Part II of the season finale!
So who will win? Krista with the fierce walk and dynamic poses or Raina with the fabulous features and piercing stare?
Raina is proud of herself, and she is not ashamed to proclaim it.
Krista is feeling focused — it’s not over yet. She hasn’t forgotten how much she struggled in the beginning.
Raina’s excited about doing the Cover Girl shoot. We see a scary picture of Raina screaming. For some reason, her tongue is purple. She played volleyball in college for three years, but put it aside because her “real passion” is modeling.
Krista has tried out for ANTM five times. We see ossomly ghetto pictures of Krista and her sisters, and an adorable one of the three ofthem when they were little. And then we get an inexplicable picture of Krista with a red bowl on her head.
Tyra Mail! “One of you will rise above the other to claim the title of America’s Next Top Model. But for now you’re flying on the same level, so pack an overnight bag. Love, Tyra.” Ooh, they get to go somewhere! Exciting!
Krista is annoyed by Raina’s over-the-top enthusiasm. “Do you think we could be parachuting? Or, like, in a hot air balloon?” Honey, photoshoots are done. It’s just Cover Girl, and then runway.
Raina says that Krista doesn’t like her. Hmm, Krista must not like “happy” people who “turn a positive into a negative.” Yeah, that’s not annoying at all.
The girls get to take a helicopter to their destination. “I’m so excited; my heart is about to come out of me!” gushes Raina. I half hope it does. Man, if I were Krista, I would totally mute that headset and revel in the deafening sound of the helicopter blades.
New Zealand is freakin’ gorgeous, y’all.
The girls land at a place called Hurakia Lodge. Krista sees a man waiting for them inside with two glasses of champagne. He welcomes them to the lodge and informs them that they’ll be spending the night there.
I want to go to there.
Raina feels like a VIP. The girls toast, and Jay Alexander shows up. Krista’s a little disappointed because she just wants a second to enjoy her victory.
Jay tells them that they need to sleep early and get up early and be young, fresh, and exciting because they’ll be shooting their Cover Girl commercials right there in the morning. They are given scripts and instructed to study up.
The girls will be shilling the entire “Blast” collection. Krista’s afraid of them pulling out cue cards on her because she just can’t get it together.
Raina smugly informs us that she’s already got the first line memorized, but Krista’s nervous. Raina thinks she’s more fun and flirty than Krista, who’s more “focused and fierce.” Ooookay.
Morning comes, and the girls are digging into breakfast when Jay Manuel arrives screaming, “Tyra! Fifty percent!!” which is what Krista screamed when she got into the Top Two.
Jay explains that they’ll be shooting the commercial and the print ad, which will be used in a national ad. But to help them get into the “Cover Girl Spirit,” they bring in Nicole, the winner of Cycle 13. We already saw her at the Cover Girl subway shoot. She’s just as wooden today as she was then. Her hair is no longer red; it’s now straight-up orange. She sounds like she’s reading from a card. This girl reads from a card!
Nicole Fox: now with 50% more ginger!
The concept for the commercial is that they’re getting ready for a night on the town. One girl will shoot her commercial while the other one does her photoshoot, and then they’ll switch.
Krista thinks Raina will come off as fake, and that she’ll come off as more relatable.
Raina gets photographed first. The photographer loved her eyes.
Easy, breezy, beautiful!
Nicole gives Krista a pep talk before her commercial. Krista feels ready. Nicole encourages her not to put too much pressure on herself. Nicole is worthless.
Krista is simply determined not to take the cue cards. She’s got her lines memorized and she wants the commercial to be a breeze. That’s easy, breezy, sweetie.
She gets through her first line, but flubs her second. Before we know it, we’re all the way to Take Seven, and she’s completely blanking. Jay suggests the cue cards, but Krista balks. She’s freaking out because she’s come too far to blank out now, and yet, that’s exactly what’s happening.
She just can’t do it, and finally asks for the cue cards. Now, she can’t just read them. She’ll have to look at them and then look back to camera and repeat the line.
She does one take where she looks up and to the left as she tries to recall the line. She laughs at herself, and Jay compliments her for laughing and staying positive. She’s making do with what she’s got.
Jay thinks she’s lovely. Krista was able to hold it together. Jay was impressed that she didn’t break down and cry. “If you break down and cry, then you look like you’re crying, and then I don’t have anything.”
The girls switch, and Krista gets photographed. She admits that Raina’s face is “undeniable,” but she is determined to come off strong and show that she’s versatile. She says that Raina can only do that “cortisone” look. I think she means “courtesan.” The photographer loves her smile. It certainly does change her face.
Destined to be a Cover Girl.
It’s Raina’s turn for the commercial. She thinks she’ll do really well because her personality is very Cover Girl.
She gets through her first three lines and then flubs. Jay could even pinpoint the moment at which she realized that she couldn’t remember her next line.
She’s squinting at the camera. She flubs again, but keeps trying.
“This isn’t terrible,” starts Jay, “but I’m not 100% convinced.”
The director tells her that she’s got the line delivery down, but she’s also gotta model at the same time.
