What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

 

General Hospital

Michael tells Brook that Wiley is unstoppable. She says she’s starting work at ELQ tomorrow, and he says he looks forward to seeing what she does with the place. The doorbell rings, and Brook goes to get it. It’s Chase, who asks if he can come in. She asks if he has a warrant.

At Charlie’s, Nelle asks Julian about Brad’s arraignment. He refuses to engage with her, and she threatens him with a scathing Yelp review. He tells her, do what she’s going to do, but from over there. She sits at a table, and calls Zara. She says she needs to know what happened at Brad’s arraignment. Willow and Sasha walk in.

Brad sits in the empty courtroom with his head in his hands, and Britt comes in. She says he sure looks like he could use a friend, and he says she has no idea. They hug, and she asks how he got there. He asks where she’s been, and if she didn’t get his voicemail. She says she’s sorry, but she’s been fighting to get her license back. Everything worked out, and she’s sorry she missed his arraignment. She assumes he made bail. She says, he doesn’t want to go to prison. You’re never alone, always looking over your shoulder, and the food is terrible. Brad sits back down, and she says, cheer up. She’s here now, and they’re not going to let Nelle win. He says, she already has. He pled guilty.

Stella shows up at Curtis and Jordan’s place, and asks what Curtis has gotten himself into now.

Jordan tells Cyrus, if he has something to say, say it. He says, no locked windowless room, no mayor, no Commissioner, no one can keep a very determined man from doing what’s necessary to get what he wants. She asks if he has her son, and he wonders why she’s asking. She says, where is her son? He just said no one can stop him. He says he was merely commenting on the state of the world. The powerful do what they must to retain power. He has nothing to do in solitary, but become philosophical about how he got there, and all the wrongs he has yet to right.

Sasha tells Willow, they can go somewhere else, but Willow says she’s not going to let Nelle chase them out. That’s giving her too much power. Sasha says they don’t want to give her the satisfaction. They sit down, and Sasha says she’s so glad they could get together. How is she doing? Willow says, she’s coping. The best thing Sasha can do is give her a distraction. Fill her in on some juicy gossip or tell her what’s going on with Deception. Sasha says she has some juicy gossip, and Willow asks, who’s it about? Sasha says it’s about her and Michael talking marriage.

Chase says he’s there to see Michael, and Brook yells for him, saying, it’s the cops. Carrying a six-pack (of the beer variety), Chase says Michael couldn’t come to The Rib, so he brought The Rib to him. Michael says he’s a true friend. Chase says Brook can join them if she promises not to swing one of the bottles at his head. She says she has to meet with Ned, and Michael congratulates her on her new job, telling Chase, Brook has an exciting new role at ELQ. She leaves, and Michael asks if everything is okay. Chase says, not completely. They need to have a conversation about Nelle.

Britt asks if she’s taught Brad nothing. Never admit guilt. He’s guilty of loving his husband, and wanting a family. He made a mistake in the midst of a tragic event. He was coerced when he was deep in grief, and didn’t mean to hurt anyone. She knows Brad, and knows he doesn’t roll over so easy. Something happened; what? He says, Sonny happened. He made Brad an offer he couldn’t refuse. Plead guilty and live. She says, it’s a compelling offer. She’s thought his father-in-law was helping him keep the secret, but Brad says, he did. Until he didn’t.

Nelle tells Julian that her lawyer said Brad pled guilty. She wonders why, and Julian asks if she isn’t happy. She says, justice was served, but no amount of punishment will change the amount of suffering she and Michael were put through. Julian says, no one is buying her act. They all know Brad didn’t steal her baby. She traded Wiley like baseball card, and isn’t fit to be a mother. She says he’s no shining example of fatherhood. She’ll have a better relationship with Wiley than Julian has with Lucas. He says, Wiley is a Corinthos, and they don’t compromise. He bets by the time Wiley is grown, he won’t know she exists.

