Hey, it's the episode where Tyra photographs the girls! Coming at least a month early, and maybe two. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The girls first get a lesson in time-sensitive makeup from Sam Fine, since they might have to dash off to a casting call at any second. He tells them that concealer, bronzer, mascara and gloss are all you need. They then head to Wal-Mart, as you do when you've just learned an important beauty lesson, where they meet up with Nigel and his wife, Crissy. They have a challenge in which they must create a perfect "model basic" look by tromping through stations set up at Wal-Mart's clothing, shoes, makeup and photo departments. At each station there are fewer items than girls, so some bitches are eliminated along the way. Only the first three girls to cross the finish line get judged by Nigel and Crissy -- these are Bianca, Sundai and Erin. There's some controversy around Erin, who pushes and shoves and grabs her way through the race, and also goes so far as to toss Ashley's model comp card photo (which she has to pick up at the last station before crossing the finish line) on the floor. Though it's Sundai who wins this challenge (and a photo on Wal-Mart's website along with a $1,000 gift certificate), Erin still vows to do whatever it takes to be the ultimate victor.
The girls are mucho excited and nervous when they discover that Tyra will be photographing them this week. She'll be doing a beauty shot -- an important genre for shrimpy models -- that features the girls wearing scarves on their heads. And then, twist! Tyra and Jay will determine on-set which girl had the strongest photo for the week, and that girl will have immunity from elimination. It's just the first step in Tyra bypassing the judges entirely, which we all should have expected. At the shoot, Laura proves herself to be a model who needs wind, Sundai learns to relax her lips, Jennifer pulls her own hair and screams, Brittany's covered face results in her best shot to date, Bianca once again leans on Jesus, Rae produces an angelic photo, Kara does nothing but rely on her DNA, Erin knows how to model but fails as a human being, Nicole has talent but also a strange resemblance to Gollum in the hands, and Ashley fails in two different outfits. Common denominator in that failure? Her. Brittany gets the best photo of the week and corresponding immunity, and also gets to do a photo shoot for Tyra's website featuring two "models that Tyra discovered," also known as boytoys. The other girls are visibly not happy for her. At panel, the judges crack up at the mention of Laura's grandma Wanda Sue, who makes all of her clothing. You might think that they're just anti-yokel, but the fact is that grandma Wanda Sue makes some questionable design choices. Let's just say that Tim Gunn would be very concerned. Jennifer, Rae, Nicole and Erin all join Brittany at the top of the heap, while Ashley and Bianca land in the bottom two. Third time's a charm as Bianca is finally ousted.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see why vloggers Val & Beth think that Tyra should start accepting older models, as well, in TV is the Answer. And check back soon for the full weecap!
Previously: The girls shrimpiness was exaggerated as they marched down the runway to some real live glamazons. In their photo shoot, they were challenged to stretch themselves as much as possible without actually taking a turn in the taffy puller. 5'7" Lulu was one of the tallest girls in the competition, but couldn't work those extra inches. She was sent home. Ten bitches remain!
The girls return home after last week's photo shoot and find Kara's best-of-week photo displayed digitally in the house. She points out that her boob is about to bust out of her dress, which proves that good things come in small packages. Kara's excited that the photo will be there every day to remind her how awesome she is, at least until someone else's photo is displayed to remind her how terrible she is. A few girls sit down to eat, and Brittany is asked if it's terrifying to be in the bottom two. She says that it's absolutely not fun. Erin confessionalizes that Brittany has won a million challenges, and adds a bitchy, "Look how the mighty have fallen." She says that Brittany now knows where she stands. I'd say she stands in the position of someone who's been consistently awesome but had a bad week, and will soon likely be awesome again. Erin's eyebrow bleach clearly seeped into her brain at some point, which was probably an improvement.
