Expect the unexpected

Welcome back to another episode of Project Runway, in which a designer gets forcibly removed, Laura says what we're all thinking, Michael is quite funny, and Jeff stil needs a chin. On with the show!

As we start the show, Uli and Bonnie are in their room, lamenting the loss of Katie. They wonder if they'll be put in one room with the other women. Uli simply says, "As long as it's not with Angela." And thus we have this week's theme!

At the runway, Heidi announces that the next challenge will be for INC (the place offering the mentorship prize) which apparently is an exclusive brand sold at Macy's. Considering I never shop there, I'm not surprised I've never heard of it. Anywho - it's time for model selection. But to keep things interesting (because you know this part is pretty dull), they're all picking models again this week. Uli will get first choice, and she takes Keith's model, Narzi, on the theory that she may be the source of his mojo. The rest all pick their models, leaving Robert with last choice. He either gets to keep his model, or take Alison's. He stands by his (wo)man, and Toni goes home. You can tell she's all, "I got my hair all poofy and flat-ironed last week to be treated like this?"

At the workroom, Tim introduces Mehmet from Macy's, who will explains what they're looking for. Like any marketing person, he uses extremely vague terms like "fashion-forward" and "ready to wear." The designers will each get 30 minutes to sketch and then present to him at Macy's. 4 will be chosen as team leaders, so this is another group challenge. During the sketching part, Angela says that sketching "is not normally part of [my] process," so I think she actually CAN sketch, she just prefers not to. Not that I'm defending her, mind you.

At Macy's, they present. I hear a couple of them mention cardigans. Lots of pants, so it looks like this won't be all dresses. Finally Mehmet announces the leaders - Keith (ugh), Robert and Bonnie (who both work in corporate fashion, so that makes sense), and...Angela. Yes, I'm serious. Immediately you can see the designers go, "Oh, shit!" Indeed, Michael interviews that they're all thinking, "Don't pick me!"

Back at the workroom, they select teams. Bonnie gets Uli and Bradley (who was picked last). Keith takes Alison and Jeff. Robert wants Kayne and Vincent. Angela (perhaps because she's not totally an idiot) takes Laura and Michael. They both grimace but suck it up. Time to caucus and shop! Michael points out a fabric to Angela that she loves. And there's something about Keith cutting a deal with the Mood staff, but I don't see how that's really bad - haggling is legitimate in business.

And now it's time to begin the sewing, the cutting and the draping - F1! Only thing to report here is that Keith basically delegates everything, and Bonnie is all up in Bradley's grill (he's doing the pants), as she's concerned about his time management from last week. F1, F1, F1.

That night, for some reason Kayne decides at this moment to start stirring the pot and mentions to his roommates (Vincent, Robert and Michael) that he is aware that Keith has pattern books in his room. This is against the rules of the show, and after basically confirming that he should in fact rat out Keith, Kayne brings it to the producers. [Apparently in real-time 2 days actually elapsed after this point where they did publicity photos and whatnot, but we just fast-forward.] Tim interviews that it's definitely against the rules. He comes to Keith's apartment that evening and basically tells Keith that it's wrong and he's going home. And not only had he had the books, but he had taken off one evening for several hours and used the internet, which is also against policy. Keith packs. Then Keith has an awkward conversation with the guys in the other apartment, trying to apologize. Kayne (who really is being a bit too bitchy for my tastes here) keeps prodding him, and Keith feebly says how sorry he is. And...he's gone. Jeff is a bit upset, but is also thinking about the challenge.

So on day 2, the designers gather, and Tim lays it out for them. Angela looks all shocked, but it sounds like they all had known already. Then again, I could see her being the one person no one told. Then Laura pricelessly interviews, "Keith...what a shit." Awesome. Alison is a bit shaken up, but she manages.