Stella asks if Curtis expected her to stay an ocean away, when she heard about a shooting where his partner got killed. He says Taggert wasn’t his partner; he was just helping out. Stella says he was like a partner. Thank God they managed to rescue the kids. She knows Cameron, and met Trina; she’s very impressive. She’s so sorry Trina’s daddy was killed. She asks if Curtis is all right, and he says he’s good. She says she knows he’d lie to protect her, but he insists he’s good. No bullet wounds, no broken bones. He’s got some bumps and bruises, but he’s good. She says it could have been him who was shot. Taggert died, and he lived; how does that make him feel? He says, awful. He left Taggert in the warehouse, and now his daughter is grieving. She says, it’s not his fault.

Jordan sends a text to TJ, saying she needs to hear his voice asap. It’s an emergency. Cyrus supposes there’s nothing more terrifying than the feeling when your child is missing. No matter what their age, it’s excruciating. Not knowing makes your mind go to the worst case scenario. She says if he’s hurt her son, she’ll kill him herself, and he tells her, be careful with the death threats; the walls have ears. She tells him, stop the toying and the doublespeak. He has her son. He says, prove it, although now that she mentions it, snatching the Commissioner’s son on his way home from GH, gives tremendous leverage to someone who wants to exact a favor in exchange for his continued health. She asks what he wants, and he says the same thing she does; TJ’s safe return. Her phone dings, and she takes a quick look, but puts it back in her pocket. He asks if she isn’t going to answer that, and she says, TJ is the only person she wants to hear from. He says, the text might be important; you never know. She opens it, and finds a picture of TJ, sitting up, but leaning against a wall like he’s passed out.

At the café, Ned asks how Brook’s day was. He was surprised when he got her call accepting the job offer. She says she surprised herself too, and he says, it’s the mature, responsible thing to do. What changed her mind? She says she’s a Quartermaine, and should work for the family, but maybe she has something to offer; a more modern sense. He says Michael isn’t ancient, and neither is he. He appreciate her enthusiasm, but needs to clarify that she’ll be coming on board as an assistant. She says, executive assistant, and he says she’ll have to answer phones and take messages. At least at first. She says she can update the music on the phone, instead of it being just a step up from elevator music. He says they use a service, and any music played in a public environment has to be licensed. Since she can’t read a contract, he doesn’t know if she can deal with licensing. She says she can be the in-house music curator. She’ll start there, and maybe she can create an ELQ streaming system that the employees can listen to in the break room. He says she’s ambitious, and she says, but…? He says, no buts. He likes it. He likes how she’s trying to connect to ELQ in her own way. Maybe there’s a consultation fee in it for her. She says, good, because she wants to put her family first.

Sasha says, family court can still be traditional, and it will be hard to get a judge to bar Nelle from Wiley’s life. Unless Wiley has a mother figure. Willow says, wow. Sasha could end up being Wiley’s mom. Sasha says it’s freaking her out little bit. She and Michael only moved in together because of Nelle. Raising a child wasn’t on her radar until a month ago. Everything happened so fast. Willow thought things were going well, and Sasha says, they are. She and Michael are so compatible, and it’s wonderful knowing she’s going to see him every day. Willow asks if Sasha is having a problem loving Wiley, but Sasha says she loves the little guy. She’s just having a hard time thinking of herself as a mom. Raising a child is huge. Willow says, it’s everything.

Nelle tells Julian, it’s wrong of Michael and his family to think they keep her away from her son. They think they’re above everyone and everything. He says she just wants to stick it to Michael and his family. She doesn’t care about Wiley. She says she doesn’t like the name Wiley; she never did. She’s going to change his name. She likes the name William. Willow approaches Nelle, and says, what? Nelle says, it’s a classier name, and Willow says, Wiley is the name he knows. Nelle says, he’ll adjust, and Willow says, he’s a person. She can’t just change his name. Nelle says she’s sick of Willow’s self-righteousness. She’ll raise her son how she pleases. Willow is delusional, and needs to remember that her son is dead, and stay the hell away from hers. Willow picks up a drink, and throws it in Nelle’s face.

Michael tells Chase that Diane thinks the chances of him getting full custody are good. Chase says Michael is the obvious choice in this situation, but Michael says Nelle is still insisting Brad stole her baby, and the court might find that sympathetic. Chase says sometimes he feels like the criminals have all the protection. Michael asks if Chase is sure there’s no way to prove Nelle assaulted Willow. They have evidence that she was planning on kidnapping Wiley. Chase says they haven’t located the forged passports, and Michael wonders how they could get lost. Chase says they were stolen.

