For those of you keeping track, we are one episode away from the finale of this cycle of America's Next Top Model. It's getting tense. We're in Rome. Well, we're not in Rome, but the girls are. In honor of the girls being in Rome, tonight we are dressed like gladiators. I note that because it is Walpurgisnacht, we have the option of wearing vomit frocks, but everybody opts for gladiator. I may post some photos of our outfits later, after I have obscured the faces out of recognition. Sometimes gladiators are shy.

8:02 - There is an ad for the movie Made Of Honor. I will talk further about this tomorrow, but for now let me just say that merely thinking about this film makes me very angry. Anger is good for a gladiator, so thank you, Patrick Dempsey. This is followed by an ad for Farmer Wants A Wife. The premiere is on tonight! Benny still says we can't watch it. It will be horrible, he says. I sense his resolve is crumbling. Farmer Wants A Wife!

8:04 - Fatima the Undead Raisin Corpse is saying that she has no competition, which makes me think she is being sent home tonight. They love to do that whenever a girl says she has no competition.

8:05 - The girls have brought their wine glasses all the way from New York and are drinking something yellow out of them. For some reason they drink everything out of wine glasses on this show. Fatima Skull Stack says that Katyrlghzzryina has no personality and "she should be behind the desk at an office."

8:06 - They let Anya read the Tyra mail out loud. "You gotta pose real nasty if you're gonna pose real nasty." Benny doesn't think this is what she said, but since they aren't going to give her subtitles, I have to go with what I hear. Oh, they're going to gladiator school.

8:07 - They are at The Gladiator School of Rome. Some renfair nerds fight for a while, and then Alex the gladiator instructor says "fierce" and teaches the girls how to chop somebody's head off. Go for the neck, then strike for the legs, then the neck again, and finish with a blow to the stomach. Corpse Skull feels the lesson is too complicated and doesn't think she needs to learn how to chop off somebody's head. That seems kind of foolish to me; I think that would be a good skill to have.

8:09 - The girls are now given gladiator costumes. Our costumes look much better, though Benny is having a little trouble sitting down on the couch while wearing a breastplate. Gort resembles Dark Helmet. Nicole is wrapped in aluminum foil and clingfilm.

8:15 - There is a long promo for Farmer Wants A Wife. The girls step in cow poo. The farmer is gay. The show promises "country style challenges." We have to watch this.

8:18 - Okay, time for a photo shoot. Lord Humungus from The Road Warrior will help out by fighting the girls during their shoots. Mr. Jay reminds everybody to "keep it modelesque." Drink whenever somebody says "modelesque."

8:19 - Anya says "fierce." I'm sure of it. She is working hard to stay focused: "Okay, here is the gladiator, here is the camera." It would be neat if she forgot which was which and chopped off the photographer's head, but she doesn't.

8:20 - Mr. Jay says that Whitney looks like Xena Warrior Princess' sidekick Gabrielle. Whitney seems happy with her costume and enjoys being a gladiatrix. Drink whenever somebody says "gladiatrix."

8:21 - Gort comments on Dominique's "dingleheimer." Benny thinks she says "tinkleheimer." Gort says that "tinkleheimer" is a ridiculous word and she would never say that. Smoothie doesn't care about the dingleheimer but is opposed to Dominique's missing tooth. The judges think Dominique is too pretty and not fighty enough in her shots.

8:22 - The winner of the challenge is going to get 1000 euros for a shopping spree. Everybody hates the dollar. Whitney wins the challenge for some reason even though she had a jumbo muffin pudge in her shot. She picks Anya to go shopping with her. They buy a lot of tank tops.

8:23 - Benny is looking to see if Anya has a clothespin on her tongue. Smoothie is taking off his arm gauntlet. I have to agree that it's getting a little itchy and hot in our gladiator costumes. I wish I were wearing a vomit frock instead.

8:24 - Mr. Jay greets the girls at a castle. He is wearing a neck brace. Now that the girls know how to chop off somebody's head, this is probably a good idea. For their next photo shoot, the girls are going to be "renaissance," and they are given frizzy triangular wigs to wear. Oh no. Tyra comes out with her camera. "Momma's gonna be taking her baby's pictchuzz!" Drink. "Are you ready for Momma?" Drink. Please stop, Tyra. No good can come from this.

8:29 - The girls do not look renaissance. They look like disco sphinxes or famed French novelist Colette in her twilight years. Tyra wants the girls to pose like they are "the Italian woman who went to the cluuuub on Sunset Boulevard." Ugh. Drink. Mr. Jay says that Kartaghzyrana looks like she is delivering a pizza. Tyra thinks Katarghzynya is acting too Egyptian.

8:30 - The stylists have dressed Dominique like Cruella DeVille. Mr. Jay and Tyra tell her not to act like Cruella DeVille. When they look at her pictures later, Mr. Jay thinks she looks like Cruella DeVille but in a good way. Then something happens to Tyra.

Nobody has any idea why she does that. Then she goes back to talking ghetto. If she doesn't stop, we're going to need drinking helmets.

8:32 - Dominique is insanely happy that Tyra took pictures of her, and she feels that this is "a slap in the face to everyone in the world right now because no one else can say Tyra took their picture." This is obviously untrue, but something about this rattles Skull Stack and she starts overthinking during her photo shoot. Mr. Jay tells her to stop overthinking, and Tyra suggests "more exaggeration." Ross says, "Toni Tennille." Ross' direction seems to do the trick, and Corpse Stack Pile starts doing great. Tyra says, "You are siiiiiiick!" and then waggles her finger. Drink at least twice.

8:34 - Mr. Jay says that Whitney looks like Mae West. Fat. Tyra pretends to smoke a joint while asking for the next model. She is wearing her waist cincher again. For some reason she drops down out of the frame and Mr. Jay's voice gets really deep.

8:35 - We take a poll about who we think is going home. Ross says Fatty. TeaHat says Karatgina. Benny says Corpse Stack, and Whitney in the bottom two. Gort says Kartaghyna. I say Corpse Pile, and I pick Anya for winning the whole thing. I just have a feeling. They've never picked a naked mole rat before. Nicole picks Dominique to go home because she really wants her to go home, and Katrezhgna to win, because she really wants her to win. Smoothie picks Krataghzana to go home and Nicole hits him.

8:40 - Sanitary napkin moon ad.

8:41 - Judging panel time. Tyra says, "Bonsoir, ladies!" When everybody laughs at her, she says a bunch of crap about not knowing what country she's in because she's a glamorous jet setter. Anya is dressed like Peter Pan, with a green tunic and black tights. She mentions Ramadan.

8:42 - Tyra goes fishing for compliments about her photography. Paulina says that Tyra should do photography full time. Ha ha.

8:44 - Tutankhamen Skull is also dressed like an elf, but with a brown tunic. A tree nymph mummy corpse raisin, if you will. Miss Jay thinks her photos were great and that she looked "busted, broken down." Miss Jay loves busted and broken down. Paulina and Tyra pretend to flirt with each other. Tyra hates Paulina so much.

8:45 - Tyra says Dominique looks like a hostess at a really casual restaurant.

8:46 - Nigel says Kahghstana is not punching through. Paulina thinks she looks sleepy. Tyra says, "Push." Everybody is disappointed with Whitney's pictures and expected a whole lot more. Paulina actually gives her some good advice and tells her to not look directly at the light source during a photo shoot, but a little away from it. Tyra is the one who told Whitney to look at the light, of course.

8:48 - We're a little bored, so we start taking pictures of Ross in his gladiator costume. Nicole and Gort judge him rather harshly. Nicole thinks he is exaggerating his butt too much, and Gort calls him "a little pageant."

8:51 - Nigel is the only judge who doesn't like Anya. Then he says, "There's a lot to Whitney," and also calls her rounded. He thinks Dom looks "kind of game showish." Ross asks if that is lower than "pageant." Gort says yes, and Ross takes this kind of badly because he was on a game show recently.

8:54 - They call Corpse Skull's name first. What? She was terrible. Then they call Dominique, and make fun of her outfit again. Whitney smirks. Then they call Anya. Kaftanghrana and Whitney are in the bottom two.