Ashley, meanwhile, misses her only friend, Lulu. Now she has no one to parrot her catty comments about the others, so will probably shut up. Ashley tells us that she's had absolutely no modeling experience, but can't allow herself to just give up. In fact, she intends to win. A radical intention, I know. Ebony, meanwhile, has triumphed by not being in the bottom two! Way to set a low standard and manageable goals. In a similar vein, I sometimes put "get out of bed" on my to-do list, just to feel a sense of accomplishment when I wake up at noon. Ebony finally succeeded in having a softer face, thanks to the power of Jesus. She says that she's learning and has showed progress, and wants to stick around and show that she can get even better, and/or that this was just a lucky fluke.
Tyra Mail! "Sometimes you only have a minute to make a second impression." The girls don't even have time to blindly conjecture, as we cut immediately to them heading off the day to meet with Sam Fine, makeup artist to such celebrities as Iman and Tyra herself. Bianca is a fan. Sam tells the girls that he can't stress enough the importance of knowing how to do your own makeup. If they get a casting call -- which, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA -- they'll have to know how to put their best face forward, and quick. One of Tyra's favorite looks, you might recall from seasons past, is a smoky eye. This leads to the high-fashion smoky smize that designers covet. Sam uses Laura as a guinea pig, and puts some loose powder under her eye and concealer on her eyelid, and smudges on some brown shadow. Voila, smoky eye! She looks like she's been punched in the face by a cow testicle, but is undeterred, saying, "All girls need to know basics to makeup and ev'rythang. It was really enjoyment." "It was really enjoyment" is totally my new catchphrase when anything makes me happy. "Did you see on the news that Super Smize got run over by a Mack truck?" "It was really enjoyment!"
Sam continues to tell the girls that they don't actually need a whole truckload of makeup. The four essential products that they should invest in are concealer, bronzer, mascara, and gloss. Each girl gets to try using them, with Erin going first. She says she doesn't really go all out with concealer and junk because she doesn't see the point of it. The point of it is that it makes you look less hideous. Hop to it, Casper. Sam looks on in good-natured horror as the girls continue. Jennifer tells us that this lesson is really important, because often you'll get a call from your agent and just have to go. I'm sure she's camped out by the phone, mascara wand in hand, the smacking of her lip gloss the only sound in otherwise bleak silence.
The girls then head to Walmart after-hours. They're greeted by Nigel and his wife Crissy, who are obviously taking advantage of Walmart's free overnight Winnebago camping. Ashley is skeptical, likely thinking that Nigel and Crissy are going to try to involve the rest of them in some sort of low-budget rollback homemade porn. She might be onto something. Crissy, in case you've forgotten (if we ever actually knew? It kind of rings a bell.) is a Cover Girl spokesmodel in addition to being Nigel's lovely wife. Laura interviews that Nigel and Crissy are the most beautiful people in the world. It's true that if they don't yet have babies, they should consider donating that stellar DNA to future generations. Crissy tells the girls that they'll be racing through a one-stop shop Cover Girl challenge. They'll have to race through different Walmart departments to create a model-basic look that's perfect for go-sees. The girl with the most perfect look will win. I initially thought this meant that they would be actually choosing their own Walmart fashions and such, but in fact this is not the case. Oh, by the way, buy Cover Girl Lash Blast Length. Now with elasta-nylon formula! You too can have a wonky eye like Jennifer's -- just put some dubious-sounding chemicals close to it and see what happens!
The girls have to hit four departments -- clothes, shoes, makeup, and finally the photo section, where they will grab their comp card and race to the finish line. The various products that they're supposed to wear/use are set up at each station, so there's not much individual choice involved other than which hideous makeup to slather on. And there are fewer items at each station than there are girls, which means that if you get to a station late and miss getting the available items, you're out. Nigel and Crissy will only judge the first three girls who make it across the "finishing line." The girl who put her look together best of all will receive a photo on the Cover Girl page of Walmart.com, along with a $1,000 Walmart gift card. That's really enjoyment!
