America’s Next Top Model 8, Episode 8 – Off To The Land Of Oz

Last week, Dionne and Renee had a reunion with their babies because Renee won the challenge and chose Dionne! The photo shoot was a top model extravaganza, and while Natasha made flesh eating bacteria haute couture, Jael fell flat! However, it was Whitney who wasn’t able to give some spark in her photo, and she was sent home. Six girls are left, so let’s see which one is getting dumped this week!

We begin right after the last elimination. Jael says it’s great to have come so far, while Jaslene tells her that she has been working her ass off, but it sucks that she is falling to the bottom of the pack. Flashback to Tyra asking what happened to the “old Jaslene.” Jaslene feels that the judges are making it harder for her, but she is ready to step it up.

Brittany tells the camera that she made it to the halfway point and really can’t believe it. However, the one thing that she knows she needs to do is stand out more.

Natasha and Jael talk outside. Natasha says she misses Moscow sometimes, where she would go out all the time with her friends. Growing up, she knew she would always be more than the girl who married the guy next door, and Jael tells her that they are all different and deserve to be there.

Tyra mail arrives and reads “Trust me, girls… talking to people every day isn’t as easy as it looks.” Jael looks drunk while she reads it – I know that!

Morning arrives, and the girls are getting ready for the day. Someone is at the door, and it ends up being April from Cycle 2. Love her – one of my favorite top models of all time! She tells the girls that she has been working as a model and as a TV correspondent as well, adding that to be a model, you really do need to be a jack of all trades. Jaslene hears that, saying that she really wants to “talk good.”

April tells the girls that during interviews, you might run into someone that talks too much, or someone that doesn’t talk at all. She brings in her friend, Gary Riotto, who is an actor/comedian. He’s helping April show the girls the different types of people they might run into when they are trying to interview. April also gives the girls some tips, and I have to say, she’s being very helpful, and this is way more information than girls of seasons past have gotten. Now it’s time for the girls to try with one another.

Jaslene goes first and runs out of questions quickly. Natasha comments that she would be the best correspondent since she’s the best at everything. Then we see her fight with Renee during her interview, making April interject that they are both being very confident and clashing with one another.

Jael blabs on and on as usual and Dionne says that she has set herself apart from the other girl. I have to admit that it’s a bit heated! Finally, it’s over, and the girls are sent home.

That night, the girls play in the pool. Renee says that she had issues with Jael, but she’s just going to let her be herself. However, she’s not sure Jael has what it takes to be a model. Mind you, while they play in the pool, Jael is topless. This girl is clinically crazy, I don’t care what anyone says.

In the morning, April is back. She says that for their challenge, they will have to hit the street and take what they learned and put it to good use. In comes someone in a kangaroo outfit. It’s Tyra, and she tells the girls that they are going to Sydney, Australia! Everyone jumps around as a REAL kangaroo comes in with a handler. Jaslene says that she has never been anywhere besides “the ‘hood and around the corner.” Natasha figures out that they are leaving the country about five minutes later and is now excited, as everyone gets a good chuckle. The winner of the challenge in Australia will get to be a special correspondent on The Tyra Show – more than once!

The girls arrive home and start packing. Jael says that she has never traveled overseas before, while Jaslene adds that she “ain’t never been nowhere.” I really need Jaslene to work on her speech – it’s worse than Natasha’s!

Before you know it though, the girls are there! They are greeted by Erika Heynatz, the original host of Australia’s Next Top Model. I didn’t even know they had ONE top model, let alone a next one! She says that sometimes models need to leap off a plane and start an assignment. So that’s what the girls will be doing – they will need to do some interviews, using Aussie slang. The prize is a big one, so everyone takes the Aussie slang dictionary and starts studying.

Brittany tells the camera that she has a pretty bad short term memory because she was hit by a car five years ago and actually needed eight staples in her head. Yikes! Dionne isn’t ready either, and says that she hasn’t had much sleep on the plane.

Renee goes first (I feel like Renee ALWAYS goes first) and I think she doesn’t pretty well. Cut to Dionne, who tries, but says “That’s cool, that’s cool!” more than she does any kind of Aussie slang.

Jael has a tutu on, and I swear to God she’s nuts. Brittany doesn’t really have a clue either and Jaslene is more interested in using the Aussie slang word for boxers than anything else.

Natasha cracks me up, but Dionne is doing it even more with all her “That’s cool, that’s cool!” comments. Erika gathers up the girls when they are finished and tells them that they won’t find out the winner until panel this week, where the judges will reveal. She gives the girls the key to their house and off they go!

The girls get to the house, and it so nice! Jaslene loves that photos of MY CariDee are all over the house. She met her last year, when Jaslene didn’t make the cut. I have to admit – this is one of the nicest houses the girls have gotten in a foreign country, although… how foreign is Australia?

While the girls lounge around, Natasha says that only one girl will win, and it’s getting to the breaking point – it’s time to be serious. Jael tells Natasha that she has been in the bottom two twice now, but it’s okay, as long as she can stay. Brittany adds to the conversation that she knows she can do it, but still has some things to learn before she is a top model. Tyra mail arrives and tells the girls to put up their dukes!

The next day, the girls arrive at their photo shoot and Jay Manuel is waiting for them. He tells the girls that they will be doing a Cover Girl commercial with a thick Australian accent. Natasha is already worried since English is her second language. The concept of the commercial is that the girls are distracting a photographer away from trying to photograph a kangaroo. They get their scripts in hair and makeup, and Brittany is still nervous because of her short term memory.