Episode 8 – Off To The Land Of Oz
America’s Next Top Model 8, Episode 8 – Off To The Land Of Oz by Phil Kural -- 04/19/2007 This week, the remaining six girls pack their bags – and head to Australia! The girls are also tested this week on their interview skills, along with their ability fake an Australian accent. Will English not being Natasha’s first language be her downfall? Last week, Dionne and Renee had a reunion with their babies because Renee won the challenge and chose Dionne! The photo shoot was a top model extravaganza, and while Natasha made flesh eating bacteria haute couture, Jael fell flat! However, it was Whitney who wasn’t able to give some spark in her photo, and she was sent home. Six girls are left, so let’s see which one is getting dumped this week! We begin right after the last elimination. Jael says it’s great to have come so far, while Jaslene tells her that she has been working her ass off, but it sucks that she is falling to the bottom of the pack. Flashback to Tyra asking what happened to the “old Jaslene.” Jaslene feels that the judges are making it harder for her, but she is ready to step it up. Brittany tells the camera that she made it to the halfway point and really can’t believe it. However, the one thing that she knows she needs to do is stand out more. Natasha and Jael talk outside. Natasha says she misses Moscow sometimes, where she would go out all the time with her friends. Growing up, she knew she would always be more than the girl who married the guy next door, and Jael tells her that they are all different and deserve to be there. Tyra mail arrives and reads “Trust me, girls… talking to people every day isn’t as easy as it looks.” Jael looks drunk while she reads it – I know that! Morning arrives, and the girls are getting ready for the day. Someone is at the door, and it ends up being April from Cycle 2. Love her – one of my favorite top models of all time! She tells the girls that she has been working as a model and as a TV correspondent as well, adding that to be a model, you really do need to be a jack of all trades. Jaslene hears that, saying that she really wants to “talk good.” April tells the girls that during interviews, you might run into someone that talks too much, or someone that doesn’t talk at all. She brings in her friend, Gary Riotto, who is an actor/comedian. He’s helping April show the girls the different types of people they might run into when they are trying to interview. April also gives the girls some tips, and I have to say, she’s being very helpful, and this is way more information than girls of seasons past have gotten. Now it’s time for the girls to try with one another. Jaslene goes first and runs out of questions quickly. Natasha comments that she would be the best correspondent since she’s the best at everything. Then we see her fight with Renee during her interview, making April interject that they are both being very confident and clashing with one another. Jael blabs on and on as usual and Dionne says that she has set herself apart from the other girl. I have to admit that it’s a bit heated! Finally, it’s over, and the girls are sent home. That night, the girls play in the pool. Renee says that she had issues with Jael, but she’s just going to let her be herself. However, she’s not sure Jael has what it takes to be a model. Mind you, while they play in the pool, Jael is topless. This girl is clinically crazy, I don’t care what anyone says. In the morning, April is back. She says that for their challenge, they will have to hit the street and take what they learned and put it to good use. In comes someone in a kangaroo outfit. It’s Tyra, and she tells the girls that they are going to Sydney, Australia! Everyone jumps around as a REAL kangaroo comes in with a handler. Jaslene says that she has never been anywhere besides “the ‘hood and around the corner.” Natasha figures out that they are leaving the country about five minutes later and is now excited, as everyone gets a good chuckle. The winner of the challenge in Australia will get to be a special correspondent on The Tyra Show – more than once! The girls arrive home and start packing. Jael says that she has never traveled overseas before, while Jaslene adds that she “ain’t never been nowhere.” I really need Jaslene to work on her speech – it’s worse than Natasha’s! Before you know it though, the girls are there! They are greeted by Erika Heynatz, the original host of Australia’s Next Top Model. I didn’t even know they had ONE top model, let alone a next one! She says that sometimes models need to leap off a plane and start an assignment. So that’s what the girls will be doing – they will need to do some interviews, using Aussie slang. The prize is a big one, so everyone takes the Aussie slang dictionary and starts studying. Brittany tells the camera that she has a pretty bad short term memory because she was hit by a car five years ago and actually needed eight staples in her head. Yikes! Dionne isn’t ready either, and says that she hasn’t had much sleep on the plane. Renee goes first (I feel like Renee ALWAYS goes first) and I think she doesn’t pretty well. Cut to Dionne, who tries, but says “That’s cool, that’s cool!” more than she does any kind of Aussie slang. Jael has a tutu on, and I swear to God she’s nuts. Brittany doesn’t really have a clue either and Jaslene is more interested in using the Aussie slang word for boxers than anything else. Natasha cracks me up, but Dionne is doing it even more with all her “That’s cool, that’s