The girls take off running, and hit the clothing station first. There are tight jeans and tank tops for eight girls, and Laura and Kara are immediately eliminated. Laura feels like a loser. It's too bad she's out so early, since Walmart would really be a fashion step up for her. At least she doesn't have to show her skivvies like all the others as they squeeze into their ensembles. The girls take off to the second station, which, since your average Walmart is the size of Rhode Island, is quite a distance away. As they round a corner, Erin grabs a hold of Sundai's arm and gives her a pull backwards. We get a few instant replays to verify the foul. She should at least get three minutes in the box for that. One only wishes that she could have done this to someone like the Original Bianca, who would have stopped the race right there and punched her in her damn throat. Sundai just keeps running, though. Ashley verifies that Erin was pushing through people, and we see her give a bit of the elbow to someone as well. Erin clarifies her strategy: "If it's a race, I'm gonna race to win. I'm not gonna race to be nice." I bet she's not here to make friends, either. The girls make it to the shoe station, where the Eyeball Sisters, Nicole and Jennifer, are eliminated. Jennifer, who is secretly pretty hilarious, emphatically states that she's SO DISAPPOINTED! I am disappointed that no one jammed a stiletto in the spot where Erin's eyebrow should be.
Brittany got a pair of shoes, but had some trouble getting them on, so takes up the rear of the pack. She and Rae are eliminated at the makeup station. Crissy meets the other girls, telling them that they get three minutes to shop the Cover Girl aisle, do their makeup, and head to the photo station. There is some pushing and shoving, and lots of shoddy mascara work. When time's up, the remaining four girls race to get their photos. The only problem is that they don't actually know where the photo station is. They run right by it a few times before eventually pausing and realizing they're standing right in front of it. There's a mass grab for the photos. Erin gets a whole pile of them, and ends up with Ashley's. Her own photo is on the floor, so she does a trade. She picks hers up, and gives the floor Ashley's. She explains that she's not just going to hand the photo to her competition, which actually makes some sense. Ashley's not thrilled about it, though. With the rumblings of drama rolling in like distant thunder, we head to commercials.
When we return, Erin, Sundai and Bianca cross the finish line as Ashley pouts. Erin interviews that she wanted to win, and will do what it takes. And really, a healthy amount of deviousness isn't the worst thing for this show. All the girls meet back up with Nigel and Crissy in the parking lot for the final judging. Crissy tells Sundai that what she's done with her cheeks is beautiful, but she wishes that there was more gloss on the lips. Erin's makeup, says Crissy, is a little bit on the bland side. She looks like a powdered corpse. Is that bland to you? Bianca's lashes look incredible, but she did too much coverage on her face. Crissy says that you don't want your makeup to cover you. And so it is Sundai and her rosy cheeks that are the winner! She's ecstatic, and says her mom will be too since they go to Walmart every five minutes. Sundai's chances of winning any challenge related to actual modeling are slim, so good for her.
The girls get home, and Ashley complains that she's in a lot of pain, presumably from challenge-related injuries. Ashley tells us that Erin was playing real dirty, and that her mindframe is one of stepping over anyone to get what she wants. I think that makes her particularly well-suited for this line of work. And by "this line of work" I mean reality show contestant. Sundai, Rae and Ashley do not appreciate Erin's race methods, which they think were cheating-lite. Ashley is irked. Erin interviews that a lot of the girls don't know how races work, and should learn that races don't have manners. That's why there is so much farting on the Tour de France.
With that, there is more Tyra Mail! "Tomorrow you will have to wrap your head around this competition. Love, Tyra." Kara predicts that they're going to have headdresses on, just like the statue that sits in the pool area. And I don't know how she's done it, but Kara certainly has managed to figure out a way to get her stash into the house. Well done, lady. As the girls head to their photo shoot in a limo, Ashley continues to complain about her bumps and bruises. Erin sits silently, with an uncomfortable look. And then, she starts crying. Bianca tells her that it's fine to be competitive, but there are some things that you don't do because they're just plain dirty. She tells Erin that she just needs to apologize. Erin says that she didn't push anyone. Rather, she pushed THROUGH people because the others didn't know how to move. Ashley suggests that Erin might consider going around people instead. Erin pouts and sniffs and says that she's sorry. She then says that her apology doesn't feel genuine since she was forced into it. I mean, she should know if her apology is genuine or not, right? I'm guessing this means that she isn't actually sorry, but also is upset about getting called out on her bullshit. As you do. Erin interviews that she feels attacked, but is going to keep acting like an asshole because she's competitive like that.
