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[Author's Note: I missed recapping last week's Project Runway, due to BlogHer Food, but once I watched it on my TiVo I couldn't resist recapping all the drama, even if a week late, over on my personal blog. If you're interested, you can read it here.]
Here we are in the eleventh hour, and I have to confess that the only thing I still care about is Mondo and MIchael's unlikely friendship. Can they get their own show instead of Austin and Santino?
That aside, let the recap begin: Rather than having a night off to gossip after the auf'ing, the designers are sent right to the runway. Heidi comes out and tells them that she is going to send them to some place spectacular in NYC.
Michael C. has apparently watched the show before, since he knows it's never that simple.
So, I'm imagining the top of the Empire State Building or the big greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens or something else spectacular like that, but mama needs a new hootchie dress, apparently, because the spectacular place is [promotional consideration provided by] the presidential suite at the Mandarin Oriental.
Of course the designers got several hours of intensive coaching with method acting expert Uta Hagen, all so that they could act mega-excited. (No, not really...in fact, I'm pretty sure she's not alive anymore, but she definitely *was* a method acting expert...and the woman who took over the role of Blanche DuBois from Jessica Tandy in the original "A Streetcar Named Desire"!)
There's some more blah blah about recharging, because this will be the "last challenge to wow us", and I'm certain [promotional consideration provided by] the Energizer Bunny is going to come out any minute, or they'll have shots of their [promotional consideration provided by] Verizon mobile phones plugged into power strips or something. But no. It was just an unsponsored cliche.
As they sit around toasting themselves as the Final Five, Gretchen is in the unlikely position of trying to be the goodwill ambassador, talking about how they all are awesome, and she's so proud to be there with all of them. They all get a little introspective and emotional, and I'm already bored.
So, I'm glad when the head to the roof and meet Papa Tim with Mayor Bloomberg.
Image courtesy Lifetime
As they're all lined up waiting to hear the challenge, I note that Gretchen "thoughtfully" stole those tall boots right from the Piperlime wall. Or perhaps she has been having her models wear boots from her personal collection of tall boots every week.
So Mayor Bloomberg tells them the challenge is that they should draw their inspiration from NYC: Anything you want. Choose a landmark (so, not "anything", I guess).
They have the biggest budget of the year, $500, so the judges expect to be wowed.
The designers go off to be inspired, and this is what they come up with:
- Michael: He's inspired by the Statue of Liberty. Which, to him, means: Something structured, but with drapy effect.
- April: She's inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge
- Mondo (rocking a fabulous colorful umbrella to protect him from the sun): He's also inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Andy: He's inspired by the "organicness" of Central Park.
- Gretchen: She doesn't want to be literal. So she's inspired by the Lower East Side
And they're off for 45 minutes at Mood.
And I'd like to point out, that while at Mood, Tim TELLS April: "Given your palette of the season, you might want to think about a little bit of surprise." [Foreshadowing and spoiler alert right there!]
The producers hear my pleas and not only show Mondo chasing Swatch in stop-motion Keystone Kops fashion, they also close the Mood visit with a shot of Swatch wearing a black cape or something and looking very like Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein. Wha'???
Back to the workroom, and during this segment we learn:
-That we're treated to Gretchen at her most patronizing, sharing how Michael reminds her of her "five years ago." She probably thinks it's complimentary.
-That while Santino might still be the king of the Tim Gunn impersonators, Michael is able to impersonate ML to a tee. He sounds JUST like him!
-That Gretchen thinks Andy likes it "just this side of slut, and I think he nailed that." I'm left wondering how Central Park inspires a tight, short, black cheongsam. OK.
-That the Michael and Mondo a la Mode Show would feature lots of
