Natalie's face somewhat more interesting. I'm all for trying it out. Natalie invites Aminat to show her what she's got. Aminat calls Natalie stupid about 17 times, and even spells it out for her. I wish I could tell you that she spelled it wrong, but that does not actually occur. Natalie tells Aminat to go on, and so Aminat obliges and calls her stupid some more. She adds that Natalie is worth nothing and is a phony fake stupid phony-head. Natalie tells the others that she loves this because it makes Aminat look like an idiot. At this point I would say that generally there's a little idiot cloud raining on the entire Top Model house. Tahlia proclaims that the conspiracy girls give a new meaning to bitches and backstabbing. Tahlia gives a new meaning to Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Finally there is Tyra Mail, which brings with it some peace and quiet. It reads: "Cut it out! I don't want to see any more blank faces. Love, Tyra." Aminat screams that they're going to be acting, and is impressed by her own misguided cleverness. The day the girls head to an alley where Jay Manuel is waiting for them along with some faceless mannequins. He tells the girls that the mannequins are basically just clothing hangers, and if a model is ever dubbed "just a clothes hanger" it can be the kiss of death. He pushes a mannequin over and its head, hands and arms fall off. If only that happened to the actual models when you gave them a gentle shove. Jay tells the girls that they want to become absolute icons, and it's all about the face. So at the end of the day today, they will hopefully have more than one smile. Well, we would hope that they already have two -- their smile-smile and their eye-smile.
Jay takes the girls into an empty warehouse and introduces the special guest for the week, Beth Stern. Beth of course was formerly Beth O., and is now the wife of Howard Stern. Beth knows something about giving face, since she's been on the cover of Hamptons Magazine six times. Then why is she not guest starring on my other favorite show, The Real Housewives of New York? If you can go back to the same client six times, Jay says, it means you can bring some variety in the face. Beth tells the girls that she always, always, always practices in front of a mirror. So when Tyra tells the girls to do this she's not just making up excuses about why she spends so much time looking in the mirror! There are a bunch of mirrors set up, and Jay and Beth are going to give the girls different scenarios to which, with Jay and Beth's help, they'll learn how to match their expressions.
Jay tells Allison to look sensual. Beth proclaims that it's sad and makes her want to cry. Oh, Allison. Jay tells her not to be afraid to go too extreme. Allison says that her eyes are the biggest part of her face, and tend to be the biggest problem at panel. She can't make them any smaller, she says. Teyona has to invoke mystery, and Jay tells her to relax her mouth. Celia's mystery, however, gets raves. Tahlia has to be sensual as well. She arches an eyebrow and says she's thinking of her boyfriend. Jay thinks the boyfriend must be doing something right. Maybe that's why Tahlia wanted to go home in the first place. Fo has to look alluring, and Beth likes her confidence. Fo does the gay snap, because she's learning things. Sandra is told to give mystery, and Jay says that she makes him nervous. Sandra, of course, thinks she's the best. Natalie is asked to be sensual, and Jay says that she's evoking Victoria's Secret, in a good way. Aminat and Tahlia look pissed.
With the lesson over, it's time for the test. Jay tells the girls that as an icon you have to be able to give all kinds of different expressions. He removes a sheet that's covering something bigger than him, and as the girls look surprised and delighted we head to commercials.
When we return, we are privy to the big reveal. Under the sheet, you will be surprised to learn, is a giant cardboard cut-out of one Tyra Banks. It's a posed shot, but there's one big difference from all the usual shots of Tyra we see: her face is cut out. Seriously, it's like they went through my diary. Jay shot this photo with Tyra and says that he knows exactly what her face was doing. It was demanding that he get her a latte and an order of ribs. With the other girls out of the room, each girl is going to put her face in the blank face-hole of two cut outs of her choice (I believe there are five altogether) and give a facial expression based on Tyra's body language. It's just like a carnival... OF HORRORS. Jay says that it's very important to connect your face to your body and convey an emotion. His Botox no longer allows him to do this, but he believes it as a philosophy.
