Project Runway 11/30/17--"Reunion" summary

Previously on “Project Runway”: Kentaro won the season in a stunning upset. Well, I was stunned, anyway. And now we need a 90 minute reunion because of reasons. I'm sure we're all DYING for some sound bites from the twins. (click for more)

Everyone is crammed in the Scrap Bin, except for the finalists, who are already out on the runway. They've set up the runway with chairs and props and shit and allowed Tim to host, so that's how it's going to go down. Whatever. Actually I was wrong, it's the final five out there. Tim wants them to know that this may be his favorite season ever. Well, now everyone else is pissed. It's a very diverse season, which is true, and he's also proud that everyone stayed true to themselves. But he can't resist congratulating the show for “facilitating” this diversity or whatever. Dumb.

Kentaro you won! Yay! He says he is happy (of course), and wishes he could share his win with Brandon, but he really pushed himself. I have to note, both Kentaro and Brandon appear to be wearing kimono jackets. Tim asks everyone else what they think, because they want someone to say they should have won instead. Ayana thought she was going to win, of course, but he deserves it as much as she does. Margarita says what we're all thinking which is that she thought it would be Brandon. Brandon says something about everyone sharing it? But Kentaro deserves it? Whatever, Brandon. Kenya, you didn't make the finale, how do you feel? “I feel like they all suck.” Hee. It was meant for Kentaro to have, but everyone here will get something great out of it. Montage of Kentaro being weird. He was full of non-sequiturs and some deadpan humor that made you wonder if he was serious and didn't understand the English, or if he was making a joke. He is anal and proud of it.

Ayana had a spectacular collection and her finale dress was fantastic. That's true. She made a lot more friends than she thought, but also she grew a lot. They all motivated each other. I was so glad to see her succeed with modest clothing. Brandon was glad his menswear translated. Also he pretends he didn't know the models all had crushes on him. Sure. Montage of models discussing how they all love Brandon, and his clip of when the producers tried to get him to admit he had a crush on the models and he refused to admit it.

Margarita had a fantastic, powerful show, and had the best moment when Jazzmine took off her skirt and walked half the runway in a swimsuit. I loved that she was told “it's too Miami” and in response she made it more Miami. Montage of Margarita. We don't have a montage of Brandon? Or Ayana? Sure. I think maybe it's because of the hurricane. Her parents told her she needed to leave Puerto Rico if she wanted to succeed. Also all her emotional moments when she complained about having to make avant-garde clothes, and got eliminated, and Saved. She liked the exposure to people who were different from her, with different styles and so forth.

Tim claims the judges had a hard time eliminating Kenya. Maybe they did, but I seriously doubt it was because they couldn't make a decision. You know they made that decision before she even returned to New York. She was heartbroken, because we're pretending she didn't show when she did. She gets no montage.

Now we have to pat ourselves on the back for having plus-sized models. They let some of them be on the reunion. Are Liris and Jazzmine here? Of course. They are all happy to have this job, I mean, you're on TV. Tim claims to like a “big Brazilian booty”. Sure Tim. The same dumbass montage of people coming up with euphemisms for fat. People being worried about making plus-sized clothes. Kenya of course loved to have them around, because it made her feel like the show embraced her too. That's true. Oh and now we have to praise Brandon for dressing Liris in the first episode, except that I didn't think that look was that great anyway. But we all love Brandon, I guess. Kentaro was the most challenged, apparently because he never made anything but a sample size before, but of course he won't say it was a bad experience. Tim tells Liris and Jazzmine that Nina wants them to be part of some digital feature for Marie Claire. Not an actual print article, Nina? They shriek like they're going to be on the cover.

Now Michael, Amy, Batani, and the twins are here. Claire has managed to break her foot. Tim says he's impressed they didn't hurt themselves in the workroom because they were spastic. True. Then he asks Michael what he and Margarita were talking about in Spanish all the time. Oh, mostly shittalking other people. They pretend it was nothing, mostly Margarita talking about her worries so that no one else would know. Michael, were you shocked that you went out the episode after you won? He liked his look that episode so whatever. Margarita points out that she won immunity and then made a crappy dress so she's aware she might have done the same. Amy learned about herself, that teaching was an instinct and she struggled with giving everyone advice.

The twins left an impression. Clearly. Montage of the twins being loud and doing their thing, and other designers talking about them. Amy especially made fun of their enunciation and speech patterns in confessional, which is bitchy but also 100% true. Margarita got in on it too, and they've cut these confessionals with shots of the twins doing exactly that. When Tim asks them to respond, Shawn just says she's honored or whatever that she got to experience this with the person she loves most. I see. Amy's making a disbelieving face. Everyone seems to be making neutral faces, or possibly resting bitch faces. When Tim asks everyone else if the twins had an advantage, Kenya says yes because everyone else is an individual, and the twins collaborate and help each other. Backstage Samantha points out to everyone that she helped Kentaro but didn't sew his garment for him. Amy tells them it was their Achilles heel, because they never got their own voices. Not an advantage. Shawn says maybe she and Claire don't need to be individual stars, and Amy talks over them to say “It's...it's a competition for individuals.” They're lucky to have each other, and they should continue to work together for sure. But inside this competition it's weird. True.

