In this episode of America’s Next Top Model, titled “Beauty is Movement,” the women get in touch with their bodies with the help of a movement coach, Jeana and Rio distance themselves from the other girls, and a windstorm causes an injury on the set of a photo shoot.
Kyla’s flying high after receiving the best photo, and all of the girls are happy for her except one — Rio. Rio thinks it’s about damn time Kyla took a picture because, out of all the girls, her overall portfolio is the weakest. This is coming from the chick who is slipping in the judges’ eyes. Kyla feels the pressure to keep proving herself to the judges since their expectations regarding her pictures are rising.
E”motion”al
The women get Tyra mail, and the host lets them know it’s time for them to “make some moves.” There’s little doubt this means the challenge is going to involve dancing. There’s the inevitable competitor who feels she has a leg up, and this time it’s Shanice, who was on her high school dance team. Jeana also grew up dancing and feels she’s got an advantage.
There are definite cliques in the house — small ones since there are only seven girls left. Jeana and Rio are super tight. Jeana’s been bullied her whole life, and this has affected her ability to trust people, so she chooses to hang with the biggest bully in the house. How very dysfunctional.
Ashley meets the girls to explain their challenge, which is all about motion and movement. She’s brought in a movement coach (yes, that is a thing), Jermaine Browne, who is the artistic director and choreographer for “the sexiest runway in the world,” Victoria’s Secret.
Jermaine has the girls just do some freestyle moves to get a feel for their natural skills. Then he gives them tips on how to use their strengths as they apply to modeling. He teaches them some moves, and the ladies learn that their images are going to be captured in motion. Each contestant gets one take, and Jermaine will be posing with them, which includes lifting them. (It’s just like Baby in Dirty Dancing.) The winner gets to keep the outfit she’ll be wearing and gets to take a friend along for a VIP spa treatment immediately following the challenge.
Shanice is eager to win because she has yet to excel in a challenge. Ashley urges the model to let her “Sha-Nasty” come out. Jeana’s incredibly confident, and her cockiness works on Shanice’s nerves. Brendi, who has been struggling the entire day, screws up by forgetting to do her pose. And even though Ashley is supportive, Brendi feels like she’s going downhill in the competition. She immediately begins sulking. Kyla’s take is also an epic fail, but unlike Brendi, Kyla’s able to laugh it off.
Some of the girls try to cheer Brendi up, but she wants to be upset. Brendi has proven time and again that she’s her own worst critic and her own worst enemy. Screwing up in one thing, but the pissy attitude has got to go. Brendi, who has arguably the most disturbing and depressing backstory, tells the camera that this competition is the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, which is pretty crazy coming from a girl who lives in her car.
Jeana and Shanice are the standouts. The winner is Jeana. She picks her bestie Rio to take to the spa, and Brendi and Shanice look salty and don’t even try to fake happiness for their nemeses. Shanice thinks Jeana should have picked her since she was the runner-up, but Shanice would have never chosen Jeana if their roles were reversed. Who wants to go to a relaxing spa day with someone they don’t like? So I won’t be hating on Jeana for her choice.
Brendi’s Surprising Announcement
As Jeana and Shanice enjoy their prize, the other girls talk trash. Brendi’s especially bitter because she’s never been pampered. The girl has only had her nails done twice in her life.
This challenge only serves to deepen the divide between Rio and Jeana and the other girls. When the twosome returns from the spa, they get the cold shoulder. Everyone who isn’t Rio and Jeana are playing some sort of game, and when Jeana asks what they’re doing, Brendi tells her, “None of you business!”
Rio and Jeana feel like they’re being pushed out and ignored, and Jeana chalks it up to jealousy. Rio, the girl who talks trash to and about everyone, claims that the other girls are all two-faced and thinks, “It’s a damn shame.”
The conflict in the house is pretty ease to sum up: Rio and Jeana do seem to think they’re better than everyone else, and the rest of the house are sick of it.
Brendi’s beginning to question if this competition is for her. Her whole life, people have been telling her she isn’t good enough, and she’s plagued with self-esteem issues because of it. She announces that she wants to go home. Brendi insists that she’d rather live in her car than go through the hell that is America’s Next Top Model. Erin is annoyed by Brendi’s attitude. Brendi’s been talking about how she wants to pull herself up and improve her life, but the minute she gets a negative critique, it all goes downhill. Brendi’s just got a whole lot of issues, and a show where she’s judged on a regular basis probably isn’t the best place for her.
Brendi begins to cry, and her pals try to comfort her, promising they’ll help her get through it. She claims, “You can take the girl out of the trailer, but you can’t take the trailer out of the girl.” Shanice relates to Brendi because they come from similar backgrounds, and she’s sad to see Brendi seem so defeated, especially since there isn’t anything for them back home.
Blown Away
It’s time for the photo shoot, and it takes place out in the desert. They’re going to be posing with a parachute and have to work in unison with it to make a beautiful editorial.
Brendi’s still contemplating going home, and Shanice encourages her friend to get through the photo shoot and see how it goes.
A windstorm comes out of nowhere, and equipment begins flying. Jeana gets hit in the back of the head with a metal bar. She complains of dizziness, sand in the eye and a scratched cornea. Shanice thinks Jeana is making a BFD out of nothing, just for attention. Shanice prides herself on being able to spot a fake person, and she insists that the tent didn’t even hit Jeana.
Everything calms down, and it’s time for the girls to get to work. Drew is pleased with Brendi’s performance, but will the judges feel the same? Drew’s pretty excited by most of the models’ poses and energy, particularly Shanice.
Jeana asks Drew if she can take her shoes off because they’re too big and constrictive. Even without the heels, Drew fails to be blown away by Jeana, who he thinks looks like a cheesy pageant mom.
Judges’ Panel
The judges like Shanice’s photo, but Tyra wants to know how Shanice would brand herself. Shanice claims she’s not sure if she has a trademark look, so she’s trying to mix it up every week. Tyra thinks Shanice is underestimating herself and sees Shanice as someone little girls can look up to. Tyra praises Shanice for her supermodel-quality posing.
Ashley loves everything about Kyla’s photo, with the exception of how her body is positioned. Law disagrees and thinks Kyla looks amazing. Kyla has all the goods, and she’s finally rising to meet his expectations. The judges’ reviews of Kyla are really mixed because Tyra isn’t thrilled with Kyla’s posing, calling it “heavy.”
Tyra loves Erin’s body in her photo, but Ashley wishes the 42-year-old hadn’t played it so safe.
Law is all about Rio’s picture as a long shot, but up close not so much. She doesn’t appear as if she was able to push through the elements. She has to be able to hide any discomfort if she hopes to become a supermodel. Tyra compliments how feminine Rio looks in the shot.
Ashley is a fan of how comfortable Khrystyana looks in her own body. Drew says Khrystyana has the unique ability to bring clothes to life.
Jeana’s decision to take off her shoes comes back to haunt her when Law comments that she looks short in her photo. Drew worries that Jeana is watering down her look by striking such generic and basic poses.
Tyra must know that Brendi’s struggling because she asks her about the photo shoot. Brendi admits that she’s going through a rough time and breaks down. Brendi thanks the judges for the opportunity but confesses that she’s not strong enough to stay. Brendi just wants to be happy. Tyra’s proud that Brendi is putting her health and well-being ahead of everything else. All the judges wish her luck.
Shanice gets best photo. Jeana and Kyla are in the bottom two. Both girls get to stay.
Are you surprised that Brendi quit? Will Jeana adjust her attitude now that she’s been in the bottom two? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
America’s Next Top Model cycle 24 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on VH1.
(Image courtesy of VH1)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
