First off, Dallas hair master and former Best of Dallas™ winner Matthew Tully loves his wife. It became increasingly clear over the course of last night’s Shear Genius that it was either going to be Matt’s best night or his last night. His fellow stylists were irritated both by his winning the shortcut challenge (technical up-dos -- no cutting! -- for women with exceptionally long hair) and his incessantly mentioning his gorgeous “perfect 10” wife. Even mentor Rene Fris turned snippy when Matt said he’d pick out the evening gown for the elimination challenge based on what would look great on his wife.
But that didn’t stop some stylists from trying to get on Matt’s good side after it was announced that because of his shortcut win, he’d determine the order in which everyone would select their clients and gowns for the red-carpet-look adios challenge. Of course, I’d love to believe that some of them were just trying to make friends with the one guy who obviously had been uncomfortable with the new environment and competition since day one -- which, like I said way back in my show preview, could possibly be because the man works with his wife every day. It’s quite the jump from nurturing, friendly and fun to cutthroat pseudo-reality. (Ask Lisa Garza.) Seriously, he loves his wife.
Anyway, after not listening when his client said her hair wouldn’t hold a curl, Matt still went for a side-swept style of cascading curls. He also poked some benign threats at HairShow Charlie, the snarky bald guy who ended up winning the red-carpet challenge with a Hollywood glam look. (Yes, he called Charlie a “bitch.” Yes, Charlie seems to be one.) Matt’s model proved she knew her own hair when she strolled onto the red carpet with a droopy ’do that looked like the weight of the hair and humidity had gotten the best of it.
Which is how Matt got clipped from the show.
But not before saying just how happy he was to be going home -- back to family, friends, work and … his wife (watch his exit interview). Meridith quipped that she must be awfully good in bed to warrant all that chatter, which I felt was in poor taste and uttered entirely out of jealousy.
He went, he tried, he didn’t fit in, and it was terribly plain that Matthew Tully was homesick from jump. That doesn’t mean he can’t do good hair; he's just happy in his own salon, next to his foxy lady. And who can really blame him for wanting to return to his inspiration?
In Green Peridot Salon co-owner Daniel Lewis news, his styles were all safe, neither top nor bottom. But he did get starstruck yet again when the guest judge was introduced -- Alison Sweeney, aka Sami Brady of Days of Our Lives. Um, I will be most shocked when Daniel does not react to a B-list celeb. --Merritt Martin
