Jaslene Wins "Top Model," Televisionary Loses Interest Once Renee is Booted

No, I don't want to talk about it.

Sure, I was happy that it was Jaslene who was crowned the winner of the eighth "cycle" of America's Next Top Model, rather than Natasha, whom I cannot for the life of me imagine or picture as a model, with her pigeon-walk and... odd facial expressions. Sure, she's spunky and has a great "backstory" but that does not a model make.

Basically, I am shocked and stunned that Renee didn't even make it to the final two. That Tyra--with a straight face--actually said that the decision came down to the girl with the bubbly personality and the girl who always takes amazing pictures completely blew me away. In one fell swoop, she basically undermined any credibility this series had. It's almost as if they were grasping at straws for reasons to eliminate Renee (I see no examples of the "puffiness and wrinkling" that Tyra mentioned) in order to ensure that Jaslene would win this competition.

Color me pissed.

Oh, yeah, Jaslene won. Um, yay.

"So Much Beautiful Pictures": Down to the Final Four on "Top Model"

The question on everyone's lips is: did Brittany over-exaggerate her short term memory loss on Top Model's recent disastrous photo shoot? Or is she telling the truth?

Either way, that girl is gone. Following a major emotional breakdown on the stairs of a modeling agency, Brittany was eliminated from America's Next Top Model this week. Which is sad on the one hand, because she does photograph so amazingly well. But get her in a room and she just falls completely flat on her arse. It didn't help that she was so awkward at the go-sees and couldn't pull herself together enough to walk properly... or to maintain a conversation with the designers. But the stunt she pulled after she failed to return by 4:30 pm was inexcusable. Even if the cab driver had failed to turn up at the discussed location. (BTW, she never did specify that he should meet her.)

Brit had a full blown temper tantrum, complete with thrown items (her portfolio), misdirected anger (at the cab driver and Natasha), and one hell of a potty mouth. I was shocked and appalled that she would behave in such a childish way, especially given the fact that standing less than five feet away from her was this week's guest judge Priscilla Leighton-Clark, attempting to award the top prize this week to Jaslene, who managed to win both the challenge (her first) and the photo shoot.

I'm still not sure what to think about Brit's poor performance in the Cover Girl commercial two weeks ago. She claimed she couldn't remember the lines (despite cue cards), thanks to the short term memory loss she sustained when she was hit by a car at age 17, but--as Dionne pointed out--somehow managed to remember every single line of the acting challenge (sans cue cards, natch). Hmmm, curious. Too many excuses in the end, especially given the fact that not a single designer would have booked her, a first in Top Model history.

I'm a little miffed about Tyra's comment that Renee looks like a "catalogue girl," which I found to be derisive and outright offensive, especially as I thought her two photographs this week were easily the strongest (and by far better than Jaslene's or Natasha's). It looked like editorial work of the highest caliber; her men's magazine shot was sexy and sultry and her women's mag photo was graceful and soft. In the latter, she pulled off a difficult pose that she came up with on her own and managed to make it appear elegant and fluid. To me, she nailed the brief. Plus, she's more than a little canny: upon learning that a designer had just had a baby, she slipped a pic of herself and her son into her portfolio. Clever girl.

Dionne... looked stunning in the photograph with Jaslene that Nigel took up on the Sydney Harbour Bridge but her photos have gotten so boring and lackluster. Plus, I cannot believe that no one at the judging panel even brought up the fact that she asked every single designer if she could keep the clothes she tried on. Um, Dionne, maybe you can ask that AFTER you book the gig and do your job, but not before. Sheesh. I was really hoping this would come back to bite her in the end. Her Grace Jones mean face is just not cutting it in this competition anymore.

As for Natasha, her photographs have gotten better as the competition has moved along, but I just have such a hard time thinking of her as a model. It just doesn't work for me. Plus, her tendency to do (as Tyra and Jay coined it) the turtle, combined with her near-constant model mouth, leave me confused by her. She needs a lot more work with posing and posture in order to do this professionally.