The girls walk into the studio and find, as Sundai calls it, "a big wrapped up thing" with a tag that says "pull here." Laura grabs the tag of said big wrapped up thing and starts unraveling, and it turns out to be Tyra. Jay appears and asks the others if they're surprised. I mean, couldn't they feel the smize through the fabric? Tyra announces that she's going to be the photographer for the day. There is much jubilation. Bianca says that this photo shoot in particular can make or break you. She's ready to once again let go of the negativity and try to get vulnerable. Bianca does a really good job of saying the same thing 100 times in the slightest of different ways. Jay tells the girls that the most important thing that each of them can do is to master the beauty shot. Tyra explains that in the fashion industry, a beauty shot is simply a close-up on the face. We see one of Tyra, which features some cute freckles. Where did they go? Perhaps they're lost somewhere along with her sense of humor? A lot of petite models have made careers out of just doing beauty shots, since they can keep their stumpy limbs hidden. Tyra says it's an area of the modeling industry that the girls need to rock. And today they'll be rocking it with scarves on their heads -- in other words, how Tyra looks when she goes to bed except less terrifying (we hope).
And then Tyra and Jay announce a slight twist. The girl who has the strongest photo will be determined today, at the end of the shoot. She will also have immunity from elimination. Way to catch on to the immunity trend eight years after the fact! Maybe soon the models will start forming alliances! As we contemplate this genre-busting innovation, the show throws us to commercials, apparently to give our minds time to recover from being blown.
When we return, Bianca says that the news about the best girl of the week getting immunity adds a whole other layer of pressure, and her heart is starting to palpitate. At least she might show some sort of emotion, then, even if it is "vague discomfort slash heartburn." Tyra announces that there's going to be an extra prize at the end of the photo shoot, but we won't learn about it until then I guess. The girls head off to learn which scarves they'll be outfitted in. Laura gets a lovely pink, while Sundai's scarf is eggplant plum and Erin's is huge and brown. Wardrobe stylist Joanna Konjevod introduces Ashley to her indigo scarf, while Tyra tells makeup artist Heather Currie how to do Jennifer's makeup to go with her black scarf. Brittany will get a sheer nude scarf covering her entire face, like a bank robber. We'll learn about the others as we go, apparently. We're briefly introduced to hair stylist Jason Stanton, who at least seems concerned about cutting off the blood to the girls' brains with too-tight scarves.
Laura is up first looking pretty in her pink scarf, pale face and rosy cheeks. She says that having Tyra shoot them this week makes the experience more nervewracking since, and I quote, "she's put her all into us and you don't want to let her down." And, I mean, I guess Super Smize didn't invent herself. Laura asks how much of her body will show in the photo, and Tyra tells her that she should always model from her tippy toes to the top of her head -- that's called Modeling H2T, in case you were wondering. Not quite as catchy as "smize," but she's sure throwing a lot of shit to the wall in hopes that something will stick, isn't she? Tyra tells us that Laura is looking sweet and lovely and has good eye penetration, however her bottom lip hangs down like it has a weight or African plate in it. Not pretty! Tyra tells Jay to put some wind on her, and things snap into place. Laura likes wind, and is doing a whole lot better. Tyra and Jay rave about Laura's windy shots. Sundai is in her eggplant wrap. Tyra tells her that she's a little stiff, and suggests that she part her lips a bit. Like everything Tyra suggests, this leads to success as Sundai's shoot gets infinitely better.