Now the matter of Keith's team - basically Tim says, "Make it work." Jeff and Alison have their work cut out for them in more ways than one. So they return to F1. Over the course of F1, Vincent and Kayne are not crazy about Robert's look. Kayne thinks it's turned out "flight attendant." They agonize over the collar. Meanwhile Bradley is having trouble with the rear on his pants. Later on, Laura and Michael are in the sewing room alone, and she's mocking Angela's aesthetic - something about "grandma." I didn't quite catch it, but whatever it was, Michael is cracking up. Seriously - what an odd yet wonderful pair these two have turned out to be! Back in the workroom, we see that Angela is making more infamous rosettes. Each time she holds one up to the form saying, "What about here?" Michael cringes, agonizes, falls over. I think he might be getting his point across. Also, he is hilarious. He needs to do physical comedy! Seriously, my love for him was solidified in this scene.

Day 3, and it's the usual last-minute scramble of F1 as the models enter. They are of course encouraged to use the Macy's accessory wall. All we really see here is that Michael took over the hair and make-up time for their team, to make sure the model stayed "young and fresh." I can only imagine what Angela had suggested. ("Can we dye her hair gray?")

It's runway time! The judges include Nina, Mehmet, and Vera Wang (Michael Kors, how I miss thee). This is when I notice that Vera has some pretty unattractive folds in her neck, and could use a good plastic surgeon. On with the runway show!

First up is Angela's design. It consists of a long-sleeve deep V-neck top, over sleek gray pants. There is a matching small gray shrug coat. We see that what they ended up doing with the rosettes was just using them as faux buttons for the jacket and pants - it actually looks...good? I think the outfit is great, and actually just hate the model - her walk is too stiff and...yuck. Someone ditch her next week.

Bonnie's design is a 70's style cream jacket that ties across the front over a pink cowl-neck shirt. The pants are simple, brown and dull. I actually like this outfit (except for the pants), but then again I like retro-chic.

Robert's thing is...ugh. A white jacket with too many elastic ties is over a simple black dress with a flat white collar. In the back there's a slit in the skirt that is too wide and is showing too much leg. Anne Slowey would call it "vulgar."

Jeff and Alison have a long grey coat over tight navy pants. The top is a simple white turtleneck, but has an odd couple straps hanging down the bottom - like you'd look if you had a tank top just hanging on your waist. Other than those straps, it's a good look.

First Heidi talks with the two high-scoring teams - Angela's and Jeff/Alison. Here we see that the interesting pink pattern fabric Michael picked out at Mood was actually used as a lining for the jacket, which is very nice. The winner will be revealed the next day, where the design will be in the Macy's window at Herald Square.

Now for the losers. Basically Nina rips Bonnie's design apart - the look is not "now." She HATES the cowl neck and loathes the material the pants are made from (which appears to be cheap - keeping in mind they only had $100 for this challenge). With Robert's design it's a matter of a bunch of things that don't go together. Vera gently says that the backslit is "tough to make work" which translates to "never a good idea." Asked about teamwork, Vincent basically says he wasn't crazy about the design, but "Robert was the team leader." And I cry - BULLSHIT! Yes, Robert was the leader. But that's the SAME excuse Angela used week 2 that got Vincent all riled up. Crazy jerk.

As the judges deliberate, Mehmet laments that Bonnie's design is like, so 3 years ago. It's just not "fashion-forward." Nina REALLY hates that cowl neck. Did she mention that? Robert's design is "a mess."

Back on the runway, Uli is in because she has immunity. Then Kayne is in, followed by Vincent and Bradley. So this will be a judgement on the designs themselves...and Bonnie is out. Sadness! She cries, they all cry, and she's gone. [Interestingly, in Tim's podcast he says that the original plan was not to cut anyone because Keith left already, but at the last minute the producers decided to move forward and didn't tell him. So even he was taken aback by Bonnie's ouster.]

The next day, the five top designers head to Macy's, and we see that Angela's design won. Shocked? Don't be. Keep in mind two things - first, how could they really reward Keith's design after all that? As much as it's unfair to Jeff and Alison, I just don't think the producers (or Macy's) would allow it. And secondly, remember who won the Banana Republic challenge in season one? Wendy Pepper. I'm just saying.

Next week - design for another "icon." How many fashion icons ARE there?