Ryan on the Runway: PR21 ep 9

Just as I thought, Belania and Antonio were not both being eliminated. Heidi brought out Christian - - I thought maybe the choice would be up to him, or he'd announce a one-hour challenge to determine the winner. But no, he said he convinced the judges to keep them BOTH in.

Give me a C!

Give me an O!

Give me a P!

Give me another O!

Give me a U!

Give me a T!

What does it spell? Cop out. They didn't even choose ONE loser in this challenge. They could easily have chosen one. I could tell that Law Roach was having none of it, he would have been thrilled to send them both home. I have an idea? How about next season we bring on sixteen designers and call them all the winner.

The new challenge is allegedly the one that will decide which three of them will go to the finale. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made a pre-recorded video announcing that the challenge would be inspired by *Wicked: For Good.* The Oscar-winning costume designer for that movie, Paul Tazewell, came out to give more details.

Paul and Christian did a walk through in the workroom, checking in with the designers. They went to Mood where they had 1000 clams to spend. Veejay tried stirring up some drama in the workroom, trying to pit Jesus against Ethan because they were both wearing green and then trying to pit Antonio against Jesus. This is not a good way to spend your energy or your time, it didn't reflect well on her. And then she had a teary moment talking about her kinship with Elphaba, her challenges as an immigrant and a transwoman. She is complicated, to be sure. I'd say, "She needs some time on the couch," but don't we all?

The judges: Law Roach, welcome back Nina Garcia, and La Regina, Tyra Banks!

Jesus: super *Wicked,* very strong.

Antonio: a little too Bob Mackie for Cher for my taste.

Belania: sort of flat and dull compared to the others.

Veejay: very avant garde, very well done.

Ethan: another Cher look, lots of skin but not vulgar, very true to his aesthetic.

Jesus: Nina liked how it pushed the boundaries. Law thought the shoes were too draggy. Tyra couldn't believe he did it in two days. Heidi loved the placement of the sparkles.

Antonio: Heidi thought it was more Vegas than *Wicked.* Law said the back was a disaster, Nina agreed. She used the word "catastrophic."

Veejay: Nina loved the craft of it and was crazy for the shoes. Heidi, Law, and Tyra all thought the red was a bad choice. I thought the red caught the spirit of the challenge without being too literal.

Ethan: Law said it was a couture dress ruined by her tacky beige panties. Apart from that, he "did an incredible job." Nina appreciated the mix of modesty and sexiness.

Belania: Nina felt that she didn't take enough of a risk. Law hollered at her yet again for not being able to take criticism and she got weepy. This is a problem and she hasn't grown in that regard. It might be something that gets her eliminated.

Ugh. The judges asked the designers what two other designers they would take with them to the finale. What is the point apart from making one or two people feel really bad. I think this exercise is mean spirited and I'm not going to document what their choices were.

Of course Veejay said something that set off Jesus and Antonio. They need to learn to not rise to the bait! The episode ended with Antonio having a world-class hissy fit, snatching his two enormous man bags, and walking off the set, trailed by a production assistant. I'm sure this is temporary drama, like in the previous episode. They'll give him a cookie and everything will be fine again.