Jaslene's photos were good, but I didn't think they were strong enough to win, but she's regained her strength again. I do think she has a tendency to be a little too drag queen at times, but she's trying to rein in those OTT poses. And she did make a good impression on the designers and with the photographers.

So who do you think should win this competition? Will it be the sultry Russian, the blonde bombshell from Hawaii, the sassy Latina, or the mean automaton?

Next week on America's Next Top Model ("The Girl Who Does Not Want to Dance"), the final four models learn a valuable lesson about self-expression and storytelling from some Aboriginals and, when Natasha gets sick, the other three girls spent a night on the town trashing Nata behind her back.

Model Mouth: Looking at the Six Finalists Left on "Top Model"

I've completely fallen under the spell of this season's Top Model. Sure, Miss Jay irritates me more than ever (good god, the ruffles) and I'm never sure why Natasha is the one to read out the Tyra Mail clues, but, thanks to the girls of ANTM,Wednesdays have become more than just the home of my beloved Lost.

It's now down to the final six contestants. I've got my favorites, as I am sure you do too, along with those that I can't really figure out how they got onto the show, nor how anyone thinks that they could possibly win this thing. (Ahem, Jael.)

A brief aside: what the hell was Tyra wearing last week? While the editors wisely kept us guessing just what travesty the Bankable one decided to throw on this week (I couldn't help but notice that every shot of her was a long shot, surrounded by close-ups of the other judges, the girls, and, hell, the floor rather than a tight shot of her), I was blown away by the sheer ugliness of whatever it was that she had on. How can she possibly criticize the girls for what they show up wearing at judging if she's looking... like that? End rant.

Onto the competitors themselves. I'm amazed each week by the strides Dionne has taken recently. She's finally transformed from that pretty, if awkward, girl into a confident, sexy model. I thought for sure last week's challenge, in which she had to reenact that infamous limo kiss with Kim, would have lead to uncontrollable giggles, but Dionne not only acted like a paragon of professionalism but ended up enjoying herself and opening up. Her photos are polished and poised and, while she might not know exactly what to do with her hair or clothes in the judging room, she's come a long way so far. She's definitely the one to beat.

I really do love Brittany, who has a really unique look that's all her own. And thankfully, the producers finally got rid of her awful, mangy weave. Some girls on Top Model are crybabies just looking for attention; I do believe though that Brit was in severe amounts of pain thanks to that thing. She's quirky-looking without appearing weird or awkward and she more than held her own in the photo shoot with last season's twins, upstaging both sisters and stealing the shot. Not a mean feat, that. She's vaguely reminiscent of Stella Tennant but with softer features. I'd love to see her go up against Dionne but outside of the photo shoot she seems like a bit of a non-entity. Can the judges see her inner model?

Ah, Renee. There's always one completely "misunderstood" girl in the house and, this season, that's you, R. I think Renee is absolutely beautiful (even if her ubiquitous head scarves are distracting, to say the least) and usually takes stunning photos. She just needs the confidence in herself (and the distance from her past issues) in order to stand tall. I think she's really trying to be aware of her flaws and deal with her problems, at least in relation to living with the other girls, and she seems hungry enough to want this. As long as she concentrates on her own photos and poses, I think she could make it to the end. Unless the judges do think that she has a tendency to photograph "too old."

I wanted Natasha and her weird walk to be gone by the end of the first episode, but I do have to say that she's progressed really well and has finally managed to prove why she's there competing; her photos at first were completely vacant pin-up shots but in recent weeks she's managed to reverse a few of her irritating trends (upside down shot, pursed "model" mouth) to create some memorable shots. I don't think she'll make it to the end but I am impressed by the fact she's reinvented herself these past few weeks.

Jael. I really, really, really do not understand Jael. She's unique-looking, if your tastes for models runs towards the alien, but most of the time she looks awkward and far too angry in every shot. Plus, Tyra and the judges are right: once she opens her mouth, there's no way that this girl (who sounds either stoned or drunk or both) will get booked by anyone, unless she takes some elocution classes, stat. I think her time in the competition, unless she seriously brings it, is coming to an end.