cool!” comments. Erika gathers up the girls when they are finished and tells them that they won’t find out the winner until panel this week, where the judges will reveal. She gives the girls the key to their house and off they go! The girls get to the house, and it so nice! Jaslene loves that photos of MY CariDee are all over the house. She met her last year, when Jaslene didn’t make the cut. I have to admit – this is one of the nicest houses the girls have gotten in a foreign country, although… how foreign is Australia? While the girls lounge around, Natasha says that only one girl will win, and it’s getting to the breaking point – it’s time to be serious. Jael tells Natasha that she has been in the bottom two twice now, but it’s okay, as long as she can stay. Brittany adds to the conversation that she knows she can do it, but still has some things to learn before she is a top model. Tyra mail arrives and tells the girls to put up their dukes! The next day, the girls arrive at their photo shoot and Jay Manuel is waiting for them. He tells the girls that they will be doing a Cover Girl commercial with a thick Australian accent. Natasha is already worried since English is her second language. The concept of the commercial is that the girls are distracting a photographer away from trying to photograph a kangaroo. They get their scripts in hair and makeup, and Brittany is still nervous because of her short term memory. Renee is up first (TOLD YOU!) and her accent actually sounds pretty good. A bit rough, but I like it, although, she looks a tad old to me. Jay is happy with her lines though, and she gets it fairly quickly. Dionne is up next and I don’t think she knows any of her lines. She has no clue what’s going on, but she looks amazing. Then she has this Jamaican accent again and Jay really has no clue what to do with her. Jael comes on set and during her lines, I have to say she looks very stiff and extremely over the top. This girl is crazy. Jay loves her energy, but feels she is struggling with the lines, and actually tells her that she is coming off as crazy. When she’s done, she climbs up a tree. This makes no damn sense. Jay compares Jaslene to Janice again. She looks great, but has some problems with the accent. Jaslene admits that she was nervous and Jay tells her to just keep going. On the sixth take though, Jaslene nails it, and doesn’t even need the cue cards! Brittany is up next and has issues with her lines from the beginning. She gets the cue cards but that really doesn’t help her. She’s frustrated and admits that it’s hard to look happy when your aggravated. Jay tells her that she has to overcome her baggage. Shut up, Jay! Natasha is up last and tries to use her hands in the commercial which really doesn’t work for her. I’m not crazy about her accent either, but I’m giving her an A for effort. She does nail it though, and doesn’t need the cue cards. Jay praises Natasha, while Brittany watches from the side and looks pretty nervous. On the way home, Jael tells the other girls that it was really hard for her and she doesn’t want to go home yet because she’s not done spreading joy to the universe. Pardon me, I just vomited. Brittany is also tearing up, and tells the girls that she did her best, and she’s not mad about that. She’s upset because five years later, she’s still affected by her accident. I genuinely feel bad for her, and I think I’ll be pissed if she’s set home. Tyra welcomes the girls into panel, and I’m thanking God that she’s not wearing fake eye lashes this week. She reminds the girls of the prizes and introduces the judges, including guest judge Erika Heynatz. Ms. J. and those ruffles need to get a grip. I can’t even see his neck anymore! It’s time for individual evaluations, and Natasha is up first! Oh my goodness, it’s not Renee! First, we see the commercial as a whole. The girls all look and sound great and the judges love it. Natasha gets to see her best take and Tyra loves the way she delivered it. Her poses were a bit sexy, but she did great. Dionne steps forward and when the judges see her commercial, they feel she is struggling a little too much. Ms. J. calls her out on the West Indian accent, which it doesn’t seem like Dionne can explain. I actually love the accent though, even though it was the wrong one. Jaslene is up next and after the judges view her best take, they think she committed to the whole thing, but was a bit over the top. Tyra tells her that she has to learn how to express her self better and remember that she’s selling a product. Renee goes next and is a bit over the top, but I actually enjoy it. Tyra says that she sounded a bit too much like a man, and she didn’t like that she lost eye contact with the camera for a little bit. Really? I actually thought Renee had the best take of all the girls! Jael is next and the whole thing is a mess. She admits that she had conflict trying to be so upbeat and cheery when she’s about anarchy. Nigel doesn’t seem happy at all and Tyra says that the whole thing looks fake – she has to be herself in order for the whole thing to work. Brittany is last this week and we all know that her commercial wasn’t so great. Tyra says that Brittany is close to tears, and then Brittany breaks down, telling the judges about her accident. Ms. J. speaks up right away saying that the industry has no sympathy. What an ass. Tyra says that they know her, but people in the industry won’t be so forgiving. Twiggy tells her that the silent part was very beautiful, and I agree – Brittany looked great! Time for