America’s Next Top Model Recap

Y’all, I liked Rio from the beginning of this “America’s Next Top Model” season cycle. She was cool and casual and edgy and beautiful and smart and funny.

And then Patrick Starrr showed up.

Let’s back up and recap a bit. The girls are chilling in the model house, per usual. Someone is eating. Someone looks like they just woke up. Liberty is doing sit ups. Judge/body activist/supermodel Ashley Graham and her, um, model assets show up to rally the girls on diversity. They all sit around and act for the cameras bare their souls.

Jeana is unconventional because she’s bald. Coura is unconventional because she’s masculine. Rio is unconventional because she’s lanky.

Christina is unconventional because she’s, um, more “professional” than the other girls.

YouTube superstar Patrick Starr, who just launched a MAC makeup line, shows up to help the girls create a beauty vlog using unconventional items. PStarrr is nothing short of fabulous. Seriously. He was also at the MAC Selena makeup launch in Corpus Christi, giving me life.

Christina and Rio contour with tape. Rio complains that Christina is too slow. Jeana and Kyla turn a chicken cutlet into a blender, which isn’t as funny as it could be. Sandra and Shanice/Sha-nasty turn a condom into a blender. Liberty and Erin turn an egg into a blender. Erin complains that she knows nothing about social media because, yo know, she’s 42??? Lolwhut? Khrystyana, Coura and Brendi K pretend to shave their faces.

Sandra, who already has somewhat of a social media presence, wins the challenge for being poised and professional. She earns a spot on Patrick’s YouTube channel and help from Ashley during the photo challenge. But I would have given it to Sha-nasty, who steps out of the box with a funny, quirky presentation.

Rio also thinks someone else should have won: Rio. She is immediately salty because today is her younger sister’s graduation. And her younger sister loves Patrick Starrr. AND THE UNIVERSE WAS ALIGNED FOR RIO TO WIN, PEOPLE.

This is clearly about something else. But Rio express it all wrong. During a group dinner, she continues to pout about not winning. She says she’s mad — because Sandra is pretty? And then she tells Sandra, who is Muslim, that she’s never had to struggle? The entire thing feels mean and very, very petty.

Rio. Girl. You’re gorgeous. Own it, henny.

The girls pose in trios for a “beauty sandwich” shot. Which sadly has nothing to do with actual food.

There are a few standouts, including Rio(!), Shanice, Sandra and Brendi K. These shots really show us who has the face for modeling.

And then there’s Coura, whose free fall continues, brought on by what now has turned into a cycle of self doubt and insecurity. Liberty fades into the background. Erin’s face gets smooshed by Christina, who looks like she’s taking a nap on top of the other girls.

There are lots of bottom jokes with Law Roach, which no on really needs, y’all.

Christina snaps back into defensive mode, placing the blame on the other girls for her poor performance. She also reminds the judges that she works out. No one is impressed.

But it’s Coura, previously a frontrunner and now dubbed a “hot mess” by Tyra Banks, who is finally sent home.

 

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