Jennifer is . She writhes on the ground in her blackish/purplish head scarf. Tyra notes that Jennifer looks like she's getting kinda horny. I'm surprised Tyra even recognizes horny as an emotion. Jennifer tells Tyra that she's thinking she might want to try pulling her scarf and screaming. Well then! Always watch out for the ones with the lazy eyes. Jennifer pulls the scarf and makes orgasm noises. Tyra hugs her for committing so much emotion, and because she is now horny too. Do you think Tyra smizes as she's faking an orgasm? Brittany is , with her scarf covering her face. Tyra tells her she looks like a mummy. Brittany's nervous and can't even see Tyra's face through the scarf, which is maybe in her favor. She tells us that she needs to rock it, and then she manages to go ahead and rock it. The wind machine blows the scarf full force as Tyra and Jay heap praise on Brittany. Tyra says that she can tell Brittany's working it from the inside. She might also be working it from the outside, but since you can't see her face it's kind of hard to tell. At one point Tyra is squealing about how Brittany's pose looks like a makeup campaign (for makeup that looks best when viewed through a sheer scarf?), and the assistants who are holding her wind blown scarf accidentally lose their grips, thus allowing Brittany's face to be exposed. Tragedy! Tyra yells, "Model through the mishap!" which is the new great catchphrase of 2009. After "turkey pepperoni or real pork swine" and "It was really enjoyment," of course. Brittany models through the mishap, and Jay tells her that this is by far her best shoot. Brittany, who looks like an anorexic alien rat in her interview, tells us that it would be amazing to win the challenge.
Bianca is up in an orange head scarf. She has a weird air about her, and Tyra gives her kind of a funny look. Jay asks Bianca who she's going to think about today on set, and the answer of course is Jesus. Jay explains to Tyra that Jesus brings out the softness in Bianca. Tyra quizzically says, "Oh, is that what it is?" As it turns out, Jesus just happened to have a blank spot on his schedule at the last photo shoot, since currently Bianca's eyes are still maintaining their hardness. Tyra directs her into some great poses, and tells us that Bianca has the gift of movement but can't relax her face. She gets hard and looks mean, and that's not going to sell many head scarves. Tyra wonders if Bianca is the verb but not the noun, meaning she can moDEL, but she's not a moDEL. Got it? Because that's about as coherent as Tyra's going to be all season.
Rae is in an ice blue headscarf. Rae thinks of her daughter, and delivers the most angelic picture. She really looks beautiful. Rae tells the other girls that shooting with Tyra was the greatest, and nothing will ever top it. Except, you know, a really great root canal. Erin does not seem to be pleased that Rae had such a good time. Kara just thinks she's a dork. And speaking of Kara, she's in a fuchsia scarf. Kara has one of Tyra's favorite faces in the competition. I am still baffled by this. Kara gets on the set and looks beautiful but does nothing. Tyra calls this "relying on the D-N-A," and it is certainly not going to win anybody immunity. is Erin in a giant brown headscarf. To the chagrin of many, Erin does really well. Tyra tells us that Erin knows how to model -- she knows what to do with her face, neck, and body. However, she does not know what to do with her personality. Tyra just said that Erin sucks as a human being! That's a serious pot / kettle incident that we just witnessed. Tyra and Jay talk about Erin, and it's hard to tell what they really think of her. They definitely think she's a good model and in it to win it, but despite the personality comment above, they maybe seem to like her air of silence with a hint of bitchery.
Nicole is , also in a shade of brown. Tyra tells us that Nicole is a model who has some talent. She moves, contorts, and twists. Her weakness, however, is her Gollum hands. She needs to pull it back and discover how to have the hands of a model. is Ashley in indigo. Ashley went to the doctor, she went to the mountain. She went to the photo shoot, and Tyra was excited about molding her discovery into Tybot 2.0. Ashley gets on all fours and looks up at the light per her instructions, but Tyra isn't liking what's happening. She has wardrobe come and put Ashley into another scarf that's red with a pattern. Tyra starts shooting Ashley with the tighter red scarf, but is still frustrated. And then she starts to wonder -- is it the scarf, or is it Ashley? I don't think you can blame the scarf for not smizing. Tyra goes back to the indigo scarf, this time covering Ashley's face like she did with Brittany. Not being able to see Ashley's face apparently really helps, and Tyra gets her shot.