Oh, Jaslene. You started off so strong and proved the judges wrong for not admitting you to Top Model earlier but lately your photos have been so... off. Personally, I've never been a Jaslene fan; while her photos at the beginning had a certain je ne sais quoi to them, I found her too skeletally thin (never a problem as a model, though) and thought that she definitely has a decency to look a little... drag-queenish, a description the judges have been loading onto her lately as well. She's always too high camp rather than polished and as soon as she grabbed that feathered headdress in the acting competition with Tia Mowry and Efren Ramirez last week, I knew that she had gone too far.

What do you think? Who will be the final two girls fighting it out for the chance to become America's Next Top Model? And how will producers tell the girls tonight that they're headed for the Land Down Under? Let's hope it's Tyra in a kangaroo costume with Miss Jay dressed up as her joey. Now that I've got to see.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Jericho (CBS); Thank God You're Here (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); According to Jim/Notes from the Underbelly (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Crossing Jordan (ABC); Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (CW); Lost (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Lost (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("The Girls Who Go Down Under"), the girls are given a lesson in hosting by a former ANTM contestant and then head to Australia, where they must interview some Aussie locals. Get out your didgeridoos; it's going to be a bumpy ride.

9 pm: Lost.

If you missed last week's Juliet-centric episode ("One of Us"), here's your chance to catch it again. It's reunion time as Jack finally makes it back to the beach, but his fellow castaways are less than pleased when they see that Juliet is with him. Meanwhile, we finally get some answers about Juliet's past (and get to see that submarine), while Claire is suddenly stricken with a mysterious illness. Uh-oh.

10 pm: Lost.

Lost is more than back on track for me. On tonight's episode ("Catch-22"), Desmond convinces Charlie, Hurley, and Jin to accompany him on a journey across the jungle, while Kate turns to Sawyer after catching Jack alone with Juliet. I'm counting down the hours...

Checking out the Contestants on "Top Model"

Longtime readers know that I am a relative America's Next Top Model newbie, so it's rather amusing that after the last cycle, I've become an obsessed convert to the ways of Tyra and these modeling tyros.

Sure, Miss Jay might annoy me as much as humanly possible, but I try to put those ever increasingly "outrageous' antics out of my mind each week as we see Tyra take some pretty-if-average young women and transform them into top models. Or, well, semi-successful print models, anyway.

I was worried that last week's Pussycat Dolls Presents The Search for the Next Doll would leave a sour taste in my mouth (Ken Mok is, after all, the executive producer on both reality series), but I have to say that I have all but forgotten that cheese fest. Somehow, Top Model manages to toe the line between seriousness and cheesiness but, unlike Doll, it hasn't fallen completely over the edge into ridiculousness. (And Top Model tends not to show its contestants repeatedly vomiting.)

But let's put that aside. This cycle of Top Model which started a few weeks ago, has proven to be just as deliciously addictive as its predecessors and the girls are the perfect mix of wannabes: some beautiful and talented, others just beautiful, and a few who terrify me but manage to produce stunning photographs (Jaslene, honey, I'm looking at you).

So which contestants have already become my favorites? Let's see, I already adore Felicia; she's got the lithe grace of a dancer and manages to inject movement and fluidity into every shot, plus she's gorgeous (even if I don't really think she looks like Tyra). She's one to watch, if she keeps the energy and dedication up at the photo shoots. I love Whitney; she's a plus-size model who doesn't wear that label like a curse, instead flaunting her curvaceous body; however, she tends to overthink the photo shoots and needs to follow her instincts a bit more.