deliberations! Here’s what the judges had to say about each of the final six: The judges were unimpressed by Dionne and Twiggy thinks that she forgot the whole thing. Tyra thinks that Dionne is the type of girl that after she does something a few times, she’ll be good at it. Renee was a favorite of Twiggy and all the judges agree that she did a good job with the commercial. The judges think Jael is crazy and would never get through the door in many modeling agencies. Erika says that she had spunk getting off the plane though and came off as the most endearing. She does nothing for Nigel. Brittany was upset and her nerves got the best of her, but Erika says she needs a strategy to get through it. Tyra wants a little sympathy for her, but Nigel thinks she can’t take criticism. Where did THAT come from? Natasha is breaking out of her shell, and although she’s not the best at speaking English, she rocked the commercial. Jaslene was a bit overwhelming to Erika, but Tyra thinks that she can be pulled back and really make it work in the end. Everyone has faith in her it seems, including me! The girls come back in the room and Tyra says there are six girls in front of her, but she only has five photos. Natasha is called first and Tyra says the other girls should be scared of her. Also, it turns out that she’s the winner of the challenge and will get to be a correspondent on Tyra’s show! Renee is called second and Tyra tells her not to perform so much. She’s followed by Jaslene, who Tyra says did well with the commercial, but really just needs to learn how to relax. Dionne is then called, and told that she looked great, but needs to be the “real her.” Jael and Brittany step forward. Tyra tells Brittany that she takes strong photos, but she can’t do a commercial and that scares the judges. They try to be compassionate, but can’t favor her because of the short term memory thing. Jael is told that she has had nice pictures, but presents herself on film terribly. The final photo goes to – Brittany (Thank GOD!). Tyra says that what happened to her is awful, but she needs to figure out how to work it out. Jael gives Tyra a hug and tells her that this competition has changed her life. Jael gives all the girls a group hug and heads out. At the apartment, she puts on her blue wig and tutu and writes the girls a goodbye note. She is proud that she got so far and will really miss the girls. Then, this is the weird part – Jael adds that she has created bonds with every girl in the house this season, and she’s the only one that can say that. What the hell are you talking about, Jael? Ugh, I’m over her. Thank goodness she got the boot. Since we didn’t get previews of next week for the second week in a row, here’s how I’m ranking the girls: Jaslene Dionne Natasha Brittany Renee
America’s Next Top Model 8, Episode 8 – Off To The Land Of Oz by Phil Kural -- 04/19/2007 This week, the remaining six girls pack their bags – and head to Australia! The girls are also tested this week on their interview skills, along with their ability fake an Australian accent. Will English not being Natasha’s first language be her downfall? Last week, Dionne and Renee had a reunion with their babies because Renee won the challenge and chose Dionne! The photo shoot was a top model extravaganza, and while Natasha made flesh eating bacteria haute couture, Jael fell flat! However, it was Whitney who wasn’t able to give some spark in her photo, and she was sent home. Six girls are left, so let’s see which one is getting dumped this week! We begin right after the last elimination. Jael says it’s great to have come so far, while Jaslene tells her that she has been working her ass off, but it sucks that she is falling to the bottom of the pack. Flashback to Tyra asking what happened to the “old Jaslene.” Jaslene feels that the judges are making it harder for her, but she is ready to step it up. Brittany tells the camera that she made it to the halfway point and really can’t believe it. However, the one thing that she knows she needs to do is stand out more. Natasha and Jael talk outside. Natasha says she misses Moscow sometimes, where she would go out all the time with her friends. Growing up, she knew she would always be more than the girl who married the guy next door, and Jael tells her that they are all different and deserve to be there. Tyra mail arrives and reads “Trust me, girls… talking to people every day isn’t as easy as it looks.” Jael looks drunk while she reads it – I know that! Morning arrives, and the girls are getting ready for the day. Someone is at the door, and it ends up being April from Cycle 2. Love her – one of my favorite top models of all time! She tells the girls that she has been working as a model and as a TV correspondent as well, adding that to be a model, you really do need to be a jack of all trades. Jaslene hears that, saying that she really wants to “talk good.” April tells the girls that during interviews, you might run into someone that talks too much, or someone that doesn’t talk at all. She brings in her friend, Gary Riotto, who is an actor/comedian. He’s helping April show the girls the different types of people they might run into when they are trying to interview. April also gives the girls some tips, and I have to say, she’s being very helpful, and this is way more information than girls of seasons past have gotten. Now it’s time for the girls to try with one another. Jaslene goes first and runs out of questions quickly. Natasha comments that she would be the best correspondent since