Manhunt Episode 6: Maurice Sat On A Tuffet

Only four models (three and a mole) left! Bruce says he likes the final four, anyone of them could win. Doug Ordway says the four left are the four he'd want to photograph. Rob says he knows he almost blew it with the last assignment. Maurice says this is the final lap. Ordway says he likes Maurice, he has something. Ordway is not sure what that is, but "we'll bring it out of him." Jon says he is "stoked" beyond belief. Kevin says they are almost at the end of the Puerto Rico leg of the competition. They came with five, they'll be leaving with three.

Kevin picks up the not-TyraMail. They have to talk the talk, and do a soap commercial! There is a mock shower in the middle of the resort, it seems, and a little script that basically says, "when I get home I look like this! That's when I get the Manhunt soap!" Rob is suddenly tense about the whole thing. Rob tells us he's annoyed that Kevin went off scouting locations while Rob was doing his commercial. He wanted Kevin to provide input like Rob did for him. Worse yet, Kevin took the script with him! Maurice says Rob turned into a cranky perfectionist... and went through two bars of the soap when they only got four.

Kevin returns with the brilliant idea of playing a Chippendale's dancer named Hunter Daniel for his commercial. Yep, Hunter Daniel, who was just eliminated last episode. Rob thinks it's a low blow. Maurice wants to play a fitness trainer. Ironic, since in real life he is... a fitness trainer. Maurice manages to convince a receptionist to sniff him to attest to his post-Manhunt soap freshness. Jon plays a boxer, with Kevin and Maurice playing knocked out, bloody victims. Jon's shoot is done is a flash!

So, with the extra time, Rob wants to redo his commercial, which annoys Maurice. Rob is something of a tyrant on the set, and the boys patience with him is waning. Maurice says Rob saw everyone else's commercial and then wanted to redo his own, which is kind of piggy-backing on their creativity. Rob is finally satisfied.

The boys go jet-skiing while Bruce and Marissa judge their commercials. Bruce liked Rob's because it was so out of character for him, he thought Kevin's was a bit mean-spirited, like Maurice's even though he was a little stiff, and Jon's didn't quite work - which made Bruce like it. Marissa tells the boys they all did great and invites them out to dinner. Little do they know that they are being judged on how they handle themselves at a business dinner.

Bruce says Rob was fine, he's a law student, openly gay, and very at ease with himself. Bruce liked that. Rob liked that they were being related to as people, and it made it easy to be relaxed. Maurice, Bruce says, was a bit quiet, he thinks Maurice is kind of shy. Maurice tells us he was star-struck - he was sitting at a table with Carmen Electra and Marissa Miller, talking like normal people. Bruce found it fascinating that Jon could talk about surfing and breaks, then discuss Buddhist philosophy as adroitly. That would impress me too! Looks like everyone passed!

Then the boys are piled into a limo like "Puerto Rican rock stars" with Carmen. They go to a dance club, one of the fancy ones with everyone in blue lights. Jon falls for a lovely girl, his "libido was going crazy." Fun had by all.

The next day, they get the news that they will be doing their next shoot in the rain forest. With animals. And Doug Ordway again. All of them are excited by the idea. Maurice is fine, he says, as long as they don't roll out any spiders. They all pose with a cockatoo, Maurice looking the most uncomfortable, Rob looking ridiculously at ease with it. Doug gathers them all to tell them they will be posing with more rain forest creatures. Namely, a tree frog (cute!), a millipede (eww!), and... a tarantula! Maurice looks like he's about to bolt!

In the millipede shots Rob looks very strong, Maurice again looks a bit ill at ease. The creatures are bringing facial expression to him finally, even if it is fear. Kevin says he's been trying to raise the game in Puerto Rico, and so far, only Jon is stepping up to the plate. In fact, Kevin says, he thinks Jon is gunning for him! Jon tells us he would love to knock Kevin out, after the whole hot tub debacle and how arrogant Kevin was at the group meeting.

Along comes the spider. Rob says put it anywhere on me, Doug Ordway says "down your pants!" Easy, Doug! Rob has no problem with the spider. Neither does Jon, really. Maurice struggles. They manage to position the spider where Maurice can't see it, but he certainly feels it. That helps. In the end, Jon says there aren't any clear losers this time. He has no idea how this will turn out.

We're out about to find out! It's elimination time! The guys view their photos. They say Jon's is a slam dunk, tight close up with the tree frog at the nape of his neck. Rob has the millipede shot, looking off into the distance. Nice. Maurice has the spider shot, his face is like an action hero. We don't see Kevin because his doesn't really matter, does it?

The judges, again, are Bruce, Marissa, and Doug, says Carmen.

The guys are ushered in one by one for their critiques.

To Jon, Bruce says it looks almost too perfect, like a romantic book cover or something. It troubles him. (Here comes Bruce with silly criticism again!).

To Maurice, Doug says he had to work hard to get facial expression out of him. Bruce says the photo works for him. Marissa says she knows Maurice is trying, but it's basically the same face for her.

To Rob, Bruce says the picture is heroic. He likes it. Marissa says Rob's body looks funny in the picture, he should work on his posture. Doug says Rob has a tendency to "bite down" to make his jaw line pop. It's annoying to him, and it cost him a few frames. Rob looks a bit puzzled by that.

Kevin gives his opinion. Rob was difficult in the commercial, but sailed through the rain forest without a single complaint. Maurice seems lost on the art of facial expression and speaking with his eyes. Jon needs to position his jaw better, but he's overcoming all of his flaws.

To us, Jon and Rob feel confident that they will be staying. Maurice is not so sure. Kevin says whoever leaves should just take what they've learned and go with it! He also tells the guys he thinks two people will be going! What? Bruce says there is less to hammer about, Carmen says only one of them will be leaving. The other three will be going to New York to crown a winner.

Now comes the boom. "Maurice, that was your last shot."

Maurice wishes the others luck, and tells us he is shocked. He understands his weakness is his facial expressions. Bruce says he should take some acting lessons. He will work in this business, but here, he just didn't take it to the next level. Maurice is philosophical. He's never been out of the US before.

To those remaining, Jon says New York will be awesome. Bruce says the battle between Rob and Jon, will be "the arch-typical epic battle between city boy Rob and jungle boy Jon."

One show remaining, who will be America's Most Gorgeous Male Model?

Sting7 has been a respected published writer for 16 years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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