Celia is first up to try her hand, or face as it were, of being Tyra. Celia interviews that, after the dreaded events of last panel, she feels like she's going home. So she has to work hard and rock it to stay in the competition with the disadvantage of Tyra hating her stank ass so much. Celia first tries to put her head through a photo of an insane-looking red-headed Tyra wielding a bedazzled sword. She looks plaintive. WRONG! Beth notes that Celia is more concerned about being in line with the body angle of the photo than evoking emotion. Seriously, the emotion in that photo is "batshit crazy." You'd think Celia would nail it without much effort. Celia fails in her second attempt as well and we hear a loud buzzer. Beth tells us that once Celia gets her face in tune with her body, she'll be a great model.
Fo is , and also fails to give good face in Tyra's bedazzled sword photo. Beth just looks at her and, channeling a four-year old who's just seen someone fart, says, "Funny!" Teyona chooses to put her head into yet another photo of Tyra looking batshit crazy, this time as paparazzi. WRONG! Sandra is , and if you thought she would be anything but clueless you haven't been watching this season very closely. Beth says that she wanted Sandra to bring a little bit more, and Jay says that Sandra has been falling out of the competition and fading into the background. Aminat is , with her face in a photo of Tyra as a very busty little girl holding a giant lollipop in a candy shop. Way to inspire generations of future girls with the pedophile baiting, Oh Great and Benevolent Supermodel! Aminat gives an expression of "dumb-ass," which if you ask me is perfectly appropriate. Allison also chooses the pedophile photo, and Beth channels a four-year old whose ice cream has just fallen to the sidewalk as she says, "Sad!" Beth is clearly the perfect person to give a lesson on expressing complex emotions! Allison fails at both attempts, and Beth says that she wasn't getting anything out of her, and that she might be having a problem in the competition.
Natalie is and chooses a busty photo of Tyra with a fierce face. Natalie gives fierce face, and we hear the first "ding!" instead of a buzzer. Well done! She also does a good job with the paparazzi photo and gets another ding. Jay is impressed at how she grabbed on and committed to her expression, and tells us that it works. London also gets a ding, and in the bedazzled sword photo no less! She also succeeds in the paparazzi photo. And then there's Tahlia, who practically skips into the room. She takes a gander at the bedazzled sword photo, which tells me that the shot of confidence has gone to her brain. Jay says that she's trying too much. Tahlia also has no success with the paparazzi photo. Buzzer, and buzzer. But she practically skips away as she goes to get the other girls for their evaluation. Happeeeeee!
The girls return. Beth tells Celia that she focused more on her body language as opposed to the expression on her face. Jay tells Sandra, "You weren't focused on making something real for you. So you have to find that for yourself. Does that make sense?" Uh, no. Jay should know by now not to follow anything he says with, "Does that make sense?" It's asking for heartache. Allison looked like a frightened bird, and Beth tells her that she's lacking confidence. Once she gets it, though, she'll flourish. Natalie committed to the photos and brought a different expression to each shot. She gets kudos. As the only one to get any praise, Natalie is clearly the winner! She gets 50% more frames at her shoot. Aminat and Teyona are stewing. Beth tells the girls that they're all winners in her book, and she's excited for all of them. Funny! Sad.
Back at home there's Tyra Mail! "You're all looking a little pale. I think you need some color! Love, Tyra." Fo conjectures that body paint will have something to do with it. Aminat agrees, adding that facial expressions likely will be a part of the shoot as well. But we don't go right to the shoot. Instead, the camera lingers on Celia, sitting with crossed legs at the top of the stairs. Tahlia, with her fancy sports bra, comes and sits to her. Celia asks Tahlia if she's okay. Tahlia says that she's disappointed. She interviews that instead of attacking Celia verbally, she's going to handle things like an adult and talk about the situation. That is for sure a grave change from most anything we've seen on this show so far. Kudos, on one hand, but on the other, Zzzzzzzzz. Tahlia tells Celia that she was humiliated in front of Tyra, the other judges, and all of the girls. Celia tells Tahlia that she didn't mean to hurt her, but wanted Tyra to know what was going on. Tahlia quietly says that there are other ways to do that. Actually, since Tyra seems to spend exactly the length of panel with the girls each week, there probably weren't. Tahlia explains to Celia that she did question her own motives for being there and wondered if she was taking the wrong approach. The subtext, however, is that Celia needs to mind her menswear-clad business. Celia apologizes for humiliating Tahlia and says it wasn't her intention. She also acknowledges that Tyra's pissed at her and she's totally going to get eliminated. She's prepared for it. Celia interviews that she wants to go home knowing that everyone in the competition wants to be there as much or more than she does. With that, we head to commercials.
