America’s Next Top Model 7, Recap Episode: More Monique, Please!

Tyra tells us that it takes more than a strut or nice photo to be a top model. It’s a trans-for-mation! Cycle seven brought casting to small towns and big cities to find the girls. The semi-finalists were flown to L.A. where they were interviewed by Tyra, Mr. Jay, and Ms. J. Of course, there was a nude photo shoot that freaked some girls out. There was good news for 13 girls though, as they got to move into the house while others had their dreams crushed.

There are now only seven girls left: Melrose, Eugena, Jaeda, MY CariDee, Amanda, Michelle, and Anchal. Tonight we will get to see some never-before-seen footage, along with the best and worst moments. Don’t forget the less than model behavior! Ugh, this might be painful, I’m not sure.

The girls are thrown right into the mix after moving in. Their first challenge is to rock the runway in clothing meant for men. Melrose wins, but in never-before-seen footage, we see that when the girls got home, they meet with their stylist and make-up artist, who decide to go through all the clothes they brought with them and throw some stuff away. However, Melrose doesn’t lose anything as she claims that she made most of her clothes. Anchal is criticized over all her clothes having rhinestones.

When we are done with the old, it’s time for some new. The girls meet up with the guys again at a clothing store, where they are told to not necessarily get what they want, but what they need. You know, the model basics: mini-skirt, nude bra and panties, large bag, tank top, hair scrunchies, fitted jeans, sneakers, and a black cocktail dress. Oh yeah… they only have five minutes. So the girls go crazy and look for what they need. Christian says that she was a model before and has all of it already. CariDee says that she got all she wanted or needed. I wish we actually saw this before now!

Back at the house, Melrose gets bossy and irritated when the girls won’t clean. Monique’s hatred for Melrose begins and they begin their bickering early. Melrose says she isn’t interested in becoming friends with Monique, so it’s fine.

At the first photo shoot, the girls bring model stereotypes to life. Melrose is the queen bee, but hits rock bottom with her photo. However, it is Christian who shows she isn’t up to the challenge and is the first girl sent home. When it happened, I wasn’t crushed, but oh well!

The next day, the girls find a salon in their living room for their makeovers. Some girls get some new hair, like Eugena. Others lose their hair, like Jaeda. Brooke gets some new dark hair which she loves. However, Jaeda longs for her locks, even though we see Melrose telling the camera how great Jaeda looks. But it is Monique who breaks down in tears when she finds out her weave is coming out in front of the other girls. Of course, Jay gets irritated and tells off all the girls.

We’re told that living with Monique is drama in itself, and in a never-before-seen scene, we are shown Monique looking for her Doritos. However, when she finds out that someone ate them, she goes around dumping everyone’s food. Michelle isn’t happy about this, and after confronting Monique, she proceeds to open up every cabinet to show Monique that there is other food in the house that she can eat. Work it out, Michelle! I love her six times more now!

The next photo shoot has the girls with new weaves. CariDee and Melrose work it out, while others are overwhelmed, including Megg, who in a new scene we see freaking out because she needs rock and roll music before the shoot to help her out. Jay says that she won’t always have that luxury, so get used to not having it. Never you mind, Jay, since when the girls get home, they make instruments of their own to take off some of the stress. Megg is happy since she’s trying to bring some peace to a house full of chaos. I still don’t understand this girl.

At the elimination, it is Megan who isn’t showing potential, and is sent home. Megan tells the camera that she wasn’t expecting to be standing with Jaeda in the bottom two, but rather with Monique. Tell me about it!

The girls’ next challenge is to walk on a tightrope. Melrose establishes herself as a front-runner, and Monique’s jealousy is really beginning to shine. It boils over into the house, when Melrose slams the door to the phone room on Monique. What we didn’t get to see originally is them fighting over the same stove one night, ending with Monique mimicking Melrose’s every move. Childish – very. Eugena even tells the camera that all this might be too much for Monique.

Monique begins to feel ill, and it doesn’t get any better as the day goes on, so she ends up going to the hospital. The next day, she arrives at the photo shoot, but doesn’t feel she is up to it. The rest of the girls have to walk a slippery runway. MY CariDee shows some boob, and Eugena almost falls in! Cut to a bird in the house scaring all the girls as if it is going to eat them alive.

In front of the panel, the judges are less than impressed with Eugena and the way she isn’t connecting with the camera, however, they are more upset with Monique’s absence and not even trying. She is finally sent home, two eliminations late in my opinion, and she tells the camera that she feels her time was wasted. So was mine for having to watch her for three weeks!

The next obstacle for the girls is extreme posing. Anchal has a leg up on the competition, literally, when she finds out that she can bend and pose every which way. At the house though, she loses her new confidence when she hears Melrose talking about her. And at the posing challenge, Anchal doesn’t use her newfound posing abilities and Eugena wins the challenge.

Tyra stops by the house and Anchal cries, then when Tyra leaves, what we didn’t get to see originally is all the girls laying into Melrose about how condescending she can be. Megg is frustrated, and all the girls are over it. However, Melrose doesn’t seem to care and basically defends all her actions.