Britt asks why Brad didn’t give Julian up, and Brad says he needed to leave Lucas something. Lucas is the only man he ever loved, and he’s already taken on so much. He was a coma for a month after the accident. Britt says, the brakes failed, and Brad says, before that, he told Lucas the truth, then he lost control of the car. She asks if there had been anything wrong with the brake system before. Brad says, no, and the cops couldn’t determine what happened, since there was too much damage. They were lucky to get out alive. It felt like a miracle when Lucas woke up, and didn’t remember, but he was on borrowed time. Then he got the job in Portland, and for a moment, he thought they’d get away and have a fresh start. Has he been delusional, like Nelle? She says, no; just crazy in love. He says he was. The lies and deception were wearing on him to the point that he couldn’t eat or sleep, and was physically sick. He thought he was going to have a heart attack, and could have used a friend. She says, sorry. She was busy readjusting to normal life after a year in prison. Speaking of which, she heard her mother was arrested for attempted murder. She didn’t see that coming. She thought once her father died, her mother was committed to being a doting grandmother. Brad says, who blackmailed him every chance she got.

Curtis tells Stella, they thought Taggert would pull through, but suddenly the alarms went off, and that was it. Stella says, it’s heartbreaking. Trina’s father sacrificed himself for her. Curtis says Taggert drew fire, so he could get Trina out safely. She says, and that’s what he did. Thank God neither of them were hurt. He says, Trina isn’t so grateful. All she knows is that her father was shot, and left to die. Stella says, she’s young, and not aware that she’s blaming herself for surviving. She can’t process it and needs someone to be mad at. He says, it makes sense, but it doesn’t make seeing her pain any easier. She says he can’t take on the guilt. Taggert put his life on the line to save the child he loved. It was his right as parent.

Cyrus asks if something is amiss, and Jordan says, where is he? He says, it looks like TJ’s been through quite an ordeal, and she asks what Cyrus has done to him. He says he’s locked up, away from the world, in solitary no less, and without a phone. She says they both know he has people on the outside doing his dirty work. What the hell does he want? Obviously not to kill her. It’s something else. What?! He tells her, calm down. She needs to focus. She’ll have to move fast. From what he sees in the photo, the people who have TJ aren’t concerned about his health. She says her son has nothing to do with this. He’s going to become a doctor, and save people’s lives. Cyrus says he’s sure TJ is fine, and he knows she’s the type of woman who will do anything to bring him home safe.

Curtis says, somehow Stella always manages to make him feel better, even when facing the hard truth. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her too. He asks how long he’s going to have the pleasure of her company, but she’s not sure. She wants to call TJ, and asks him to make room in his busy schedule for her. He says, that might be a problem; TJ has been a ghost lately. She asks, why? and he says, TJ proposed to Molly, and she turned him down.  

Ned asks if Brook minds if he asks why she changed her mind. She says she was visiting Mike, and singing for the folks at Turning Woods. Olivia sent meatballs over. Ned says it was sweet of her to go, and she says it’s one way she can perform off of Linc’s radar. She knows how much Mike means to her mom. He and Sonny are part of the old neighborhood, and anyone from there is family. Ned asks how Mike was, and she says, to be honest, the Alzheimer’s pretty advanced, but she got him to smile. He started going on about how important family is, and it struck her. A guy who’s losing so much still remembers how important family is. They don’t always get along or like each other, but they’re the ones who show up for you and support you when you need it most. Ned says, you’d better believe it.

Britt says her mother helped deliver Nelle’s baby? Brad says, when Obrecht got back, and was exonerated, she put it together that the babies had been switched, and the baby he and Lucas adopted was Michael and Nelle’s baby. She used it to make him do her bidding whenever she wanted. She says, forget Julian. Use her mother to confirm Nelle was involved. He says he figures she’d lie to keep herself out of trouble, and Britt says she’s sorry her mother made things harder for him. Brad says, we all do things we regret, but at the end of the day, Obrecht wasn’t the problem; he was, and all the terrible decisions he made. He just wanted to be good enough for Lucas. He’d do anything to make Lucas happy. She says, that never works. We can’t change who we really are, no matter how hard we try.

