America’s Next Top Model 9, Episode 8: No More Tears (Enough is Enough)

Last week, Tyra said it was time for her to teach the girls some sexy moves, even though she also said they weren’t sexy, but “model.” The girls also worked it in an Enrique Iglesias video. Lisa and Heather got a featured spot, while Sarah and Chantal failed to impress. In the end, Sarah was sent home when the judges felt like she was just coasting in the competition. I think they simply didn’t have a good reason to send her home. Let’s see if this week’s elimination is fair!

It’s night, and Lisa is looking in the mirror. She wants to stay at the top of the pack, but knows that you can’t get confident since the judges might like you one week, then send you home the next. She feels the pressure though, and is ready. Meanwhile, Bianca and Heather are talking. Heather says that she was so bummed that Sarah was sent home, since they were so close. Bianca reminds her that they will all have to go at some point, then comments to the camera that Heather would never be able to handle herself if she won. Here goes Bianca… helping.

In the morning, the girls get Tyra mail. It says they should be ready to be schooled and to be someone’s muse. Then they drive over to the Fashion Institute, where Benny Ninja is waiting! Yay! I really wish they would replace Jay Manuel with him. Neal Hamil, a model manager, is there as well. He tells the girls that their challenge this week will revolve around them being a muse. They will each be paired with a student designer, who will make an outfit for them, which they will inspire. It will be made out of some ugly powder blue suit that my mom would wear, and will be shown at a runway show.

The girls are introduced to the designers and Lisa tells hers that she likes to show her legs. I bet. Bianca is told by her designer that she will be a modern day Cleopatra, but I’m not quite sure she even knows who that is. Heather says her designer is nervous, which makes her nervous too. Lisa’s designer knows she’s a party girl and he wants to include that. The designers don’t get to spend much time with the girls though, since Benny lets them talk for a few minutes, and then takes the girls with him so the designers can work.

At home, Lisa does her walk and knows she has to strut her stuff, and that night, the girls talk about being to the halfway point in the competition. Bianca has to comment about Heather, since that’s what she does. She says that she’s not really threatened by Heather anymore, since she’s only just a pretty face. Ambreal comments that she’s still nervous since she knows she has to prove she belongs in the competition at this point.

The next day, the girls go back to the school and meet up with that chick that edits Seventeen magazine. She’s there to judge, and tells the girls that the winner of the runway show will be in an issue of Seventeen as a holiday jewelry model. The girls then make their way to the designers and see their dresses. Jenah is psyched because she knows her dress is her to the core. Bianca feels hers is boring, and Heather just feels that it’s not her at all. Benny tells the girls that on the runway, they will need to say a few lines as to how they inspired the designer to make the dress they are wearing.

The girls get ready to go, with Bianca first. She says it’s all about attitude and does her spiel. It’s good, but it’s way too much attitude. Heather walks out next and she isn’t sure what to say. She stumbles through her lines and says that she tried her hardest. Chantal comments that Heather’s nerves just got the best of her. Ambreal is up next and she’s really good, but maybe a bit too bubbly, and she skips on the runway!

Jenah steps out and her dress looks great. She says she’s a rock star ballerina and really is! Neal thinks she sold it too. Lisa is up next and she flubs her words. It’s not that good, and when she’s off the runway, she cries right away. These girls are so emotional! Chantal is next and she nails her lines, even though they make no sense at all. Finally, there’s Saleisha. She’s a pixie and has presence. I don’t care for the outfit, but she looks good!

The girls are ready for critique. Ambreal is told she rushed it and should have been slower – she oversold it. Bianca gave more attitude and it overshadowed the dress, while Lisa flubbed her lines and it derailed her walk. Heather had a pretty bad performance and nobody spoke well of it. The winner, and the girl with the most sparkle, was Saleisha! She can choose two friends, and she picks Bianca and Lisa to partake in the photo shoot with her.

Saleisha, Lisa, and Bianca are next door doing the shoot, and we get to see the photos. I’m sorry, but Saleisha looks terrible in the photos, even though she says she’s having a good time. Lisa looks amazing in a magazine, and Bianca’s lips look abnormal. I’m not crazy about her either. Thank goodness this is a short segment!

At home, there’s Tyra mail waiting. It asks them if they are feeling burnt out, since the heat is on tomorrow. Whatever. Chantal comments that the shower is the only place they get privacy, while Lisa and Saleisha are running there. Heather is pissed because she had first dibs. They fight with her, and Heather says she’s at her breaking point, as she goes psycho, yelling how she called the shower. Ambreal tells the camera that Heather snapped and looked crazy. I agree!

When Heather is done, she talks to the other girls. They try to calm her down a little bit, but she’s still pissed about the week she’s been having. Ambreal talks to her dad on the phone and he gives her some encouraging words. One of these two must be going home this week since they are both being so featured!

In the morning, the girls head to their photo shoot. They fall asleep in the bus after driving for hours, and wake up to driving in the desert. When they get out of the van, the bus driver pulls away and the girls run after him as if they truly think they are being left to die. They aren’t alone for long though, since Jay Manuel shows up to greet them. Why couldn’t he just be a mirage? He tells the girls that for their shoot this week, they are going to be models lost in the desert, and they must show desperation to show the gowns they are wearing.

First up this week is Bianca. She’s ready to go and knows that she just wants to be called first. Jay loves her during the shoot and really thinks that she is selling it, so that’s a guaranteed in for this week! Heather is next and she’s still distracted from the challenge. Jay tells her she’s looking awkward and you can tell that Heather is just about ready to give up at this point.