8:55 - Tyra tells Kgzataryzghna that she has "coveted Eastern European features which are the most coveted in the modeling industry," but "nothing sticks out." Benny reminds Tyra that Dominique has the thing that sticks out.

8:56 - Tyra is afraid that Whitney is getting stuck. While it's true that fat people get stuck in things sometimes, Tyra needs to make up her mind about how she feels about sticking. One second she wants it, the next she doesn't. She makes her decision to eliminate the girl whose name she can't pronounce and Kagtarzhyna is gone.

9:02 - We get to watch Farmer Wants A Wife! Hooray! Unfortunately, Benny was right and it's terrible.

I can scarcely believe it; she was my #1 pick. That brings us to what i call The Chad Philosophy: "Does this girl have any chance of winning the competition?" Chad believes that this is an important criteria in determining who will be eliminated (or more to the point, who will NOT be eliminated). I will raise the stakes by saying that it is THE most important criteria. The only other criteria that i think of as being important is: Could this girl actually get a job modeling? or Is this girl a model? Lets evaluate, shall we:

1) Whitney - Is she a model? Yes, with a caveat: she's a full figured model. She wouldn't be in the same shows as the other girls, but she certainly could be a model. Actually, it's weird, this week's "photo challenge" showed shed doesn't really have an ounce of fat, and i have to agree that she may actually BE the mythological "big boned". Can she win? No.

2) Katarzyna - Is she a model? Yes, i would expect her to have a modeling career. Probably in runway, maybe some print as well regardless of the show. Can she win? Yes (that is to say that she could have, had the judges not felt threatened by her radiant beauty.)

3) Anya - Is she a model? Yes, she looks like a model, and she has talent. She may not sound like a model, but how would anybody ever know? Models don't talk. (unless they're in Covergirl commercials for the Baltimore tourism department.) Can she win? She will win. All she has to do is turn her toes in, and it's model gold.

4) Fatima - Is she a model? If she looked less like a coyote, i'd say maybe. Chad says yes. Her walk is horrendous. I don't think she's very photogenic, and she wears that stupid North Face looking jacket that would make her right at home in a sorority in Ann Arbor in 1998. Can she win? I hope not.

5) Dominic - Is (s)he a model? There are male models, but that's not what the gig calls for. NO. Can (s)he win? If Jasleen hadn't won i would say no, but if one drag queen can win, it's not inconceivable that it could happen again.

I'm sorry, but this is not the worst picture in the bunch. No question about it. I refuse to placate Tyra's vast ego and praise this photography. The frame's crooked, and way too dark. "Hey Tyra, there's a histogram feature on your camera that'll show you when the photo's too dark, maybe you should take a look at that, actually, just turn the knob to Auto, it's clear that you shouldn't be in charge of those controls."

Tyra just wants drama so we don't know who'll be eliminated.

Back room meeting: "I have an idea, there'll be more drama in the show if we don't pay any attention to talent or potential, lets just make the decision with this Ouija board, then the audience will never know what to expect."

1. America's Next Top Model is a battlefield.

2. You can't let a Roman gladiator F up your shoot.

3. Anya should win. These remaining episodes feel like a formality.

4. If Tyra tells you she's your "Mama." Run away.

5. Wow, Saleisha, a Canadian sportswear line!

6. Tyra will use any excuse to strike a pose.

7. Tyra is crazy, but she can work high-waisted jeans.

8. If we were in Egypt, Katarzyna would be perfect.

9. A "busted, broken-down waistline" is a good thing in the world of modeling.

10. Poor Katarzyna. Yuck to Whitney.

Anya

Dominique

Fatima

Katarzyna

Whitney

or... the Queen of Model Faces... Tyra!

Please note: The following photos were taken from the CW 7Up portfolio with absolutely NO resizing, editing, recoloring, or retouching of any sort from yours truly. Don't believe me..? Go check out the gallery yourself (LINK).

Everyone is blurry, squished, and pixelated! The disproportion of the shot makes Dominique look like more of a plus-sized model than Whitney!

The graininess on these is enough to make any photographer cringe!

This one has GOT to be a screen shot... and not a very good quality one at that!

And why is Anya's hair blue? Can they not figure out how to do a simple white balance correction?

On a side rant... why is "Supermodels" in the third full line capitalized?

Here's a tip... 7Up... CW... whoever... get a better photographer. Or screencapper. Or whatever... because that was just ridiculous.

So... who will be crowned America's Next Top Model? Will it be...

Anya...

Dominique...

Fatima...

Katarzyna...

Lauren...

Whitney...

or.... the queen of model faces... Ms Tyra Banks herself?

So... who will be eliminated tonight?  (As if we all haven't already figured it out or heard it from someone else yet)

This episode starts out by everyone in the house reiterating the fact that Tyra has no idea what she's doing and was completely out of her mind for sending Claire home.  I paraphrased, of course.  And poor little Stacy-Ann is sick of being called in the middle, and Dominique goes "blah blah blah" about something.

Fatima is not a US citizen, and lost her travel documents.  Say what?  Wasn't that a requirement for being ANTM?  I searched through the Cycle 10 Eligibility Document and found this:

9. You must be a United States Citizen and live in the United States.

WTF?  So once again, we find finalists who have broken the eligibility requirements making it not only into the ANTM house, but all the way to the final 7?  A green card is NOT the same as citizenship!  I call foul, Tyra!  What the heck is the point of eligibility rules if there are no consequences for breaking them?

So, later they show her on the phone with her lawyer, who tells her she isn't going to get the documents because she waited until the last minute.  Duh.  Around the same time of this filming I -- a US citizen -- was trying to get a PASSPORT and it took them three months to get it to me (expedited!)... "But I didn't KNOW!!!" she whines.  Her expecting to get them on-demand is just ridiculous and nieve.  And another thing... wouldn't someone with ANTM have MADE SURE that all the girls' travel documents were in order BEFORE letting them qualify for the final 14?

So... as I'm still stewing over that, Paulina comes in.  Blah.  I haven't been impressed with her as a judge this cycle.  So, she tries to teach them how to get the attention of important people and how to be interviewed.
Highlights:
- Anya rocks it (despite her accent!)
- Stacey-Ann, Lauren, and Kat bomb it
- Whitney gets compared to Miss America again
- Dom is finally told to stop her jabbering

And we have another obligatory medical emergency -- Lauren cuts through her finger when chopping potatoes and has to go to the hospital.

TYRA-BOX!
It's an exclusive green-carpet event hosted by 7Up!  And they get outfits for the party from Jay Godfrey.

Highlights from the party/challenge:
- Dom bombs the big one when she says she's wearing "Jay Georgio."  Wow.  Just wow.
- Lauren says she should win b/c she can kick the other girls' (bleep) anytime.  Ummmm.... kay.
- Jaslene was there, too.  Gee whiz, that girl's everywhere.  And April C2 was there.
- Lauren makes some "enlightened" statement about how you shouldn't have to change yourself to look like the girls on TV to win ANTM.  Um... does she realize the irony of that statement as she's standing there all dolled up by professional hairdressers and makeup artists, showcasing her makeover and designer clothes?
- Stacey-Ann claims she has it "in the bag."  Oh, don't speak so soon, princess.
- Anya won the challenge... which is fine by me.  I think she looked awesome.  And she gets another (nude) photo shoot, which I think turned out great.  And she gets $10k for her photo shoot.

TYRA-MAIL!
There's no time to lag, so pack up fast or you'll miss your connection!

And, screaming ensues.

And then they find out their suitcases are props for their photo shoot... running to catch a plane.  They're combining each "best shot" into a composite group shot for panel.

Okay, so here's another conspiracy theory for you.  The ANTM producers were the ones that arranged Fatima's appointment at the consul.  I'll bet you anything they knew darn well that the girls had a photo shoot scheduled for that exact same time on that day.  In fact, I'll bet anything they arranged it that way just to amp up the drama.  Regardless, though, it's still totally unprofessional of her not to have it taken care of.

