4/4/07 show discussion *possible spoilers*

[Jexter]

Originally Posted by Harvest

I wanted to see Andrea and Matt in the top two, but I did think Carisa's room was best (the most "finished") this week. It kind of guarantees that Matt will win unless something goes very wrong, however.

As for their carpenters, esp. Carl, they are so annoying! It is Top Design, not Top Carpenter. Carl cannot take orders at all. Both of them had lousy (difficult) carpenters this week, although Matt gets his good guy back for the final task. Carisa is screwed with her guy; what an impossible jerk he is. I don't care if he is trying to show that he knows what he is doing. All he accomplishes is to show how difficult he is to work with.

Dissention in the ranks is the result of weak and/or uninspired leadership. Funny how Carissa's carpenters always seem to second guess her and take the upperhand.

Carissa is not a leader - not creatively, not professionally. That is why the carpenters get on her case. I have absolutely no pity for her on this matter.

[Google]

 

[coco_puff]

I can't believe Carissa made it to the final 2. Her hotel room was the only challenge that she personally pulled off as a finished and professional looking room. She's annoying and difficult to work with, and can't take any personal blame when something goes wrong but takes ALL the credit when things go right. She is not half as talented as she thinks she is (her room this week SUCKED-all that tacky crap...no way she should be in the finals) and if Matt doesn't when this show is a joke.

[Harvest]

Originally Posted by Dogbat

The blogs make it clear why Andrea was eliminated and why Matt won over Carisa. They are a particularly interesting read this week. The Assistant is hysterical. His description of Andrea is priceless!

Thanks for the recommended reading! Any reason we can't post the links here? I found it anyway.

While I liked The Assistant's blog, I did not think he understood the dynamics between Carl and Carisa. Yes, Carl was totally aware of the cameras, but what The Assistant seemed to miss was the palpable ambition emanating from Carl. He clearly wanted those segments to be All About Carl. His fantasy of parlaying that gig into his own show where he was the designated expert was nigh-onto visible. So of course he would not allow himself to be seen as "emasculated by a 26-year-old girl." But knowing those contractor-type people, I would guess his attitude would be the same even without the cameras rolling. It is not specific to Carisa. So many of them cannot take direction from women, be they clients or designers. The Assistant clearly has no experience of that very common phenomenon.

If Carl really wants to come across smelling like a rose, he should not have been so difficult. His own refusal to listen to Carisa about the beam breaking in an earlier challenge would have destroyed that $10,000 table if she hadn't rescued it. Although I did state before that she wasn't my first pick for one of the final two, I do give her points for that rescue.

Because of the unpleasantness Carl heaped on Carisa, no matter how "deserving" she was of it in many people's opinions, I have to totally disagree with The Assistant's view that he could watch those two squabble all night. I do not want to be reminded of the larger picture, as that interferes with my desire to view escapist TV. I did not like it when the female carpenter bullied her designers, either. I do not want to see anyone treated that way; it was a turn-off in regards to my overall experience of the show.

To say they should be able to control their carpenters around as part of their job as designers ignores the fact that they don't have the power to hire and fire, and they don't have a normal time frame to accomplish the projects. The show is not called Top Manager, either.

I stand by my assertion that the competiton is about the designers, and the carpenters should have checked their egos at the door. I do not care to hear them express their own judgment of the designs. Carpenters, either execute the designer's vision or give a good proctical reason why it can't be done with that amount of time, money, and/or your skill set, but don't try to impose your aesthetic and/or sabotage the project. That is what I meant by "It is not Top Carpenter."

[jmb]

Originally Posted by coco_puff

I can't believe Carissa made it to the final 2. Her hotel room was the only challenge that she personally pulled off as a finished and professional looking room. She's annoying and difficult to work with, and can't take any personal blame when something goes wrong but takes ALL the credit when things go right. She is not half as talented as she thinks she is (her room this week SUCKED-all that tacky crap...no way she should be in the finals) and if Matt doesn't when this show is a joke.

I sooo agree with you coco_puff! Carissa's hotel room was the only room she did that was finals worthy, and all she does is complain. If she has problems with her carpenter, then she is the only one to blame because she CHOSE him, and she had first pick of the carpenters.

Matt should definitely win this. His hotel room was gorgeous. His rooms just look classy and beautiful.

[Dogbat]

I preferred Carisa's loft for the most part. Both of them failed at creating a compelling space, for me. The lack of color and signs of life made these spaces appear unfinished and somber.

I hope they do a second season with new editors so we can see Jonathan's humor and more of the judges comments. Well, there is a long list of changes that would make it better but we have been over all of them.