Nelle says she’s going to have Willow arrested for assault, but Willow makes an innocent face, and says, it was an accident. Julian says, it looked that way to him. Nelle says she’s not paying a dime for dinner, and stomps over to her table. Sasha laughs, and Nelle asks if she has something to say. Sasha says, encore? Nelle deserves more than a drink in her face. Nelle says Sasha is nothing more than a tramp, wandering around the Quartermaine mansion, until Michael is sick and tired of her. Sasha says, at least she’s welcome, and no one has packed her off to sleep with the boats. Willow says she thought Nelle was leaving, but Nelle says she’s not going anywhere. Get used to it.

Michael says he was hoping they’d found the forged passports. They were either buried or taken, but by whom? Chase says, that’s what’s disturbing. Either there’s someone on the inside, or with access. Michael says, Nelle has an ally they don’t know about. She threw Brad under the bus and he’s in jail. Who else is out there who would help her? Chase says, another true believer helping Shiloh’s widow, and Michael says, possibly. The only other person who helped Nelle was Ava, and she regretted it pretty quickly. Chase says, the thought of someone backing Nelle up is all kinds of bad, and Michael says they have to stop her, no matter what. Um… Daisy anyone?

Brook asks Ned how this works, and he says he usually arrives at 7:30. She says, a.m.? She thought it was 9 to 5. He says, the hours are more fluid than that, and she says, good; she’d like to work 12 to 8:30, since she’s not a morning person. He says he’ll see her at 8; coffee helps. She panics, saying she doesn’t know how to work a word processing program or anything else, but he says she’s smart, talented, creative, and thinks outside the box; qualities he looks for in an ELQ employee. He thinks the music idea is good. There might even be a title for her down the road. There’s a learning curve, but he believes she can do whatever she puts her mind to. She says, except what she loves most. Five years without singing. She’s always been a singer, and doesn’t know who she is now.

Britt tells Brad, she knows what it’s like to fall in love with a child that’s not yours. She carried Lulu and Dante’s baby just to get Patrick back, but she loved Ben (now Rocco) so much, she couldn’t bear to let him go. Brad is glad someone gets it. Britt says she would have never let Julian walk away. She would have handed him over to Sonny without a second thought. He asks if she thinks he made a mistake.

Sasha tells Willow, she’s totally jealous. How did it feel? Willow says, extremely satisfying, but she wishes Nelle had melted like the wicked witch she is. Sasha says she feels bad for Michael. The mother of his child is a nightmare, and now there’s a brutal custody battle brewing. She wishes there was something she could do. Willow says, it seems like there is, and Sasha says, marry Michael for real? She doesn’t want to jump into something they’re not ready for, but what if they are ready, and didn’t know it?

Chase asks Michael, assuming they can’t send Nelle back to prison, how are they going to keep her away from Wiley? Michael says, Diane had an interesting idea. She thinks he should get married. Chase slides the beer over, saying Michael needs it more than him. Michael says, it doesn’t scare him… much, and Chase asks if he’s considering it; Sasha has been by his side through everything. Michael says, she’s been amazing, but married is a whole other level. Chase says, so is fatherhood, and Michael adjusted. He put Wiley first. Michael asks if he shouldn’t, and Chase says, of course (🍷) he should. What he’s saying is that he thinks Michael should do it. Michael says, propose to Sasha? and Chase says, if it were him, he’d consider anything to give himself the advantage over Nelle.

Jordan comes home, and Curtis says they were just talking about her. Look who’s here. Jordan hugs Stella, who says Jordan is shaking. Jordan says she’s chilly, but happy to see Stella. Curtis asks if everything is okay, and Stella asks if Jordan wants to talk about it. Jordan says, it’s just been a long day. She could use some downtime. Curtis says she’s clearly upset; what happened at Pentenville? She says Cyrus got under her skin, and Curtis explains that Cyrus is the man they believe is responsible for Cyrus’s death. Stella says, it must be awful to be face to face with a man who took someone she cared about. Jordan says she’s sorry, but she can’t do this.

