Oh, snap! That'll teach me to pick my winners early. Last night's instalment of America's Next Top Model was such a departure from where I thought we were headed, my confidence is shaken. Last cycle, I called Nicole as the winner the moment I laid eyes on her, and I was right. After last week's première, I was all about Gabrielle and Naduah, two of the most striking contenders, but both were sent home yesterday. And who knew that Angelea would turn in stunning pictures? “I'm just tryin' to do my thang” Angelea? Well, colour me taken aback. Cycle 14 is changin' thangs up, y'all.
Picking up from last week, the girls entered their first challenge: a nude photo shoot, albeit with one item by Custo Barcelona that each contestant raced to pick off a mannequin. Angelea impressed in shoes; Jessica, worried about what her grandmother would say, was lucky to score the shorts. Gabrielle raised an alarm with Jay Manuel when she showed very little spark and even less neck. And while Alasia earned praise from new judge André Leon Talley, no one else was impressed with her booty-ful shot. When the judges asked where she might have seen such a pose before, Jay quickly stepped in with the answer: “The zoo!”
Talley makes for a powerful ally in this competition, though. As Tyra reminds the girls, he is one of the most powerful people in the entire fashion world. His support for Alasia saved her from going home, and sent Gabrielle packing.
Back at the house, Naduah's divergent stories about her past made some girls suspicious, and it was war between an exasperated Ren and in-yo-face Alasia (“I know where you sleep, dawg!”). High-stakes challenges did nothing to ease the girls' nerves. Miss J had them practise runway walking through a busy New York intersection, prior to stomping down a catwalk wearing Rachel Roy while avoiding heavy, swinging pendulums. Poor Alexandra must have thought it was the fall season; she tumbled twice, once approaching the catwalk, and then being hit right off it. Cue the horrified gasps of the entire crowd.
The final photo shoot put the girls against the elements, battling wind and rain in front of a backdrop of Manhattan. Reina was the judges' clear favourite, and Ren and Naduah made up the bottom two, with Naduah being sent home. Of course Ren actually hoped she would be the one to go, while Naduah wanted to compete more than Ren did – but since when does how much one wants to be the winner actually matter to the judges, anyways? In the end, Naduah's edgy, shaven-headed look didn't fit with her classic poses.
I'm enjoying André Leon Talley. Vogue's editor-at-large offered some hilarious jibes on his first outing, coining the term “dreckitude” (a terrible and total mess) and warning Anslee about the “almost telescopic view of the nether regions” in one shot. Considering that he's not afraid to disagree with Tyra or Nigel, his presence on the show will shake things up a bit, something ANTM can use in its 14th cycle.
Eleven girls are left, and we've almost had a full cycle's worth of drama already. Who do you think will be on top? Stomp it out below.
America’s Next Top Model airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on A/The CW.
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