dialyn

I don't think anyone except Justin showed much originality, and his could be seen as similar to his amazing glass pipette gown. This isn't a group that can find something different to do with bungee cords, and so we have three designers doing nothing that other designers haven't done previously and the designs look sadly similar. Tell, me why or why there is always too short a skirt or one that insufficiently covers the model? Do designers think a woman's figure stops at her waist? Kate made her same dress, which was cute but familiar. I'm not sure what Alexandria was trying to do since the whole thing looked like the model had walked through a garbage pile and wore whatever stuck to her. I am thoroughly tired of designers saying, "don't eliminate me now because I can do so much better than this." No, show me what you can do now; quit being a snob and just do it. Chris March should have been eliminated just to put him out of his misery...he looks so unhappy and he doesn't look well. I don't find him funny. He just seems bitter to me (sorry, I'm not one of those who thinks snark is automatically humorous). Michelle's dress seemed very similar to her duck tape dress of her season (I'm surprised there was none of that tape in the construction area for them to use). I think Michelle is trying to change her image, but she is trying too hard and it is coming off as weird and fake. The image of her wrapped around Alexandria was pretty funny but not in a good way. As someone else mentioned, I would have loved to see how Fabrio managed to turn his twine into those panels of color--he should have gotten more credit for the transformation. Sonija's dress came out better than I had expected. There is something amusing to me about a "caution" dress in this day and age, but that's just me. I'm not excited about chain dresses or nail necklaces. I liked how the tarp dress fringe worked but the way it was placed made the model look like she had hairy thighs, which is not a look I'd want. Helen's and Benjamin's dresses seemed nicely made but not particularly original. I think I've missed someone but I had trouble remembering some of the garments. Not important. I didn't get a vote anyway. It is really hard to take a show seriously that has Snooki and JWow on it as fashion experts. I would have liked to hear more from Elie Tahari, though I am mystified by his support of Alexandria's dress. Maybe it looked better in person (at least to him).

I'll be in the minority. I don't like the Amy-Sheldon coupling because it is so unbelievable to me. At least Amy was more subdued...she did do a good job of communicating her longing, but her effort is wasted on a guy who is so distant from her even while he is trying to mouth the right words. Much more honest to the characters was Sheldon ordering Amy out of his room because no girls are allowed there. While I have liked Stuart in the past, his relationship with Debbie is creepy. He is becoming both a substitute for a son and a lover and that's just an ick idea. Raj's girlfriend is getting a little too weird for me. They threw in the idea of Raj dating his dog, which seems to ignore the fact that Raj has a girlfriend...their references seem leftovers of old tropes. It was nice to see Penny and Leonard having a moment when they are in sync and can be playful together. Probably not going to be my favorite episode possibly because I didn't identify with it: I didn't go to my prom either but I've never been so obsessed with the idea that I would try to recreate it (yes, I know my personal experience has nothing to do with the quality of this episode).

I am watching Season 8 over again because I simply could not remember the details of it (selective amnesia?). The first challenge is to remake a competitor's garment into something else in five hours. Casanova gave up a brand new pair of pants that cost over $1,000, and he made a garment that was almost not there. I had forgotten how many memorable characters were part of season 8. Mondo, Andy (now Ari), Ivy, Gretchen (of course), Michael Costello, Peach (who gets some valuable information from Tim Gunn in the first episode on how to handle a fragile material), and others who got eliminated too early to make an impression on me the first time around. The loser was encouraged by Tim Gunn to continue with her design because he thought the dress was adorable (one of his disconnects with the judges). Even with the weaknesses in fit and styling, I'm not sure why they picked that dress over the rest of the group in the bottom, but mine has never been to understand the judges. Why am I doing this? Maybe a little too much time on my hands.

Have to admit that I'll watch nearly anything that has dogs (or cats) in it but the "dog show" was a joke. Sweet dogs, though. That stopped me too...I know it was a long-haired dog but, really, the judge couldn't tell? Frankly, at first, I thought the direction was to make dog food too (okay, I'm that dumb) but I figured it out fairly quickly and I think Sade she would pick up from what the other chefs were doing that she was going in the wrong direction. On the other hand, her beef stew didn't look all that bad to me (there are lines of dog food that are so gourmet that they actually smell and look like human food), but it was very convenient hers was the team that could exclude a dish. That burnt duck that was too "crispy" was a worse offense. He couldn't tell without someone telling him that it was overcooked to the point of becoming charcoal? And despite it being destroyed, he still thought it was the best dish? Really? Wouldn't want to eat at his restaurant. I couldn't figure out what Frank was doing with that salad. It didn't look like any Caesar salad I've had recently...just a pile of lettuce leaves. Sterling seems to actually be able to cook if he is given enough supervision, but I wouldn't want to be the person having to work with him. Blinding egotism mixed with over-the-top cheerfulness is not a happy combination. I don't know why I keep watching. It's some bizarre habit. More likely I just ran out of things to watch on my streaming list.

