Project Runway: I Look Cool But It’s So Effortless, I Don’t Care

It’s time for Teams! You know what that means: people aren’t going to get along. One of my favorite kinds of episodes.

As I continue to mourn the loss of out-of-the-box thinkers Malvin and Ari, the designers meet Heidi on the runway. She sends them on a field trip to the beach, and they’re insanely excited to go to there. I mean, insanely. There, they meet Tim Gunn in flip flops and surfer girls modeling surf fashion. The challenge: Create a fun and fashionable surf-wear look. A Garnier representative stands with Tim to pimp Garnier for a while – supposedly they’re showcasing hair this week as well (psssst! No, they’re not!), but I hope you’ll excuse me if I gloss over this built-in advertising segment.

Tim announces that the designers will work in teams of two. Shirin, as last week’s winner, will choose first. Tim then draws names out of a bag – these designers will be team leaders.

The teams: Shirin (Team Leader) & Carol Hannah, Logan (TL) & Christopher, Nicolas (TL) & Gordana, Mitchell (TL) & Ra’mon, Althea (TL) & Louise, Qristyl (TL) & Epperson, and Johnny (TL) & Irina. The teams meet with the surfer girls for creative advice, then head to Mood.

Mitchell interviews that he wanted a partner who could carry him for this challenge. Did Mitchell already check out when he gave this interview? Unless the editors refused to show him explaining, that’s an awful thing to throw out there.

Qristyl and Epperson clash early, as Epperson tries to take control of the partnership. They argue repeatedly, with Qristyl feeling as though Epperson doesn’t trust her ideas or construction. He believes the tension comes from their fear over one mistake leading to elimination. Their arguments involve talking in circles, not hearing each other, and refusal to accept blame. This part – not so much fun to watch.

Elsewhere, we spend far, far too much time with Ra’mon this week. He doesn’t like: that he’s forced to work with Mitchell, Mitchell’s ideas, Mitchell’s lack of leadership, and Mitchell’s lack of help. Every segment includes several “Poor Me” interviews courtesy of Ra’mon – please don’t make me recap them all.

Tim stops by towards the end of Day One to announce that the judges have added a twist: the designers must now create a second avant garde look that should tie into their original design. Ra’mon, obviously, freaks. It seemed a little simple that two designers were working on one outfit – which was essentially a bathing suit cover-up. Everyone freaks a little, but no one ends up derailed.

Tim Time. Tim loves Johnny and Irina’s macrame-tinged designs. He dislikes the transformative effect of Qristyl and Epperson’s dress and suit; therefore, they adjust the look into a non-transforming dress. Tim has a major issue with Ra’mon’s wetsuit-inspired avant garde jumpsuit, specifically because it does not relate to the surfer design. Ra’mon, naturally, worries even more. In a weird montage, Tim visits the other designers for thirty seconds and tells them all they’re doing a good job.

Ra’mon decides to scrap the jumpsuit (a good choice, though I admit to being curious about the final look), and starts work on a new dress. Understandably, he’s working under a lot of pressure and literally carrying Mitchell, who spends a lot of time joking and bouncing around. But … he’s a bit of a drama queen. He complains that this “is so not fair.” Since we’re all elementary school graduates here, I have to take issue with his view on the situation. Still, he pulls it all together himself without much creative input from the team leader and comes through with one interesting and one beautiful dress.

Qristyl worries that two people will go home and threatens to throw Epperson under the bus to save herself.

Runway! Guest judges Max Azria (in for Kors – where are you, Kors?) and Rachel Bilson.

Qristyl & Epperson: Okay dress, unattractive non-avant garde swimsuit. Johnny & Irina: Cute, cute skirt and top with macrame back, big brown mess with more macrame for their AG. Mitchell & Ra’mon: Beautiful surfer dress, acquired taste for AG dress. Shirin & Carol Hannah: A large piece of cloth for surfer look, beautiful blue AG dress. Althea & Louise: Eh surfer look, stunning gray dress. Nicolas & Gordana: Hand constructed bathing suit top, crazy sex weird AG look. Logan & Christopher: Not easy beachwear but great hat, gorgeous matching AG dress.

Safe: Logan & Christopher, Shirin & Carol Hannah, Althea & Louise. Which is crazy, because they all had the best AG dresses.

Judging. We break into the high scorers and low scorers this week, and in the winning bracket, it’s Johnny & Irina versus … Mitchell and Ra’mon! Ra’mon is shocked. Rachel Bilson loves Johnny and Irina’s casual surfer look, saying it’s her favorite and she’d wear it herself. Azria loves the details of the AG dress, even though Irina worried about the construction. Ra’mon takes the lead on explaining his and “Mitchell’s” designs until Heidi demands to hear from the team leader. Slowly, reluctantly, with great hesitation, Mitchell concedes that Ra’mon did nearly all of the work. Nina loves the neoprene fabric of the AG dress, and of the two, Rachel prefers that as well. I’d wear the surfer look, myself, but no one asked me.

In the losers bracket, it’s Qristyl & Epperson versus Nicolas & Gordana. Or should I say … Qristyl versus Epperson? Qristyl goes on the attack immediately, and we see a very quickly edited version of she and Epperson arguing, with Epperson fighting for his life while Qristyl talks over him, basically saying to the judges, “See what I had to deal with?” The judges like aspects of the surfer dress, but hate the swimsuit. Azria points out that “if you are not a team player, you cannot be a designer.” As for Nicolas, the judges take real issue with his AG look – it’s a little too over the top and sex pot for them.

Over deliberation, the same comments are rehashed, though Heidi does remark about the difficulty of judging Mitchell when he didn’t do any work.

Line the designers back up, and Ra’mon wins! Also safe are Johnny & Irina and Nicolas & Gordana, and Epperson. Between Mr. No-Work Mitchell and Ms. I’m-a-Weak-Leader Qristyl, it’s “Three Strikes and You’re Out” Mitchell going home this week. I’m really not sure how Mitchell made it on the show to begin with. He showed promise the first week, and then he seemed to deflate and stop working. If we can get Ra’mon out of here soon, I might not mind watching this snoozefest too much. When do things start to get exciting?

Next week: Is it the prom dress challenge again? And Smurfs!

For another take on this episode, check out Life’s a Beach by J.B. Perlow.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 6, Episode 3: Rumble on the Runway (originally aired September 3, 2009)

For more on Project Runway, click here.

Thursdays at 10pm EST on Lifetime

Photographs courtesy of Lifetime and IMDbPro