she’s the best at everything. Then we see her fight with Renee during her interview, making April interject that they are both being very confident and clashing with one another. Jael blabs on and on as usual and Dionne says that she has set herself apart from the other girl. I have to admit that it’s a bit heated! Finally, it’s over, and the girls are sent home. That night, the girls play in the pool. Renee says that she had issues with Jael, but she’s just going to let her be herself. However, she’s not sure Jael has what it takes to be a model. Mind you, while they play in the pool, Jael is topless. This girl is clinically crazy, I don’t care what anyone says. In the morning, April is back. She says that for their challenge, they will have to hit the street and take what they learned and put it to good use. In comes someone in a kangaroo outfit. It’s Tyra, and she tells the girls that they are going to Sydney, Australia! Everyone jumps around as a REAL kangaroo comes in with a handler. Jaslene says that she has never been anywhere besides “the ‘hood and around the corner.” Natasha figures out that they are leaving the country about five minutes later and is now excited, as everyone gets a good chuckle. The winner of the challenge in Australia will get to be a special correspondent on The Tyra Show – more than once! The girls arrive home and start packing. Jael says that she has never traveled overseas before, while Jaslene adds that she “ain’t never been nowhere.” I really need Jaslene to work on her speech – it’s worse than Natasha’s! Before you know it though, the girls are there! They are greeted by Erika Heynatz, the original host of Australia’s Next Top Model. I didn’t even know they had ONE top model, let alone a next one! She says that sometimes models need to leap off a plane and start an assignment. So that’s what the girls will be doing – they will need to do some interviews, using Aussie slang. The prize is a big one, so everyone takes the Aussie slang dictionary and starts studying. Brittany tells the camera that she has a pretty bad short term memory because she was hit by a car five years ago and actually needed eight staples in her head. Yikes! Dionne isn’t ready either, and says that she hasn’t had much sleep on the plane. Renee goes first (I feel like Renee ALWAYS goes first) and I think she doesn’t pretty well. Cut to Dionne, who tries, but says “That’s cool, that’s cool!” more than she does any kind of Aussie slang. Jael has a tutu on, and I swear to God she’s nuts. Brittany doesn’t really have a clue either and Jaslene is more interested in using the Aussie slang word for boxers than anything else. Natasha cracks me up, but Dionne is doing it even more with all her “That’s cool, that’s cool!” comments. Erika gathers up the girls when they are finished and tells them that they won’t find out the winner until panel this week, where the judges will reveal. She gives the girls the key to their house and off they go! The girls get to the house, and it so nice! Jaslene loves that photos of MY CariDee are all over the house. She met her last year, when Jaslene didn’t make the cut. I have to admit – this is one of the nicest houses the girls have gotten in a foreign country, although… how foreign is Australia? While the girls lounge around, Natasha says that only one girl will win, and it’s getting to the breaking point – it’s time to be serious. Jael tells Natasha that she has been in the bottom two twice now, but it’s okay, as long as she can stay. Brittany adds to the conversation that she knows she can do it, but still has some things to learn before she is a top model. Tyra mail arrives and tells the girls to put up their dukes! The next day, the girls arrive at their photo shoot and Jay Manuel is waiting for them. He tells the girls that they will be doing a Cover Girl commercial with a thick Australian accent. Natasha is already worried since English is her second language. The concept of the commercial is that the girls are distracting a photographer away from trying to photograph a kangaroo. They get their scripts in hair and makeup, and Brittany is still nervous because of her short term memory. Renee is up first (TOLD YOU!) and her accent actually sounds pretty good. A bit rough, but I like it, although, she looks a tad old to me. Jay is happy with her lines though, and she gets it fairly quickly. Dionne is up next and I don’t think she knows any of her lines. She has no clue what’s going on, but she looks amazing. Then she has this Jamaican accent again and Jay really has no clue what to do with her. Jael comes on set and during her lines, I have to say she looks very stiff and extremely over the top. This girl is crazy. Jay loves her energy, but feels she is struggling with the lines, and actually tells her that she is coming off as crazy. When she’s done, she climbs up a tree. This makes no damn sense. Jay compares Jaslene to Janice again. She looks great, but has some problems with the accent. Jaslene admits that she was nervous and Jay tells her to just keep going. On the sixth take though, Jaslene nails it, and doesn’t even need the cue cards! Brittany is up next and has issues with her lines from the beginning. She gets the cue cards but that really doesn’t help her. She’s frustrated and admits that it’s hard to look happy when your aggravated. Jay tells her that she has to overcome her baggage. Shut up, Jay! Natasha is up last and tries to use her hands in the commercial which really doesn’t work for her. I’m not crazy about her