I think that Brittany has a very unique look and manages consistently to surprise with her photo shoots and runway performances; she's got a striking look that screams model and the confidence to match and manages in each and every shot to connect with the camera. Keep an eye on this one. Also, plus size Diana looks absolutely stunning when she's posing. (I can't wait to see her transformation after this week's makeover.) The jury's still out on Sarah; she seems to have toned down the officious attitude; she's a canny photographer in her own right and understands modeling but is lacking that spark (and sparkle) that screams model. Then there was the matter of last week's prom runway challenge; her barely-there top sort of, um, shifted, exposing the girls to an audience of high schoolers. On the one hand, I think it was amazing that she remained professional and didn't break a sweat or freak out about the wardrobe malfunction, but you do also have to be aware of your audience and leaving herself exposed (rather than covering up casually by pulling the top into place) was inappropriate.

Who don't I like? Sure, I feel happy that Jaslene finally got the chance to appear on Top Model (after trying out three times) and she photographs beautifully but girl is scarily thin. Outright skeletal. It's a little terrifying, even if that's more likely than not the norm in the modeling industry. (If the camera does add ten pounds, I am truly frightened.) I was pleased to see her taken down a peg in the runway challenge as she was the worst walker in the competition. I think Jael has that sort of alterna-girl look that the judges find interesting, but I find her whole personality to be completely tiresome, from the "surprise" nudity to her bewilderment at judging panels to her fear of winning because it might change how the other girls view her. Um, Jael, it's a competition, remember?

I cannot, cannot stand Renee or Natasha. I think Renee is a gorgeous woman (she reminds me, each week, of Amanda Righetti) but her attitude is horrible; instead of focusing on her own performance, she obsesses over the other girls and is the worst kind of catty: she think she's just being honest. Ouch. Then there's Natasha. I don't think she's as beautiful as everyone is making out but, putting that aside, there's nothing there behind her eyes. Sure, there's a bit of a language barrier there (making Mr. Jay more than a little irate during photo shoots) but she doesn't seem to even understand the very basics of modeling. It's actually quite embarrassing as she believes herself to be the best one there, rudely instructing the other girls not to step on her cues, and then going on and screwing up. Har har. Payback's a bitch.

As for me, I'm just excited to see what happens next. The all-important makeover episode is tonight, which means we'll get the opportunity for lots of drama, tears, and tantrums as the girls are forced to receive top makeovers from top stylists for free. Or will these girls surprise us by being the first group to go along with the transformations with a minimum of frenzy and hissy fits? Find out tonight.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Jericho (CBS); Friday Night Lights (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); George Lopez/According to Jim (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Crossing Jordan (ABC); One Tree Hill (CW); According to Jim/In Case of Emergency (ABC); American Idol/'Til Death (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Lost (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("The Girl Who Cries All the Time"), it's makeover time (already?) as Tyra and some celeb stylists make over the remaining girls, but it's a call from home and a nude, candy-coated photo shoot that makes the models tearier than usual.

10 pm: Lost.

I can't tell you how happy I am that Lost is back on the air again. On tonight's episode ("Par Avion"), it's Claire's time to shine as we get a flashback episode focusing on the island's newest mommy, Sayid and his team stumble onto a gigantic alarm system that looks like it might have the added benefit of making things extra crispy to boot, and we learn the connection between two characters. Gee, I wonder who they could be?

What's On My Mind Grapes: CariDee Crowned Top Model

Wow, the very few of you who are actually watching the hysterical 30 Rock may have gotten that title but for the rest of you, looks like you'll have to download the episode from iTunes. Me, I'm pushing that catchphrase as hard as I can. It's simply too random not to catch on.

I couldn't let this week end without commenting about the season finale of America's Next Top Model and the crowning of leggy space cadet CariDee as the latest winner of the reality series. I would have been happy, going into the finale, with either CariDee or Melrose taking home the bragging rights to the Top Model title (not to mention the Seventeen mag cover, etc.), but secretly I really was rooting for CariDee to end up trumping Melrose in the end. Who, let's be honest, really did need getting knocked down a peg or two.

