This episode opens on an odd note in that we hear a very heated, very loud argument coming from the holding room, where the doors reveal Helen, Stankface Ken, and Sandro engaging in a screaming match that make the moms from Dance Moms look like amateurs (at least THIS ain't staged). At first, I had hoped this occurred during this week's challenge but Sandro wasn't wearing the overalls I may/may not want. Then, he gets up and leaves in a huff... now let's rewind to what happened 36 hours EARLIER....
The men talk about how Twit had reached his breaking point. Sandro doesn't want to be considered safe anymore and wants to know what people want from him (other than to calm down). In the ladies' room, Helen is elated that the next challenge won't be as awful due to the immunity. She hopes that this won't affect her design and plans to win this one too. Of course, this is reality television talk for, "She's going to suck hard." In the other men's room, Jeremy reveals that his grandmother had passed away during the weekend and he's a bit rattled by it, especially since he's
Instead of Heidi treating us to some ill-fitting garment on the runway, the designers enter the workroom today to find out their challenge... and are greeted by Tim Gunn and oodles and oodles of bow ties. Alexander wonders if it will be a menswear challenge. Tim then introduces the reason behind this challenge, which turns out to be none other than actor and everyone's imaginary cuddle buddy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. While Kate and Karen fangirl in their confessionals, Jesse and Tim explain the challenge. Jesse had started a charity called "Tie the Knot" which supports marriage equality and their main thing is bow ties, which he has provided them with. Bradon commends him for the cause, especially since he wants to marry his own partner. The challenge is to make a garment that utilizes at least one of the bow ties in an unconventional way. Stankface Ken is anxious to see what the other designers will make. In all of this, Sandro has his hands on Alexander and Jeremy and it makes it a bit hard to not like him for it. Oh yeah, and Jesse will also be the guest judge for the challenge as well.
The designers grab some of the ties as Sue thinks it will be cool and interesting for her to work with such tiny materials when she's more along the lines of big and grand. Tiny Dom is planning to use draping in her design. Next thing you know, we're off to mood to shop. Once there, Tim SUGGESTS that the designers stay within a $200 limit and away they go. Kate looks for washed silks and twill and leather, while Jeremy plans to make this design a tribute for his "gran", which I think isn't a great idea. Look, tributes are nice but they also spell out as a Hail Mary pass so, sometimes, they don't work so very well. Bradon is way more calmer on this Mood trip but has no idea what he's going to do. Sue causes me to have a heart attack as she drops $400 on materials for the challenge.
Back to the workroom, where Sandro kind of meanders in like some poor puppy. Jeremy likes how such a strong gay influence will be judging the challenge. Alexander points out that Bradon actually predicted this challenge the night before, where Bradon justifies it as doing designs for gay couples. Close enough. Sandro jokingly calls him a witch in his confessional (well, a bruja). Miranda asks Bradon about his relationship with his partner, which segways into some character development. Bradon and his partner, Josh, met when they were students at Julliard. Josh was an opera singer and Bradon was, duh, a dancer. They've been together for EIGHTEEN YEARS. Bradon also bemoans about how gay marriage can be done anywhere in the world, like in the Czech Republic (well, same-sex unions but still), but it still cannot be done in the US of A. And he goes on a few times about how much he misses Josh. Aww.
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| Represent! |
Bradon recaps the challenge for us today, and then explains that he's attempting to make a bodice with the ties, but this could change. Tim goes to Tiny Dom's station, where she explains that she's trying to work in the Equal sign into the design. Tim thinks it could veer into literal land and questions her piping choices. Karen admits that she finds the stripes on Dom's dress go well with the ties she has. On to Sue, who has TWO dresses. Alexander is baffled by her hefty purchase at Mood and now this weird situation. Sue explains that this is how she works but goes on to explain her black dress, which is draped in purple bow ties. Miranda the Riveter, however, thinks the ties are attacking the dress so Sue's in trouble. Speaking of, let's see how Miranda of the Pencil Skirts is doing. While Tim praises the jacket, Jeremy doesn't. Tim, however, doesn't think the print goes well with the pink tie so she axes it. At Kate's korner, she explains that she's aiming to do a hunting party kind of a look with pants. Tim suggests putting a tuxedo stripe on the pants while she adds on by saying it could be a bow tie stripe. Resourceful, that one.
