At last, a new episode. This week we have candy concoctions, Zac Posen, and a trip to the Seventh Circle of Hell - Times Square.
But let's start at the beginning. After picking the models, Heidi, who is wearing really a lot of makeup, announces that the designers have an early field trip the next morning. This means Tim wakes them up early, looking impeccable. Kit, however, looks like an entirely different person. I'm empathizing, of course - I knew I was getting older when suddenly my face looked all crumpled and crêpey in the morning. You know, before I put my "face" on.
Anyway, after transforming themselves, the designers are lead to Times Square - or, as New Yorkers know it, Hell On Earth. In fact, I'm watching with my roommate and Travis, and we all grimace when they arrive there. I've managed to avoid it for years, but for work recently I did the letters to Santa charity thing and I had to go to the epicenter of Time's Square Horror...at the very worst time of the year...Toys R' Us in Times Square, on December 21st. Sometimes I still wake up screaming.
The designers are at the Hershey Store. Some suit from the Hershey Corporation comes out to announce the challenge -- making outfits from anything in the store -- the "sweetest place in New York." Hershey Lady says the designers are "surrounded by all sorts of delicious brands."
"Hmm," says Travis, "look at all those delicious brands."
She also tells them to "have a sweet day." Agh.
Chris is grabbing pillows, Christian is taking Peanut Butter Cups, and Elysa doesn't have a plan. Gillian is the only one using edible materials - red licorice. I am also totally distracted by Gillian's outfit...she's wearing rainbow suspenders with jeans and a black shirt. It makes Rickie's questionable hat choices seem quite sophisticated. She looks like Gallagher. I expect her to smash a watermelon any second.
Chris is unsure of Gillian's decision to use edible materials. He keeps looking over at her and darkly saying, "I have been there," and hinting at some sort of trauma.
Back at the design studio, Christian unwraps about 1000 peanut butter cups and uses the paper cup holders to make a halter dress. He is then free to swan around the studio, criticizing people. Dr. McGivney prescribes 22 slaps. Seriously, will he be stopped? In an interview, Rickie says, "Every interview I must mention I'm going to off him and you'll never see him again."
Elysa is making something...ugly. It's just ugly. It's a dress that has strange bubble-foil sleeves, that Christian, I have to agree with, says look like "swimmy things." It's true. We also learn her back-story: Apparently she was hit by a car and had a major head injury, her neck broken, and was in a coma for five days. Now I feel bad for making fun of her spaciness, although I maintain that it could be a pre-accident condition.
JUDGING:
We have the usuals, and our guest designer is Zac Posen.
No big surprises on the runway - except that Chris has restrained himself and made a simple dress in a loud print, and Victoria's model is doing the strangest walk in the world, at the request of Victoria.
Victoria wanted her model to do a walk evocative of an "ice princess" since she's wearing this silver/white ruffled dress. However, it's more of a cross between the "pony stomp" and "doing the robot" all the way down the runway. It's crazy. They cut to Zac Posen, and he looks disturbed and depressed.
The winning outfits seem to be between Gillian, who has done a cute little fringe skirt and bodice out of licorice, and Rami, who has created a fun outfit out of -- candy wrappers and wrapping paper? -- that the judges love. The winner is Rami.
As for the losers, they think Elysa's is "joyless", Victoria's is more "dairy queen than ice-princess" and Kit's is "on the boring side", "has no sense of smile or joy to it" and is "just sad."
In the end, it's between Elysa and Sweet Pea. I kind of think Sweet Pea should go over Elysa, but they send Elysa home.
Elysa, leaving, says, "I feel fortified in what most people would consider a very unusual way." No argument here! But thank you for visiting our planet. I'll miss you.