Highlights of the photoshoot:
- Stacy-Ann was cold and posey
- Lauren was in pain
- Whitney gets compared to Miss America again
- Anya's rocking it out
- Dominique looks posey

JUDGING PANEL
Surprise!  Judging takes place immediately after the photo shoot... and Fatima walks in late. 
On a side note... how on earth would they have time to look through all the photos, edit them, and compile all the girls' best shots in the time between the photo shoot and judging?

Here is the group photo:

And close-ups in order of my favorite to least favorite:

Anya - The way the judges just LOVE this girl is ridiculous.  I mean, yes, she's gorgeous, and she did rock the party and the photo shoot, no doubt about that!... but do any of the other girls even stand a chance?

Lauren - The judges oohed and aaaahed over her photo, and even I have to admit that she pulled it off well

Katarzyna - Nigel kind of took a jab at her, saying that her "conceited" look seemed to come naturally, but I thought it was great that she was able to get into character so well.

Whitney - I thought the judges were overly rude to her... as they often are to the girls.  There are ways of pointing out that she needs to give off the appearance of "realness" without mocking her

Dominique - Call me crazy, but I don't see Joanie's "quirky, crazy" crumping shot in this one.  To me, it looks too posed... and she looks old.

Stacy-Ann - So... too much personality = fake now?  Man, it's hard to keep up with these judges' expectations.

Fatima - no picture...

Call-out order:
1. Anya (her THIRD #1 photo -- a feat accomplished by Shandi, Amanda c2, Kahlen, Joanie, Melrose, and Jaslene)
2. Lauren (still looking as awkward as ever)
3. Dominique
4. Katarzyna (who gets the "we want to see more personality" comment)
5. Whitney
6. Fatima

And Stacy-Ann goes home... which is ridiculous.  Discuss.

What she has going for her:
- She has the best call-out average of all the girls, including three "top two" photos
- She has never been in the bottom two (or bottom three, or bottom four)
- The judges (especially Tyra) seem to like her
- She has -- thus far -- received a fairly positive edit
- She won an important award challenge

Fatal flaws:
- The judges hate her voice
- The judges have said a few times that she is not as impressive in person as she is on film
- She doesn't provide nearly as much reality show drama as many of the other contestants
- She needs to improve her walk

What she has going for her:
- She has improved since the start of the competition, working her way up from 10th and 11th place photos (and going from "drag queen" to "soccer mom" to somewhat model-esque)
- She has self-confidence
- She has a decent walk

Fatal Flaws:
- She has already been in the bottom two
- She has the lowest call-out average of all the remaining girls
- Although she has improved since the beginning, her last photos have been in the bottom three or four
- She has not yet won a non-team challenge
- In addition to "drag" and "soccer mom," she's also been called "horsey," "catalog-y,"  and "not fresh" by the judges.
- She can come off as cocky and egotistical

What she has going for her:
- She has improved throughout the competition, going from mediocre and bottom-two photos to top three call-outs the last two weeks
- She seems to be a favorite of Nigel's

Fatal flaws:
- She has already been in the bottom two
- She has not yet won any type of challenge
- She needs to improve her walk
- She is a perfectionist, who tends to over-analyze her photos and ends up looking too "posey"
- She has already been accused of not taking the competition seriously (when discussing her pit hair), and if she is really the one this next week that misses a photo shoot, that could definitely work against her

What she has going for her:
- She has improved over the course of the competition, going from 8-9th place photos to top-three photos
- She has won two individual reward challenges
- She has never been in the bottom two
- She has a great walk
- The judges really seem to like her most recent makeover, and obviously see some sort of potential since they took the time out to do that
- She has thus far been given a fairly positive (albeit with meager airtime) edit
- Despite her criticism, she seems to be a favorite of Paulina's

Fatal flaws:
- She could be accused of not having enough personality, since she is fairly quiet, especially in panel
- She has been highly criticized by the judges and called everything from a pole dancer to a mail-order bride.

What she has going for her:
- She has a unique look and perspective
- She is Tyra's "project girl" this cycle, so Tyra will likely keep working on her until she gets it or until she gives up hope

Fatal flaws:
- She seems to be slipping in the competition, going from top-four photos to bottom-two.
- She has not yet won a challenge of any kind
- She has already been in the bottom two
- She needs to work on her walk
- Paulina has mentioned that she is "over" Lauren, though she was one of her strongest supporters
- She does not seem to be overcoming her lack of self-confidence

What she has going for her:
- She won the go-see challenge, probably the most important challenge of the competition
- She has a good walk

Fatal flaws:
- She seems to fall into the same poses and facial expressions week after week, and the judges have noticed
- She could also be accused of lacking personality, since she does not seem to stand out in judging
- She has been described as "inoffensive," "cute," "safe," "passe," and "dull" by various judges.
- She has been floating by in the middle of the pack the entire time, without really bringing anything new to the table

What she has going for her:
- She's the plus-sized model this cycle
- Seems to be one of the judges' favorites (especially Nigel)
- Has a great walk
- Is the only plus-sized model to get a first-call-out photo
- Has been in the top two twice
- Has great self-confidence

Fatal flaws:
- She's the plus-sized model this cycle (yes, it's a blessing and a curse)
- Has been in the bottom two (for not taking it seriously, of all things!)
- Has been compared with a beauty pageant contestant on a few occasions

(Click pic for full-size) Katarzyna looks absolutely fantastic in all three of those shots, and Jaslene even looks pretty good. Marvita looks "softer" here than in any of her other shots (including the paint one where she was TRYING to look "soft"), and Amis doesn't look half-bad, either!

What do you think?

Recap:
Basically, we see a bunch of stuff we've already seen... and some new stuff we haven't.  We have to suffer through watching the Fatima vs. Shawhatshername "you're too ghetto" fight... we have to hear about Fatima's circumcision again... and we have to re-live the Claire vs. Dominique alarm drama... and we have to relive the Fatima vs. Lauren coffee drama...

In some new stuff, we see Mr Jay teaches the Top Model preppies how to use different facial expressions... Stacey-Ann performs some sort of rap in her audition... we learn that Kim has no idea how to do anything on her own... we learn that Allison only eats A1 and Jello (ew!)... we learn that Marvita was sick during the lingerie shoot (surprised they didn't mention that in the episode)... we see Amis breaking stuff, dancing, and singing "Little Bunny Foo Foo"... we see way more of Marvita than we ever wanted to... we see them having a wrestling match (which, despite what the preview said, had nothing to do with the alarm clock incident)... there's also a funny clip about Anya taking everyone's pictures and we see that she really does have a crazier side to her... and we see them out at a club making fools of themselves

Random thoughts:
- Having both "preparatory" and "academy" in the name "Top Model Preparatory Academy is ridiculously redundant.
- When Tyra's voice-over is talking about how Dominique's strong personality is in a league of its own, it seems to me she's pretty much admitting that Dom was only cast for the drama factor
- I'm not sure Elle would appreciate being compared to the Brooklyn Bridge... somewhere in there, I think Tyra was going for a compliment.
- Stacey-Ann describes the firefighters as "really cute."  I beg to differ... the one looked old enough to be my grandpa.
- Marvita... Jimi Hendrix you are not.
- Is emo really that obscure that people honestly don't know what it is?  And how is R&B "one of the most recognizable genres of them all?"  Seriously, Tyra?  Remember who your audience is.
- If the bottle of vodka Stacey-Ann took really was complimentary (as in, FREE), why did she feel the need to hide it in her jacket?

Quoteable quotes:
"Every day, I don't care what I'm doing -- if I'm cooking sometimes I'll stop and think, like, 'Okay, if this was an ad, how would I pose?'" -Dominique (obsessive at all?)
"We have bidets!  That makes me really feel at home." -Dominique
"Do you know how to make hot chocolate?" -Kim (ALMOST as good as 'Do you want me to pose?')
"Kim really is benefiting from her stupid, gimmicky stereotype and I think it's awesome and charming." -Amis (huh?)
"Allison is hell-a crazy." -Marvita
"I'll sell my milk for $50 a bottle." -Claire
"I want to be like freakin' Mother Theresa... but in a diva kind of way, okay?" -Dominique (Poor Mother Theresa's probably turning in her grave!)
"Amis is crazy.  I think if you tied her to a tree, she'd argue with it." -Whitney
"That's my secret goal... I want to be, like, a boxer.  Or at least an action hero." -Claire

Regardless... I made it through the entire episode without falling asleep.  Now, for the most fun part... model faces!