Britt says Brad passed up a chance for revenge for Lucas’s sake. He put the man he loves first. He did the right thing. Brad says he doesn’t hear that much. Maybe one day, Lucas will understand. She hopes so, for both their sakes. Lucas will never find someone who loves him as much as Brad. A man comes in, tells Brad the waiver is ready to be signed, and cuffs him. Brad says that’s his cue, and Britt says, goodbye. He says, it can’t get much worse, right?

Jordan tells Curtis, Cyrus is hateful, dangerous, and should be dead, not languishing in prison. She apologizes to Stella. She knows Stella is probably tired, but she can’t stay there tonight. Stella asks if Jordan is kicking her out.

Ned says he understands what Brook is going through, but he has complete faith in her. He has no doubt she won’t lose who she is. She says she doesn’t want to become a corporate drone. No offense. He says, none taken. Neither did he. He resisted ELQ, but he kept finding himself being pulled back in. She asks why he kept going back, and he says, mainly because her grandmother would harangue him until he gave in. And also what Mike said. It all comes down to family. He wants to continue his grandfather’s legacy. He wants ELQ to remain in the family, and give a prosperous future to her, Leo, Wiley, and their kids. She says she has no plan to pop out babies any time soon, and he says he’s glad to hear it. She needs to focus on her career. She says, thanks to Linc, her career ended before it started.

Chase tells Michael, they need to hash out a plan, and Michael says, at least they have a start. Chase says he can’t tell Michael how much he regrets not dealing with Nelle when she killed Zack. If he hadn’t bought into her lies, Michael wouldn’t be in this position. Michael says, then Wiley wouldn’t be here, and he’s worth all of it. He just hopes Nelle doesn’t inflict her misery on him. Chase says Michael has a strategy for that, and Michael says, marriage. Chase says Michael and Sasha are the real deal. He has a piece of friendly advice. Michael can speed things up, and neutralize Nelle, or risk Nelle having a permanent place in Wiley’s life.

Ned says he knows five years sounds like forever, but you never know what can happen. Think of it as simply putting her career on hold. In the meantime, she can still be creative, when she’s not taking ELQ by storm. She says she’s ready to be a cog in the corporate machine, and he says, it’s not that bad. Tonight is karaoke night at The Floating Rib. Does she want to go, and celebrate her first day on the job? She says she’d love to sing with Eddie Maine, and thanks him. They hug, and he tells her that he loves her.

Chase finds Willow sitting outside of Charlie’s, and asks if she isn’t cold. She says she needed some air; Nelle is inside. He asks if she wants to leave, but she says, no. Now that he’s there, she won’t even notice Nelle. They kiss.

Julian asks Nelle, cash or credit? and she says she’s considering getting dessert. He says they don’t have it, and she says he doesn’t know what she wants. He says, whatever she wants, they don’t have, and she storms out without paying. Britt is at the bar, and Julian asks what he can get her. She says, that’s the question.

Sasha goes back to the Quartermaine mansion, and Michael says, hi. She kisses him passionately, and he says her greeting is better than his. They both start talking at once, and Michael tells her to go first. She says she was thinking about them and marriage. He says, so was he, and she wonders if they weren’t a little premature, saying it’s not an option. He says, maybe it’s not such a crazy idea after all, and she says, if it can sway his case even slightly, it’s worth talking more about it, isn’t it?

Curtis asks Stella to please give them a minute, and Stella says she’ll go freshen up – if that’s okay. Jordan says, of course (🍷). Sorry. Curtis tells Jordan, they’re alone now. Please tell him what Cyrus really said.

Tomorrow, Michael asks if Sasha can love Wiley, Chase hopes Harmony lives up to Willow’s expectations, Britt tells Julian that she knows he helped Brad, and Stella is still worried.

