dialyn

I added a comment to your recap. I didn't want you to feel lonely over there. I do read it. I didn't realize having people commenting would be meaningful. Threads isn't exciting, but sometimes excitement is not what I'm looking for. I thought this was the best episode with Michael, Christopher and Christian, though last week had a better cast and the fashion students did a nice job. I think this show could be salvaged if they got rid of all the judges and mentors except Christian, tossed out the unconventional materials challenges, and maybe had the winners of each week actually meet again to compete against each other. There is no suspense to carry the audience from week to week the way the program is structured now.

On to the third disk which has my favorite episode: "Race to the Finish" which has the most Swatch at Mood (including Tim Gunn chasing Swatch, and Swatch speaks) but also the elimination "There's a Pattern Here" is the episode where Mondo makes his big announcement on the runway. The accusations that Michael Costello couldn't sew are disproved though they linger as an idea for no good reason other than meanness. Coincidentally Michael Costello appeared on Project Runway: Threads 11/20/14 as one of the Project Runway alumni who act as sewing assistants to the young designers, and he is shown quickly, efficiently, and effortlessly sewing away, so I'm not sure why Ivy was given so much credence on this point. The last disk has the finale. I don't know if I can face the final outcome, which I already know the results of, but I don't think I ever watched the at home visits by Tim Gunn so I might go ahead and get it just for that. I don't believe it includes the reunion show, which is probably just as well.

Kimanni was something else...she loved rather too much having workers (I did notice the wrapping around her hand once they got in the workroom but I had the feeling she always has the entitled princess vibe going on with or without an injured hand). I thought Bella and her grandmother were very cute together. Too bad she didn't stick with her original design; she might have won...the bubble skirt was just too short. Tieler's mother was a bit much but obviously cares about him, and I liked his prom look the best. I thought the Project Runway alumni were very nice to their young bosses. Overall, a decent episode. I'm enjoying this more than the All Stars at this point, and I didn't think I would be in that camp when it started.

The three contestants create prom dresses with the help of Project Runway alumni Michael Costello, Dom Streater, and Christopher Palu. My bad...I accidentally tagged the thread with the "no spoilers" thread. I hope one of the regular monitors can correct that. I meant no harm.

Not too crazy about this character, or maybe its the actor I'm having trouble with. They are a little challenged with this one because Harvey Dent is supposed to be more or less on the side of good but then is pushed over to the side of evil; but this guy isn't pushed but is rushing forward. (My understanding is that he eventually he picks which direction he goes in by a flip of a coin, but if the coin he uses is two-headed, what's the point of that? Probably a different coin, eh?) I tend to like the way they introduced Robert Taylor as the Penguin because the audience has a chance to see him evolve. Ditto with Cory Michael Smith as the Riddler...we get plenty of hints of who he will become but we are given time to get used to him. On the other hand, Nicholas D’Agosto goes full bolt from a slightly chilly bureaucratic type into near frenzy mode before anything has happened to provoke him....he's a guy with anger issues (maybe they explain the source of that but I missed it so I apologize ahead of time if I'm wrong yet again). I suppose he could be that outraged by the corruption around him, but given the level of corruption in Gotham, that just doesn't seem enough by itself...I would think something more personal would be triggering him. I didn't mind the lighting on the guy's face, since just about everyone ends up in half light, half dark in this show, but I felt a little piece was left out of his character development to account for his changing gears so fast. Why even do the reveal so soon....if he is going to be around for more than one episode, couldn't they give him a little arc so he can have some background to his issues? Sadly, when he is in "good" mode, he still seems somewhat untrustworthy to me (maybe conning teenagers doesn't strike me as a positive role model). This isn't a deal breaker as far as me watching the show....I just have some reservations about how the character is written and portrayed.

This will probably doom her but I also can see La Tasha winning this...she is the only one who has shown some consistent leadership skills and really tries to keep her team mates on track, and she seems to be able to cook. I was very confused by Bryant's outburst...he was channeling some alternative version of himself and it wasn't pretty. He didn't own up to his mistakes and started babbling in a way that made me wonder if the stress wasn't getting to him. Aaron probably did what made most sense for him. I don't know how much anyone really learns from Hell's Kitchen (I suppose you get well versed on risotto and scallops eventually). Aaron seemed to think he had more skills than he actually showed while cooking (his self-advertised expertise in Indian food didn't seem to help him very much), but he did take responsibility for what happened on his station. Probably best to walk away before turning into a Bryant. Ramsey was wrong about what goes on outside of the kitchen has nothing to do with his choices...if a team member is acting irrationally and has lost the confidence of the other members of his or her team, that impacts everyone's performance in or out of the kitchen. I can't, at this point, see Bryant managing a restaurant's kitchen. I don't know why they bother with the little contests at the beginning...they always end up the same say. Not exactly suspenseful to see the numbers manipulated to be ties or near-ties. I'm not quite sure how someone who never made or tasted Indian food could manage to win but good for Jennifer for pulling it off.