Raina gets a good take. Jay says that she knew all of her lines, but she could not model and deliver lines at the same time. In a beauty commercial, it’s really important to model throughh as you deliver your lines.
Tyra Mail! “Today, you did your Cover Girls. Tomorrow, you’re doing your covers. Love, Tyra.” They’ll be shooting their Seventeen covers on the morrow.
Krista needs to stand out in her cover shoot because her commercial wasn’t great.
Raina thinks she has a better look for a magazine like Seventeen.
Nigel is waiting for them when they get to the studio. He’ll be shooting their covers.
Nigel shoots Raina and encourages her to think about the young, fresh faces that are usually featured on the cover of Seventeen. Raina comments that, if she were on the cover of the magazine, young girls everywhere would be looking up to her. I weep for America’s future.
Nigel shoots Krista. She wants to change the fashion industry because you never see a “chocolate black girl” on anything. Uh, Krista, ever heard of Alek Wek? And if you think winning ANTM will change the modeling industry, then have you ever heard of Teyona? Exactly.
Chocolate girl? Already been done. And better, too.
Do you know who she is? Most people don't.
Nigel was impressed by both girls. Of course, he can’t express a preference at this point in the show.
When the girls return, their entire apartment has been overrun with camera equipment — and Tyra. She’s there to shoot a Top Model family portrait. But she feels like something’s missing… like the girls’ families.
Krista calls her mom and stepdad her best friends. It’s adorable.
Raina’s dad is her hero. It’s a little sad that she only has her dad.
They get to do a shoot with their families, and it’s actually really sweet. Krista’s mom shares the family motto, which is “Pride, determination, and resilience.” Interesting. My family motto is “Be as crazy as you can without actually getting committed.”
Raina poses with her dad, and Tyra encourages him to loosen up. Raina’s dad requires a lot of direction.
Tyra praises the girls to their parents, and compliments them on raising two fine girls.
(Side note: I looked at the family portraits, and they’re actually quite sweet. You can check them out on Tyra’s website.)
The parents are then given the boot. One of their daughters will be America’s Next Top Model.
The girls gush about loving their parents. There are tears.
Krista says, “I don’t want to eat, sleep, drink. I just want to do this the rest of my life.” That explains why she’s so skinny.
The girls arrive at the runway venue. Anna Sui’s collection was inspired by “rock ‘n’ roll circus.” What the heck?? Is that just clowns wearing, like, more makeup?
Nicole will open the show, and there will be other professional models there as well. But those aren’t the only people competing for the spotlight! The other girls who came to NZ will be walking in the finale show, too.
The other girls don’t look too thrilled to see their former competition reemerge from the depths of obscurity.
caAngelea is on Team Krista. “I hope Krista stomps it out.”
Jessica hopes Raina wins. “She’s hot, she’s sweet, she wants it.” Poor Krista. She clearly doesn’t want it at all, and therefore doesn’t deserve to get it. *removes tongue from cheek*
The judges enter the show to cheers. I cheer, too — because Tyra is not wearing one of those awful jumpsuits.
“This whole show is for Krista and me,” Raina informs us. Oh, and maybe a little person you may have heard of called Anna Sui. Perspective, hon. It doesn’t take much.
Circus performers open the show. There’s a juggler, a guy with a giant exercise ball, a hula hoop girl, a dude with one of those rhythmic gymnastics ribbons — it’s a rock ‘n’ roll circus!
Nicole stomps on out.
Angelea is up next, followed by some real models.
Krista’s next. She strides out, looking happy. She does a great job. She’s totally taking those long strides that ALT told her to. Her legs look miles long and amazing.
So happy to be here.
Jessica goes next and poses at the end of the runway. It is weird. More real models remove the bad taste from my mouth.
The song in the background goes, “So stupid! So stupid!” I laugh at the irony.
Raina the Linebacker is up. She says that she gets up the runway and does “a cute pose.” I can only assume that she is referring to the little kick she did at the end. It was awkward. she’s grinning like an idiot.
I'm a happy and positive person!
Alasia goes, and she actually looks great.
Alexandra’s up, and she rocks a little air guitar.
The girls go for a wardrobe change, and it’s chaos.
Now, they’ll be walking out with partners.
Nicole goes with some model who puts an arm around her.
Alexandra and Alasia are together, and march out with arms held out, like, “Hey, world, look at me!”
Jessica and Angelea get to the end of the runway and high-five each other.
A bunch of other girls go.
Then Raina and Krista walk out together. Krista definitely has better legs than Raina.
Who do you want to look at more?
This is actually a great casual collection; lots of fun.
Raina blows a kiss to the audience as they walk off the runway.
Krista feels great, like she’s on “Cloud Twenty-Five.” Hee!
Raina feels like she just has to win now.
Tyra debriefs with the girls. She asks Krista what she thinks makes her extra-special and why she thinks she should win.
Krista replies that she has a great walk and she brought her personality to it and had a lot of fun “just doing me.” She stayed true to herself instead of being fake.
Tyra asks how Krista felt growing up, if she thought she was pretty. I’m thinking, “What the heck kind of question is that?”