I don't see any reason why Penny couldn't use her acting skills to be an excellent sales person. She doesn't have to know that much...she just needs to be able to memorize certain information. And, clearly, the ability to flirt doesn't hurt in her case. Have to admit I've never liked Billy Bob Thornton all that much, but he was good in this episode. His easy transference to Amy, and her alarm, was funny. I still like this show the best of all the sitcoms on right now (not saying much considering the selection).

Didn't someone mention he has trembling in his hands? He may have held it that way to keep it steady so he wouldn't drop it.

I didn't mind the actress playing Elizabeth (though her wardrobe seemed sadly lacking in variety). The point of Elizabeth in "Pride and Prejudice" (to me, a plain girl and now a plain woman) is that there could be other attributes to attract Darcy other than surface beauty and money (a radical notion for those times and, obviously, these times). I think making her a standard beauty would undermine that message, and the actress herself is attractive in her own way. If she isn't as witty as she could be, blame the writers and not the actress. Darcy was stiff in "Pride and Prejudice" so any actor stuck with playing him has very little latitude with the character. I thought the actor who played Darcy in this version was pretty true to the character (and it seemed to me he loosened up as he went along). As for Lydia not advancing....there is a scene between Lydia and Elizabeth where Lydia not only gives awareness of how she appears but why she continues to act that way. It is how she manages in the world, and she pulls as much joy as she can despite having a husband who is thoroughly untrustworthy. The mystery here was not very well developed, and I am not a fan of the way the reveal was managed (but I'm not a fan of P.D. James in the first place) but I don't have a problem with the casting. I suspect no cast can compete with the images of the characters we carry in our heads. Each to our own.

Yes, you're right, but don't they only have 30-60 minutes to do the sketches? Seems like everything is in a tight time frame for that show.

Ah, thank you. I should have looked there. Strikes me that I often like the sketches better than the finished product. Of course it is easier for them to sketch something than it is to manipulate some of those materials.

Well, I guess if being on Fashion Police qualifies one for being a fashion expert, that's all we need for credentials. Since the now sainted Joan Rivers crowned her one of her court, that should be enough for me. Except it really isn't. And I don't think much of her own style. But I'm not the child of anyone famous so what do I know?

We simply have to agree to disagree. There is some truth in both sides, but not the whole truth. We weren't there. We don't know all that happened. And, over time, memory changes what we think is the reality and transforms the truth to our own liking. I, with respect, bow out of the conversation.

I have to admit, the only celebrities I knew (and I am from the U.S.) were Kelly Osborne and Christian. I figured I was just the wrong age group to know the other judges and the mentor. I remain unimpressed by any except Christian. I think some of the kids are actually pretty talented but I don't know that they will get much from this experience (except the ones that win, of course).

On the other hand, there is something to be said for not having to watch the more irritating youngsters from week to week. They aren't getting much in the way of useful mentoring from Vanessa. Frankly, I'd rework the whole thing around Christian taking the kids through a mentoring workshop and seeing how they change from the beginning (without him) and at the end (after they have had the option of taking his advice). Take the winners and have them compete against each other so you have the best of the lot going head-to-head. That's not happening, of course.

Michelle was not the only one who didn't like Patricia as a team mate. It was mostly, as I recall, based on her lack of team work and her insistence on doing her own thing no matter what the task at hand was. She also was pretty slow (mainly because she focused on working on her textile manipulations and had no time for anything else). I liked Patricia in the beginning, but I was irritated by her as a viewer as time went along...I can't imagine what it was like trying to work with her. She is one of those people who should not be in a team situation, nor one with time limits.

That color was a bit odd. Colorless almost. Not the most flattering color for many people. I don't know why they feel compelled to use the same color. I did find it amusing that Fabio won when he didn't have his original material...isn't he the one whose fabric didn't make it back to the workshop? It appears that an extra challenge actually inspires some designers. Good for him. Obviously I don't agree about the fluttery back being all that interesting...I've worn hospital smocks that do the same thing (and are just about as shapeless) but that's a personal preference. Not to beat this already dead horse, but I don't even see where the textile manipulation would have been used on that dress...it was far too heavy for the flimsey material on top...was it going to be a neck piece? a hem decoration? I just couldn't see how it would be placed. Anyway, I'm not completely on board with the idea that backs should be more interesting than fronts since I never walk backwards into a room (though I suppose a dramatic exit is always possible). I couldn't defend Kate's dress but, frankly, there wasn't much on the runway that I felt warm fuzzies about.