Chantal is next, in a dress that keeps blowing up. She works it out though and gets it under control. Jay says that she looked great in the face and served it up. I’m actually liking her this week! Saleisha is next and Jay thinks she is being too “posey.” I think it works for her though, and Jay ends it by telling her she looked okay.

Ambreal steps onto the shoot and knows she has to prove that she can own this. Jay isn’t pleased at all and I don’t think she’s moving around enough to impress him. He seems quite frustrated. Jenah steps up, and she admits to being really miserable and hot, so the whole shoot was real since there’s a burning car next to them. Jay is in love with it.

Finally, we have Lisa. She has some issues and worries right out of the gate about being near a burning car, and you can tell that she’s not comfortable at all. She’s not doing very well at showing off the garment, and again, Jay doesn’t look happy. That’s it for the shoot though, so Jay tells the girls that they can finally head home!

When the girls arrive back at the house, Tyra mail is waiting. It says that someone is going home tomorrow. Heather is worried, but she knows that she tried her hardest. She knows that panel might be her last chance to prove to the judges that she belongs to be there. At the commercial break, we find out that Heather is the Cover Girl of the week for like what? The seventh week in a row? Crazy!

It’s now time to see the judges, and Tyra greets them all. She reminds the girls of the prizes and introduces the judges. Ms. J.’s afro is even bigger this week, and I can only wonder what he has living in that thing. Neal Hamil from ELITE model management is also on hand. However, before judging begins, a giant Chinese dragon comes shimmying out. Tyra acts like she has no clue what’s going on, but soon tells the girls that they are going to China, which makes everyone cheer. Then she tells them that only six of them are going to China, since one of them will be eliminated tonight. Way to crush a dream, Tyra!

Jenah is up first. They look at her photo and Nigel loves it. He says it looks like it came straight out of a movie, and Twiggy says it’s great. Ms. J. has nothing but good things to say and Tyra adds that Jenah was posing everywhere.

Heather steps forward and Twiggy loves her photo. Jay says that it looks like she has to go on the toilet, while Tyra adds it was Heather’s worst shoot thus far. She knows that something is missing from Heather, and tells her not to dwell on the past, but to come to panel with a new outlook.

Saleisha is next and Twiggy loves the attitude in her photo. It’s not striking to Nigel, and he doesn’t find her as an inspiration. Tyra wants her to take more chances and Saleisha says that she will take them.

Chantal steps forward and Nigel feels it’s her best photo so far. Twiggy agrees and Tyra says that her legs look so long.

Ambreal is next and she looks good to Nigel, but she’s hiding the garment with her legs crossed. Tyra loves her face and nose, but she’s confused by the look. I love the photo, but I have to admit – you can’t see any of the garment.

Bianca arrives front of the judges and Ms. J. says that in her photo, it looks like she was the one who set the car on fire, and is now asking, “Now what?” Neal feels that she’s showing the dress and looks great.

Lisa brings up the rear (no pun intended). Her pose doesn’t work for Nigel because she has long legs and arms and isn’t showing them. She looks too short and Tyra says it almost looks like she’s 5’8”. Heaven forbid! I’m 5’8” and it works fine for me.

Now it’s time for the judges to deliberate, and here’s what they have to say:

Twiggy loves Jenah and thinks she has all the goods. Neal thinks that she’s one of the best girls left in the competition.

Heather is doing well, but needs to be stronger for Ms. J. He still loves her though. Twiggy loves that nobody looks like her, and Tyra agrees that Heather looks hot.

Saleisha looks good to Nigel even though he really doesn’t think her photo worked. What Neal likes about Saleisha is that she’s real and someone you can hang out with. He really thinks she can develop.

Chantal had a good photo, and didn’t look sweet for once. Neal likes her face, but couldn’t see her being a superstar. Tyra has been thinking for weeks and thinks that Chantal reminds her of Cheryl Teigs. I have no clue what that is all about.

Neal doesn’t see anything special in Ambreal, while Nigel says she’s good at what she does, but he doesn’t think she has the gift of modeling. Twiggy doesn’t like her poses.

Bianca is rising in the ranks to Nigel and Ms. J. says they should keep her around. Neal thinks she is strong and really draws you in with her looks.

Lisa didn’t do so great but is still a favorite for Ms. J. Nigel says he think she is actually getting worse, while Neal adds that she isn’t fresh enough for him. Really? I think she’s the freshest of the bunch, actually!

The girls walk back in the room and Tyra says she has six photos. They are the six girls that will be going to China. The first girl called this week is – Bianca! She got her dream this week! Bianca is followed by Jenah, and then Saleisha, who is shocked that her name is called. Chantal is called next, followed by Heather, who is crying. Aww.

Lisa and Ambreal step forward. Ambreal is smiling as if she knows it’s her. Tyra tells Ambreal that she’s beautiful, and they can kind of see it on film, but she’s not strong enough. She’s a gorgeous girl, but not a model. Lisa is a girl who is obviously a model, but is fading. She only has one photo, and it belongs to… Lisa! Lisa gets her photo and Tyra tells her not to let the stress make her dull. Ambreal hugs the other girls and Tyra, then heads out of the room with a little jig. What the heck is going on?

Ambreal packs her bags, saying she wanted to go to China, but prayed to God and asked him to help her if she is meant to do this. She knows she wants to model, but this just wasn’t for her to win. She made her family proud and knows they will push her to accomplish her dreams.

Next week, the girls will be in China for an adventure of a lifetime. Also, it’s time for a Cover Girl commercial, where it looks like Lisa and Heather will flub again. Isn’t it funny that they kept Heather until this episode? I think it was deliberate. Here’s how I’m ranking the girls for next week:

Bianca
Jenah
Lisa
Saleisha
Chantal
Heather

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

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