With the photo shoot over, it's time to announce which girl was the best for the day and has immunity. Tyra announces that the best photo of the day belongs to Brittany! She is gleeful with victory. The other girls look at her with barely concealed disgust, and Brittany knows it. To make matters worse, Tyra announces that Brittany will get to do a photo shoot for tyrabanks.com, with two male models that Tyra discovered. This is Tyra's lousy attempt to get us to go to her website and read her magaline. And, well, she succeeded. But, if I hadn't gone hunting on her website for Brittany's photo (which I couldn't find), I never would have discovered this: this. You're welcome. The hot male models come out, and Brittany is instantly hornier than Jennifer and her orgasm noises ever was. The other girls are forced to watch the photo shoot, which goes really well. Ashley wants to poke her retinas out. Erin confessionalizes that Brittany wins so many things, and should stop. Brittany's version of shoving others during a race is modeling really well. Not a bad strategy. The other girls sneer as Tyra hugs Brittany for doing such a good job.
Back at home, there is Tyra Mail. Someone is going home. It isn't Brittany, since she has immunity. Bianca, of course, has been in the bottom two twice. However, she thinks that she did well during this shoot and will be somewhere near the top. Ashley confessionalizes that she wanted to be amazing during her first shoot with Tyra, and she wasn't. She makes us relive the wardrobe and styling changes, and says that she's worried and hopes she isn't going home. If she wasn't sent home during the week that she was painted as a raving bitch, she's probably okay for at least another week or two. Commercials.
When we return, it is time for panel. There are prizes, there are judges. 5'3" supermodel China Chow is the guest judge. China has been shot by Richard Avedon, Mario Testino, and Patrick Demarchelier. That is no small feat. Brittany, who is of course immune to elimination, is up first. Tyra tells Brittany that she really worked it, and should gloat about her gorgeous picture. Still, she maintains some humility as she takes her photo from Tyra. is Erin. Nigel thinks it's very pretty, and China tells Erin that she looks like an alien in a good way. Tyra agrees that Erin did a great job, but says that she wishes that Erin would have had a bit more personality on set. She quotes Nigel, who always says that it's important for a photographer and a model to have a rapport going, particularly one that ends in a blow job. To wit, Tyra says: "Open that mouth, connect to that photographer, because that's how you're going to get booked for the job." Lesson learned.
Kara is . Nigel tells her that she has a great body that goes all the way up to her eyes. But the eyes, they are dead. It's not enough angst for Nigel. China also doesn't think that Kara looks completely present. Not good. Up is Ashley. Miss J. asks her what remnant bin she was rummaging through to get her current teeny-vested ensemble. Tyra makes Ashley take off some of the hot mess, and Nigel suggests that she put her hair in a high ponytail. Tyra puts the kibosh on the latter request, however, pointing out that Ashley has weave tracks, and that you don't ask a black girl with a weave to do a high ponytail. Noted! Ashley's photo does not get raves. Nigel tells her that she's not pushing through (the scarf), and Miss J. says that the smize is missing. Tyra asks Ashley how she felt working with such an esteemed photographer as herself, and Ashley says that she loved shooting with Tyra, but all the costume changes threw her off. Tyra tells Ashley that there are different reasons why an art director or stylist will change a model's clothes during a shoot. Sometimes they just don't think it's the best look, and sometimes it's because the model is falling short. This case is an example of the latter, but Tyra didn't tell Ashley that on set because she didn't want to completely obliterate her confidence... yet. There are eight more episodes to go, after all, and think of how fun a gradual roll-out of confidence obliteration would be.
Laura is , and the judges just openly laugh at what she's wearing. It's kind of like an old fashioned bathing suit, but shorts, with three buttons at the top of the super-high waist, and a bikini top, all in white and green vertical stripes. I mean, it's hideous, but amusingly so. Miss J. tells Laura that she looks like she's in her bloomers, and Laura says proudly that her grandma made it. We flash to some photos of Laura's grandma measuring her and sewing. Grandma's name is Wanda Sue, which is cause for much amusement among the judges. Because, really, as much as gay men in puffy-sleeved dresses and showercaps are funny, hicks are funnier. Miss J. proclaims that Wanda Sue is may-jah, and Tyra kindly tells her that her outfit isn't bad, it's just not appropriate for judging. Or for leaving the house. Laura's photo, however, is very good. China says that it looks like a Renaissance painting, and Miss J. praises how good her body looks. Tyra notes that Laura likes the wind... through her tree. She also rides the night to me, in case you were wondering.
