The title of America’s Next Top Model‘s eighth installment, “The Girl Who Says It’s Over,” comes dangerously close to being a spoiler about who gets sent home after panel. Unfortunately, it isn’t over for Mirjana after this week’s panel. Yes, that’s who the title is all about. The girl who started out the season looking stunningly promising lost her way in the second episode and never found it back. Regardless, she’s still with us for at least one more episode, and one of my personal favorites is sent packing way too soon.
We open with everyone returning home from last week’s panel to gawk at Lenox’s ice queen photo for which she took first place last week. Before you know it, Denzel invites Will to have a chat out on the terrace and one wonders if the two might come to fisticuffs.
America’s Next Top Model Recap: Denzel Can’t Get Anything Right (Except the Challenge) >>>
Denzel Really Stepped In It Last Week — Does He recover This Week?
Last week, if you recall, Tyra tossed out a very nasty four-letter fence word at panel to make a point about bigotry for Denzel’s benefit. Denzel was caught on tape making some stupid comments in what he thought was a private conversation, but those statements were painful when the object of his slander, Will, heard what Denzel said. The content of the offending comment went something like this: “I want a guy to win, but no way in hell I wanna go home and say I lost to a dude in high heels.” Snap!
Denzel hadn’t seemed like a douche even after last week, but by the end of this week’s episode, the jury has gone back out to re-deliberate the matter.
Denzel, in regard to the Will incident, is not a douche. He clearly has a problem with the femininity suggested by a pair of heels worn by a man. In Denzel’s burly football world, men are masculine down to their genes. Surely Denzel is not oblivious to the fact that there are many, many gay men in professional football. He’s an educated man, so there’s no way he can claim ignorance, or so you’d think.
Why he has a problem with the feminizing of masculinity is a mystery at this point. We don’t know what this guy’s history is. We don’t know what all of his experiences have been. We don’t know what has informed his opinions. What we do see, however, is a man deeply troubled by hurting another human being with his careless words. In regard to Will, at least. Mirjana is a whole ‘nother story which we’ll get to in a moment.
Will Gets Another Apology from Denzel
Regardless, was it fair that Will was subjected to what he heard? No. Was it intentionally malicious on Denzel’s part? It genuinely did not seem so. Did Will deserve an apology? Hell yes. In this world, there are a lot of people eager to poke their sharp sticks at anyone who is different. Will, unfortunately, has experienced a lot of sharp sticks and he has risen above them as well as above those tiny people wielding them. Damn straight, he deserves an apology. To his credit, he listens to Denzel on each occasion when Denzel tries to make it right, including here. At first, he just listens with his defenses up. He has to. But by this week’s episode, he really hears what Denzel has to say and takes it to heart as much as he can.
Going forward, the true sign that Denzel is sincere about his regret over his comments will be how he treats Will, and even how he treats Matthew going forward for that matter because, remember, there’s some ambiguity about Matthew’s sexuality as well. The preview images show that Corey will be back to model with the crew this episode. Will he have something to say to Will and/or Denzel about what happened last episode? Let’s watch and see.
Lots of Speculation About Mirjana and Denzel’s “Relationship”
Everyone’s talking about Denjana, which is what I’ve decided they should be called as long as they remain together. Lenox says it’s gonna hurt Mirjana in the end. Will says it’s time they went home. Raelia says Denzel is using Mirjana. Denzel’s excuse is that she still has a boyfriend. It’s just not a good situation all around, but the two just can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.
The Challenge Winner Gets a Nylon Spread
Since the winner of cycle 21 of ANTM will be featured in a spread for Nylon magazine, this week’s challenge is hosted by the founder of Nylon, Marvin Scott Jarrett, and features Kelly Cutrone’s new clothes line, Electric Love Army. Nylon, Marvin explains, is looking for models who are natural, fun and effortlessly cool. The winner of the challenge will be on Nylon TV with Kelly. Whoot!
The models are split up into teams of three and are expected to pick all their own makeup, hair and items from Kelly’s line.