And... the fiercest of them all....

Part I: Sixth Photoshoot
1 Fatima
2 Anya
3 Katarzyna
4 Whitney
5 StaceyAnn
6 Dominique
7 Lauren

Patterns from former cycles:
- The bottom girl (Lauren) does not go on to win
- The 2nd and 5th place girls (Anya & Stacey-Ann) most often go on to win
- The winner has always been in the top 5 of this photo shoot (Fatima, Anya, Katarzyna, Whitney, Stacey-Ann) -- except for C9
- 2nd place girl (Anya) most often goes on to the final three (6 out of 9 previous cycles)
- The 3rd and 5th place girls (Katarzyna & Stacey-Ann) usually go on to the final three as well (in 5 of 9 previous cycles)
- The 7th place girl (Lauren) is most often eliminated next
- The girl with the top photo (Fatima) of this shoot is never the next eliminated

Part II: Call-Out Averages
1 Anya (3.3)
2 Whitney (4.5)
3 Lauren (4.7)
4 Katarzyna (5.3)
5 Stacey-Ann (5.5)
6 Fatima (5.7)
7 Dominique (6.7)
Patterns from previous cycles:
- The winner is always in the top 5 at this point (Anya, Whitney, Lauren, Katarzyna, Stacey-Ann)
- The winner is USUALLY in the top 3 at this point (Anya, Whitney, Lauren)
- 2nd and 3rd (Whitney & Lauren) are most often in the final three (6 of 9 previous cycles)
- The next out is usually in the bottom three (Stacey-Ann, Fatima, Dominique)

Part III: Previous Contestant Comparison
(compares C10 contestants with previous contestants with the same call-out averages at this point in their own cycle)

Anya = Elyse, Jenah (avg final placement: 3rd)
Katarzyna = Keenyah, Brittany C4, Kahlen (avg 3rd)
Stacey-Ann = Sara C6, Chantal (avg 3rd)

Fatima = Toccara, Tatiana, Nicole C5, Kim C5, Jade, Dionne, Saleisha (avg 4th)
Dominique = Ann, Bianca (avg 4th)

Whitney = Nicole C3, Joanie, Anchal (avg 5th)

Lauren = Sara C2 (avg 6th)

Part IV: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
(not actual predictions... just playing with numbers)

Most likely to win: Anya (followed by Stacey-Ann)

Most likely to be in top 3: Lauren, Anya, and Whitney (followed by Stacey-Ann)

Most likely to be eliminated next: Lauren (followed by Dominique & Stacey-Ann

Now that we're down to the final 7 and half the girls have already gone home, I'm simplifying my favorites list, because -- let's face it -- Claire was my absolute fave and now has no chance of winning.  And, yes, I'm still sad about it, and still think it was a ridiculous elimination.

So, here's who's left!  Katarzyna edged Whitney out ever so slightly ONLY because I love, love, LOVE her new makeover.  In fact, I'm thinking of getting the same hairdo myself.  Whitney has been kicking butt and taking names with a call-out average that is only beat by Anya's.  And, unlike any previous plussies, she's keeping her personality and self-esteem while doing it.

After those top two, I'm really somewhat lukewarm about the next three -- Anya, Stacey-Ann, and Lauren.  Anya seems to be able to do no wrong in the judges' eyes, and instead of that endearing her to me, it's actually annoying me.  Or I'm just still bitter about the "punk" photo shoot that was so obviously not punk.  Either way, I wouldn't be surprised if she won, but I wouldn't be jumping up and down about it, either.  I was impressed that Stacey-Ann won the go-see challenge, and that won her a few points in my book, but I'm still not quite sold on her yet.  Lauren has been spiraling downwards both as a model and as a sane human being ever since the meat photo shoot, and I'm finding her awkwardness less and less attractive.

And, finally, we have my personal bottom two... Fatima and Dominique.  Fatima stunned me with her photo this past week -- I thought it was gorgeous -- and made me finally see that somewhere beneath her bitter, precocious exterior there may actually be a model.  Dominique, on the other hand... I'll just put it nicely and say that I have absolutely no idea what the judges see in that girl.

So, what about you?  Who's your top pick?  Who are your bottom two?  How have your favorites changed now that we've reached the halfway point?

The show today opens back in the gas-guzzling Tyra-mobile, with Whitney talking about how excited she is that she got called first. And Dom thinks that Whitney is intimidated by her. Right, Dom... right... they're all SCARED of you... so scared, they have nightmares about you.

Claire talks about how nervous she was in the bottom two, Lauren talks about how she thought Claire's springy response to her photo being called was disrespectful, Stacey-Ann thinks Claire is too over-the-top, and Claire makes some comment about her baby. The editing's not looking good for the enthusiastic house-mama.

CATFIGHT! Fatima vs. Lauren
It's the obligatory once-a-cycle fight about dishes. Or, in this case, coffee... which Fatima made and Lauren may or may not have poured out. And Lauren screams at her... and Fatima sits back and smirks (typical Fati-ma-nipulation). If your coffee was really that important, Fat, you'd have brought your own coffee press and hid it in your room, like Tocarra hid her snacks.
TYRA MAIL!
If you don't make it here, you won't make it anywhere. Love, Tyra.
Gee, wonder how they came up with the title for the episode?

And Dom makes a huge deal in the confessional of thinking that it might be Broadway... after Anya just says that's what it probably is. Novel idea, Dom... come up with that one on your own? Oh, and her mama says that Dom was a "daughter of the throne" (oops... sorry... wrong cycle...)... I mean, a "natural born actress."  Kinda like how you were acting like you were the one that figured out you were going to Broadway?

Karen Lee & Kristy Hinze from Elite talk about go-sees. Yay, go-sees! (Maybe it's just my screen, but there's something a little "off" about the hair/skin color of this Kristy Hinze.)

So, they're split into two teams and given SPRINT (gotta get the product placement in there!) navigational phones. I'm still amazed it's taken them 10 cycles to give the girls GPSs for go-sees... but then again... do models know how to use a GPS?Here are the teams & the highlights of their go-sees:

Team 1 - Claire, Dominique, Stacy-Ann, Whitney - "THE WALKERS"
- Claire talks again about her motherly instincts not once but twice (darn, you, editors!)
- Stacy-Ann decides she needs a GPS
- Dominique pats herself on the back and high-fives everyone in front of the designer (trashy!)
- Whitney is discriminated against because she's not a size 2... but the next designer does book all types of models, so she pulls herself together

Team 2 - Lauren, Anya, Katarzyna, Fatima - "THE LOOKERS"
- Anya grabs the GPS and gets totally confused and lost
- Fatima talks about how much she hates Lauren (as we saw with Amis, Marvita, and Allison... this is not a good sign)
- Fatima is a size 0 and is too small for the designer's runway
- Anya lacks confidence
- Lauren has a "horse-walk" that one of the designers thought was hilarious

And, Team1 wins, and Stacy-Ann booked the most jobs. Huh? Seriously? Alright, maybe I underestimated Stacy-Ann. Their prize is a shoot for Seventeen magazine. And Dom nearly gives herself a heart attack because she's so excited. Almost.
TYRA MAIL!
Put your best face forward but be careful not to get washed out.
Yet another Tyra mail that could mean about one million different things.... big surprise.

Mr. Jay puts on a short Fuerza Bruta skit for them. And they see that they'll be jumping around on a clear mylar sheet with water and being photographed from below by Mike Rosenthal (C9 smoking, C8 dead bodies, C7 circus photo shoots).

