Previously: Miles told the judges that Mark wasn't creative, so they booted him. Because Miles is an art God. China cried about it, though, so we were supposed to think it was very sad. There are five left, and the winner will still get a show at Brooklyn Museum and $100,000.
The morning of their final pre-finale challenge, they all wake up and discuss whether Cap'n Crunch is a good dad. It doesn't matter. Miles says they're all stressed but pretending they're not, and he's going to try his best to do a "super-mega-duper-awesome job." And by "try his best," he most likely means that he'll ignore the rules of the challenge, fall asleep, and then wake up to throw someone else under the bus. That's how he rolls. As they're sitting around with their Deep Thoughts, Bill shows up to greet them. They're all super-excited, especially when Bill tells them there are cars downstairs, 'cause they're going out of town. And also: Dress warm.
Peregrine's super-excited, because she thinks they might be going to Sarah Jessica Parker's house. Abdi thinks he's been finishing in the bottom since he's lost all knowledge of what he wants as an artist. But he's been given another chance and is going to kick ass. They drive and drive in two cars until they get to a forest, where China's waiting to tell them there's a double elimination this week, since the finale's up . Jaclyn interviews that she has no financial backing, so she needs to win this game more than anyone else. Except, you know, Ryan, who wasn't sure if his accounts were overdrawn while he was on the show. But who cares about that guy, right, Jaclyn? I mean, did he even ogle your naked body?! Anyway, China tells them their muse is going to be nature. Nicole literally jumps up and down and tells us how excited she is to get her hands dirty. They have all afternoon to explore the marsh, the sea, and the forest -- and they also have to incorporate raw materials from the forest into their art. Because Miles is there, she tells them they can't use anything rooted down or with a heartbeat.
Miles thinks Jaclyn's nervous because she's never been outside of New York City. Peregrine's just going to be honest with herself and respond to her memories of growing up on a commune in San Francisco. So she just gathers stuff. Abdi sits and frets, trying to get out of his funk and figure out how to get his groove back. Nicole grew up in the woods in Connecticut, hunting frogs and being a tomboy. She collects acorns, because they give life to things. Miles loves the woods, which are calming to him more than the city. He finds some fungus growing off a dead log. He likes the idea of something pretty forming off something dead. Sort of how he's used the eliminations of people he hates to blossom in the judges' eyes. Jaclyn hates being in the woods, because she can't do a photo of herself when she's wearing a coat and boots. You know... because she's, like, not naked at all. She gravitates to the water and collects some water. Abdi finds some cool gravel on the road, which he can incorporate more than something like tree branches.
Back at the studio, Peregrine's making a sculpture of a human figure out of tree branches, boots, and papier-mache. She wants to make something risky because this is the last chance. Jaclyn, who has a cold, sleeps on the couch. Abdi takes her place and strips down to his underwear to take his own picture. He's going to paint a self-portrait because he feels like he had his rebirth or baptism in the forest. Peregrine makes fun of Jaclyn, who wants everyone to leave her alone. She says it's not that she's being lazy; it's just that she can't work. Nicole can't believe Jaclyn's moping around and sleeping through their last challenge.
Nicole's making something out of seeds and nuts, which has to do with her grandfather, who was from the Algonquin tribe and was a wonderful person. She's making an homage to ancestry. But when she turns her seed-and-nut casts over, Peregrine says they look like two huge tits. Luckily, they like each other a lot, which we learn in two seconds of clips. Miles like the idea of creating something pretty from something deadly, so he's going to use the chemical reaction of creating mustard gas, which can cause you to pass out and die. Nicole thinks he's like the mad scientist. Miles then realizes it would be inconsiderate to create mustard gas in a public space, so he's going to use bleach to create an abstract design. Jaclyn still has no idea what to do, with 15 minutes left in the day. Everyone else works hard and gets a good start on their art. Jaclyn seems to have set up two blank canvases by the end of the day. But at least she got off the couch.
Back at home, Jaclyn just wants to rest and feel better tomorrow so she can make something spectacular. The other girls toast and drink wine. day, Abdi's smashing the black gravel to create what's basically charcoal. He wants to draw this self-portrait of himself, and knows he needs to take charcoal drawing to the level. Jaclyn's still inspired by water. She is going to use photographs of umbrellas in water that she took at the apartment and add rocks -- or, as she's calling them, "sculpture elements" -- to make it art. Miles is building a structure that looks like it could become a pool table. He puts plastic wrap or something over it, and says he's making it complicated because he hates having extra time. Which is why he usually naps through half of the challenges. Nicole says she wants to Jell-O wrestle in his structure as a Plan B. He manages not to turn his last chance at the finale into a Jell-O wrestling ring, despite some grunting about it, and carries on.
The five artists are lined up now that the judges have decided. China tells them they've all shown exciting work throughout the competition, but only three will move on. They start with the winner of the challenge: Abdi! Yay! Michele tells him his drawing was as close to masterful as he's seen in a long time. He gets a spot in the finale, which makes him super-happy, of course. Miles is the one to earn a spot in the finale. He's relieved, and knows he needs to work on getting rid of his obsessive control. They are sent away, so the ladies can learn their fates. China tells the three of them that two of them won't be moving on. Bill tells Jaclyn her piece was distant, cold, and left them stranded. Jerry tells Nicole she has a strong sense of design, but is missing vision. Jeanne tells Peregrine her piece had several elements going for it, but the execution wasn't there. China tells Jaclyn she won't be going to the finale. She thanks them for the opportunity, and they send her to the studio. She's disappointed, because she wants to make a mark in the world. She goes up and tells the guys. Abdi: "Oh, shoot!" He's adorable. Back in the lineup, China says, "Nicole," and I think we all think she's going to the finale. But she's not. Peregrine's the most shocked when she learns this. She and Nicole hug for a good, long time. Nicole says she's going to do more art, and Peregrine wants to show the judges they made the right choice. Group hug in the backroom.
week: Finale! Just like Tim Gunn does, Simon visits the artists' homes and sees their past work. In a big fancy museum, China tells them she has one last surprise for them. They all work hard and hang their pieces in Simon's museum (I think). China announces their special guest judge, David LaChappelle (not to be confused with the similarly named Dave Chappelle, though I bet that would make for a more entertaining finale). It's the biggest day of Abdi's life. Sarah Jessica Parker's there, and so are the eliminated artists. The judges tell someone how great they did, and someone else how their work was pretty "art school." Uh-oh.
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DeAnn, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, didn't expect Peregrine in the finale, but will take her over Jaclyn. You can contact her at twopmodmars@gmail.com.