And hey, it's McKey. She's going to be in a runway show! She's having a fitting, and accentuating it with mineral makeup. Fascinating! Don't you get the feeling that she just really wants to go back to kickboxing class or whatever?
When we return, the girls head to yet another unmarked warehouse. Jay introduces them to photographer Keith Major, who shot Tyra for the cover of Ebony and knows how to give face. The girls are each going to have a different colored powder splashed across their face all artistic-like, and it's their job to emote that color. Oh, Lord. Also, the shots are going to be close-ups. The girls head to hair and makeup and Sutan wonders if everybody's getting along okay. Tahlia just sort of smiles with her big teeth, and eventually someone gives a half-hearted, "Yeah." House of lies!
Allison tells us that she's trying not to think about getting eliminated, but rather to understand how to move and change her face. Sutan blows neon pink powder all over her. It looks a hot mess, like the telltale sign that she just time-traveled to the 80's. She tells Jay that to emote the color she's going to be very girly. This involves half-opening her mouth and trying not to get the pink powder all over her giant front teeth. Good luck with that, Bugs. She literally does not change her expression at all. Jay tells her that she was holding back, and then suddenly she's at her last frame. He interviews that Allison is still so afraid of giving a genuine emotion that he doesn't know if she can move much further in the competition.
Aminat is with green powder placed more artfully on her face. It's very "Feed me, Seymour!" She appears to do a pretty good job. Tahlia is up . She interviews that her full-body posing is not the greatest, but she's feeling confident about what she can do with her face. Tahlia's color is purple, which is actually very flattering. However, Jay tells her that she's being blah. He asks her what she's thinking about and she says that she's trying to pretend that the photographer is her boyfriend and look at him seductively. Jay tells her that it's working. He interviews that he doesn't know what pretending the photographer is your boyfriend has to do with the color purple, but you can't bring sexuality and sensuality to every shoot. I think Tahlia is just straight-up horny and doesn't know what else to do with herself.
Teyona is up with flowers in her hair and yellow powder on her face. She smiles, which, no. Jay tells her that it's looking like an ad for denture cream, which is spot on. He actually grimaces as she smiles again. That girl should keep her lips closed. Jay says that they've finally found Teyona's weakness. Funny! Sad. Fo is with red powder, and looks fabulous. Jay has nothing bad to say. She snaps and says she'll be fierce with any color. Jay believes it. there's London, in blue powder. She looks like she lost a boxing match to a Smurf. Jay likes what she's doing, though, and even proclaims, "Genius!" at the end. We haven't heard much from her lately, have we? Natalie is , and since she won the challenge has the bonus frames. She's wearing orange powder on her face and looks pretty if dull. Jay tells her that he wants throbbing passion, emphasis on the throbbing. Natalie continues to look pretty if dull. At the end of the shoot, Jay tells her that she needed the extra frames. Her first shot was great, he interviews, but then she became stiff and awkward. It wasn't the same girl who won the week's challenge.
Sandra is with white powder and a shock of white hair coming out of the side of her head. She interviews that she kind of knew how she was going to pose, and was trying to make it all about the eyes. Jay asks what her emotion is, and she says that she's thinking about being a peaceful angel. Angel of death, maybe. Sandra's hoping that she'll get the best picture again. Finally there's Celia. She knows she has to wow Jay, because if she doesn't wow Jay she won't wow the judges. And then she'll get eliminated, because Tyra hates her. Celia's color is gray, and to accentuate it she has a big gray elephant turd framing the right side of her face. The hell? Jay tells her that when she does a beauty shot she needs to pose down to the toe, but then bring it up to the face again. Jay tells her that she looks very bizarre and Linda Evangelista, and interviews that this is the most relaxed she's looked in all of her photo shoots. Having nothing to lose really does work sometimes. Jay compliments her, and Celia interviews that now she feels pretty confident that she'll stay in the competition. Oh, little Celia. It's always bad to be hopeful when Tyra is involved. Commercials.
When the girls get home, there is Tyra Mail. Someone is going to be eliminated. Sandra hopes that she won't be eliminated, and says that she's done well so far and is very confident in herself. Celia puts on her prettiest flouncy mustard skirt. She confessionalizes that, for obvious reasons, she feels close to being booted and so wants to pick out an outfit that will allow her to make a fabulous twirling exit. She tells another girl that she feels like it's the outfit that she's going to be buried in. Death becomes her.
