America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8 Episode 11 "The Girl Who Does Not Want To Dance" Recap
Originally aired on Wednesday, 05/09/2007
Episode Rating: *** (3 stars out of 5)
Episode Overview: This week's elimination will decide the final three for this Cycle of America's Next Top Model. Natasha's position as the outsider comes to the fore as the other three girls actively ostracize her.
Episode Highlights:
- The girls get a chance to learn a little more about aboriginal Australian culture, but Dionne is hesitant to fully participate.
- Natasha seems to be odd girl out as the other three target her as the one to beat.
- Natasha's photo shoot makes it a little easier for the other girls; she's sick and not at her best.
Your Take
antmerzz said:
Renee had the best pic in this photo shoot
Tyra mail awaits the final four on America's Next Top Model when they come back to the house after the last elimination; it states that only one girl will have the soul and spirit to be the top.
Dionne’s response: Whatever. She’s tired and just wants to go to “take [her] ass to sleep.”
She is still trying to process the feedback she received in panel, where they told she “does this thing called ‘scowling’” but she says she’s unaware that she is doing it at all.
Natasha, meanwhile, is…um…having an intimate moment with a cell phone as she is hunched over it sweet talking her husband. I feel a little like I need a shower for my eyes and ears after watching this. Natasha thinks the other girls aren’t paying attention to her out of a sort of creeped-out fascination, rather because they are intimidated by her talent. You have to love how she really can turn any situation into a positive.
The next challenge for the girls takes them out to a wooded area, where they meet with some members of an aboriginal tribe. The tribe shows them their style of story-telling, which involves body art and dance. The modelettes’ challenge is to create their own dance and story. They paint themselves with body paint, and present to a group of tribe members, and a special guest judge from Seventeen magazine.
Renee goes first, and incorporates all the elements to tell a story of her abuse as a young girl, ending with a hopeful note of wanting to help other abuse victims. Jaslene goes next, and while her speech is heartfelt, she doesn’t seem to use any real dance elements. Dionne is up third. She is extremely reluctant to go, doesn’t want to do a dance and thinks the past is irrelevant. She says she’s going to make it as quick as possible, “25 seconds.” She talks about her mother being shot and also doesn’t truly use any elements of movement. Natasha is last up, and while her story uses the most dance and theatrical elements, she speaks so softly that the others have a hard time hearing her. She does this on purpose, she says, as it makes people feel that they have to listen closer, but the other girls only seems to see another reason to feel scornful about her.
The woman from Seventeen magazine announces the winner: Renee. She says she thinks the readers will connect best with her. Renee is allowed to pick one friend to share her prize, and she picks Jaslene. Their prize is to visit with a representative of a pearl company and to each get a piece of jewelry.
Later, the girls feel they need to unwind, and so head out for a night on the town. Natasha, who is feeling sick, doesn’t join them, but it’s probably just as well. For whatever reason, it seems like many groups of young women need to single out one girl as the outcast, and now it would appear that Natasha is it. While the three are out, she does seem to be the main topic of conversation, as Renee tells the other girls that they have to make sure they do well so that Natasha is eliminated next on America's Next Top Model.
The shoot this week incorporates some elements of the challenge. The girls will each have to represent an aboriginal story in their pictures. Jaslene is first up and Jay Manual is impressed by the way she is able to bring her own energy and twist to the traditional movements.
Dionne continues to fall flat. Once again, Jay has to repeatedly coach her through every shot to help transition her out of her unwittingly scowl-y, grumpy natural state. He works with her and makes some headway, but finds it frustrating.
Renee does well, and it’s interesting to see how much more positively she is being portrayed in recent episodes. It’s hard to tell, obviously, how much is editing and how much is truly a change in her demeanor.
Last up is Natasha. She is really feeling poorly and it shows. Jay tries to give her both a pep talk and a stern talking-to about how much she needs this shoot to go well, but she can’t seem to pull a good shot out. I don’t know if it’s the fever or just her usual positive spin, but while Jay finds the shoot a disaster, Natasha says she is proud of her efforts.
It’s judging time!
Dionne is first to be evaluated. Her photo is decent, but her lack of connection with the camera, and Tyra’s concern about her overall book of shots causes some negative feedback. She is then asked to evaluate the other girls – who is the biggest threat and who is the least? She says that she thinks Jaslene is the biggest competition due to her personality and looks, while Natasha is “missing something” and therefore not a threat.
Next up is Jaslene. Her photo is strong, but the judges are concerned that they see the same face week to week with her. She is then asked to rank the girls, and she says that she thinks that she, herself, has the most potential to be America's Next Top Model, while agreeing that Natasha has the least.
Renee’s review again paints her in a more positive light this week. Her photo is solid, and she picks herself as having the most potential due to the motivation of her family and Natasha as having the least. (Didn’t the judges ask Dionne to evaluate the “other” girls? How come everybody else gets to include themselves and pick themselves as the best?)
Natasha is up last and that’s a rough position to be in after all that negative feedback. Tyra blasts her for how bad her film was this week, saying that she might have been sick but that didn’t fully explain how far she regressed in her shoot. Tyra thinks it was worse than her first week. She is then asked to defend herself against the criticism of the other modelettes. Once again, Natasha deftly puts a positive spin on things, saying that she appreciates the feedback from the other girls, and thinks all the attention means she is the greatest threat, not the least. She thinks her Eastern European features are most in fashion right now, and that if Gisele Bundchen was in the competition, she would call her the least threat too. Twiggy says she is surprised to hear all the negative comments since in judging, Natasha always seems so sunny and cheerful.
The girls leave the room for the judges’ private evaluation, and as they wait, Jaslene makes sure to let Natasha know that she doesn’t feel threatened or intimidated by her at all.
Meanwhile, the judges discuss. They think that Jaslene is dedicated, but predictable. Renee doesn’t have the freshest face. Dionne just has the weakest photos, and Tyra is concerned that she didn't pick herself as having the most potential. Okay, again, didn't Tyra say "evaluate the OTHER girls?" Not that I'm a huge Dionne fan, but let's be fair, here. Natasha’s shoot this week was “a disaster.”
The four are brought back in, and it’s time to get to our final three.
Renee is called first, and, to her surprise, Jaslene is second. She tells Tyra she’s shocked because she hasn’t “brung it” but she wants this really bad she says. This leaves Natasha and Dionne in the bottom two. Dionne’s improvement has been so inconsistent, while Natasha had improved by leaps and bounds up until this week. Tyra also says the judges weren’t sure what to think about the other girls’ comments.
But, Tyra says, ultimately they thought it was just jealousy as she pulls out Natasha’s photo. She sternly warns her there will be no second chances, though, if illness is used as an excuse for a bad shoot again. Natasha is shocked and tries to hug Dionne goodbye but Dionne just stands there stiffly. Hmmm. Rude.
So our final three is kind of a motley crew here. Renee, the rough-around-the-edges mom. Jaslene, draggy Cha Cha diva. And Natasha, the quirky Russian with the oddball perspective and sketchy backstory. None of them seem to be an immediate “Cover Girl” type of girl.
Tune in next week for the finale episode and come back here in a little bit for my picks for Best and Worst photo of the week!
- Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Images courtesy of CW)