accent either, but I’m giving her an A for effort. She does nail it though, and doesn’t need the cue cards. Jay praises Natasha, while Brittany watches from the side and looks pretty nervous. On the way home, Jael tells the other girls that it was really hard for her and she doesn’t want to go home yet because she’s not done spreading joy to the universe. Pardon me, I just vomited. Brittany is also tearing up, and tells the girls that she did her best, and she’s not mad about that. She’s upset because five years later, she’s still affected by her accident. I genuinely feel bad for her, and I think I’ll be pissed if she’s set home. Tyra welcomes the girls into panel, and I’m thanking God that she’s not wearing fake eye lashes this week. She reminds the girls of the prizes and introduces the judges, including guest judge Erika Heynatz. Ms. J. and those ruffles need to get a grip. I can’t even see his neck anymore! It’s time for individual evaluations, and Natasha is up first! Oh my goodness, it’s not Renee! First, we see the commercial as a whole. The girls all look and sound great and the judges love it. Natasha gets to see her best take and Tyra loves the way she delivered it. Her poses were a bit sexy, but she did great. Dionne steps forward and when the judges see her commercial, they feel she is struggling a little too much. Ms. J. calls her out on the West Indian accent, which it doesn’t seem like Dionne can explain. I actually love the accent though, even though it was the wrong one. Jaslene is up next and after the judges view her best take, they think she committed to the whole thing, but was a bit over the top. Tyra tells her that she has to learn how to express her self better and remember that she’s selling a product. Renee goes next and is a bit over the top, but I actually enjoy it. Tyra says that she sounded a bit too much like a man, and she didn’t like that she lost eye contact with the camera for a little bit. Really? I actually thought Renee had the best take of all the girls! Jael is next and the whole thing is a mess. She admits that she had conflict trying to be so upbeat and cheery when she’s about anarchy. Nigel doesn’t seem happy at all and Tyra says that the whole thing looks fake – she has to be herself in order for the whole thing to work. Brittany is last this week and we all know that her commercial wasn’t so great. Tyra says that Brittany is close to tears, and then Brittany breaks down, telling the judges about her accident. Ms. J. speaks up right away saying that the industry has no sympathy. What an ass. Tyra says that they know her, but people in the industry won’t be so forgiving. Twiggy tells her that the silent part was very beautiful, and I agree – Brittany looked great! Time for deliberations! Here’s what the judges had to say about each of the final six: The judges were unimpressed by Dionne and Twiggy thinks that she forgot the whole thing. Tyra thinks that Dionne is the type of girl that after she does something a few times, she’ll be good at it. Renee was a favorite of Twiggy and all the judges agree that she did a good job with the commercial. The judges think Jael is crazy and would never get through the door in many modeling agencies. Erika says that she had spunk getting off the plane though and came off as the most endearing. She does nothing for Nigel. Brittany was upset and her nerves got the best of her, but Erika says she needs a strategy to get through it. Tyra wants a little sympathy for her, but Nigel thinks she can’t take criticism. Where did THAT come from? Natasha is breaking out of her shell, and although she’s not the best at speaking English, she rocked the commercial. Jaslene was a bit overwhelming to Erika, but Tyra thinks that she can be pulled back and really make it work in the end. Everyone has faith in her it seems, including me! The girls come back in the room and Tyra says there are six girls in front of her, but she only has five photos. Natasha is called first and Tyra says the other girls should be scared of her. Also, it turns out that she’s the winner of the challenge and will get to be a correspondent on Tyra’s show! Renee is called second and Tyra tells her not to perform so much. She’s followed by Jaslene, who Tyra says did well with the commercial, but really just needs to learn how to relax. Dionne is then called, and told that she looked great, but needs to be the “real her.” Jael and Brittany step forward. Tyra tells Brittany that she takes strong photos, but she can’t do a commercial and that scares the judges. They try to be compassionate, but can’t favor her because of the short term memory thing. Jael is told that she has had nice pictures, but presents herself on film terribly. The final photo goes to – Brittany (Thank GOD!). Tyra says that what happened to her is awful, but she needs to figure out how to work it out. Jael gives Tyra a hug and tells her that this competition has changed her life. Jael gives all the girls a group hug and heads out. At the apartment, she puts on her blue wig and tutu and writes the girls a goodbye note. She is proud that she got so far and will really miss the girls. Then, this is the weird part – Jael adds that she has created bonds with every girl in the house this season, and she’s the only one that can say that. What the hell are you talking about, Jael? Ugh, I’m over her. Thank goodness she got the boot. Since we didn’t get previews of next week for the second week in a row, here’s how I’m ranking the girls: Jaslene Dionne Natasha Brittany Renee