I saw the warning/advisory screen right off the bat in this episode and got excited knowing that tonight they're making large public art installations. Does this mean someone is going to make a giant penis? Also, I was talking about this show to a friend today who had only seen one episode and wanted to know if the contestants were real artists or if they were people Bravo had just pulled off the streets. We may never know the real answer to that question, but tonight will provide us with more information.
Unfortunately, tonight marks the first real team challenge, an element that I haven't really missed in this show. On the blue team (Jaclyn, Erik, Miles, and Peregrine), Miles steps up as a leader, and Erik steps up as the most insecure person.
Nicole leads the red team, which is made up of Nicole, Mark, Ryan, and Abdi.
The blue team immediately eliminates Erik's idea, which only moments before they had all agreed was "beautiful." Erik is just a ticking time bomb, isn't he? Jaclyn is trying to encourage him, because she obviously feels bad about their past arguments. Unfortunately, Erik is stuck in victim mode and he's caught in a downward spiral. His attitude is kind of abominable.
I'm having trouble wiping the look of disbelief off my face. What happened to people treating each other with decency? I guess the red team's got that covered. But if you need someone to smoke on the street and not help at all, look no further than Erik.
For the presentation, China Chow looks lovely as usual but completely impractical for the outdoors. The red team certainly had the best teamwork but their piece definitely isn't as striking. But if this show were titled, Work of Art: The Next Great A**hole, Erik would have this in the bag. He's also incredibly vindictive and paranoid. I was actually happy to see everyone put Erik in his place.
In the artists' greatest "Oh #$%@" moment, the judges pointed out that the blue team's structure was pointed directly at the hole in the New York skyline created by the loss of the twin towers. Fortunately, they appreciated it and found it a brilliant move of intuition. Yikes, though.
At this point, I don't care who wins. If the red team wins, it means Erik could go home, but if the blue team wins, I would agree because I thought it was the better installation. The red team won and I accept it. Their collaboration was inspirational and is what makes public art happen! Please send Erik home, please send Erik home. I really can't stand him anymore.
It comes down to Miles and Erik (major!). But in an act of God, Erik is sent home. SIGH OF RELIEF.
I know we all loved Miles in the beginning; do you still feel that way?
Check back tomorrow for the artist rankings, in terms of potential and annoyingness.
(image courtesy of Bravo)