Now that it has been revealed that the challenge given to the designers may not have the same criteria the judges are using (see Project Runway All Stars thread on "Something Wicked This Way Comes" or the interview with Chris March (http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/ ), a big improvement would be to have the judges show their criteria for judging the fashions both with the designers and the audience. Right now it seems altogether arbitrary. Certainly rules should not be made at the beginning of a challenge that are then changed when the judging is made. That's just ridiculous (and Chris March's interview has a ring of truth to it). I agree with stopping pointless challenges, giving more time, and broadening out the challenges. What we are ending up with is very short dresses, very long gowns, and camel toe pants, mostly black. I know why this is true, but it doesn't have to be if the producers gave the designers more options.

I tend to agree with that. It is one thing for the unlamented Josh to talk his client out of a difficult tattoo, and quite another for Julia to be unprofessional in her interaction with her client. She really earned that giant tattoo that she put on herself instead of working with her client (and I noticed her attitude changed the next episode -- the one she was eliminated on, ironically -- so maybe she did learn something from the experience). I do think there should be a difference made between a client who walks out because he or she has a change of mind (that would be the appropriate time for a back up), a client who is dangerously aggressive or threatening (that would be the appropriate time for a back up), and a client who is chased off by the tattoo artist (no back up allowed for unprofessional behavior).

I absolutely appreciated you pointing it out. I don't know how it happened but it is strangely hard to correct. Many thanks!

Sorry...I guess it won't let me link directly. You can get to the interview from here (if this one works): http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/ Fingers crossed.

That seems like a significant piece of information to edit out but, now that I read that, it does make some of the results make more sense (such as the branches on Helen's design). Thank you for sharing that interview...anyone who is interested in Chris's side of things will find it illuminating: http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/ Edited to correct link.

I'm probably a little dense, but I don't see how Tim Gunn's misread of the judges' preferences (and, really, who could predict the judges from week to week) and giving advice on that misreading does anything but hurt the designers, not the judges. We really don't know what Tim Gunn had in mind for "Under the Gunn" but he put his name on it and part of the problem of the show was related to his behavior during it....no, I'm not giving him a free pass on that. As for what Nick has done that was worthwhile, I think that depends on your viewpoint. I imagine one reason he was included is that the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (where Santino went on scholarship) served as the location for "Under the Gunn" and Nick Verreos is associated with them, including being a teacher there. He has also been a tireless promoter of "Project Runway," which, for better or worse, probably gives him some latitude. He also seems to be actively designing: http://www.nikolakidesign.com. What else does he need to do? Have no idea what Santino has against Verreros but I don't take his word for anything he says about someone else unless he has proof that person deserved it. None of this has anything to do with this season's All Stars, of course; blame the long detour on my short stint as a librarian.

I don't know how much influence Tim Gunn has on the actual judging. On "Under the Gunn," he made well known his preference for certain contenders, but Heidi and Neil Patrick Harris came in at the end, overrode him, and created a different ending from the one he wanted. According to Heidi, the reason why Gretchen won over Mondo is that guest judge Jessica Simpson changed her vote to join Nina Garcia and Michael Kors for a Gretchen win. The point is that it probably means the least that Tim Gunn has a preference and more weight to the judges and whoever is the swing vote in case of a tie. So far Tim Gunn hasn't got a vote. Actually in the All Stars version he seems has no influence since he isn't part of the All Stars (unless he is working behind the curtains). In the last couple of regular seasons, he has come down with the top three and lower three garments for the judges to look at more closely and made some comments to the judges at that time, but that doesn't seem to be happening in the All Stars. Blame him for some lapses in behavior (and I do), but I don't think he is responsible for the judging results (unless something is going on off camera, which it may well be).