In looking at CariDee's photos, they were luminous and stunning and when she's made up in a fresh, natural look, she really does seem the epitome of Seventeen mag. Even Atoosa Rubenstein thought so. (Too bad the editor-in-chief "left to pursue other opportunities" following that Paris Hilton cover.) Some standouts from CariDee's portfolio: the Cover Girl shot (which looked gorgeous and perfectly captured the brief), the water nymphs shot (where she looked staggeringly flawless despite suffering hypothermia), that Barcelona bull-fighting pic. Hell, even the romance novel cover, circus elephant woman, and Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt concept shoot were executed perfectly. That bull-fighting pic shows such awe-inspiring beauty and editorial styling that it could have lept off of the pages of Vogue. (Bravo too to photographer Nigel Barker for capturing the phenomenal shot as well.)

While the bridal runway show was a complete disaster (tone it WAY down, CariDee), I thought that Melrose did work the catwalk (or darkened, ghost-infested Spanish tunnel) with diva-like aplomb. (And didn't start shrieking and tearing up clothes like CariDee.) But looking at her photos side-by-side with CariDee's, Melrose does have this hard quality that doesn't always photograph as well as the softness of CariDee. The Cover Girl shot, along with the bullfighting pic, were perfect examples of this contrast between them. Melrose is such an innate perfectionist that she seems to be thinking and concentrating too hard during the photo shoots. And that reads on her face. Plus, Melrose does photograph older, not exactly a plus in a competition (and industry) where youth is le mot juste. Even just watching Melrose and CariDee walk into the final judging, CariDee just LOOKED the part of a model in her stance, appearance, and attitude. Melrose, on the other hand, looked like just another girl trying too hard to be noticed.

I was surprised at how well CariDee did with the Cover Girl commercial shoot, given the truly awful performance she gave in the Catalan version, which was mind-blowingly bad. This time around, she seemed so much more at ease with herself, especially after she warmed up in true CariDee fashion, letting herself be silly and just, well, bounce off the walls.

She nailed it this time around and, looking at that dazzling photograph of her with Tyra, CariDee not only looks the part of a top model but radiates its very essence from within. This girl is one to watch.

One Last Catfight Before the Final Catwalk on "Top Model"

Okay, so I've gotten a little bit obsessed with Top Model, despite coming to the runway a little late in the game (confession: this is the first "cycle" I've watched). But that's not to say that I haven't become an ardent fan of the Tyra Banks-hosted catfights-and-catwalks reality series, which draws to a close tonight on the CW.

With only three would be models remaining, who will take home the Seventeen mag cover, the Cover Girl gig, and a contract with Elite Model Management? (Not to mention the, er, rather dubious title of America's Next Top Model, as well.)

The competition is more fierce than ever and the three remaining contestants (that's Melrose, CariDee, and Eugena for those of you just tuning in) couldn't be more different. A few weeks back, I would have been amazed that Eugena made it into the Final Three over one of the twins. But then again, the trip to Barcelona seems to have shaken things up a bit and Eugena has actually come to life in a way we haven't seen this entire season so far. While ordinarily her photos were vapid and expressionless (more mannequin than model), Barcelona seems to have awakened something in Eugena. Her bull-fighting photo was a work of exquisite beauty and grace (complete with yoga-like pose) and demonstrated remarkable range and presence; it looked like high fashion editorial work. (Nigel's breathtaking photography helped, but it was all Eugena in the expression and posing.) While she's got a lot to prove after her weak early performances, the judges do seem to be really impressed with what she's brought out in the last few episodes. Will it be enough to propel her to the top? Hmmm.

Melrose, meanwhile, has proven herself time and time again in an array of difficult challenges (though her breakdown after the flamenco dancing last week certainly didn't win her any points); she's clearly the one to beat. With buckets of personality, style of her own (she studied fashion), and that model attitude, she could win this thing VERY easily. But she's definitely trying a little TOO hard and the judges have finally picked up on this. Where is the real Melrose? Her answers are clearly scripted in advance and tailored to what she thinks the judges want to hear. But her photos are usually beautiful and filled with complex and deep expression, even if she does--according to the judges--photograph a little too "old." In a competition with a Seventeen mag cover shoot as one of the main prizes, will that hurt her in the end?