Highlights of the shoot:
- Claire is first, "glides" (or, as it seemed to me... "belly-flopped") in and hurts her head.
- Katarzyna gets her hair cut, and cries -- totally would not have expected that!
- Anya, Dominique, Fatima, Katarzyna, and Whitney do very well
- Claire, Lauren, and Stacey-Ann bombed it
TYRA MAIL!
Tomorrow you will meet with the judges... blah blah blah

Whitney talks about how failure is not an option. Lauren is worried about this panel. And then Dom blabs on about something... I dunno... I tuned her out.

Judging highlights:
- Did they not even let Claire explain what happened? She wasn't told NOT to glide in... Jay told her "You don't have to." HUGE difference!
- Is Tyra still mispronouncing Katarzyna's name? Seriously?
- I hate when they ask the models to explain something ("what were you thinking?") and then interrupt them halfway through.

Photos (in order of my favorite to my least favorite):

Whitney - I really loved this one. I liked her profile, the details of her fingers, and most of all, the legs curled up with the ribbon around it.  Yes, it does look fetal (as the judges pointed out), but that gives it an air of vulnerability and innocence.

Fatima - Finally... a Fatima picture that I like! And this one I really love... the little details like her hair streaming back and her fingers pointed upwards she that she was really considering how she looked and not just flailing like some of the other girls.

Katarzyna - I wasn't sure at first, basically because of that front arm, but looking at it more, I've come to like it. Her profile is so striking, and the pose makes her look strong and determined.

Claire - Injured or not, this was a pretty shot. The photographer used the rule of thirds fantastically and that asymmetry really works. Her profile isn't as strong as I thought it would be, but she still looks very ethereal.

Anya - For some reason this seems a bit harsh to me, and a bit more like a watercolor version of Anya than Anya herself. Her chin looks ridiculously pointy, especially in congrast with her hair, and the fact that her fingers aren't spaced out evenly bugs me a bit.  I have no clue why the judges raved about this photo so much.

Dominique - Seriously? Is this girl making out with the mylar? Because that's what it looks like to me. 'Nuff said.

Stacy-Ann - Um... boring? This is not only the most typical pose one could do in this situation, but the face seems really "off" too. Meh.

Lauren - She actually looks like she's drowning. She's a mess.

Call-out order:
1. Fatima
2. Anya
3. Katarzyna
4. Whitney
5. Stacy-Ann
6. Dominique
7. Lauren

I was really sad to see Claire go, and I definitely don't think that she deserved to leave. Even with today's 8th place photo factored in, she still had a statistically higher call-out average than Katarzyna, Stacy-Ann, Fatima, or Dominique. I just hope that she'll be the AJ of this cycle and go on to prove everyone wrong. And her inability to be diverse? Frankly, I'll blame the haircut.

So... from last week:
- Dominique was indeed the girl most likely to make me throw something at the TV... her attitude and antics are getting rather old.
- Aimee did indeed cry during last week's episode, as I predicted... poor girl. Personally, I would have been mad... but that's just me.
- No one got criticized for their looks in judging... oh well.
- And, my elimination prediction was -- unfortunately -- dead on. It seems so ridiculous to me, especially since she had overall a much stronger portfolio than Dominique or Fatima... but, as we all know, they have to keep pot-stirrers around for dramatic effect, even if they are worse models.

Episode 7: If You Can't Make it Here, You Can't Make it Anywhere
So, this episode contains go-sees (hoorah!) and a Fuerza Bruta photo shoot in which Claire ends up injuring herself. Uh-oh.

Random predictions:
- Girl most likely to make me want to throw something at the TV: Dominique
- Girls most likely to be involved in the drama in the house: Dominique, Lauren, Fatima, Whitney
- Girl most likely to win the go-see challenge: Katarzyna (I'd love to see her win this one)

Elimination predictions:
As I said last week, these predictions are getting tougher and tougher, as we have reached the point where eliminations don't necessarily have to make sense (i.e. Aimee being eliminated over Fatima or Dominique). No one is safe anymore, and the slightest, most random thing can get you in the bottom two faster than you can say "Tyra, please don't shave my head."

Anya - VERY UNLIKELY
Anya is the obvious judge favorite. And they've been doing a fairly good job of keeping her from talking too much, since their only complaint about her seems to be her voice. When her atrocious "punk" photo was so highly praised last week, I knew there was no way that Tyra & Co. are letting this diamond in the rough slip through their fingers. As long as she keeps doing what she's doing, she's guaranteed a top-three spot. At this point, I can't think of any possible reason why they would eliminate her.

Dominique - UNLIKELY
Unfortunately, I think Dom is sticking around, at least for awhile longer. She keeps "improving" -- at least by the judges' standards, and they seem to like her -- for whatever reason... I can't figure it out. The only thing that she may have working against her is her harshness, which would not work well with commercial modeling.
"Dominique... We've seen you produce some beautiful photos, but if the designers look at you in person and don't see you as someone that they would want to have wearing their clothes, you're not going to be able to make it in this industry. The judges don't think that you know how to be soft, delicate, and feminine... and that's what the designers are looking for."

Katarzyna - SOMEWHAT UNLIKELY
A new makeover is a good sign for her. It means that Tyra sees potential and is willing to invest in her. However, if she doesn't do well on her photo shoot, it can also be used as a reason to get rid of her.
"Katarzyna... we've given you all the tools to be a good model. We even gave you a second makeover, hoping that would give you the edginess that you needed. Unfortunately, it turns out that isn't the case, and you were unable to pull off a quality photo."

Stacey-Ann - POSSIBLY
She's been laying low up until this point, which could work in her benefit. However, her bottom-three call-out last week seemed unnecessarily harsh for a photo which wasn't really that bad. Eventually, the judges are going to get sick of her same-old-same-old poses and expressions.
"Stacey-Ann... you came in here with so much energy, and as such a fun, bubbly person. When we look at your photos, we don't see that 'zing' -- that personality. Your photos are boring, and it's the same thing every single week."

Fatima - POSSIBLY
Though the judges liked her photo last week, in general she has not been doing well. Among the fans, certainly, expectations were high within the first few weeks, and I know that her photos have disappointed me week to week. Sooner or later the judges are going to tire of her "potential" and demand that she actually follow through on it.
"Fatima... when we started this journey, the judges were really pulling for you. We thought that you had a beautiful, Iman-like look, with strong features and a very modelesque frame. We have been disappointed, though... because although you have what it takes, you have no idea how to use it. So we begin to think maybe she's just a pretty girl? Or maybe she just needs a bit more time to figure out who she is?"

Whitney - SOMEWHAT LIKELY
Her top photo last week might save her, but as we inch closer to the international destination, the question on everyone's minds is whether Tyra is really going to let a plus-sized model make it overseas. And we all know that go-sees and plus-sized models don't mix well; many designers don't have higher sizes on hand. If she can make it through this week, I predict a top-three finish, but the go-sees will tell for sure one way or another whether or not she'll make it.
"Whitney... you've taken some beautiful pictures in your time here, and the judges have all been impressed by your presence and your personality. In order to make it in this industry, though, you have to convince the designers that you are exactly what they need... a pretty picture and a smile just isn't enough."

Lauren - SOMEWHAT LIKELY
She's been getting by on what the judges deem to be excellent photos, despite the fact that her walk is horrendous and she doesn't look or act like a model in person. But, since this episode is all about go-sees, things may turn around rather quickly for her here. While some designers may like her edginess, her lack of confidence in her abilities is sure to come through. The big question will be whether her photo will save her from elimination again this week.
"Lauren... through your weeks here you've gone through a great physical transformation. The judges are disappointed that this physical transformation hasn't come through when we see you in person. And the designers at your go-sees seemed to think the same. Not every pretty, tall girl that takes good photos is cut out for the pressures of this industry."

Claire - QUITE LIKELY
As much as I HATE to say this (since Claire is my fave)... the editing is NOT in her favor. Just as the week before Aimee's demise, we saw a different side of her; so last week we saw a different side of Claire which portrayed her in a less-than-flattering light. Combine that with this week's injury, which could easily be blamed on her not following directions or not considering her safety first, and the odds are stacked against her, regardless of how fantastic her walk is, how amazing her photos are, and how bright her personality is.
"Claire... in order to succeed in any industry, you need to look out for your own health and well-being, and you need to listen to what is being said to you by the people that are in charge of the shoot. The judges don't think that you know how to listen and follow directions."

