9/24 Discussion Thread **Spoilers**

[CrossingGuard]

Wow, Ra'mon is the favorite of FoRT? I'm shocked, 'cause I loathed him.

He was just so overdramatic and so over-the-top that it got so annoying (I did the so's on purpose, if you didn't catch that). For example, whenever Heidi would call his name to pick his model, half the time he would take all the time in the world and act very distraught, but then end up picking Vanessa in the end. I know that he was thinking of switching models, but why create a scene?

And honestly, I don't think he deserved his win back in Week3. IMO, he only won because he did all of the work. His dress this week, I don't know how anyone can back that up. He had a story that went along with it, but it still doesn't make up for how horrible it was.

But...

Nikolaus (or however he chooses to spell it!) really grates my nerves!

Nicolas grates on my nerves so much also. He's actually my least favorite. Every time he's in the confessional, it's like he's trying to come up with clever and classic comments. It's just too... rehearsed. I appreciate his effort though, since this cast is kind of a dud. But still, he doesn't come off as genuine; instead, he comes off as annoying.

I'm biased, but Gordana did not deserve to be in the B3 again. Where are you, Nina and Michael? Maybe you can bring some sense to the judging panel. Because in the last two weeks when Gordana has appeared in the bottom, it was as if the judges tried to find any excuse as to why she even was there in the first place. Like last week, how Heidi said it was a bad thing that her newspaper dress looked like it was made out of a fabric. In other seasons, that was a positive. And with this week, their main critique was that she didn't think out of the box. Well, there were others who designed very stereotypical dresses, like Shirin and her dress. Her designs may have been middle of the road lately, but they're nothing that deserves to be in the B3, IMO.

And that ends my rant. Wow, I get really nitpicky with my reality shows. What can I say, I just get really into them.

On a lighter note, I 'd the challenge. It was great.

[Kao]

I'm biased, but Gordana did not deserve to be in the B3 again. Where are you, Nina and Michael? Maybe you can bring some sense to the judging panel. Because in the last two weeks when Gordana has appeared in the bottom, it was as if the judges tried to find any excuse as to why she even was there in the first place.

I agree. Seeing her get ripped apart week after week for basically nothing is an eyebrow-raiser. This week's excuse was she did a replica of a 20s flapper dress instead of a modern interpretation of one.

As for Nicholas, goodness. He is certainly at his happiest when he's pointing out the mistakes of others, isn't he? Celine really sold his design tonight, but it's getting harder and harder each week to be objective about his work. I didn't like the Jr. High mentality when I was in that age group, and as an adult I absolutely loathe it in people who are clearly old enough to know better.

[busilis32]

Nicholas is just a twit, and if we could get technical, his Las Vegas showgirl costume was more fantasy than SciFi (think "The Neverending Story" rather than "Star Trek.") But what do these judges know? Chris always has the same silouette: a fitted top and a voluminous skirt. I wish he would get away from it. I thought Emerson had the best combination of concept and execution. And Louise has no color sense whatsoever. Why would you dress your model in that dark fabric? It looked like a blob on the runway. Maybe it looked better live, but I am sure it had great detailing, and it got lost. I am not sorry to see Ramon (I refuse to put that stupid apostrophe in) go. As CrossingGuard said above, I was sick of his mind games with his model, and I don't think his designs were that great. But at least he did something within the theme. I am rather underwhelmed by this season. I thought Season 4 was the best with the two Chris March and Siriano, Jillian and even Rami who knew how to work his one note aesthetic. Done ranting now.

[Shoepie]

Michael, Nina come back!

CrossingGuard, I agree with all you have said.

I was stunned that neither Chris nor Epperson won that challenge. They even commented on the cheap fabric Nicolas used but said it would photograph well. And his costume was pure fantasy and not science fiction in my book.

Cairon- The other threads are all locked until the show has aired on the west coast. They most often remain locked the next morning until a moderator is up and rolling. This is to prevent anyone from commenting on the show in other threads for those who don't want to know the outcome.

[straycat80]

I agree with the judges this week: Ra'mon's dress was messy and looked like it was just thrown together at the last minute (which it was). I do not agree with the winner. Nicholas' dress was Ok but not win worthy. I think the judges are really overlooking Epperson. I thought his dress was a true period piece design and constructed well. I wish Michael and Nina would come back. That judge from Marie Claire is really bugging me! Her remarks are bordering on too mean and she talks too much.

[mandmmom2]

I must have missed a show....reading all the comments here...I'll have to watch it tonight no matter how late company leaves!!!

