PR at the 1/3 mark

[jlh]

In my experience of competitive reality shows, there are three phases (and if I were Barney Stinson, they'd all have awesome names). In the initial phase, those who wouldn't have succeeded without a lot of luck or some coattails are shed by the machinery of the show. The midperiod is the most frustrating, when you get the surprise eliminations of one or two folks everyone, including the judges, thought were going all the way, plus the mysterious hanging on of one or two people no one thought would get that far. Depending on their methods, abilities and personalities, these people are either lovable underdogs (AI5's Elliott, TC3's Dale) or hated interlopers (PR1's Wendy Pepper). Mostly, though, the midperiod gets rid of the competent-but-no-fire types. Then, at the end, you get a pure competition where usually almost any of them could win, and it really depends on who brings it and who doesn't.

Now we're about done with phase one on PR, some thoughts:

• Heidi gets better every year, doesn't she? Her critiques are more interesting and she seems more relaxed generally.
  
• When I'm not watching I really don't think about Kors—but when I am, he's so much of what makes it fun. "A real Mugler Addicted to Love moment" indeed!
  
• I don't think that Sophie, Marion or Carmen would have lasted long in any case, and Carmen brought negative energy so I'm really okay with her being out.
  
• I liked Steve's commentaries, but he never made anything that I found interesting, nor was he able to make his teams better—both of his team leaders were auf'd; his menswear look was finished, yes, but was also straight out of a 1940s closet case film; and a bizarre suit thing for the first week.
  
• Oh Jack, woe! I feel the opposite about you! Your first-week B&W print and blue dress was totes sweet, and you had a great win last week. Well, at least you got Dale out of the experience.
  
• I'm pleased that Chris is back because he's so fun, but he really is costumey, and in a less interesting way than Austin or Kayne. I fear he won't be back for all that long, much like Andrea on TC1.
  
• I just don't like that Victorya. She seems awfully rigid for someone in a creative industry. P____ said she seemed more like a banker. Predict that no one will want her on their team. In the SJP challenge she had Kevin working with her, but he seems like the super amenable type who just gets things done, and besides, she was calling the shots. She's going to stick around and vaguely annoy me.
  
• Note to Ricky: Turn off the waterworks, take off those silly-ass hats (P___ wonders if he'd packed every hat he owned) and stop acting like a silly bitch. Also, I never want to see you in strappy gold 4"heeled sandals again. He cannot be gone soon enough for me.
  
• sisterpandora doesn't think much of Christian, while ali_wildgoose adores him. I think he's pretty harmless, and I hope that this process will give him some needed humility. No one on the show takes him all that seriously, though I didn't need the previews to tell me that he'd be a terror after winning a challenge.
  
• I really love Jillian and Kit's clothes, and some of Sweet P's but mostly her energy. She reminds me of blackholly in the way her eyes fly wide open when she freaks out and doesn't want to rat anyone out. Kit seems like a great positive mellow chick. Jillian is looking a little brittle, but the clothes are great.
  
• Elisa is a nut but I'm not sure where she'll end up. At least she's a team-playing nut; she doesn't want her nuttiness to hurt anyone else, and that's grown-up of her. I like her, but I haven't really adored anything she made, even when she won.
  
• Oh Rami. He designs well and his looks are often fantastic but he has that, "You're very wrong but that's okay!" kind of attitude that can be maddening, overlaid with that half-step-from-crazy Israeli army thing. I predict trouble from that one at some point.
  
• I like Kevin. Somewhere under that pumped up body and need to tell us he's straight every five seconds beats the heart of a serious geek, which comes out when he's talking to the judges, and I can't help but find that adorable. His first week look was a little 80's party dress, but the menswear and this week deserved top three and he came through for both the difficult Victorya and the freaked out Jillian. Predict that he'll last quite a while, and that everyone will want him on their team.

It snowed today. So much for going to the post office!

Comments

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

Christian does seem to be polarizing, doesn't he? Me, I just have trouble getting over the hair, and I think I'd find him more irritating if all his screen time didn't have him just seeming so ridiculous.

So, how MUCH snow? Trying to plan for the weekend, etc. :D

[jlh.livejournal.com]

I'd worry less about today's snow, where I think we got an inch or so but there's a lot of "wintry mix" going on out there, and worry more about dressing properly for whatever is coming on Sunday. As I think it will be warm enough tomorrow to melt anything that actually sticks through the night.

I agree with you about Christian; he just seems ridiculous to me, and so young. Arrogant, but in that insecure way that young people are, as opposed to arrogant like Rami.

[sisterpandora.livejournal.com]

I keep waiting for Christian to be attacked by a Flowbee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowbee). I just know there's one waiting out in the bushes for him.