The teams end up being Matthew, Raelia and Will; Keith, Shei and Adam; and Mirjana, Denzel and Lenox. The entire fiasco is one hot mess from Kelly’s point of view as most of the guys think the best way to highlight the clothing is to go bare-chested. Why Kelly is averse to this tactic (all the clothing in her line is for women anyway, so what does it matter if the guys are half-naked?) has something to do with the taste of the line. Matthew’s team ends up making Raelia go half-naked and Kelly is aghast at the slutty school girl concept they are after.
In the end, one of Raelia, Will and Matthew’s photos is phenomenal, but it gets completely blown out of the water by a final photo taken of Shei’s team. Kelly goes so far as to say that for the first time in ANTM history, she gets goosebumps when she looks at a photo. Shei’s team wins the challenge.
Lenox Has Had Enough and Goes All Rat Fink
Back at the mansion, Lenox, who has been bad-mouthing Denjana all episode, has had enough after she hears Denzel talking about Mirjana as if he isn’t really that into her. Lenox rats out Denzel, and Mirjana is pissed as hell — at Denzel. A rather uncomfortable discussion between the two of them ensues, during which Mirjana kicks Denzel to the curb, then finally gets on the phone with cuckolded Kevin from home. She talks to the old beau in a baby girl voice and the conversation between them sounds really juvenile. Apparently, it never occurs to her that some time alone, single, might be good for her.
Just Who Are These People Really?
Tyra shows up on set the next morning for the photo looking like a homeless person. What’s with your styling, lady? I don’t get it at all, and I LOVE me some Tyra, so what gives? Along with Tyra comes Ken Chahine of AncestryDNA, who figures out each model’s genetic signature. Tyra then reveals what the DNA testing from episode two has brought to light.
The results:
- Raelia, Lenox and Mirjana share Asian DNA.
- Adama and Shei are Irish.
- Keith and Matthew have Spanish ancestry.
- Will and Denzel share three traits: Finnish, Scandinavian and European Jewish.
Corey the Androgynous Robot
Yu Tsai and Corey arrive to conduct the photo shoot. Corey is dressed up in a robot costume and each model is dressed to accentuate something from their newly-discovered heritage. The best part of each of the photo shoots is Corey, hands-down. During the shoot, Denzel is as stiff as a black GI Joe and realizes that he’s a bit messed-up because he really does have feelings for Mirjana. Mirjana also misses Denzel. And that’s pretty much all we learn during the photo shoots.
The Boomerang Couple Strikes Again
So back at the house, Mirjana and Denzel have a chat and decide they want to be together still. No mention of poor Kevin pining away for Mirjana at home. Mirjana does admit to Denzel that she didn’t tell Kevin that she’d had sex with Denzel, but now all of America knows. How long will it take for ANTM to start live interviewing Kevin, I want to know? Why not … they’ve already turned the show into a dating game.
The Handsomest Guy Gets Sent Home from Panel
At panel, Tyra brings up the fact that when girls are in charge as leaders, they are considered (and they consider themselves to be) bossy and bitchy. Taking control and standing with pride is what she advises all females to do.
The Top 3
Lenox gets first photo because her face is divine, according to one of the judges. All three give her scores of 10. That’s a total of 30. Is that an ANTM first? I don’t recall seeing that before.
Will is number two. Kelly loves his photo as her favorite photo all season. Tyra says he’s damn near perfect. He’s smizing at himself and his butt looks awesome.
Shei‘s in the top three only because she won the challenge. Her photo, says Tyra, wasn’t too hot.
The Bottom 3
Raelia, according to Miss J., is modeling H2T. Tyra loves her bootching and tooching, but her eyes leave a lot to be desired.
Mirjana is a strong commanding woman who knows what she wants but then had an epic fail when it was her turn to lead her team during the challenge. Tyra thinks her lines in her photo are great, but her challenge sucked rocks. She makes her repeat: I’m not bossy, I’m a boss.
Matthew, though he’s just about the hottest guy around, gets completely dogged by all the coaches for having lost steam.
Matthew is Sent Home
A huge disappointment, especially since it was almost Mirjana who was sent home. We came this close to getting rid of all the Denjana drama. I will miss Matthew. He’s dang hot, people! Let’s just hope he comes back next season.
America’s Next Top Model airs Fridays at 9pm on The CW.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
