Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious

The night we've all been waiting for is finally here.  It's time for the Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious finale!  Break out your pink feather boas, your booty shorts, and your Mikey Minden action figure, and get ready to watch the final five girls compete for a coveted spot in Robin Antin's group.  On tonight's episode, the girls chat one-on-one with Ron Fair about why they should win the competition, then head off to the Wilshire Theatre for the final challenge.  Three girls will make it, two will go home, and one Girlicious music video will premiere right after the show.  So loosen up your buttons baby, get comfortable, and prepare to get Girlicious.

As the episode begins, Charlye still can't get over herself.  She's not sure that she can handle being in a group with Natalie and Chrystina, but Nichole tells her that she's going to have to adjust to the idea.  Can Charlye put her cattiness away long enough to make it through the finals?

Robin meets with the girls to tell them about their final challenge.  In past weeks the girls have proven that they have star quality, charisma, and vocal abilities, but this week it's all about being themselves.  The five contestants are going to sing "Ladies' Night" by Kool and the Gang as a group, then they'll each get to perform a solo number.  The solo songs they'll be performing are:

Charlye -- "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood
Natalie -- "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado
Tiffanie -- "You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)" by Aretha Franklin
Chrystina -- "What About Love" by Heart
Nichole -- "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" by En Vogue

It's time for the therapy session with Ron Fair.  Most of the girls are thrilled about the prospect of being in the group, but Charlye brings up her reservations about working with Natalie and Chrystina.  Ron tells her that she has to be ready to jump off a cliff and commit to the group, otherwise she doesn't stand a chance.

In rehearsals, Chrystina is having the most trouble connecting to her song.  She's never heard of "What About Love," which seems kind of unfathomable to me, but that might be because I was born before 1985. While Chrystina struggles with her solo, Natalie has trouble mastering the choreography for the group number.

Charlye gives her mom a call and tells her about her doubts regarding the competition.  Her mom, who sounds sassy and smart, tells her to suck it up and not throw away the opportunity.  Though she continues to doubt herself, Charlye throws herself into rehearsals the next day and tries her best to learn "Before He Cheats."  All of the girls rehearse like crazy, but their nerves start to get to them as the final performance draws near.

The fun thing about the finale is that the girls get to perform in front of an audience, and they also get a bigger stage to prance around on.  They kick off the last challenge with their performance of "Ladies' Night," and each contestant does her best to own the stage.

It's time for Tiffanie to get her Aretha on.  This has to be one of the tougher songs to master in the competition, but Tiffanie does a pretty good job of it.  She does get a little overdramatic at the end, but that's what Tiffanie is known for.  Robin praises her big voice, Ron tells her that her "voice is an engine," and Lil' Kim squeals and shakes her chest.

Charlye is up next, and she manages to turn Carrie Underwood's number into a sexy female revenge anthem.  Robin loves the spin she put on the song, Ron thinks she has what it takes, but Lil' Kim tells her she seemed distracted.  Charlye may have been distracted by the fact that Lil' Kim's cleavage is about to burst forth and take over the auditorium, but that's just a guess.

Nichole is next to take the stage, and her performance doesn't work for me at all.  Instead of being smoky and sexy, her singing is girlish and annoying.  Much to my surprise, the judges like it.  Apparently they're all playing the role of Paula Abdul tonight, so I don't expect any harsh criticism.

"Say It Right" is one of those latter day Nelly Furtado songs that isn't nearly as good as "I'm Like a Bird" from back in the '90s.  It's a club anthem that doesn't give Natalie a chance to show off her vocal range, but the judges like it anyway.  Robin compares her to Jennifer Lopez (in a good way), Ron says she has presence, and Lil' Kim says she did a great job.

Though she didn't know the song ahead of time, Chrystina does a fantastic vocal rendition of "What About Love." She could use a lot more emotion in her performance, but at least she can sing.  Robin kind of looks like a zombie while she watches, but she still calls it Chrystina's best performance.  Ron says it was like the end of Rocky, because she went from being the underdog to the champion.  Lil' Kim squeals and shakes her chest.

The judges deliberate after the performances, and then it's time to announce the members of Girlicious. Nichole is the first one called, followed by Tiffanie.  Robin draws things out while Natalie and Chrystina prepare to have their dreams crushed, but she's got a big surprise for everyone.  Girlicious will consist of four members, not three!  Charlye will be the only one going home tonight, which works out for the best since she was doubting her place in the group.

After much celebrating from the four winners, it's time for the premiere of the first Girlicious music video.  The song, "Like Me," is catchy in a dirty, booty-busting sort of way.  The girls dance around in tiny outfits inside a boxing ring, claiming that we want to be just like them.  It looks like Girlicious has officially been born.


- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)