America's Next Top Model - Cycle 12 Episode 4 (S012E04) Review

America's Next Top Model - Cycle 12, Episode 4 (S012E04) recap/review of "New York's Finest"

After a recap of the previous ANTM episode the 11 remaining girls are sent off to runway training with Miss Jay for the challenge round. “Allison needs a lot of work” announces Miss Jay to the camera after which Allison is trained in proper posture with a book on her head.  Humiliating!

Natalie, the-girl-who-needed-no-makeover, is praised again further boosting her confidence/ego.  Last episode’s crying queen Fo was also singled out as good on the runway.
The girls are given a pre-runway pep talk before returning to the brownstone for a tell all game of truth or dare... obviously this game won’t end well.

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After some silly dares (licking nostrils, crazy imitations) the truth hurts phase of the game begins.  Tahlia is singled out as having had the worst picture last shoot and her confidence is hit hard by the barb.  Of course there are tears, and while the girls are sympathetic to Tahlia’s face, backstabbing goes on behind the scenes.

Big eyed Allison (who I think looks like a Tim Burton character come to life) frets about her future with the show and worries that she will be the next one eliminated.  Foreshadowing??

COMMERCIAL

Redo makeover day for Aminat, her bad weave is fixed but it looks pretty much the same to me.  It is announced that the girls will be modeling Jill Stuart fashions.  The twist this time... the girls will walk the runway with bags in hand.  Carrying bags can be tricky so they all start to practice.

Ann Shoket from Seventeen Magazine makes her obligatory appearance to give the girls a pre-runway pep talk.  Celia opens the show and is feeling like a queen as she brags about “all the eyes on me” she comments on how hard it is to work with “obstacles” (like carrying bags) as she leaves the runway.

Next to walk is pretty-perfect Natalie who’s voiceover declares that she is all about taking risks, “If you don’t take risks you’re not going to stand out.”  Natalie’s big risk turns out to be a literal spin on the runway.  Wow, mesmerizing.

Tahlia is next, followed by the rest of the crew; London, Kortnie, Nijha, Allison, Sandra, Aminat, Teyona, Allison (the Tim Burton character) who has an invisible a panic attack on the runway... nobody can tell she looks cool as a cucumber.   Fo is up last and she thrives on the runway, no tears this time she is all business.

At the critique Natalie is singled out as messing up with that risky spin and Tahlia is called to task for her lack of confidence.   The winner comes down to Natalie and Celia... despite the twirl Natalie wins the Jill Stuart challenge.  “I screwed up and still my walk was better than theirs’, that might be intimidating” she brags.  I officially hate her now.

Tahlia calls her sister at home for some cheering up.  She bursts in to tears while talking to her sibling on the phone but makes peace with the possibility that she may be the one going home tonight.  So far Allison and Tahlia have put their heads on the chopping blocks and the photo shoot hasn’t even happened.

I need another COMMERCIAL break. Phew, reprieve granted. 

During the break Tyra announces that Cycle 13 will be all about the short girls and the official call goes out for ANTM hopefuls 5’ 7” or less.

Tyra Mail arrives, it reads, “Give it your all tomorrow or you might get thrown under the bus!”  Screams and giggles!  It’s photo shoot time!!  Tahlia is feeling better after talking to her sister and vows to be more confident this time around.

Next scene, Mr. Jay arrives on a funky double-decker bus.  It is a cold but sunny New York day and the girls are told that they will be taken to various famous places throughout the city on the funky bus.  They will have to take pictures that tell the judges exactly where in the city the photo has been taken (huh?).

This special challenge needs a special photographer, voila Mike Rosenthal! 

The girls are divided into groups and sent on their challenging photo shoot.  First stop, Wall Street with Fo and Aminat where the theme is “power bitch.”  Next stop is SoHo where the girls (Nijha and Kortnie) are funky artists who are directed to “find their muse.” Third on the list, New York Nannies (Celia and Sandra) pose in front of a penthouse.  Still on the Upper East Side the next stop features Allison and London playing the “rich snobs.” 

The final shots place Tahlia, Teyona and Natalie in Times Square.   Jay praises Tahlia’s performance but he’s not so kind to the pretty-perfect one.  Natalie does not impress Jay at all and he tells her so.  Natalie takes it quite well, she actually seems happy for Tahlia, and I start to rethink hating her.

Post shoot Tyra Mail to prep the girls for panel, “Tomorrow you will meet with the judges, only ten will continue to become America’s Next Top Model.”  The girls all have a pre-panel heart-to-heart which is surprisingly cattiness free.  Nice change there!

COMMERCIAL

Panel time!  Tyra recaps the prizes and reintroduces the judges.  The guest judge is designer Jill Stuart.

1)  Kortnie and Nijha – in SoHo.  Paulina is not impressed and neither is Nigel who doesn’t like Nijha in particular.  All in all this pairing gets an icy reaction from the judges.

2) Aminat and Fo – Wall Street.  Paulina is happy, she loves the shot.  So does Tyra.  Nigel singles out Fo “great shot.”  It’s a virtual thumbs up from the judges panel.

3) Celia and Sandra – Upper East Side Nannies.  All the judges like it and Nigel declares that Sondra steals the photo.  Celia is called “a bit stiff” by Jill Stuart.

4) Natalie, Teyona, Tahlia – Times Square.  Tahlia is praised and in general all of the judges are pleased.  Natalie however is taken down a few pegs when she is declared the weakest of the trio.

5) London and Allison – Upper East Side rich girls.  Tyra is NOT impressed.  Neither is Nigel.  Paulina tells Allison that she looks like a “hung over Olsen twin.” This picture  isn’t looking  good in more ways than one.

COMMERCIAL BREAK before judging.

Kortnie– safe
Nijha – just a pretty “yawn” not safe
Aminat – girl next door (Jill Stuart) she is safe
Fo – from weakest to fantastic = safe
Sandra - safe
Celia – safe
Natalie – boring in the picture, not safe
Teyona – funny shot, not safe
Tahlia – looks great, she is safe
London – not pleasing the judges, not safe
Allison – freaky in a “good way” (whatever that means), is she safe?

Time to announce the winners and loser:

1)    Sandra
2)    Amina
3)    Tahlia
4)    Fo
5)    Celia
6)    Kortnie
7)    London
8)    Teyona (with better hair Tyra notes)
9)    Natalie

Bottom 2:

10)    Allison
11)    Nijha

Who stays?  Allison!

Nijha is sent home.

If you missed the NowPublic.com reviews of previous episodes, check out our ANTM channel.

View a video preview of ANTM 12 Episode 4