It is then time to enter panel with more Tales of the Great and Benevolent Supermodel: "Once there lived a supermodel who wanted to guide future girls. So she broke out The Rules to Owning Your Inner Fierceness. You need to paint on your game face and show the industry your true colors." What poor intern was forced to come up with these at 4 a.m.? The girls enter and Tyra multi-culturizes, "And then there were... nueve." Fo rolls her eyes, fiercely. Tyra is actually wearing something pretty and flattering, and in slimming black no less! Maybe she's already in mourning for Celia. There are prizes, there are judges. Paulina is wearing leopard print, because that's how Europeans mourn. Keith Major, the week's photographer, is the guest judge, mostly because we have to be reminded that Tyra is on the cover of Ebony.
Aminat is up first for evaluation, and the judges oooh and aaah over her green photo. Nigel says it's the modern take on green, and that she nailed it. Tyra loves Aminat's lips, which look natural and make-up free. She wants that believable gloss. Miss J. makes a pucker, but we all know it's not gloss that makes his lips so shiny and supple. Natalie is up . The judges don't seem to know what to make of her photo. Miss J. says that standing in front of them her face has more angles than it does in the photo, where it looks round with no depth. Tyra tells Natalie that when the light hits the planes of her face it falls off, making her look like a potato head. As a model, Natalie has to figure out how to give bones to her face.
Tahlia is , and still looks a mess. Tyra wonders what's up with the little horn of hair at the top of her head. Maybe she got inspiration from her Lisa Frank scratch-n-sniff unicorn sticker collection? Tahlia explains that she wears her hair like that when she plays volleyball to keep it out of her face. Oh, girl, you did not. Tyra acts like Tahlia just said, "I need to keep my bangs out of my face when I'm chopping up puppies for my nightly serving of baby animal stew." Bad. Tahlia's violet photo is pretty good, and Paulina tells her that her face takes the light exceedingly well. Tyra tells Tahlia that it's a model's job to look better in pictures than she does in person. This is true of Tahlia, but then again it's not hard to look better than Tahlia does in person. Keith and Nigel tell Tahlia that what she wants to do is get the photographer to chase her. One does this by being like, "Bam! Bam! Uh! Uh!" as opposed to being like, "I'm pretty." Got it? Nigel asks Tahlia how she felt at judging last week when Celia transformed into a rat fink in front of everyone. Tahlia says that she was embarrassed and humiliated. But, she says, there are times when she didn't feel comfortable being in the competition, because she didn't see what the judges saw. After having her photo called first, however, she began to see the spark. Keith tells her that it's fine that she's questioning herself -- it means that she wants to get better and has a place to grow to. However, Nigel tells her that in the here and now she has to impress the judges and make them see why she deserves to be there.
Celia, also known as the fink herself, is . The judges remark that she looks fabulous, as always. Her wardrobe really is pretty killer. The judges are impressed with her picture, and Tyra says she embodied gray, which is practical and conservative and mature and wise. Keith said that he had fun with Celia and wanted to shoot her more, which Paulina notes is a great sign. Paulina agrees with Tyra, saying that Celia looks strong and like a fighter. Miss J. adds that she gave good neck. The judges then dismiss Celia without asking any questions about last week's panel. This should make her very nervous.
Teyona is up . Miss J. says that what's brilliant about her picture is that it looks nothing like her. Nigel and Tyra tell her that she's a chameleon, and Keith says that her skin is gorgeous and photographed really well. He really enjoyed photographing Teyona. Tyra says that yellow stands for optimism and hope, and that's what she sees in Teyona's picture. She says that maybe the Obamas will hang it in their kitchen. Right to their photo of Tyra as a buxom nine-year old working her way through the candy shop. London is , and her blue photo gets middling reviews. Miss J. says that he would have gone for something even more emotional, and Paulina tells London that she has the same face as last week's photo, which is not good. She goes with her strongest look, which you'd think would be okay if she's producing great pictures, but somehow isn't.
