Last night’s episode of Project Runway delivered three things we never thought we’d see: Nina Garcia in a good mood; Jay going back into the closet; and Tim Gunn jumping on a trampoline. The action-packed episode included both home visits and a runway walk-off, from which Zoolander was sadly absent. Heidi tells the four remaining contestants that they all have $9,000 to create a collection for Bryant Park, and that between Mila and Jay, only one will show at Fashion Week. Heidi and Tim do a cute butt bump on the way out of the magic curtain — next time we see Heidi, she won’t be pregnant anymore funny how that works. So everyone says good-bye and good luck to each other, and Seth Aaron pushes Jay back into the closet in a weird sort of flirty friendship ritual. Aw, it’s cute, they like each other. On to the home visits!
Tim is in his best Pacific Northwest–chic when he goes to see Seth Aaron in Washington, where he lives with his family in a cute gingerbread house. Tim’s impressed by the clothes SA has made thus far, but, unfortunately, thinks he should redo the entire collection. “If you want to win this, you’ve got to stretch!” Tim entreats SA, who looks appropriately crestfallen. We then segue to the most amusing segment in Project Runway history: First, Tim plays Pictionary with Seth Aaron’s family. “Eye glasses … balloon … fallopian tube!” Tim guesses of the picture Seth Aaron’s daughter draws (it’s a stethoscope, we later learn). Fallopian tube! Ha! Then Seth Aaron forces Tim to jump on his trampoline. “The Henderson’s are trying to kill me!” Tim laments as he collapses onto the bouncy surface. We have never laughed this hard at Project Runway, ever.
Next is Emilio, a total buzz kill after Tim on the trampoline. To understand the context of Emilio’s youth, we’re shown a Spike Lee–like montage of the South Bronx in the seventies, which feels really out of place. Since when does PR use stock footage? Emilio and Tim continue to hate on each other. “I see a serious absence of sophistication in this work, and I see clothes that look, frankly, old,” Tim concludes about Emilio’s collection. “As far as I know, Tim doesn’t wear women’s clothing,” snarks Emilio. Okay, we’re moving on, as it pains us to have to transcribe disses about Tim Gunn. Not cool, Emilio!
Mila lives in L.A. in a black-and-white house with a black-and-white dog — her life is a veritable children’s book. Tim thinks her clothes are kind of matronly, at which she balks, and then we see some pictures of Mila in her goth phase, which is pretty funny. “I don’t want to lose to that little fucker, I think I’m a better designer and I think he’s really annoying,” she says of Jay. Yeesh, take it easy, lady. Her boyfriend seems sweet, though.
Jay, little Jay, up in San Francisco, has created quite a crazy collection inspired by the Japanese Samurai. His sleeves aren’t sleeves — they’re rings! There’s also an insane coat that Tim dares him to apply to a real-world scenario. “Where would someone wear that?” Tim asks. “Nowhere?” replies Jay. Uh-oh. Jay takes Tim to his walk-up apartment — “Jay, you take these steps so spryly!” — and introduces him to his parents and boyfriend, Ronaldo. Jay’s mom makes a sweet toast, and they all cry. There’s something about Tim Gunn that makes moms emotional in a good way.
Back in New York, three months later, Jay and Mila pretend to make up, even though they really still hate each other. Heidi is without child! Amazing. Let’s get on with the runway walk-off, to see who’s going to join Emilio and Seth at Bryant Park.
