Dallas's lean, mean high-fashion machine Ann, was also a focus. With three top photos in as many weeks, she was happy to have won again, but seemed a little shocked by her own success. Some of the other girls were wishing she'd be less taken aback and more taken back to Texas, or just quit with the winning already.
The mini-challenge was a runway show for the coveted dresses of Herve L. Leroux (formerly Herve Leger for those who love a flattering bandage dress), male models and moving conveyor belts. You know, everyday shit. The whole thing was entertaining -- not only because they shut down an entire street and tunnel in downtown Los Angeles for it -- but because the sheer schadenfreude of watching newbie models in stilettos tripping down what was essentially giant treadmills was sadly satisfying.
Lizp was the first of the local girls. She had a long train and a sailor's mouth so bad it had to be blurred. Full-on Weeble Wobble. Ann wore an uncomfortable expression and tipped forward. Arlington's Little Sister gave up a "Woo, Jesus!" mid-way through and fell into the safety pad at the very end. Clearly, none of them won the prize of high-end jewels or avoiding embarrassment.
Judge Andre Leon Talley and model Karolina Kurkova surprised the models in their house the next morning. Talley called out Ann for loving deep-fried Oreos (State Fair of Texas food, whaddup!), and Kurkova stuck around to show the girls how to make healthy snacks (with Pepperidge Farm product-placemently stocked on the shelves) and to give them a pep talk. The girls were all sweet, precious angels until she left, at which point there was a brief kitchen-sanitation altercation between The Girl Who Looks Like Aisha Tyler and Lexie, when -- BAM -- Liz was all up in TGWLLAT's grill like it was a Garland High School cafeteria fight. Cussing and spitting ensued. All very classy.
At the photo challenge for elimination, Jay Manuel was waiting with Lucha Va Voom, a Mexican masked wrestling troupe. The girls were to be styled in a high-fashion ensemble, set opposite a masked wrestler and shot by father-son photography team Eddie and Moshe Brakha.
Even with all the insanity of posing in a wrestling ring with a chicken man, Liz's expressions were fairly boring and repetitive. Jay told her it looked fake -- that, or she looked like she was about to throw down. Not very top modely.
Little Sister jumped in the ring and all over it. Jay lauded her for "consistent effort." She got amazing props from the judges for nailing a difficult jump pose with a great face to boot. Ann had a hard time channeling her confidence and had some stagnant posing. The photographer(s) and Jay called her on it, and she broke down, worried that after her winning shots she'd lost her edge. Lil' Sis said her flaw is that while she's a great person, she cracks under pressure.
But Ann needn't have worried. Tyra said her shot was "magic." Talley called it "amazing" and chided her for doubting herself. At the same time, T and T both loved the honesty and business sense in Ann's concerns that she'd let the client down. Guest judge Kurkova told her that sometimes what feels like the worst day is actually the best. They were all in on Ann. At which point she made ANTM history by being the first to start with best photo and get it four weeks in a row. Little Sis Chris jumped and landed in second. Liz was safe. Who wants to bet on Ann for Week Five?