Then there's Allison. Her hot pink photo is very modern according to Miss J., and Paulina compliments Allison on her neck. Keith interjects and says it's interesting because he was disappointed with Allison. She had no range at all, and always had the same expression. Nigel agrees, and says that Allison is giving the same look they've seen in every shot of hers. She's got to break it up and start giving personality and angles. Sandra is , wearing those insufferable red boots she always has on at judging. Her white photo is really bad. Tyra tells Nigel that she gave him the straight-on shot he was looking for, even though it's not a good one. Nigel tells Sandra that she's got great skin and interesting composition, but her photo is not powerful. It's not fashion, it's not beauty, it's just sort of there. Sandra is present in her photo, but not in the right way. Tyra tells Sandra that she had some gorgeous shots in profile, but Nigel would have flipped his teacup if Tyra came at him with another profile shot. Paulina tells Sandra that she has to learn to make the awkward turn to the front, and adds that her photo does not work at all. Fo is , and her red photo gets a vibrato-filled, "Woooooork!" from Tyra. That's good. Paulina says that the photo has a tiny bit of Janice, and Miss J. says that it has a tiny bit of him as well. Because it's so fierce. Tyra says that the photo has fire, desire, and lust, and it's hot. Fo is pleased that she rocked it like a hurricane.
The judges deliberate. Aminat's picture was great, and her eyes tell a nice, healthy environmental story according to J. Paulina says that it doesn't leave her green with envy, but it's close. Natalie is undeniably beautiful, but Paulina doesn't like the way her face photographs. Keith says that the wide-faced thing can easily be contoured. But this photo is a game-changer for Tyra. Before she was at the top of the pack, but this photo makes her fall. Tahlia's photo is one of the best beauty shots out of the bunch, with great eye contact. But, according to Nigel, she's still a drip and it remains to be seen whether she has the personality to make it. Tyra says that Tahlia's photo is almost like Mona Lisa in the eyes. Celia has one of the best senses of style of anyone in the competition, but Paulina also is not in love with the fact that she's such a tattletale. Nigel says that after what happened last week he finds it hard to even deal with Celia. He looks at her and wonders if she'll be able to survive in the industry. Teyona is photogenic, appealing, and has amazing eyes in her photo. London's photo is unattractive, and Paulina thinks she looks like she vomited blue and then died. It's moments like these when I love Paulina . Allison is the most extraordinary looking girl, according to Nigel, with her big eyes and puffy lips and rabbit teeth. Her shot is major, and Nigel wants to see more. Nigel thought Sandra was one of the most beautiful girls in the bunch, until now. Tyra again makes a big deal out of the fact that they chose a straight-on shot of her, and Nigel says that you have to be able to do face-on to be a model. Fo is perfect. Keith loved shooting her, and Tyra loves that she's a good pupil and successfully smiled with her eyes. With that, the judges have made their decision.
Nine beautiful ladies stand before Tyra, but she only has eight photos in her hands. The first name that she's going to call is Fo, who clearly has the best photo of the week. Yay! Tyra calls Teyona, followed by Tahlia, Aminat, Allison, Natalie, and London. This leaves Sandra and Celia in the bottom two. Both are short haired blonds, but everything else about them is so different. Sandra is lovely and beautiful, but every single week her photos are to the side. One of the judges insisted that this week she have a straight-on photo, but this is not her strength. The question is, can she get her head around a straight shot? Or is she just a one look model? And then there's Celia. She has gorgeous pictures from week to week and some of the best personal style in the competition. But she's a big rat fink tattletale. It's one of the most non-beautiful things that the judges have ever seen in the history of America's Top Model. And they had a whole season of Jade. Girls have quit, says Tyra, but it was at their own will. Celia threw somebody under the bus. So who stays? Celia does, with hopes that she learned her lesson. She assures Tyra that she did. Tyra tells Celia that there's competition, and there's even strong competition, but when it comes to dealing with clients, you don't mess with another girl's money. And Tyra has a very personal connection with someone messing with her money for years. Oh, Lord. Soon Celia will be throwing phones at her assistant, I guess. In any case, Tyra will be damned to see one of her girls mess with another in that way.
Tyra asks Sandra what she has to practice and Sandra, clueless as always, answers, "Posing." It's hard saying goodbye to a future MENSA member, but it has to be done. Sandra exit interviews that she's the best out of all the girls and doesn't deserve to go home. She has so much potential, and personality, and looks like a model, and is not going to stop modeling. And the world breathes a collective sigh of relief.
Coming up: acting! And there's a very special guest... CLAY MOTHERFUCKING AIKEN.