Project Runway

Karlie asked Steven if he thought all four designers deserved to move forward, and he said he did. Elaine said, hell yes, and Nina agreed. Brandon said he hated to be the one to deliver… the fact that he agreed with everyone. Like there was any doubt at that point. Karlie said they were all going to Fashion Week. In Sergio’s interview, he said those were the best words he’d ever heard. Geoffrey said he was super proud, but still had three designers left to battle. It was far from over. Karlie reminded them to take the judges advice into consideration when finishing their collections. They had 48 hours, and Brandon told them to show up and show out. Geoffrey said his mantra was, get it done.

Christian texted the designers to meet him at the CFDA. There, they met Sara Kozlowski, the director of professional development, and publicist Rachna Shah, who works with Givenchy, Fenti, and Victoria Beckham, who would give them one-on-one guidance on branding. Rachna agreed with the judges that Victoria had too much branding going on, and suggested she do at least one piece of work without any. Victoria fretted that it might be too simple. Nancy told them that she didn’t see gender, and it was a journey of textiles. She said it didn’t matter about age, size, or gender, and Rachna told her that she still needed to define what the appeal was for different people. She suggested Nancy go with her empowerment message. Geoffrey said bravery and survival were a big part of who he is, and Christian suggested he lead with that, not the fabric. Rachna told Sergio that just seeing the clothing would necessarily impart his narration, and he should pay attention to the hair and makeup as well. He said the judges had said the collection was too dated and old fashioned, and Rachna told him not to lock himself into one clientele age group. He said he was going to figure out how to modernize his collection to make it younger and fresher.

Going to Mood was next, where the designers had a budget of $400 and 45 minutes to shop. Christian told them that they would have seamstresses to help, because he’s nice and they needed it. Sergio said he was trying to make his collection messier, and Christian said him taking advice was a first. It only took the whole season. In Sergio’s interview, he said, being a perfectionist, it was hard for him to mess things up. Geoffrey was hoping to alter the crazy purple dress with enough sleeves for an octopus, and bring it back. It was time for them to work with the models, and Sergio said he wanted the model to not only feel the garment, but sell it to the judges. Nancy wanted to find models that didn’t just fit the garment, but reflect her mission of inclusivity. Stylist Karla Welch returned, and Christian told the designers that they’d be fitting five models the first day, and the other five on the second. In a double-duty commercial break, Christian discussed the fashion in the new Mulan movie with Sebastian, last season’s winner, and costume creator for the film.

Sergio said his collection needed a lot of alteration, which was a problem. The designers moved on to their makeup consult with MAYBELLINE. Victoria said ideas were fighting each other in her brain. The group took a break, going to West Wine Bar, where they talked about the loved ones coming in for the show. Geoffrey said his father was having a knee operation, and couldn’t make it . Sergio’s partner was going to be there, and Sergio said Kade had put his own career on hold in order for Sergio to come to New York, and he intended to propose.

The designers worked with the models, and Christian brought in Karla to work with the styling. She told Nancy they were getting rid of the wine tote, and suggested there be nothing superfluous. Geoffrey was all about putting one gigantic earring on each of his models, but Karla said it would throw off the symmetry. In Geoffrey’s interview, he said she gave him the same advice as the judges, and he was trying to find a way to meet in the middle. Dial back, yet stay true to himself. Karla told him not to do anything that would take the eye away from the clothes. In Sergio’s interview, he said Victoria was a force to be reckoned with, after she whipped up a gorgeously simple white gown in like, two hours. Karla suggested Sergio replace a fringed jacket he’d paired with a skirt, with a T-shirt. Sergio said it wasn’t his vision, and he was going to have to go to a place he wasn’t comfortable with, and push himself to the brink. Karla pointed out that Victoria had a mixture of styles, so she should have no extra distractions, and suggested all the shoes be nude. In Victoria’s interview, she said her mother wanted to be a designer, and was living her dream though Victoria. Geoffrey couldn’t find his bag of face studs, but Karla told him again not to detract from the garments, so he let it go. Next came hair with TRESEMME.

Christian said they weren’t done yet, causing the designers to panic, but he was just there to give a pep talk, telling the designers it had been about them being themselves, and figuring out who they were and who they wanted to be. He hoped they were proud. He let them know their guest judge was going to be Serena Williams. Rather than a T-shirt, Sergio decided to create the most wonderful knit turtleneck the world had ever seen. Nancy announced it was their last half-hour in the workroom, freaking everyone out. Geoffrey started crying, and then couldn’t see what he was sewing. He was nervous that he still had a ton alterations, and no time. If this turned out to be his last show, he’d need to go out and get a job. He was afraid of making a mistake he’d never forgive himself for.