Now, let's see how Sandro is doing. He starts off by asking Tim if he could call him, "Top Gunn" as Sandro's been giving out nicknames to everybody (and causing me to wonder if we're kindred spirits). It also took me about 5 times to understand what he was saying until I put on the closed captioning. Anyway, Sandro then vents to Tim about his frustrations about being told that he does "too much" and questions a pretty handbag he plans to use. Tim understands why Sandro is so frustrated and Sandro is relieved that someone gets him for a change. Tim also advises Sandro to not take the criticisms to the highest degree, where Sandro segues into Zac Posen. Kate lets it be known that Sandro is not a big fan of Zac at all. He's pissed because all Zac has done is knock him for his details. In the confessional, Sandro wants to challenge Zac sometime and that Zac is just too sensitive. In the room, Tim says that he likes Sandro's passion and he should stay true to his aesthetic. Stankface Ken, who's slowly becoming very irritating, says that Sandro is loud and a drama queen. Whatever, he's making me enjoy Sandro slightly more.
Now, let's see how Jeremy is doing. Tim offers his condolences for his grandmother. Unfortunately, Jeremy is a bit all over the place and Tim tells him to think about the design. Jeremy, however, thinks it will be super. For Bradon, Tim likes his top but Karen worries that it may be too literal. Prissy Punk Helen's dress, despite what she says about making it masculine, is anything but and very bland, and Tim lets her know. This throws her for a loop and has her questioning everything about her design, as per Miranda. When Tim leaves, she goes to whine to Sandro about how she freaks out when she hears criticism. Oh please.
The models arrive for fittings as Miranda tries to follow Tim's advice to make the shirt a bit sexier, which is so not her strong point. While Alexander likes Sandro's dress, he has no idea how the bow tie works. As Kate frets about her pants (she's only made one other pair before), Bradon works on his top, which is very time consuming. Stankface Ken calls Sue's dress horrible, and Tiny Dom makes a tie vagina. Sandro says it reminds him of clams and they laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh. Tiny Dom believes Sandro is from another planet, and his dancing around is making it that much harder to dislike him. As Helen freaks out over every little thing, Bradon worries that he may not be able to finish the whole design tomorrow, which includes shorts and a jacket. Time's up and away they go to rest for twelve minutes.
Runway day sees Miranda overwhelmed as she hopes to finish in time. Stankface Ken believes he needs to watch out for frontrunners/way better than him designers Bradon, Tiny Dom, and Inga, who we haven't seen much at all this entire episode. I wonder why. It displeases me. After Tim gives the standard time crunch speech, Helen flips out because she hopes the judges won't think she did so bad because she's riding on an immunity pass. While Bradon struggles to finish everything, the design team must be very relieved to not have Twit around. Back in the workroom, Inga asks her model to give a bitchy walk (she knows their language), and she questions Sue's dress. Jeremy hopes the hail mary pass of dedicating the challenge to his gran will work, as Tiny Dom hopes to win as well. Miranda makes the decision to turn the shirt into a crop top while Sandro still sews at the end point, but that's not too dramatic as the bumpers made it seem.
On the runway, Heidi is wearing a bowtie and an unflattering sparkly dress. Seriously, the interpreter, who I'll call Moesha until I find out her name, looks miles better than she does. As we already knew Jesse would be judging, the show begins.
Tiny Dom is up first, and it's incredible, although the hair is reminiscent of the last challenge. Not that I'm complaining. Jeremy's okay, but I don't see the bow tie anywhere in the design. I like the top but the pants are huge. Bradon's is magnificent and it definitely suits his model, Ya. Stankface Ken's little black dress is, naturally, boring with the added bonus of making his girl look kind of chunky. Miranda's is all over the place as pencil skirts and crop tops do not make happy marriages. Equally disastrous is Prissy Punk Helen's dress, which looks like it comes with a back brace. Alexander's outfit is nice and I like the tie in with the rainbow bow tie collar. Contrary to what anyone says, I kind of like Sandro's pink dress. Sure, it's a bit Barbie with clasps but I like how it flows. Sue, on the otherhand, looks like she just threw her ties on her model. Justin has also done a little black dress but, unlike Stankface's, his looks beautiful and makes the model look slim. While Kate's outfit is trendy, I swear to God I've seen those pants before at Forever21. Karen's is a bit dumpy and I hate the pants she made but Inga's is stunning and I like the slit in the front.
Heidi calls out Bradon, Kate, Sue, Jeremy, Tiny Dom, and Miranda the Riveter, sending the others to safety. BUT, she calls out Helen, who tries to hide behind Bradon, for doing such a poor job on her design. Then, Nina throws some shade by saying that perhaps she won last challenge by riding on Kate's coattails. Sandro then wants to ask a question, which Heidi allows. He wants to know what they thought of his dress (a little out of place for this as he's SAFE). Only Zac's critique makes the cut, where he bashes it. He also has no idea who he is as a designer. Heidi then dismisses the safe people.
