oh, here we go...

Okay, so I am trying to get away from ranting all the time, because I would really like to be a more positive person, but I really want to get this off my chest so that I may go to bed.

I love this show. I've watched since Season 3 and always get excited for the new seasons. Well. It is now in its 8th season and this past Thursday was the fifth episode.

This week the designers split into two groups of 6 for their challenge. They had to make 6 pieces per group to make a cohesive mini-collection. They had to pick a theme and fabric. 

The group that had most of my favorite designers [April, Peach, Casanova, Valerie, Michael Drummond (He's from St. Louis...brownie points o_o) and Mondo] chose to do a military collection using lace. Edgy and feminine was their outlook. They became Team Military and Lace.

(Team Military and Lace)

The other team had a couple designers I like, and one (and a half) that I can't stand. Andy, AJ, Christopher, (I really like these three) Michael C, Ivy, and Gretchen. Now....Ivy is the "and a half" that I do not like much. Gretchen is the one that I cannot stand and haven't been able to since the first episode.

(Called themselves Team Luxe....but it really should have been Team Gretchen the Cutthroat Bitch Takes Over Everyone's Personal Design Aesthetic Using Manipulation and Bully Tactics)

Gretchen is the idiot with her arms in the air and Ivy is the one in front of her. The guys I like.

Okay, so Team Luxe, correction, Gretchen thought that "her" team had a great collection and that it was hip and modern and blah blah blah. She also said many many many times in many many many different ways how much the other team's collection sucked and was not cohesive or hip or whatever. 

She's always quick to say that she'll always be the winner and everyone else's designs suck compared to anything she'll ever do. (Basically, to be completely blunt, she thinks he shit don't stink. This is why I can't stand her)

Well...The runway came and the judges ended up loving Team Military and Lace, which is something that was not very surprising as it was a totally kick ass collection and I'd have worn every piece in it. 

Go, underdogs! Congratulations to Casanova, who finally found his balance between his own taste and pleasing the judges' tastes while keeping his aesthetic. Well deserved win for him and the rest of the team. I was happy.

So then came the moments of truth...The talk with the losing team. They showed footage of them discussing whether or not to call anyone out. They agreed to present a united front and stand by their designs.

On the runway...sort of. Before being judged.

So they went out there and Gretchen (Of coourse) took control and made up this whole sob story about how they love their designs still and did their best and can't pick a weakest link and refused to if asked...complete with fake tears and guilt trips and all that manipulative crap. The judges faces were priceless and I really wish I could find pictures of them. Made me laugh out loud at her stupidity. 

So after having said all this stuff about sticking together and standing by what they made, she made a complete turn and started throwing people under the bus and decided she did not want to stick by what she bullied everyone into making.

And while I do like Christopher and Andy, they are obviously manipulated very easily by both Ivy and Gretchen, because they were quick to pick Michael C as a weak link (Which is funny because he won last week and totally deserved it).

AJ, on the other hand, God love him, took responsibility for his [in]action in this challenge and admitted that he should have done more to get his aesthetic into the collection. But he spent most of his time making just one piece that was a shirt dress (Which is something that he'd never normally make) and therefore was thrown under a bus.

So it was down to Gretchen and AJ and I was starting to get a little excited that Gretchen might actually be put in her place and sent home. Well...to my dismay after saying her name, Heidi continued with "You are in." Which meant that AJ was out.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all that went through my mind. Along with a string of colorful expletives directed toward the terrible decision on behalf of the judges. Yeah, she made more garments...She BULLIED the collection out of everyone else in her group and did not even give them a chance to stand up for their own aesthetic. AJ took the bullet and I hope she knows that everyone likes HIM better for doing that than they will ever ever ever like her.

AJ...You will be missed greatly. Come back to St. Charles, MO and I guarantee you'll see how you are adored.

At this point I was ready to throw my computer because I was so angry (and I still am). So, as show tradition, the cameras followed AJ back to the room where the rest of the designers are to say goodbye. Tim Gunn (One of the best parts of the show!) then comes in to send the losing designer to clean their workspace.

Well, Tim came in with a vengeance this week. Before he said anything to AJ, he had him sit down and addressed him and the rest of Team Luxe. He basically said how disappointed he was in everyone for allowing Gretchen to manipulate and bully them. And he was disappointed in them because now AJ had to take the bullet and go home because of their inaction.

Well, let me tell you, I loved Tim Gunn before that moment, and now I practically idolize him! Ivy, apparently, had an A-ha moment after that, and I seriously hope she apologizes to Michael C for the mean things she said about him to the judges.

So then it was infuriating and funny at the same time again when Gretchen came on saying that Tim hurt her feelings and she was not manipulative and cocky. Hah. You are very funny...

 I'm pretty sure I remember her being totally evil toward Michael C when talking to the judges and she's never really said one nice thing about anyone else's garment. Or if she has, it has been quickly followed with a "but mine is better."

Even when trying to get the audience to feel sympathy for her, it took her about ten seconds before she just started bashing AJ.

Really? Yes, you suck and you should take responsibility for losing because you ARE a manipulative bossy person that no one wants around....Stop taking it out on everyone else and own up to who you are.

So anyway. I really just had to get that of my chest and I feel better now. It's difficult to go to bed angry and I was already a bit ticked off from the Emmys. Perhaps I'll blog about that tomorrow. Good night all.

Pictures/video clip courtesy of mylifetime.com and google.com searches. :-)