It was the final day, and Geoffrey said he was a steaming hot mess, but thankful for the opportunity to grow. He’d found himself as a designer, and somehow pulled it off. Victoria said it was an important moment, and thought about the sacrifice and struggle it took her to get there. She said it had been a tough journey. We flashed back to her almost quitting, and she said she learned an amazing lesson – it was okay to fail some along the way. Sergio said he was confident coming in, since he was good at sewing, but the experience taught him to be open, and evolving as a person and designer. He made three friends, who all had outstanding collections, and he knew it was going to be a tough decision for the judges. Nancy said she’d been the underdog, not because of her age, but her lack of experience. When she had looks in the bottom, she listened to the advice, and said this was her authentic self. It was where she belonged, and hoped she’d shown it was never too late to live your dream. Don’t let anyone stop you.

The designers dressed their models. Sergio found there were holes popping out in his turtleneck. He said it was his worst nightmare, and rushed to fix them. I wondered why he didn’t just leave them, since Brandon’s advice was to f*** it up.

Karlie looked stunning in a black cut-out long-sleeved belly shirt, and black ballgown skirt with a high slit – and pockets! Victoria was up first, saying her collection, Revelation, was inspired by her home country and her mom, and told her husband that she loved him. In her interview, she said this had been her dream since she was a child, and she couldn’t believe she’d come this far from her tiny country. It was a strange feeling, and she didn’t want to take her eyes away, because she wanted to see every moment. She’d been a good designer, but not designing to her fullest. She thought her collection was modern and chic, and every piece was her aesthetic.

Nancy explained her collection, Sustain-Our-Ability, was zero waste wearable art, and her brand mission was inclusivity and sustainability. She dedicated it to her husband and son. I liked her collection, but was especially impressed with an amazing distressed jumpsuit. She said she didn’t have any particular woman in mind, she just designed for people. She wanted her fashion to allow people to express who they were as individuals. She got cheers for one of the dresses made of liquid fabric, and Nancy thought it was magical. She said she might be the oldest designer ever on the show, but she belonged there. She has a place in the fashion world.

Sergio said his Ocean Anthem collection portrayed what humanity doing arctic, and dedicated it to his partner Kade. The sheer white dress was a lot less sheer, and Sergio thought the model looked like Mother Nature herself. He’d totally revamped everything, and I was pretty impressed, thinking was going to be the winner. In his interview, Sergio said it was an emotional experience, seeing his collection in this amazing space on beautiful models, the way he’d envisioned it coming to life on the runway. He thought it was super chic, with a twist of modernity; designed for the woman who wants to be the best dressed at the party. He said, everything was so beautiful, ethereal, and elegant, and the movement spectacular, and he’d conveyed the entire story in one collection. All of his years in the industry was a warm-up for this moment.

I was surprised Geoffrey didn’t have a heart attack, but he rallied, and introduced his Purple Heart collection, saying it was about survival and bravery. He thanked his friends and family for their support over the years. In his interview, he said it was everything he’d been hoping for, and couldn’t be more proud. He’d revamped it well, but it still wasn’t my taste. Except for that one dress I loved from last week, which he’d given more shape to by taking in the bodice from the back. He said he learned it was okay to be shy and nervous, as long as his designs were fearless. His self-worth had magnified to a level he’d never dreamt of, and he was proud of his edit and collection. It was everything he’d hoped for, and he had no regrets. It was truly his best work, and he believed in it.

Karlie said it was going to be tough. Serena said it was a strong show with amazing designers. Karla was super impressed. Backstage, Sergio said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kade, and asked Kade to marry him. Luckily, it was a yes, since it would have been really embarrassing had it been a no. Karlie told the designers it had been a fabulous show, and they’d all earned the right to be there. She reminded everyone that the prize was a quarter of a million dollars, their designs included on Bluprint, a feature in Elle magazine, $50K from Pilot pens, and a career changing mentorship with the CFDA.