What do you think?  What are your predictions?

Patterns from previous cycles:
- The bottom girl not eliminated (Claire) has never gone on to win, but often makes it to the final five: Elyse C1, Camille C2, Ann C3, Nik C5, Jade C6.
- One of the girls in the top four of this shoot (Whitney, Katarzyna, Fatima, Lauren) always goes on to win
- The fourth place girl in this shoot (Lauren) has most often gone on to win: Yoanna C2, Nicole C5, Danielle C6, CariDee C7, Jaslene C8
- The first-place girl in this shoot (Whitney) has gone on to the final three in 5 of 9 previous cycles
- The fourth and sixth-place girls in this shoot (Lauren & Dominique) have gone on to the final three in 6 of 9 previous cycles.
- The fifth place girl in this shoot (Anya) has most often been eliminated next, in 5 of the 9 previous cycles.

PART II: CUMULATIVE SCORE
After the fifth elimination, here are the average call-outs:
1. Anya (3.6)
2. Claire & Lauren (4.2)
4. Whitney (4.6)
5. Stacey-Ann (5.6)
6. Katarzyna (5.8)
7. Fatima (6.6)*
8. Dominique (6.8)*
*no winner has had lower than a 6.2 average at this point in her cycle

Patterns found in previous cycles:
- The winner is always in the top 5 at this point (Anya, Claire, Lauren, Whitney, Stacey-Ann)
- The second-place girl at this point (Claire/Lauren?) most often has gone on to win, in 3 of 9 previous cycles
- The first and second-place girls at this point (Anya, Claire/Lauren?) have gone on to the final three in 5 of 9 previous cycles
- The sixth-place girl at this point (Katarzyna) is most often eliminated next, in 4 of 9 previous cycles
- The second and fifth place girls at this point (Claire/Lauren, Stacey-Ann) have never been the next eliminated.

Other notes:
- Anya and Lauren have made it through the first five eliminations without a bottom-four appearance. This feat was previously accomplished by Mercedes & Sara C2, Eva Nicole & Toccara C3, Christina & Tatiana C4, Nik Lisa & Jayla C5, Danielle C6, Michelle C7, Brittany C8, and Jenah C9.
- Fatima is the only remaining girl who has not yet had a top-two photo. Other girls to make it this far in their cycle without one: Robin C1, Toccara & Norelle C3, Michelle C4, Bre & Kim C5, Leslie C6, Amanda C7, Sarah & Whitney C8, Chantal & Ambreal C9.

PART III: PREVIOUS CONTESTANTS
Cycle 10 girls compared with girls of other cycles at this point in their respective cycles.

Anya = Adrianne C1**, April C2, Jayla C5 (avg 3rd place)
Claire = Yoanna C2**, Amanda C3*, Nicole C3 (avg 3.3rd palce)
Lauren = same as Claire's
Katarzyna = Cassie C3x, Keenya C4*, Nicole C5**, Brooke C6, Amanda C7 (avg 4.8th place)
Stacey-Ann = Catie C2x, Toccara C3, Naima C4**, Kahlen C4*, Tatiana C4 (4.8th place)
Fatima = Michelle C4, Kim C5, Natasha C8* (avg 4.3th place)
Whitney = Sarah C2, Christina C4 (5.5th place)
Dominique = Norelle C3, Sara C8x (6.5th place)
x - next to go
* - top 3
** - winner

PART 4: PUTTING IT TOGETHER
By the numbers... not actual predictions!

Most likely to be eliminated next:
Katarzyna (followed by Dominique)

Most likely to make it to the top 3:
Lauren, Claire & Anya (followed by Stacey-Ann & Whitney)

Most likely to win:
Lauren (followed by Anya)

As you can see, Claire is still my top pick.  I had to do some thinking about that placement, since I'm not sure anymore about the probablility of her actually winning it.  Certainly past winners have gotten into catfights at times, but the level of Claire-hate among the online forums is at an all-time high, and you would think that the editors wouldn't have portrayed her like that if they wanted everyone to agree upon her as the eventual winner.  Of course, then again, it's been shown time and time again that what the fans think doesn't really matter much anyways... so, maybe she's till got a good chance.  Regardless, I think that she was justified in pretty much everything she said/did last episode... really, Dom had it a long time coming and they've been plenty patient with her up until this point.  And as far as her last photo goes, I didn't think it was that bad at all, and if they didn't want it to look hokey and contrived, they shouldn't have given her such a ridiculous costume.  But, enough about her for now.

Katarzyna has been impressing me more and more lately, and I guess you could kind of consider her as tied for first with Claire.  She's also one, though, that I don't necessarily think is going to win (due to Tyra's tendancy to eliminate the strongest competitors too soon).  I also like that the eliminated girls always have nice things to say about her, and I think she's going to totally rock her new haircut.

Whitney and Lauren keep flip-flopping for me...  and honestly, I really disliked both of their photos this week.  I think both have a fairly good chance of making final three, at least, and I'm really interested to see Lauren blow up at Fatima next week.

Anya and Stacey-Ann both impressed me this week, but in different ways.  I thought Anya did great at the challenge -- I wasn't surprised that she won -- and though I wasn't impressed with her photo this week, we did get to see more of her personality/attitude, and I really appreciated her laid-back calmness in the midst of all the drama.  I really liked Stacey-Ann's picture and thought it was really underrated.  I was glad to see her trying out different poses, and thought she should have at least been given props for that, even if they did seem a bit "posey" still.

Fatima moved up a bit, but only because Dominique moved way down my list of favorites.  Fatima can be an obnoxious instigator of drama, but Dominique's self-centered, "it's-all-about-me," and plain delusional personality is such a huge negative that it's hard to appreciate her photos, even when she does pull off a decent one.  And did I mention she's completely delusional???

So, we start out in the Tyra-limo... talking about how amazing Aimee's skin is. And she gets the very-first-going-home-next-confessional (as if we didn't know already).

And... Claire talks on the phone with her husband and talks about how much she misses her husband and baby... which is never a good sign. And they show her pumping milk... (gee... thanks.) And we see some product placement for Sprint. And Claire talks more about daughter (though you can tell it was from a previous week... I hate when they do that.

CATFIGHT!! Claire (and Anya & Lauren & Whitney) vs. Dominique
Dominique's alarm keeps going off... she's confused, because seriously... setting an alarm clock is harder than quantum physics. Claire gets upset because Dom isn't doing anything about it and actually ends up calling her a bitch. (Wow... didn't see that one coming from our oh-so-sweet,-mature,-and-motherly-type Claire). Anya gets involved because Dominique is delusional and thinks that Claire is making the whole thing up. Or something. Anya is hilariously calm about the whole thing... scoring major points with me.

Dominique starts up again (by the way, what is that THING on Dom's head?)... and makes some reference to "do you call your husband a bitch when you're in an argument." Wait... what? First of all, men aren't generally called "bitches." And secondly, Claire has a loving, committed relationship (we would assume) with her husband. She does NOT have the same with Dom. So... how can you compare the two? And Claire makes the comment, "At least I have a husband... iokay, you wanna get dirty and low?" Touche, Claire, touche. If Claire's home life is fair game for critique, why not Dom's? It's kind of the plank/speck thing... don't try to take out the speck in your neighbor's eye until you've taken the plank out of your own. Lauren points out they're having a communication problem and Dom jumps on her. Lauren completely blows up, which is hilarious.  And somewhere in there, Whitney calls Dom trash.  And then Dom says that they're ganging up on her because she's so strong. And I have a really good laugh at that joke before realizing she was serious. And she cries to her mommy. And I'm just WAITING for her mom to make some comment about how she's a "daughter of the throne."
TYRA MAIL!
"You ladies are sick! But I'll help you get better... love, Tyra"
Um... anyone else get totally creeped out by this Tyra-mail?