Now, we return to where the episode began: The epic meltdown between Sandro, Helen, and, for no reason, Stankface. Prissy Punk Helen is pissed that she (deservedly) got knocked down a peg for her crappy handiwork. Sandro gives his reasons why he asked his question on the runway in the first place (which is generally what he was saying throughout the entire episode). Stankface Ken, however, doesn't like it. As Karen tries to calmly explain how it was disrespectful to do that right then and there, Prissy Punk Helen interrupts to bring it on back to her pathetic sob story of her garment basically being terrible. This escalates to yelling between Helen and Sandro. Karen comments on the awkwardness of the situation of just sitting there as this is going on. Stankface Ken, who I'm convinced just likes to hear his own voice, then butts in to tell Sandro is acting out of order. This is apparently the final straw for him, as he curses up a storm, tears through the holding sheet (?) that was held by two crewpeople, storms off, and takes out a camera. Helen, however, goes to cry in the bathroom.
Yikes. Although a bit outrageous, it's no wonder why Sandro might have flipped out. Aside from the criticisms, we also have to realize that actual designers aren't given absurd challenges on a weekly basis, they aren't followed around by a camera crew 24/7, and they aren't (usually) the dancing monkeys on the television that are there to entertain the masses. Still, I hope Sandro gets some anger management though because, adorable he may be, I would be terrified to be 10 feet away from him.
Moooooooooooooooooooooooving on, it's time for the critiques! Which weren't too too lengthy, probably due to the editing job on the meltdown.
THE GOOD:
Bradon: Heidi calls it fabulous and would wear it every day of the week if she had Ya's body. Nina can see that he loves fabric. She loves the texture and is impressed with the mix of fabric. Zac calls it fabulous and Jesse calls it brave.
Tiny Dom: Zac thinks the stripes work for the garment and Nina, again, thinks it's adorable and emulates happiness. Jesse is thrilled how the designers took the foundation's message and incorporated it into their designs and loves how the model's hair is done like a bow tie.
Kate: Heidi calls the outfit sexy, modern, and likes the pants. Nina, being a pants woman, also likes the pants as well, calling them "sick".
THE BAD:
Sue: Heidi could not believe that this was HER dress. It's a mess and she doesn't understand it. Zac wrote down "octopussy" and tells her simple is better. Nina wrote that it reminded her of Sigourney Weaver in "Alien" and that it looks more like an arts and crafts project. Jesse thought the ties were kelp.
Jeremy: Heidi doesn't like the "Madame" look. Zac calls it lackluster and doesn't like the exposed belly button. Nina appreciates the work it took to go into the top but it ages the model by decades. Jesse also agrees that it makes the girl look old.
Miranda the Riveter: Heidi was disappointed in the lack of the bow tie motif and says it's from the 80's. Zac hates the top and Nina wishes she could focus on something more modern. Jesse like the gender bending idea Miranda wanted to convey but it didn't work in this case.
During deliberation, Tim Gunn informs that Sandro has gone AWOL and they're monitoring him to see if he's coming back. Other than that, it's the same old, same old, with the added bonus of Zac dragging Sue's model away by the ties. Then, we're back for the judgement.
Winner: Bradon! So early in the game and he's won two challenges. But, wait! Bradon's so inspired by the challenge, he tearfully proposes to his partner DIRECTLY TO THE CAMERA. It's so endearing, Jesse starts fangirling. Heidi also endorses the proposal by saying directly to the camera, "JOSH. YOU BETTER SAY YES." Because she's a badass like that. She also says she will attend the wedding. And I say, in the privacy of my house, "Josh, if it's been 18 years, MARRY HIM." Seriously, their relationship seems way more functional than the ones I know now.
Tiny Dom and Kate are excused to safety. There is no bottom two as Heidi reprimands the bottom designers for their shoddy work. However, no one is eliminated due to Sandro's withdrawal. Miranda the Riveter tearfully calls it a catch 22 because she feels that she was going to be the one who goes home. However, she honestly admits that she feels horrible that Sandro left and that she's here because of it. But, on a happier note, Tim breaks down at the sweetness of Bradon's proposal.
Before the episode ends, we go to a week later where Bradon skypes with Josh, who may as well be his twin. Josh informs him that, at the time (since the designers are cut off from the outside world), Prop 8 and DOMA was struck down and he takes the time to propose. Bradon, of course, says yes but tells him that he beat him to the punch the week before. Ha!
Next Week: Teams of Three and what appears to be ANOTHER unconventional challenge. One team spells disaster, someone bleeds on the fabric, and Stankface turns into a total bitch.
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