Krista says that she never thought she was pretty until she got to high school and found who she was. She gets all verklempt as she talks about girls who grow up and don’t even think they’re pretty. Uh, Krista, I’ve got news for you. Some of us just aren’t. But we learn to feel comfortable in our own skin anyway. She loves herself even though she’s imperfect, and hopes she can help others to love themselves, too.
Tyra calls modeling a “calling” that’s “bigger than you.” For Alexandra, that’s quite a calling.
Krista’s passion is to talk to the dark, skinny girls out there who don’t think they’re pretty. Meanwhile, a group of white, fat girls droop a little further down on their couches and reach for the Doritos.
Tyra talks to Raina next and asks her how she did. Raina thinks she did well because she let loose and had fun and was herself.
Tyra asks how she felt, being “little Raina” and getting so far.
Raina never imagined she’d ever get this far, and feels like she’s transformed into a model.
Tyra asks Raina to take her back to the lowest she ever felt. Tyra is clearly angling for tears.
Raina admits that she was picked on for being tall and gangly, on top of having huge eyebrows and huge lips. Honey, there is no excuse for the eyebrows. It’s called “plucking” and it’s not that hard.
Tyra says that those are the things she finds beautiful about Raina because she likes the odd and different beauty that Raina embodies. She says that it’s the odd things that make us beautiful. Tell that to my small eyes, Tyra. Tell it to my small eyes.
Raina used to be insecure, but she’s become this super-confident model.
Panel! Tyra is wearing a square. I don’t know how else to describe it.
She compliments the girls on how stunning they are. “All the dreck is gone,” she gushes.
Raina has come from Minnetonka, MN, and Raina has come from Pine Bluff, AR, and they are both finalists.
Tyra summarizes the prizes for the last time, and introduces the judges. Jay Alexander, “runway diva coach extraordinaire,” is the guest judge. Jay is wearing this crazy, ginormous feather hat, and I kind of love it.
Both girls step forward. Raina looks awkward and shouldery in her dress, like she’s leaning forward for some reason.
Jay thought that Krista took short, staccato steps. I didn’t see that. I thought her strides were nice and long. ALT agrees with me (suck it, Jay!) and thought Krista was bouncy, smiling, and real.
Tyra was nervous about Krista doing bouncy, when she’s so used to doing high fashion. But she did think it was just a touch cheesy.
Jay thought Raina’s walk improved a lot, but thought it was slightly affected at times. ALT thought she was a Clydesdale. Tyra loves Clydesdales and loved Raina’s walk.
Now, that's a beautiful model.
Now it’s time for the Cover Girl shoot.
Raina’s picture is pretty. Nigel calls it gentle and feminine. ALT thinks it’s fresh and “American girl next door,” but he doesn’t get the excitement. There’s no twinkle, and I agree.
Jay calls Krista’s picture “in-your-face beauty.” There’s a little extra “oomph” from somewhere inside. Tyra thinks her face is beautiful, but she’s not smiling with her eyes.
Commercials! This should be good.
Nigel says Raina has a charming timbre to her voice (he says it all French). But he tells her not to forget her eyes — I told you she was squinting!
ALT loved her smile, but didn’t see her personality come through in a way that said “Cover Girl.” Tyra didn’t say anything new.
Jay tattled to Tyra that Krista blanked out. Nigel says it’s okay because that happens, but it’s important not to lose yourself. Tyra says that if you forget your lines, just stay in the commercial.
Nigel says that, quite frankly, that the light loves her. That is true.
Deliberations! Shots of all the judges looking serious.
Raina is interesting and odd. Krista has beautiful skin and a stunning collarbone.
Both were strong in the cycle and showed versatility. They’re both charming and stunning.
Krista’s a better whole-body model. Raina’s a better beauty model.
Tyra asks for ALT’s opinion on the girls’ international appeal. ALT thinks that Raina would do well in England and Europe. But he thinks Krista would be a better for an international market.
Jay thinks Krista is great for shows, while Raina would be great for pictures.
Nigel thinks Raina would be more successful globally than domestically. He says that Krista has more drama and more heart.
They’re both great, but, like Highlander, “There can only be one!!”
THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!!
America’s Next Top Model is:
Krista!
She breaks down in tears, and sobs hysterically to Raina, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
Raina holds it together remarkably well and tells Krista it’s okay and congratulates her and wishes her good luck. She’s determined not to stop. She’s a very gracious loser.
Tyra tells Krista that she’s amazing, and the embodiment of America’s Next Top Model. She learned, listened, and blossomed. She totally deserves to win.
She’s overwhelmed! Nigel actually picks her up and twirls her around. She gets hugs and kisses from Jay and ALT. She just can’t believe it, and no one ever though it would be her.
There are cute pictures of Krista when she was little, and then we flip through her portfolio. She has truly grown. She really is beautiful, and totally deserved to win.
We get to see Krista’s magazine cover and various other shots of Krista working it over the cycle. Then we see her pic with Tyra.
America's Fourteenth Top Model
Yay, Krista! I’m satisfied that she won. That’s because they edited the show so that I would like her more than I liked Raina.
Book Bloggy Blogg 