Then there's CariDee, the over-the-top daredevil of the bunch who's so desperate to win this competition that she's willing to do anything, including put herself in physical danger, to achieve that end. Her commitment to last week's icy pool "floating nymphs" photo shoot was admirable until she became striken with hypothermia and had to sit half of the shoot on the sidelines. If that had been an actual client, she would have been in real trouble... And speaking of trouble, there's the whole insulting judge Nigel Barker bit she pulled at the arena. Not too smart, CariDee, especially when Nigel is responsible for crowning the winner of this competition. Still, CariDee has remarkable presence, both in photos and on the catwalk. She's got great bone structure and the style (not to mention, um, dramatic flair) to pull off modeling couture on the runway. That's a real gift and one, from what I hear, not usually found in these contestants, who are typically more suited for print work than the runway. But will it be enough to edge out the others?

In the end, I'm really torn between CariDee and Melrose. Both seem totally suited for this line of work and both are really hungry (emotionally, people!) to win this and succeed. Melrose may have won most of the challenges but Caridee radiates (sometimes too much) passion.

So, who's it gonna be then? Melrose? CariDee? Or Eugena? With only a few hours to go until showtime, who do you think will take home the divatastic crown and the title of Top Model?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The King of Queens/The King of Queens (CBS); The Biggest Loser (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Show Me the Money (ABC); Bones (FOX); Wicked Wicked Games (MyNet)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); The Biggest Loser (NBC); One Tree Hill (CW); Day Break (ABC); Bones (FOX); Watch Over Me (MyNet)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); Primetime: Basic Instinct (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

Okay, I'll admit it: I've gotten hooked on this cycle of ANTM. On tonight's season finale ("The Girl Who Becomes America's Next Top Model"), the three remaining contestants compete in the most crucial photo shoot yet, with two of them going head-to-head as they model couture bridal gowns on the catwalk. And it wouldn't be an episode of Top Model if there weren't a catfight. Au revoir, Jays and Tyra, until 2007!

10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.

It's the second season of Bravo's culinary competition Top Chef. On tonight's new episode (thank god!), another chef gets their dreams cruelly ripped away from them and told to pack their knives and go. Let's hope it's Frank.

Strike a Pose: The Top Contenders on "Top Model"

Confession time: I've become hopelessly addicted to this season (or cycle as they like to call it) of America's Next Top Model. I mean, seriously, seriously addicted, as in a run home from work to watch it sort of addiction. Call it a model dependency problem.

Fortunately, the only side effect of this dirty little habit is the tendency to argue over which girl will win (and maybe a tendency to sometimes get the twins confused). I thought that Bravo's Project Runway would have sated my need for a fashion fix, but it turns out that watching girls try to become top models (or, well, top print models, anyway) is much more fun than I had ever imagined.

So who are my favorites? That's easy. Personally, I'm hoping this competition comes down to a final showdown between Melrose and Caridee, but don't count out one of the twins making it to the final two either... anything can happen in this competition, especially after last week's episode, which had reward winner Caridee nearly booted and sent home. So, which girls are left standing in this competition and what are their chances of winning? Let's take a look.

First up has got to be Melrose, the girl that all the other ANTM girls love to hate. I can see why, when she's winning nearly every competition and prize and usually being bestowed with heaps of praise by the judges. Rightfully so, however, as Melrose rocks it in her own inimitable style; with maybe one exception, her photo shoots are always amazing, producing exceptionally beautiful shots that are heightened by her acting skills. Melrose is able to very easily tap into her emotions during a shoot whilst still managing to draw attention to the product or fulfill the brief, something that can't be said for a majority of the girls already sent home. Plus, she excels both in print and on the runway, presenting a walk and attitude that has both style and flair. It would have been a egregious error to make anyone but her the winner of last week's commercial shoot for Secret deodorant in Barcelona. Melrose was completely natural, totally at ease, and above all confident in both the way she moved and her attempts to speak Catalan. (Did anyone notice the way she interacted with everyone in the commercial, from the kids who ran behind her to the male models?) Melrose is definitely the one to beat.