Tyra is driving the cab. Screaming ensues.
Then they get dressed up in these ridiculous-looking red outfits (though they are better than the ones they had last cycle). And Tyra tries to teach them to "work their fierceness."
And Tyra trips and sprains her ankle... or not. She says she did it to show them how to "pose with pain... Pain, but beauty." Anyone else think it was horribly tacky that she had them "act out" menstrual pains. Sorry, but I know women with endometriosis, and I can tell you one thing... there's nothing "beautiful" about those cramps.
So, they do a pose-off. They all look ridiculous... obviously following Tyra's example.

TYRA MAIL!
"I've been aching to tell you tonight's lesson was actually a challenge. Guess who posed the fiercest? Congratulations, ANYA! You just won a one-on-one photo shoot with NIGEL BARKER!"
I'll bet it's a lie. I'll bet that whatever they had actually planned for the challenge fell through at the last minute. Heh.

So Anya's prize was getting to pose nude... because nude is "timeless." Um... I guess you could say that.

And Aimee was glad she didn't win because she didn't think she was ready for that. Well, then I guess it's a good thing she wasn't in cycle 6, where they had the nude photo shoot to get into the finals! (And why are these girls still always so surprised about nude photo shoots?)

More drama in the house! Dominique was sick and couldn't fall asleep, and Whitney, Claire, and Lauren are all talking about Dominique while she's sitting there, trying to sleep. And Dom called them monkeys. Clever analogy, actually, but I still say Dom had it coming.
TYRA MAIL!
Being a top model is a pretty good gig, if you can get it. Love, Tyra

So, for their photo shoot, they have to embody different genres of music... with Russel James as the photographer (ugh.. not a fan of his... but that's another story for another day).

Highlights of the photoshoot:
- Claire and Anya get the most ridiculous costumes ever that look absolutely NOTHING like the genre they are trying to portray. What on earth WERE the wardrobe people thinking!?!?!?
- Aimee bombs her shoot... Claire doesn't do very well either... and the photographer said he became very frustrated with Stacey-Ann

TYRA MAIL!
Tomorrow you will meet with the judges... blah blah blah

Aimee and Claire express concerns about their photo shoot... gee... wonder who's going to be in the bottom two? Lauren expresses her anxiety as well, but that's pretty much the norm for her.

So... a few notes about judging....
- I get TOTALLY creeped out by the whole Nigel/Tyra thing when she goes off about how hot/sexy he is... maybe someone should tell her that he's married.
- I do NOT think that those were actually the best photos for Claire, Aimee, and Stacey-Ann. The judges had critiques for each of them that they had done in other shots! Miss Jay said that Claire's photo would have been great with a bright smile... and towards the end of the shoot there WAS one where she had a bright smile... why did they not pick that one???

Regardless, here are the photos... from my favorite to my least favorite:

Kat – The facial expression, the stance, the pose, the whole thing really personified emo in my mind. I could totally see her on an album cover like that. And the best part is, it still looks “pretty.”

Stacey-Ann – Up until this point, I’ve thought her photos were overrated. This one, though, I think is really quite great (except of course, for the fact that she’s used that same facial expression in half of her photos). She went outside the box and used a completely different pose that really makes her body look like it’s moving to the music.

Claire – After her rough, tough shots the last two weeks (due, in part, I’m sure, to her new makeover) it was shocking to see her all cutesy. I would have loved to see her long legs, but on the other hand, I do think that this pose works for her genre. I’m not sure what the wardrobe people were thinking with that pink skirt (especially coordinated with that red bandana), but I think it turned out really pretty.

Dominique – I’m not a fan of hers at all, but even I have to admit this is a decent picture that personifies folk quite well. The weird shoulder-stance does give the illusion of movement, and I just wish that her face didn’t look so… exactly the same as every other picture she’s taken on this show.

Aimee – Sure, it’s a bit boring, and her eyes don’t quite seem to be focused on anything, but it’s not a horrible photo I guess. I’m really quite indifferent to it.

Lauren – Talk about putting a girl outside her element! It’s pretty obvious that Lauren has no idea what pop stars are supposed to do. She doesn’t look like a pop star and she barely looks like a model. Plus, I find her pose boring and slightly awkward (in the bad way, not the good way.)

Whitney – So here’s a girl that ends up with the absolute best and she seems to me to really miss the mark. Perhaps I’m harder on her because she’s portraying my favorite genre. but D’arcy Wretzky she is NOT. Where’s the love for the music? Where’s the power chords? Where’s the angst? I was horribly disappointed.

Fatima – This pose made me laugh out loud. She looks completely ridiculous. I don’t think I need to point out the irony of the high heels or the pink thing tied around her thigh. And the rest of her just goes so overboard on all the heavy-metal clichés (KISS tongue, the hand signal, guitar flung around her shoulder, etc.) that it just ends up looking like a bad parody.

Anya – My first thought when I saw this picture was “I didn’t know mimes played music.” Because, yes… that’s exactly what I thought she was portraying. Besides the wardrobe crew getting the punk style completely wrong (and believe me, I would know), what kind of pose is that? Her front arm looks twisted out of its socket and unnaturally long, whereas her back arm is completely hidden. The legs are somewhat model-esque, but nothing like a punk star. Has this girl never been to a punk concert? Anya, girl, go buy yourself a Clash CD and some tickets to see Sonic Youth. You’ll thank me.

So, here's their call-out order:
1. Whitney (I love her, but this pic was overrated)
2. Katarzyna (woo!)
3. Fatima (TOTALLY overrated)
4. Lauren
5. Anya
6. Dominique
7. Stacey-Ann (who totally deserved a higher placement)

Aimee & Claire were bottom two... and Aimee started crying right away. R&B was one of the easiest? Huh? And they called Claire's stoic and blase. But, Claire's photo was called and I've never seen any girl jump up to grab her photo so quickly. Does Tyra have something against Claire? First the hideous pink skirt... then the bottom two... and even after calling her name, Tyra seemed unnecessarily skeptical about Claire's insistence that she can do something light and happy. What was once a "winner's edit" has within the course of a single episode turned into a "is she going to make it another week" edit. Not good!

Last week’s “Girl Most Likely to Make Me Throw Something at the TV” actually was NOT Fatima as I had predicted. It was Dominique, with her antagonizing and diva attitude. In fact, with Dominique doing so well at the photo shoots and Fatima not doing so hot, I think that Dom may actually end up in that top-four spot normally reserved for antagonists such as Bianca C9, Renee C8, Melrose C7, Jade C6, etc. – which I had previously assumed would be reserved for Fatima this cycle.

The challenge winner last week was Claire, which was a pleasant surprise. Anya and Katarzyna did very well, too.

There was no crying in the last episode! Huh? I don’t remember anyone crying! Not even Fatima!

No one got criticized (at least on air) about their outfits in judging panel by the judges. I, however, highly criticized a few of them, including Dominique’s receptionist outfit.

And, obviously, Marvita was the girl that “began to feel the pressure of it all,” which, according to post-show interviews wasn’t because she felt defeated – she was just having a bad day. As we all know, however, Tyra NEVER has a bad day, so Marvita obviously wasn’t cut out for America’s Next Tyra Banks.
EPISODE 6
This episode is entitled “The House of Pain,” obviously as a joke on Tyra teaching them to pose in the dance studio. In the preview, Tyra plays on this by telling each girl to pose as if a part of her body were in pain. Uh-huh. Also, we’re told that one girl (who the previews have already revealed) “gets to” work with Nigel in a nude photo shoot for the challenge prize. And, as usual, there is drama in the house. This time, centering around a girl who doesn’t know how to turn her alarm clock off in the early morning hours.

Random Predictions:
- Girl most likely to make me throw something at the TV: Dominique
- Girl most likely to cry this episode: Aimee (followed closely by Fatima)
- Girl most likely to annoy a judge or photographer: Fatima
- Girl most likely to get criticized for her look in judging panel: Katarzyna (as usual, too sexy!)