Bianca is , and her outfit is okay except for an upturned collar. She fixes it, and is instantly ten years younger, or so Tyra claims. Bianca has always looked a bit long in the tooth. I think it's the life experience. Bianca's body is strong and powerful in her photo, but Nigel says she almost looks like an athlete. Horrors. China thinks that Bianca looks uncomfortable and strained in the eyes. Tyra praises Bianca's ability to move, but says that she forgets her face. If she can get her face as relaxed as her body movements, then she's the whole package. As it is, she's a package without a head. Better than a package that's just a head, I guess. Rae's photo is strong and soft at the same time according to China, which is no small feat. It's really pretty, and she's clearly going to be fine. Nicole is , and Tyra thinks that she's feeling and living the fashion from her gut. Miss J. says, "That's because you. Want. This." Nicole does not disagree. China says that Nicole's body is a bit like Gollum's, which is of course the second Nicole / Gollum comparison of the episode. Is "Gollum" a better nickname than "Bloody Eyeball"? You be the judge. Nigel is the only judge with some criticism. He says that he's seen this body angle from her before, and really wants to see her start to push. Her body does good stuff naturally, so he suggests that she focus on her face a bit more.
Sundai is . Nigel says that her photo is very simple and very pretty, showing both a naivety and a sophistication. China agrees that it's a great beauty shot. Last is Jennifer, who looks completely cracked out. Nigel thinks that it's her best shot, and that she's completely dynamic. He loves it. Miss J. says that she's got wind in the hair and in the face, and in fact seems like she's in a wind tunnel. In a good way. Jennifer recreates her screaming, hair-pulling ways on set. Tyra says that she was super-impressed with Jennifer, and adds that the other girls could learn a little something about how to bring personality onto the set.
With that, the judges deliberate. Kara doesn't look like she's all there, and isn't working it. However, Miss J. thinks there's something special about her masculine meets feminine face, which Tyra describes as "handsome... ly beautiful." China loves Erin's alien picture. Nigel points out that Erin was very aggressive in the challenge. He says that ambition is one thing, but if you're not charming, directors, producers, photographers and clients aren't going to want you back. The camera loves Ashley's face, according to Tyra, but Ashley doesn't know how to love the camera. China loves Nicole's picture, and Nigel adds that Nicole knows how to move. Miss J. simply says that it's a great picture. Laura is very beautiful and womanly according to Nigel, and she makes him laugh. Tyra says that Laura is a happy girl, and her infectious energy makes you want to work and eat fried chicken with her. Bianca looks uncomfortable in the eyes, according to China. Nigel is just fed up with her. Tyra again praises Bianca's ability to move her body, but says that she doesn't know if a client would book her to be a model. Sundai looks like she has a secret in her eyes. Nigel thinks that her photo is beautiful, but that she needs to start delivering photos like this more consistently. Rae looks gorgeous, and her photo could be run in a magazine right now. Miss J. says that her photo could put a chill on a popsicle. Jennifer is super-cute, and China thinks her photo is kick-ass and one of the strongest in the bunch. With that, the judges have made their decision.
Ten beautiful ladies stand before Tyra, but she only has eight photos in her hands (since Brittany already has hers). The runner up for best pho-to is...Jennifer. Rae is called , followed by Gollum Bloody Eyeball Nicole, Erin, Laura, Sundai, and Kara. This leaves Bianca and Ashley in the bottom two. Bianca is stunning and soft, but as soon as the camera comes up her face gets hard. And then there's Ashley, who was painful on set. Tyra says she was the most difficult girl to shoot. So who stays? It's Ashley, with hopes that she can keep it together with an extra week. Third time in the bottom two is a charm for Bianca, who has to go pack her stuff. She is disappointed and says that this hurts pretty bad. Bianca expected to make it into the final five, and says that the only thing she regrets is not showing a softer, more vulnerable side. Otherwise, she tried her best. But I guess her best wasn't good enough, because her she is back where she was before. Well, at least she had the stank beat out of her.
week: Benny Ninja!
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