In Masterchef Junior, they have an eight and nine year olds going against 12 year olds, which seems an equally challenging gap. Or it would if the eight year old wasn't an amazing cook (so far, but she may trip up at some point) and actually so are the nine year olds. In Threads, the 16 year old might seem too old but the girls didn't seem particularly intimidated by him. At first I wondered about having relatives as assistants (especially those who seem a little less than helpful) but I can see where having them around would be reassuring. I was dubious because every time my mother tried to teach me anything, including driving and sewing, it was a failure--shows me not to draw on personal experience to guide me in these things. In Masterchef Junior I've been rather impressed by how the children rally around each other....there is little of the bitter in-fighting one sees among the adults...and I was glad, in this episode of Threads that there was some support between the three. The best thing about the winner is that I think she really didn't expect it. No self-entitlement there, at least not yet. Her mom just beamed, and who could blame her? Now she doesn't have to worry about her child scavenging all the clothes out of her closet (at least not for awhile). I am a person without children so I never know what to expect from them, but some of these kids seem awfully promising in whatever they decided to pursue.

I guess I never saw him taste it in order to say that. My bad. Thank you for the clarification.

There were two interesting Mondo related incidents on the second disk. He was paired with Michael Costello in a challenge where one designer had to make a garment that the other designer had sketched out and chosen fabric for. At the beginning, Mondo was nothing but rude and made no secret of his disdain for Michael C. He complained to the other designers, he said to Michael C.'s face that he couldn't sew, and it was, all in all, a pretty sad way for Mondo to act considering that Mondo himself has experienced bullying. Then, about half way through, a light clicked on for Mondo and he apologized for the way he was acting and they were able to work together after all. Of course his kindness disappeared once "Under the Gunn" turned up but the less said about that, the better. The second was that near to going on the runway, an invisible zipper broke and Mondo had to fix it. Now maybe he had more time in the first place than Char did, or he had a way of fixing the zipper that she didn't, but I noticed no one offered him extra time nor did he go to Tim Gunn and ask for any. That is meaningless, of course. Anyway, fortunately for Michael C., Ivy was paired with Michael D. who she happily tried to push under the bus. The best thing that could have happened would be to pair Gretchen with Ivy because they so deserved each other by that point. In Episode 8, Mondo made a Jackie O. inspired outfit that manages to capture her spirit and be completely Mondo at the same time. I'm not big on mixed up giant patterns, but I have to give him credit--that outfit worked somehow.

There is someone they should have as a judge for the unconventional materials challenge! Michelle doesn't bother me all that much. She's not as funny to me as she thinks she is, but the reverse would be true as well. Lnmop - True enough. Sadly he's not in the competition. I am hoping the others perk up at some point. Color, bring some color, anyone?

In California, you can get a prescription for marijuana if you break a nail, so the whole thing is a joke here, but it sounds as if they take it more seriously in New York right now. It strikes me, however, that if Josh was permitted to use marijuana, then they would have had to offer it (or an equivalent) to all of them in order to even the playing field for better or worse since they are all under stress and most seem to have difficulty managing their stress and anger issues, so it does effect the other contestants and presumably gives Josh an unfair advantage. Obviously the producers didn't want to put themselves in the position of being drug dispensers (not speculating on what they do in their spare time because I don't know these people) so they were obligated to keep Josh to the letter of his contract, as he admits himself. Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes all impact other people whether or not the user wants to admit it or not....it is a false argument to suggest Josh was using in a vacuum.

I keep watching, though I might be the only one. Actually the three contestants this time were pretty nice kids (at least they seemed genuinely pleased at the winner). I thought Matt was going to be obnoxious but I think, if Project Runway survives, he'll show up on the adult version one of these days. He got Lady Gaga, and had the odd direction from the judges to make his garment less sexy. For Lady Gaga. Yeah, okay. He had problems with his second dress because he didn't choose the materials (his assistant did) and he didn't have much in the way of choices. Claire did a dress Katy Perry actually might wear for her first fashion. The second garment was also impacted by the assistant (Mom) not buying the materials Claire wanted. Then we have Brianna whose first look greatly resembled the look she created on her own before the show started, but then she did something marvelous for her second look (her mother made good choices picking the materials), and there was really no comparison between her second look and the second looks of the other two, as talented as they are. Not helpful: hostess Vanessa and her comments in the workroom. Helpful: Christian Seriano continues to be the bright spot among the judges. Very helpful: fashion students stepping in as assistants for the children to direct. Apologies to the haters, but this show actually is growing on me. I like the enthusiasm of the young people. Angst and sophistication and endless snarkiness is all very well in its place (though tiresome over time), but seeing someone work for the pure joy of doing something is refreshing. If it's on next week, I'll probably be watching.

From the Lifetime site: "....three young designers fashion looks suitable for their favorite pop stars in a challenge complicated by an unexpected twist . Zendaya serves as guest judge.”