It was time for the final judging, and Geoffrey was up first. Elaine said they’d seen a range of emotions from him (no kidding), and he had a Billy Eilish take on fashion. Brandon said Geoffrey’s brocade looked moved him emotionally, but I have no idea what that meant. Serena said she was a huge fan of outerwear, and loved his jackets, most of which would swallow me whole. Nina thought how he manipulated fabric so that it felt modern was amazing, but was concerned about the work being referential to Rick Owens. Karlie said his work became stronger and better, and he let it speak for itself. Karlie was glad he lost the bag with the face studs, saying all the over-styling was unnecessary.

Nancy was told both her designs and models were inspiring. She’d incorporated who is and what she stands for, and the industry needed more of that. Nina said Nancy proved sustainability can be fashion, and Elaine praised her clear intention. Brandon said he could tell she’d thought about how good the fabric would look on the runway under the lights, as well as the hair and makeup. Serena loved the collection, but would have like more of a silhouette, and Nina said she would have liked more pieces like Nancy’s tailored suit, but the collection came from her heart, and was bold authentic.

Nina said Sergio was most skilled in execution and polish, and his collection was high luxury level, but it seemed frozen in time. She wanted to see a more relaxed version. Sergio said he grew up in a very conservative place, and taking control made it feel safe. Brandon  made safe place took longer control to feel safe. Brandon thought he needed to take more risks, and go for it. His favorite was the sheer turtleneck, which he said felt modern, and I imagine he would have liked it even better if Sergio had left those holes alone. Elaine said they’d gotten a glimpse of Sergio 2.0, and Serena said she loved classic design, so she loved his collection.

Serena told Victoria her execution of the cut-outs was on point, and they were difficult to do. Elaine gave her kudos for creating clothing that real women will want to shop for. It was fresh, but Victoria had gotten clear feedback about the branding, and still had a head-to-toe labeled outfit that was hard to see next to her elevated pieces. Brandon said everyone wanted her all-white dress, including him. Nina said it had a never before seen fluidity, and was like a graduation for Victoria. I guess that was another way of saying, it wasn’t the same asymmetrical cut-out mini dress that they’d seen ten thousand times.

The designers left the stage so the judges could discuss. They agreed they had a good problem, since all four designers were incredible. Brandon said it was clear Victoria loved the female form, and everyone loved the white dress, Brandon saying she could win on that alone. Serena loved the tailoring, and Karlie thought Victoria’s ideas could easily be commercial. Elaine said, Nancy definitely had a dog in the fight, which she wouldn’t have bet on in the beginning. She had the ability to evolve quickly, and Brandon said that stood for something in the industry, but she needed to push herself creatively, although her designs were both inspirational and commercial. Karlie said her fabric was lux, but thought the designs lacked variety, even though they were beautiful. Serena thought Nancy was amazing. The judges thought Sergio’s color story was poetic and moving, and Nina said it was perfect, polished, and dreamy, while Brandon added that it was also sellable, but didn’t know if it was something the market needed. Karlie said it was technically finished to perfection. Elaine said Geoffrey’s perspective was exciting. Brandon thought his ideas were crazy, but Nina said they were commercial as well. He had big ideas that would translate commercially, and if they didn’t have big ideas, they had nothing. Backstage, Sergio said it was the beginning of something big for all of them.

The designers brought back out, and Karlie said they all showed extraordinary work, but the winner delivered a warning shot as to what future was to come in fashion. Geoffrey was the big winner, and I was like, what? since I did not see that one coming. He said he’d worked hard his whole life to find a way to be an artist. His new confidence was insane; all the counseling in the world wouldn’t have done the same thing. It had been an incredible ride that he wouldn’t change for the world. He needed a rest, and was going to take four days off in a row. There were lots of hugs, and the champagne was flowing. Jeffrey called his dad and stepmom, and said he hoped he’d made them proud. He did.

🚴🏻‍♀️ The Never-Ending Week Continues…

I swear, every problem solved this week was replaced by three more. Is it Friday yet? Oh, wait, it is. Tea tomorrow, but bed right now.