ANTM Cycle 10: Renaissance Rock Edition

America’s Next Top Model – We Are Spartans!
The models train like gladiators for a challenge and the winner receives a shopping spree in Rome. Tyra directs the photo shoot in a Roman castle.

In many of this cycle’s photos, it is really hard to see the girls. I cropped the above photo a ton; Fatima is a tiny part of the original. Anyway, as this episode opens Fatima is feeling really confident. Katarzyna continues to be quiet and sweet, which causes the other girls talk about how dull she is. Awwww, poor Kat.

The girls go to some ancient ruins, where they see gladiators faux fighting. Fatima is uncomfortable with this because she’s “not a violent person.” Whitney thinks it’s “AWESOME!” A fight instructor named Alex teaches them some moves, but they have to be elegant at the same time. Katarzyna has a ton of fun. Fatima finds it too confusing, and has this weird side interview where she calls Dominique a bitch and then laughs like a crazy person. Closed captioning changes bitch to “bich.” Ha.

The girls get dressed up in gladiator outfits and are surprised to find Mr. Jay and Miss J waiting for them. Jay says the judges are frustrated because the girls are not strong enough. Then he drops the bomb – their photo shoot is right now! In the shoot, they have to “fight” a large, strapping man who grunts a lot. Whitney is more unclothed than we’ve ever seen, and she looks fantastic. An average shoot consists of roughly 75+ frames, but this time the girls get only 5 frames each.

The Jays don’t comment during this shoot so it’s kind of hard to tell how the girls are doing. One thing is obvious, though – Fatima is terrible. Dominique tries to stand out by doing odd poses like standing on one foot, but she just looks like an ungraceful stork.

After the shoot, the Jays critique the girls:
Katarzyna looked like the sword was too heavy, which ruined her pose; her face wasn’t great.
Dominique’s was her prettiest photo yet, but she did not do what was asked of her.
Fatima really struggled; she over-thought it; she was the worst.
Whitney did a great job; she’s unafraid.
Anya actually did the poses Alex taught her; takes direction well.

Whitney wins a € 1,000 shopping spree. She can pick a friend and split the money, or go by herself. Because she’s nice, she takes Anya. Later, the girls go to a gorgeous old castle where Tyra herself shoots them in a “modern interpretation of the Renaissance” complete with ugly wigs.

During the shoot:
Katarzyna asks what Tyra’s vision is, which is a good start, but does not do so great.
Dominique gets it, is amazing, Tyra “loves her.”
Fatima is fluid and beautiful. Tyra was “so impressed.”
Whitney was stuck, wasn’t high fashion. Tyra says, “More fashion less sex.”
Anya gave great poses, is comfortable with her body, and understands her angles.

Fuck, it’s going come down to Katarzyna and Whitney, and Kat’s totally going to get cut. Fatima is getting way too conceited, and there is an awesome moment when Anya says Dominique was the only one Tyra liked and the camera zooms in on Fatima while ominous music goes “BOM!”

Cover Girl of the Week is Katarzyna.
And hey, here’s Veronica Mars’ Wallace again, this time in a commercial for Orbit gum.

During panel:
Katarzyna is pretty but doesn’t punch through; something is missing; she looks bored.
Dominique is gorgeous; Tyra wasn’t excited to shoot her but Dom “proved her a fool.”
Fatima is stunning and was like a ballerina on set.
Whitney looks mad; the judges expected more; she’s too sexual and is stuck in a rut.
Anya looks marvelous; “100% Italian Vogue”; is stunning; she rocked.

In private deliberation:
Katarzyna works with her brain, not her eyes.
Dominique has consistently gotten better but still looks terrible in person.
Fatima is not strong enough, but her face is amazing.
Whitney is gorgeous, rounded, and interesting.
Anya is just getting better and better, but she’s weak in personality.

The first photo is Fatima.
The bottom two are Katarzyna and Whitney.
Katarzyna is out.

I cannot adequately express how NOT INTO the final four I am. I do like Whitney but I swear to god a plus-sized model will never win this competition. I mean seriously folks, Dominique?!?! While I admit she has improved, she is 100% not top model material. I will be shocked if it doesn’t come down to Fatima and Anya.

Wow, look what I just found on Wikipedia:
After filming of Cycle 10, the producers of America's Next Top Model were served with a lawsuit from Michael Marvisi who owns the loft used as the Top Model house. The lawsuit claims the contestants as well as the production crew caused an estimated $500,000 in damages to the loft. Marvisi claims the contestants engaged in food fights, made holes in the walls, caused water damage to the bathroom, damaged a $15,000 chandelier beyond repair, and more.

Also:
In Cycle 10, Fatima Siad was kept over Stacy Ann Fequiere, which has sparked some controversy in the fan community, since Fatima broke two eligibility rules (being an American citizen and having a valid passport).

If Fatima wins some people will be PISSED!