Not that it is relevant, but I thought Zanna's outfit was distracting in not a good way (to me, who is not a fan of giant mixed patterns) but perhaps it contributed inspiration to Fabio's design. Alyssa...by all means, make her look larger than she is. It's hard to argue with the elimination of Chris--not because of his design, but he has not been looking happy and his energy levels seem very low. I don't know what the fascination is, with some designers, for throwing netting over the top of other material. I've yet to see it improve a fashion, and it hid the interesting material Kate used for the gown's skirt (the design on which apparently escaped to appear on the shoulders of Helen's model). Sonjia's dress was made out of a lovely fabric, and the overskirt was well made; though I personally didn't like the two put together, I understand her win. Overall, the runway seemed a bit bland (especially the color palette) when I would have expected more in the way of drama. Does good have to be the color of vanilla pudding, does wicked have to be some variation of black or near black? It occurs to me that the designers feel more restricted than they did in their original seasons, and not just because of time. At every turn, they are warned against making a costume, and reminded of why other designers were eliminated. Being so self-conscious and trying to please the inconsistent judges is, I think, killing their creativity. This should have been a challenge with the potential of being a lot of fun, but the results were not that interesting. But I'm not, I admit, a fashion guru, so I could well be wrong.

I don't know if he still does, but Casanova worked as an assistant to Ivy. I'm not sure that means anything but it seemed odd they would be in the same season together. I personally wouldn't enter a competition that my boss was part of just because that's the kind of coward I am. I'm getting my second disc of Season 8 today, which includes the infamous episode called "There IS An 'I' In Team" during the course of which Gretchen takes the lead of directing the team, and then happily throws the entire group (except herself, of course) under the bus, and Tim sternly lectures them about following Gretchen off a cliff (sorry for the mixed metaphors). I don't remember this clearly (I'm taking my summary from what I've read and clips I've seen) so I am interested (in a grisly sort of way) to seeing this a second (and last) time since I was obviously not paying attention the first time. There is a snarky review of this episode here: http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/project-runway-there-is-an-i-in-team-44415 which partially explains why Gretchen was not a favorite that season with the other designers. =================== I just saw the episode I mentioned above. Gretchen changed direction so many times at the end that I am surprised her head didn't fly off from it spinning in every direction. First she loved the collection and everyone worked together, then it was an awful collection and Gretchen had to sacrifice herself in order to make it work. Really? The only garment that got faint praise was made by Michael Costello, who was the sacrificial lamb for the evening. Ivy was only slightly better because she didn't talk as much as Gretchen (Gretchen would not shut up....but it was almost worth it to hear Nina's imitation of her), but Ivy's contribution to the actual fashion show was pretty sad. It became the beat up on Michael Costello hour for no good reason (it is clearly not true that he can't sew but he became very insecure during that episode thanks to the team piling up on him). As a group, the super stars went down while the team with no winners on it suddenly surged, and there is probably a lesson there in team dynamics. I am pretty sure if Costello could have redo, he would never, ever pick Gretchen or Ivy to be on a team with him. I don't think the others would have jumped on the mean train if not for Gretchen's leadership and Ivy acting as Gretchen's echo. Well, now I know. I'm trying to decide whether to watch the other episodes. I know how it turned out, after all.

It may have been convenient, but I think they would have chosen something more dramatic if they were going to stage it. They had the right props with all the stuff they were hauling from the trucks to the kitchen. I would have expected Steve to fall or have something drop on him if it was going to be played for drama. As it worked out, it was a pretty quiet exit. I'm rather glad Frank is out. I really got tired of his piling up burnt fish. I'm not a great chef by any means, but I think I could have figured out how to cook salmon in less time. Sterling may be irritating but at least he can cook when he puts his mind to it. Roe was solid in her cooking this week. LaTasha seems to have some management skills. The rest of the team seemed to be fine. It was just Frank that brought them down....certainly the team will be stronger without him. The online version didn't have an introduction (that I heard) of Stewart Copeland of The Police though they kept mentioning Steven Tyler. I admit I'm not strong on rock and roll....I didn't have a clue who Stewart Copeland was by looking at him (yes, I would have recognized the name of The Police). I just thought it was odd that they didn't mention his name (in the version I was watching). The online version does cut from the show...I didn't see, for example, Sade's dish being announced as being better then LaTasha's after the fact.

Josh smelled of self-entitlement. I think he presumed he was such hot stuff that the rules meant for others simply couldn't apply to him. He could at least back up some of his egotism by actually being able to turn out a decent tattoo, unlike some of the other competitors.

I don't think that's a purely Southern California thing ... there has been a change in pronunciation among certain age groups that has very little to do with this region but seems to be driven by other influences. But, yes, definitely off topic for Project Runway.