Dec 13 2007
Saleisha, Jenah, and Chantal reflect on their time since the beginning of the competition. These three have truly become friends, and actually wish each other well. Saleisha, hailing from California, says that she feels she has really grown in the competition and wants the title so bad she can taste it. Jenah from Connecticut says that she is a little nervous and will probably be sent home if she is in the bottom two with Saleisha (how did she pick Saleisha?), but she is ready to walk away as the winner. Texan Chantal feels like she is where she’s meant to be and flashes her 100-watt smile for the camera.
The ladies are gathered for a shoot for Cover Girl Cosmetics. The winner’s picture will be on the cover of the magazine. The product they are promoting is the new Wet Slick Fruit Spritzer lip gloss. Try saying that five times! They will have to do both a still shoot and a commercial. Jaslene, last year’s winner, shows up looking healthy instead of stick thin. She is radiant, and gives the girls a hug and words of encouragement. She reminds them that the winner’s life will change forever. Jenah is just in awe of Jaslene, and can’t wait to become America’s Next Top Model.
Not Another Commercial!
Chantal is given the Lemon Splash Wet Slick Fruit Spritzer lip gloss. She kind “Marilyn Monroe’esque” in her delivery. Jay Manuel tells her to give more conversation and less dumb blonde. After that sting, she does tone it down and give a fine delivery. Although it was still a little “hi ya’ll.” Jenah has the giggles, and Jay Manuel feels she isn’t taking the shoot or the product seriously. On her first take, the giggles stop, but nothing comes out. (hear the crickets?) Then on the next few takes, she flubs and finally Jay Manuel tells her that she’ll need to use cue cards. This upsets her because cue cards are a sign of inability to memorize lines. She asks for one more chance, they give it to her, and she delivers the lines. Jay Manuel remarks that Jenah came across as snotty and uninterested. Saleisha has a hard time getting her lines out also. She asks for a moment to gather her composure, remember Tyra’s remark earlier in the competition that it’s better to take a moment to cry and then get back out there than to hold it all in. Saleisha takes a moment, and Jay Manuel encourages her. Saleisha goes back and does the commercial in one take.
The First Cut is the Deepest…
The ladies gather in front of the panel for the final cut before the runway competition for the title. As she has before, Tyra asks each one who they think should win, and who should go home. Saleisha says that she is the strongest in the group and should win, but Jenah’s attitude is her downfall. Chantal says that she should win, but Jenah should go home because she has the worst attitude and she wouldn’t want her little sisters to look up to her. Ouch. Jenah says she came to win, and that Chantal should go home because she is the most immature of the group. Jenah says she didn’t expect her friends to be so harsh in their judgment of her. She says that she feels she is misunderstood because she has her guard up, but it’s from being a mother to her sisters. Tyra asks her if she feels some resentment toward her mother for her predicament, and Jenah breaks down. Tyra tells her she has just found herself, and gotten over that wall (like they were doing in the previous photo shoot). In the background, Chantal tears up, probably feeling bad for her comment about Jenah. After Jenah exhales, they are sent off while the panel deliberates. They feel that Saleisha is gorgeous, but question whether or not she is a Cover Girl. Tyra says she doesn’t see high fashion when she looks at Saleisha. They feel that Chantal is beautiful, but she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Jenah takes the best shots, but has the worst attitude. The ladies are called back in, and Jenah is told she will be going home. There are a lot of tears and hugs before she leaves. Tyra tells her to keep on her path because her career should be kick-ass with the photos she takes.
Qi Gang Fashion Show Finale
With no time to spare, Saleisha and Chantal are whisked over to the setting for their final runway competition. It’s a show for designer Qi Gang, and there will be 500 extras, including characters on stilts, milling around the walkway representing “old” China, while the models will represent the “future.” Jaslene will headline the show. We see dramatic entrances down the runway to the front row by Miss Twiggy, Jay Alexander, Nigel Barker, and Tyra, who does her best to throw in a last-minute lesson on strutting and eye contact, hoping the ladies are watching. Both Saleisha and Chantal look beautiful. Saleisha seems to transform into a model right before our eyes, owning both the outfits and the runway. Her walk is fierce. Chantal is a little stiff with her walk, but manages to pull it off, despite having a stilt-walker trip on the train of her dress. After the show, Jaslene, Saleisha and Chantal hug and cry. Saleisha asks Chantal if she kept going when the stilt-walker fell, and she says yes. Saleisha tells her it was the right thing to do.
Drum roll please…
Straight from the fashion show to judging, the girls show up looking lovely, but nervous. Tyra says that she feels that both of them want it so bad that she thinks whoever doesn’t win will be crushed. They hold hands as Tyra rattles off the list of prizes for the winner and then reveals the winning photo….of SALEISHA. Saleisha and Chantal hug and after Chantal leaves, Saleisha gets to scream and jump around as AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL.