While we saw Patricia's efforts, the judges didn't. The judges should not be taking something into consideration that is not on the garment on display. And they didn't. What they saw was a poorly constructed dress and that's all Patricia gave them. If they didn't take her textile manipulation into consideration, in this episode it was her own fault that they couldn't (they certainly gave her allowances in the past for vision over technique). I agree about that cutout on Michelle's dress, however. It looked odd and didn't add anything special to her outfit. The designers often fail to take into consideration what a garment will look like once it is actually on a human body so we end up with peculiarly placed cut outs, far too short or extremely tight skirts, and outfits that can't be fitted without cutting them apart and then sewn onto the models. I know the point is not to make something practical, but maybe they should just roll the mannequins out on the runway instead of having models who have to deal with peculiarly cut and sewn outfits (or barely there ones). I don't know anything about the people they choose to have return, but it is a chunk of time to take out of a person's life. Some people may be too busy making a living to be able to go on the show. At least one designer said he quit his job in order to be on the show....while that's an act of considerable faith in his own ability, that is a long shot that many people would not feel confident about making. On the other hand, no one will be completely happy with whomever is chosen since we all have different favorites. We're always going to have a few who were disliked because the producers seem to be convinced that drama is a requirement. They should watch "Face Off" where the drama is more about the creative challenge and not the personalities.

Didn't Korina win the week before? And the week before that she was in the top three. She had every reason to believe she was on a roll, which can only mean that she didn't pay attention to how this show works. I don't believe for a second that she thought she had made the worst outfit that week. I do think she was honestly surprised.

My comment was made before all the postings by Larissa were revealed. My conclusions about Larissa were wrong since they were based on partial information (I know better; I did it anyway). I still think a BMW is not a need, and it was just one small indicator that the family's main focus was not on the business but indulging themselves. My apologies to all BMW owners who think a BMW is a necessity of life....good for you for having the money to keep one. I think Marcus said what kind of car Larissa was driving and it didn't sound like a luxury car to me (but I may not have heard correctly, and she may have more than one car). It seems to me that if you have a microphone attached to you, that should be a reminder that you might want to monitor what you say since everything is being recorded. On another reality show (so bad I won't admit which one), the people pushed the cameras out but they left the microphone in place so everything they said could clearly be heard (and it was not flattering). It is either stupidity or hubris to think that the recordings (visual or audio) won't be used or edited. This family is a real piece of work, though I think Marcus could have found that out earlier had any research on them had been done (or they did know and just wanted the drama of Marcus walking away).

I just started watching this series this year so you can imagine how confused I am. I decided to go back and watch the the seasons I missed, and I have to say that my confusion is worse. I really don't understand Emma almost begging to be friends with Regina when Regina seems to have been wretched to her from the beginning. A friend of mine, who has been following from the beginning, told me that Rumpelstiltskin had been bad but that he was good this season, but I see no evidence of that--he seems to still be a manipulative liar (I did get to the part about his back story but that doesn't change my opinion). It is a strangely addictive series to watch as the various fairy tales get folded in (though I assume some get weeded out to keep the number of characters somewhat manageable). And I love some of the little touches (the opening title animation, for example). I'm going to continue to try to catch up on the series (there's not that much on television I care about watching anyway) but I don't know if this is clarifying my understanding or not. It is very interesting to read about the writers. I am impressed by how closely people pay attention to what is going on with the series. The forums help, somewhat, clear up some questions.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Swansons manage to get their own reality show out of this mess. Certainly there is enough material though I, for one, would find them hard to stomach from week to week.

I'd be fine with this if we actually saw the art, but mostly we heard Patricia talking about how fabulous her art is, and we see her activity, but the results didn't make it onto the dress (at least not in the last episode, which is all we can take into consideration for being in or out on the episode). How can the judges take into consideration something that isn't there? Patricia can talk all day long about how wonderful her design would have been, but if it is not incorporated in the garment, it doesn't exist. And I still don't think her technical skills at garment making are that strong. My recollection, and I could be wrong, is that the reason the other designers became frustrated with Patricia is that, on the team challenges in her previous season is that she would act as if she was going along with the team decisions and then she would go off on her own without much consideration of what the others were doing. She has supreme confidence in her own superiority (and she's certainly not the only one who does on that show, but why would you be in a contest like this if you didn't?), but she really doesn't seem interested in working with anyone else (at least not on Project Runway). I was a great believer in Patricia at first, but I just got frustrated at her lack of delivery. I don't think that's a heritage thing; that's a personality thing. She is no doubt an expert at textile manipulation, but she really should delegate the creation of garments to someone else, or she needs to admit she has some additional skills to learn, and actually allow someone to teach her those skills.

Posting response in thread about Patricia.

Doesn't he have diabetes?

Not everyone enjoys the endless (or circular) argument. When I find myself in one, I shut down and walk off rather than continue on endlessly. Some pretend the person who gets the last word wins (as long as her or she is that person), but that isn't true. No one actually changes their mind. It is just that people get tired of the stupidity of arguing on without resolution.

Was Patricia's tent dress not equally boring? If the judges were looking for original design, they were not going to find it with either garment so they had to go to the level of who made the best item from a technical point of view, and I think Michelle's dress was better made. Patricia has always been about the textiles she manipulates, which she didn't use, but her actual garments (aside from the very first one she made in her season) have had technical problems in how they are put together. OT: I am so tired of the stupid videos starting to shout at me when I'm in the forums. I know ads pay for the site but do they sell anything by being so annoying?