I can't say enough great things about Caridee, who is definitely a contender, despite her abysmal performance in last week's Secret commercial challenge. (I was concerned that Tyra and the judges would send her packing, but it was way past time for Jaeda to pack her clothes and go.) She's stunningly beautiful and has the charisma and presence to even make it as a professional runway model after the season ends. Her silent movie was the only one that seemed to show any real acting chops and she's never afraid to look bad in order to fulfil a photo shoot brief (i.e., the elephant lady) or the judges' whims (ahem, her half-hour "hiding dizzily" routine). If Caridee has one flaw, it's her tendency to go too over the top, to make things nearly melodramatic in their intensity, and she doesn't always listen to direction, even when safety is an issue (the skydiving training sequence, for example). Still, I think that if Caridee reins in her OTT tendencies and takes each and every challenge as seriously as possible, I think she could be in a good position to make it all the way to the end.

Ah, Eugena. I was really amazed that Eugena managed to stick around for as long as she did, but in recent weeks, she's finally started to come alive a bit and finally get what the judges have been saying all along: her photos were vacant. Eugena has only now managed to inject some personality into her pics and make the judges see some semblance of emotion behind her normally vacuous expressions. Eugena's photos are entirely flat and, if you look at her portfolio, she seems capable of making only one facial expression. Still, she has shown some fire (though her commitment to the competition and life as a model is in question) but I don't think it's enough to keep her around much longer. Unless one of the others really messes up in the next two episodes, I see Eugena possibly being the next to go.

Then there's the twins. At first they really did seem interchangeable, but in recent weeks, they've managed to break through that feeling of them being identical to express themselves as individuals rather than a team of two. Seeing them outside of a photo shoot, it's difficult to even think of them as models as their posture and body language does not scream professional; additionally, they seem more painfully average than everything else. But get them in front of a camera and suddenly they look like couture models come to life out of Vogue magazine. The transformation is remarkable.

Of the two, Amanda seems to want this so much more than her sister Michelle, who seems at times indifferent to the entire process. I think that the two of them are both so very young and lacking the life skills to really model professionally. While, yes, most models are seriously young (younger than the twins, in fact), they seem more preternaturally mature than these two do and the twins often come across as awkward and shaky in uncomfortable situations (I'm thinking of the Fabio shoot, among others). If one of them was to be sent home, it would definitely be Michelle. I wouldn't count Amanda out of the running yet (her photos tend to be stunning) but I can't see her competing against Melrose and Caridee for the top prize.

Who do you think WILL take home the title of Top Model? And better yet, who do you think SHOULD walk off as the winner?

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Jericho (CBS); Madonna: The Confessions Tour, Live From London (NBC; 8-10 pm); America's Next Top Model (CW); Show Me the Money (ABC); Cheaper By the Dozen (FOX; 8-10 pm); Desire (MyNet)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); One Tree Hill (CW); Day Break (ABC); Fashion House (MyNet)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Medium (NBC); The Nine (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

Okay, I'll admit it: I've gotten hooked on this cycle of ANTM. On tonight's episode ("The Girl Who Sticks Her Foot in Her Mouth"), the models meet local designers in Barcelona, causing one to have a breakdown when she gets lost; a photo shoot forces the girls to face a rather angry bull. No, I don't mean Miss Jay.

8 pm: Jamie Oliver's Great Italian Escape on the Travel Channel.

Two back-to-back episodes of the Travel Channel's new series featuring Jamie Oliver, an old camper, and the Italian countryside. On "Puglia," Jamie cooks a birthday meal for the wife of his new friend Beppe... and thirty members of their family. On "Amalfi Coast," Jamie heads for the beautiful, well, Amalfi Coast.

10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.

It's the second season of Bravo's culinary competition Top Chef. On tonight's episode, Anthony Bourdain shows up as the guest judge (I cannot effing wait); the chefs prepare a "cutting edge" Thanksgiving dinner; and Elia seems to descend into some kind of Kurtz in Heart of Darkness-like madness. Wow.