Elimination Predictions:
Predictions at this point are going to get tougher and tougher, basically because it is at this point that the “fillers” have mostly all been sent home and the judges’ reasons for eliminations get more and more “out there.” For instance, this was the week in cycle 7 where AJ, who had been leading ALL the other girls in call-outs, got sent home for not being invested enough in the competition (although obviously she was still invested enough to continue getting top-five photos up until that point!) It’s also at this point in the competition that Xiomara C2 is eliminated, despite the fact that she had gotten the 2nd place photo the week before. In C6, MollieSue was eliminated at this point, which was a frustration to many fans, especially now seeing her gorgeous post-show work. The main point: No one is “safe” anymore. A bad photo, a discontented look, a misspoken phrase, and they could be the next one to go. But, regardless, here are my predictions:

Anya – UNLIKELY
As one of the girls tied for the top position, her elimination at this point would be exactly akin to AJ’s, and I doubt the judges would make that error again. And after seeing Tyra raving about her poses in the preview, there’s no way she’d go home. Even if she produced a roll of film worse than Lluvy’s Pisces photo, she’d end up in the bottom two, but get saved for her prior consistency and “potential.”

Claire – UNLIKELY
Claire and Anya are tied for the top position right now, with Anya having more first call-outs, but Claire having more consistent phots – none below fifth place in the call-outs. An elimination at this point is unlikely, since it seems for the most part that the judges still like her and feel she has a lot of potential and drive.

Lauren – UNLIKLEY
If she were to perform poorly, I could see them throwing her in the bottom two to test her drive and desire to be there, but I don’t think Tyra & the gang are quite done with her transformation yet. Plus, this photoshoot (according to the preview on cwtv) seems to be some sort of music/rock theme, which seems right up her alley.

Dominique – SOMEWHAT UNLIKELY
Of all the girls, Dominique has made the most improvement in the judges’ eyes, going from the bottom in the first two eliminations to the top in the past two (much like Brittany C4, Jade C6, and Jael C8, who all made it overseas). Tyra & the gang like seeing improvement, and Dominique keeps impressing them despite herself… I see an “antagonist top-four” spot for her.

Stacey-Ann – POSSIBLY
She is improving from week to week, going from the end of the pack, to the middle, to – just last week – the top. The judges seem impressed with her improvement, which is a good thing, but once you’ve hit the top, it’s hard to keep improving and not just plateau. Norelle C3, Furonda C6, Natasha C7, and Bianca C9 all had a similar progression in the first episodes and all made it quite far, so I think we’ll see Stacey-Ann around for awhile yet.

Whitney – POSSIBLY
Her elimination or lack thereof is probably going to be based solely on whether or not Tyra wants to let a plus-sized model make it overseas. In the first few episodes, I thought she had a chance of being treated on an equal plain as the other girls, but the ridiculous accusation last week that she wasn’t really invested in the competition just reiterated to me the fact that Tyra really does EXPECT the plus-sized models to lose their drive and self-confidence, and drop off around the halfway point.

Katarzyna – SOMEWHAT LIKELY
The negative critiques keep piling up, and she was back in the bottom four last week, even after the previous week’s top-three photo. I thought her photo was good, and the only real comments on it were about her eyes, which the judges said they loved… so why was she in the bottom four? It seems that the judges are either out to get her, or that they’re breaking her down for a miraculous and fantastic comeback (in the style of Saleisha, who did poorly throughout the first part of her cycle as well).

Fatima – QUITE LIKELY
She’s gone from middle-of-the-road callouts to bottom-three call-outs, making her the statistically weakest model. With Dominique providing all the drama a reality TV producer could ask for, their need to keep Fatima around is becoming less and less. Plus, we haven’t heard about her circumcision or her rough life growing up in Somolia in quite awhile, which means they’re now downplaying her sob story… possibly so we don’t feel so bad for her when she’s eliminated?

Aimee – QUITE LIKELY
Aimee has gone from having top five photos in the first two episodes to bottom five photos in the last two – not a good sign at all. She also was given a ridiculous negative critique last week about being too versatile, which seems to me that Tyra & the gang are for whatever reason just trying to think of bogus reasons to eliminate her. Add that onto the fact that Tyra said she was only giving her a B+ on her posing, and that she wants A+s… it doesn’t look too good for our sweet little ex-Mormon.

The Top Models Impress Tyra with Poses
Well, some of them do, anyways. Anya, Whitney, and Dominique definitely do... Stacey-Ann, Fatima and Kat do... but Aimee certainly doesn't, and Tyra tells Claire that she needs to remember her face.

Dominique Gets a Top Model Earful
So the catfight this week seems to revolve around Dominique (big surprise) vs. Lauren, Whitney and Claire. Let's see... my absolute least favorite girl vs. my three favorites... wonder who I'm going to be rooting for?

Anya Gets Nude with a Top Model Judge
So... it looks like Anya wins the challenge, and gets a special one-on-one nude photo shoot with Nigel as the photographer. Ummm AWKWARD!

PART 1: FOURTH PHOTO SHOOT
Call-out order for episode 5:
1. Stacey-Ann
2. Dominique
3. Claire
4. Anya
5. Lauren
6. Aimee
7. Katarzyna
8. Fatima
9. Whitney

Patterns found in previous cycles:
- The bottom-two girl not eliminated in the fourth shoot (Whitney) has never gone on to win
- Girls in 3-5th place in the fourth shoot (Claire, Anya, Lauren) most often go on to win (2/9 cycles each)
- Girls in 2nd and 5th place in the fourth shoot (Dominique, Anya) most often go on to the final three
- In 1/3 of the previous cycles, the bottom-two girl not eliminated in the fourth shoot (Whitney) goes on to be eliminated next.

PART 2: CUMULATIVE SCORE
After the fourth elimination, here are the average call-outs:
1 Anya/Claire (3.25)
3 Lauren (4.25)
4 Stacey-Ann (5.25)
5 Whitney (5.5)
6 Aimee (5.75)
7 Katarzyna (6.75)
8 Dominique (7.0)
9 Fatima (7.5)

Patterns found in previous cycles:
- The bottom girl at this point (Fatima) has never gone on to win
- The winner is always in the top seven at this point (Anya, Claire, Lauren, Stacey-Ann, Whitney, Aimee, Katarzyna)
- The 4th place girl at this point (Stacey-Ann) most often goes on to win (4/9 cycles)
- The 3rd place girl at this point (Lauren) has NEVER gone on to win
- The 1st place girl at this point (Anya/Claire) generally makes it to the final three (2/3 cycles), but doesn’t win (only 1/9 cycles)
- The last-place girl at this point (Fatima) is normally next eliminated (5/9 cycles)

Other notes:
- Claire has had a top five photo for the first four photo shoots, a feat previous accomplished by Adrianne C1, Mercedes C2, Lisa C5, AJ & Michelle C7, Brittancy C8, Jenah & Lisa C9
- Fatima has not had a single top five photo in the first four photo shoots. The only other girls that have made it this far without one are Ambreal & Saleisha C9

PART 3: Previous Contestants
The girls of C10 compared with girls of other cycles at the same point in their respective cycle.

Lauren = Adrianne C1**, Yoanna C2**, Camille C2, Anchal C7 (3.5th place avg)
Anya = Rebecca C4, Nik C5*, Danielle C6**, Heather C9 (4th place avg)
Claire = same as Anya
Fatima = Ann C3, Kim C5, Eugena C7*, Whitney C8, Saleisha C9** (4th place avg)
Stacey-Ann = Eva C3**, Keenyah C4*, Tatiana C4, Nnenna C6 (4.25th place avg)
Aimee = Leslie C6, Melrose C7* (5th place avg)
Katarzyna = Kahlen C4*, Bre C5*, Coryn C5x, MollieSue C6x, Amanda C7 (5.4th pace avg)
Dominique = Xiomara C1x, Norelle C3, Brittany C4, Michelle C4, Jael C8 (5.8th place avg)
Whitney = Robin C1, Sara C2, Catie C2, Toccara C3, Cassie C3, Brooke C6 (6.5th place avg)

PART 4: Putting it all together
Just playing with numbers… not actual predictions!

Most likely to be eliminated next: Fatima (followed by Whitney)

Most likely to make it to the final three: Anya, Lauren, Claire (followed by Aimee & Dominique)

Most likely to win: Stacey-Ann (followed by Claire & Lauren)