The next photo shoot has the girls acting out acts from a circus sideshow. Some of the girls struggle with their transformation, like Megg, who just can’t nail the bearded lady. Her photo ends up failing to impress the judges, and she is sent on her way. A.J. is not happy.

What we didn’t get to see the first time around is the girls cutting loose the next day with yoga class and some free dance. All this loosening up helps Michelle come clean about not knowing what her sexuality is. The look on Brooke’s face is classic… you would think she never came in contact with someone who is or might be gay before.

The girls are shipped off to the Entertainment Tonight studio to learn how to interview people. Melrose and MY CariDee do a great job, while A.J. just gives up because it’s not her thing. This attitude floats back to the house, where A.J. confesses to the other girls about her mixed feelings with doing well in the competition. CariDee admits that A.J. has a darker side, while Melrose is tired of hearing A.J. complain about everything.

The next day, the girls are challenged on their interviewing skills by having to ask Janice Dickenson a few questions. A.J. freezes under the lights and Jaeda is tongue tied. Melrose steals the spotlight and wins the challenge, making the girls even more mad that her streak isn’t broken.

Tyra makes a visit to the girls that night though, and Melrose admitts that she is a bit intimidating and over-confident, however, she is scared of showing a vulnerable side. MY CariDee tells Tyra about her psoriasis and desire to win this thing.

Tyra says that the girls get a chance to see what it’s like to be famous for their next photo shoot, when they depict celebrity couples. The photo shoot requires double the work, since each girl has to be shot twice. A.J. suffers an identity crisis as J.Lo and Marc Anthony and feels it is too hard to “act” like a Latino.

Jaeda does her best with Bobby and Whitney, but she is so frustrated that she holds a judging of her own when the girls get back to the house. In previously-unseen footage, we see Amanda and Michelle as the bottom two, but before Jaeda can announce who is going home, MY CariDee farts. Good times! In the end, Amanda is sent home by Jaeda since she and Michelle look too much alike.

At the real judging though, A.J. takes the most flack for her photo, along with Jaeda, who makes her third trip to the bottom two. However, it is A.J.’s indifference that has her given the boot. In her exit interview, it seems like A.J. doesn’t really care that she was sent home, and feels that the show pointed her in a new direction and left modeling out there as an option in the future. At least she’s realistic!

Tyra takes the remaining eight girls’ pictures in a wild and sexy black and white photo. All the girls work it out, especially my CariDee who says that sexy and scary go hand in hand. The girls meet up with Dita Van Teese, who shows them how to be sexy, but some of the girls have some problems with this, especially Michelle, who is used to being a tomboy, and Brooke, who says that it’s not her normal routine.

The next day, the girls are challenged to walk on a table while people are having dinner, and act sexy. Melrose stepps it up once again, while some of the other girls stumble. Brooke’s performance is far from perfect and she knows it. In the end, Melrose wins again and Anchal’s confidence takes another hit. She talks about how she used to be as skinny as Melrose, but gained weight fast. MY CariDee gives her some advice and Anchal vows that she will follow it.

The most recent photo shoot has the girls posing for romance novel covers along with Fabio. During their shoot, Anchal and Fabio are on fire. Brooke finally runs out of steam and at the judging ceremony, the judges call her out on her youth and inexperience, which I still don’t understand since Nicole won Cycle 5 and she was the same age as Brooke. What’s the difference? Anyway, Brooke is sent home, even though she wanted to win more than most of the girls still remaining.

Only seven girls are left. Melrose, the bold beauty. Eugena, the sexy siren on the runway (notice how they didn’t say “in her pictures”?). Michelle, the long, tall tomboy and Amanda, her twin. MY CariDee, the stunner with the great personality. Anchal, the gentle beauty. And Jaeda, the statuesque student. Who will be America’s next top model? One more is going home next week!

Now it’s time for me to vent on this episode, since I always hate the “recap episode.” We got about 15 minutes of new scenes and the rest was crap that we already saw. I was disappointed as usual, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect it. To be honest, I think the last segment gave the rest of the show away. Let me explain.

Look at the way Jaeda was only described as “the statuesque student.” That basically means she’s going home next. The way the twins were grouped together? They’ll go after Jaeda, and Eugena will follow next. The whole episode focused on the great qualities of Melrose and MY CariDee so you know they will be the final two, along with Anchal in the finals. My prediction at this point is that Melrose will win because she will be the next “Eva.” People won’t love her, but she’ll be the most qualified to win. People will be upset when MY CariDee doesn’t win, but she’ll go on to be more successful, and the world will balance itself out. Mark my words. The end.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent America’s Next Top Model articles:

Phil Kural is an office manager at a law firm, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. You can send feedback to him at pkural@gmail.com.

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find all of our recent articles on this show at our America’s Next Top Model page and take a look at our sections on The Apprentice and Survivor. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store!

For more news about America’s Next Top Model, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: America’s Next Top Model!