Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models Search Finale: Street Girl vs. Girl Next Door

The first five minutes of the finale are spent recapping what went down in the previous episodes. You can read all the details in the previous recaps so there’s no need to go into them here.

The new episode starts with some previously-unseen footage of Alicia and Shannon hugging Stacy once she’s started walking away after being dropped. It looks almost as tough on the judges. Joel is poker-faced, Jule looks disappointed, and Roshumba looks like she’s either teary-eyed or trying to avoid crying.

Alicia says, “I thought I was going back to the ghetto.” All together now: Aaaawww! Joel tells her that she can’t think like that. She has to, “Leave the past behind, learn from it, and move forward.” That’s good advice for anyone. Meanwhile, Shannon is vigorously nodding in agreement. Jule adds that Alicia should never doubt herself.

Shannon tells the camera that she didn’t get to know Alicia in the model house, but that Alicia let her guard down in Bora Bora and she got to know Alicia better, so the two of them became friends. Alicia tells the camera that making it this far is “the moment of my life” and that she doesn’t want to leave Bora Bora to go back home.

Back in the U.S., in the offices of Sports Illustrated, Terry McDonnell, managing editor, is looking through the photos of Shannon and Alicia together with Diane Smith, editor of the SI Swimsuit Issue; Roy S. Johnson, assistant managing editor of Sports Illustrated; and Steve Hoffman, creative director. The four of them are discussing the photos with Diane giving the guys some backstory about each model.

Roy asks Terry how he feels about the two finalists, to which Terry replies, “They’re both fantastic, but one of them is going to win.” Thank you, Captain Obvious! Man, it was touch-and-go there for a while. I though after all this they might not be naming a winner! Diane adds that she’s sure one of them is going to become a household name (you know, like Dawn or Tide…).

Diane goes on to discuss the photos with another management guy, Bob Roe, senior editor, who thinks Alicia is a strong beauty, while Shannon is more voluptuous and girl-next-door. It’s not clear if the point of these discussions is to choose which model looks better, or which pictures to go with for whichever model wins. Since America is supposed to decide the winner, I would hope the discussions are focusing on the pictures, but it sure doesn’t seem that way from some of the things being said.

Next, we get a look at Alicia’s hometown of Las Vegas, NV. It’s not the flashing neon we’ve become accustomed to seeing in shows like Las Vegas or the original CSI, but the more homely, everyday side of Vegas, complete with people crossing the street and the homeless begging for change.

Alicia and Jamie, her half-sister from another father, visit their old ‘hood – specifically their old apartment complex – and reminisce about things they did as kids. Alicia tells the camera it used to be a bad part of town with drunks and drugs, but says it’s good to see that it’s been cleaned up considerably. She says this while wearing a light blue top and gold scarf that would make Carson Kressley from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy faint in horror.

Next we visit Dallas, TX – Shannon’s hometown. Funny how the show kept referring to Mesquite, TX, as Shannon’s hometown, and now we’re told it’s Dallas, which is the closest major city to Mesquite.

Shannon is working out in the gym — with full makeup on. Does any woman really go to the gym wearing full makeup? Is it even practical? Nevertheless, we see Shannon tell the camera she knows she has to maintain her look and thus works out six days a week doing cardio, weights, and ab workouts, which includes 600 sit-ups. She then collapses on the gym floor. Hey, after 600 sit-ups in one session, Arnold Schwarzenegger would collapse on the floor, or so I would imagine!

We also meet Shannon’s fiancé, Kyle, a med student who likes to play golf. We’re told he popped the question at Homecoming and the two of them have been together ever since. Considering Shannon is 23, that’s not that long ago. The two of them are set for a June marriage. Maybe they’re registered at Bikinis R Us.

Alicia takes Jamie with her to see her stepfather and other half-sister, Natalie, who still live in the trailer park that Alicia used to live in. Jamie tells Alicia’s stepfather, Chris, that Alicia is going to be in his favorite magazine. How cool! Alicia says her family is very supportive.

Meanwhile, at Shannon’s house the whole family eats dinner together — and no, it’s not the family gathered around a bucket of KFC. Shannon says grace at the table before the family eats. We’re introduced to Shannon’s parents, Barbara (aka Barbie) and John.