[raisinthesun]

I am absolutly LIVID! Ra'mon went home and Louise stayed? As much as i like Louise her design was sooo blah. And whats worse Nicolas won?! WTF?! How did that odious little hack win?! And now he has immunity for next week? Grrrr....im getting fed up with this show!

[Harmony2000]

Over on EW online they were asking people to post what shows they are "divorcing" this year (mostly due to not having enough room on their schedules/DVR's with all the returning shows and SYTYCD being on in the fall this time) and PR got a lot of votes. Many are disappointed and are saying that the designers aren't measuring up and Michael/Nina being gone was also cited as a reason.

Pity.

I thought the first couple of shows were really great and I was excited for this season but they keep having WTF moments. Gordana and Epperson are much better designers than the way these judges are treating them. Mediocre designers are being rewarded and it's getting on my nerves. I know Epperson has gotten accolades in the past but what about Gordana? I don't get their hatred of her at all.

Ramon, I've been falling out of love with him for weeks. I really don't like the games he keeps playing with his model. If you don't like her? Get rid of her but enough with messing with her head. I also think he hasn't exactly been living up to his potential. I think other designers should have gone home before him but since I don't think he should have made it all the way to the finale, I'm fine with his ouster.

[jadewarlock]

Nicholas is just a twit, and if we could get technical, his Las Vegas showgirl costume was more fantasy than SciFi (think "The Neverending Story" rather than "Star Trek.") But what do these judges know? Chris always has the same silouette: a fitted top and a voluminous skirt. I wish he would get away from it. I thought Emerson had the best combination of concept and execution.

Christopher's here at least was right - women would wear bustles in Victorian times. The only thing that gets me is that he didn't give the dress sleeves.

Though it does indeed have a twist of its own - to me it was beautiful, didn't look like it was made for $150, and was reminiscent of "Dark Shadows" attire.

That said - Epperson was robbed again. His was very creative, beautifully made, broke stereotypes of western (actually both designers who had western did), and paid attention to details such as having the leg holster.

Nicholas' was OK, but I do not think it was the best. I think it'd been stronger had he added a second color here and there to better strengthen the story of the queen being frozen. I do think this case her makeup really helped out more than the dress. And, for $150, it joined Louise's and the two designers who did action outfits IMHO in that it looked cheap.

I know people say that Nic's is also fantasy more than sci-fi, I do disagree here - I remember a lot of outfits in "Buck Rogers" tending to be a bit like this, including a couple of evil women. Only thing that made them different was there was a bit more exaggeration at points on the costume (not total exaggeration mind you) than there was here.

Gordana's was beautiful, fit the time, and there really wasn't much she could do to give it a modern spin save put it in a different color or instead of the traditional headband with feather or a cloche hat, she could've done a beaded draping headress... or tried to do say a 1920s flapper version of Cleopatra, i.e. a costume party...

Which leads me to Louise's dress. She actually had a pretty good idea in having a 1940s interpretation of a 1920s flapper outfit. I don't think the judges got that different decades see past decades in a different light and add their own twist to it. Take "Buck Rogers" for example (though this will be reverse), if you watch the serials from the days of black and white film (about 1930s, 1940s or so) and the version done in the 1970s, there are two hugely different designs that have the influences of that time periods (1940s, the women wouldn't wear the skimpy bikini outfits like Pamela Hensley did in the '70s take).

Now, what DIDN'T work was the execution of said dress. It needed to be a mix of shades and such, given that with film noir it had to be black and white colors.

Ramon ended up kicking himself in the butt. The spandex outfit he had actually was savable, but he panicked and ended up with a shoddy dress. I think he'd probably been able to save it had he softened up the green unitard some by adding a soft lizard skin tulle skirt - kinda like shedding skin or something. If he had broken up the line some, I think it'd been OK and he'd been safe because he actually had a much better idea of Sci-Fi than Nicholas.

[Fierce Critter]

CrossingGuard, I agree with you for the most part. I didn't loathe Ra'mon, but I thought his execution was horrible and his "last minute saves" weren't impressive to my eyes (yes, I'm talking about that stupid green/gray neoprene mess).

And I totally agree with what you have to say about Gordana. Gordana's outfit this week WAS a tad "safe." But what she did with the newspaper challenge was - in my eyes - exceptional, and the outfit she put together this week was gorgeous - much better than that "40's version of a 20's flapper" WTF that almost got Louise auf'd.

I do hope she steps it up next challenge, though. Takes things to a new level. Otherwise she's going to be outshined.