Time to talk about when the twins lost and had to battle and Shawn gave up. I didn't need to see this again but I certainly am not surprised they are showing it. Ayana says she knows they work together, but did it really come as a shock that the judges wanted to know who made what? No, but there was just so much emotion. Shawn is doing so much of the talking today. Kenya didn't mind because she wanted them to be separated, to see what they could do alone. Margarita calls it “inhumane”. No it's not. They do it all the time. She brings up competing against your family, which is dumb because even if they didn't to their stupid “we can't decide so make a dress in an hour” challenge they were always competing against their family. Tim agrees with Amy and Kenya. Good. Shawn will always fall on her sword for Claire. Blah. Amy and Kenya make stank faces.

Tim asks the rest of them if Shawn and Claire were a distraction, and Amy says we all know that's true, but “point of order”, both twins walked into the competition breaking the rules and knowing they were breaking the rules. Oh, by helping each other? No, dummy, by having your tape measure at the apartments. You know, the thing Claire actually got kicked out for. Tim tries to get them off the subject by promising they're going to go there, and Amy says it's petty, and Claire says something else is petty.

Tim shuts this down quickly, to my surprise, so we can talk about Kentaro and Brandon being brothers. OK, this was cute. I have to say, they both helped each other a lot, but no one cared. When the twins helped each other, everyone was mad. Was it because they didn't sew each other's garments? Neither of them can explain why they hit it off so well. Boring. Anyway, Tim brings up the helping and Michael points out what I just did, about the double standard. Who would have thought Michael would be on the twins' side? Claire thinks there are similarities. Amy says the difference was Kentaro and Brandon were quiet. I can get behind the idea that everyone liked the boys more, and found them less annoying, and therefore didn't care if they helped each other. Michael did have a point though. The twins whine that if they were so annoying, then why didn't anyone say anything? Backstage Kudzanai says he told them a bunch of times. He probably did.

OK everyone is out on stage now. Tim especially congratulates Deyonte for becoming a father. Aww. Aaron claims to have fans approach him on the street. I don't remember these people. Montage of Aaron's personal style, which is wearing dresses and rompers and whatnot. To be fair, no one has anything bad to say about it. Everyone just kind of shrugs.

Time to talk about Claire. We have to watch the clip of Michael walking out and talking to Tim and Heidi doing a shit job of acting like she doesn't know exactly what is happening. We're all familiar with this drama. Tim wants to make it clear the rule-breaking was having the measuring tape at the apartments. Claire claims that whole thing was a blur, and an “onslaught of negativity”, and that she couldn't tell her side of the story. Oh, sorry, she “wasn't able to articulate and adequately express [her] side of the story.” Shawn prompts her with the word “articulate” when she can't come up with anything, so clearly they're still trying to act posh on camera. Well, Tim says, now's your chance. Yes, she admitted to having a measuring tape that she “absentmindedly” took home one time because shit happens and things get put in pockets that you don't think about. Amy immediately responds that sure, that happens, but then you return the items to the workroom the next day, if it was really an accident. And even if you don't return it, you don't use it when you know it's not supposed to be there. Tim agrees with Amy. Claire says she was accused of both using the measuring tape, but also copying all her designs. Tim: “Yes. Using the measuring tape.” Hee. Now she “didn't initially make the connection” that that's what everyone was saying. Huh? How does that help Claire's case? Amy goes too far and tells them they didn't need to cheat which is the saddest thing about all of this, which just makes Amy look condescending. You don't need to add that in. Shawn decides to attack Amy and ask if she was ever in the presence of Claire when she was using the measuring tape. It doesn't matter when Claire CONFESSED. Tim makes this point. Now suddenly Claire is saying she measured garments in the workroom bathroom, which is not what she said. Oh, she was being asked too many questions. This is some bullshit, Claire. Amy says you tell the truth or you don't, you don't say one thing and then backpedal that you didn't understand the question.

Tim forces a commercial break. Now he's going to ask one question at a time, so Claire can understand. Did you have a measuring tape in the apartment? Yes. Did you use it? She tries to say something, but when Tim says yes or no, she says no. Oh please. Tim overreacts which is hilarious, and then everyone scoffs and Margarita says flat out she doesn't believe Claire. I think Margarita tries to prove she's lying, but Amy is still belligerent and she talks over Margarita about how it doesn't matter, or something, so Margarita shrugs, annoyed, and stops taking. Amy claims that right after it happened, it looked like Claire had some integrity, because she had regrets, but not any more. Tim points out that Claire confessed. Now she's trying to argue she misunderstood the question, and only answered yes because at one time she had a measuring tape in the apartment. So I rewound the tape, and Tim did ask “Is it true that you have had a measuring tape?” I think he might have added “in your room” but she interrupts him to say “I have a measuring tape.” HAVE. She talks over the “in your room” part of his question. Then he says “Is it true you've been measuring garments in your room?” and she doesn't talk over any of his question. And she says “I have measured a tank top and I have measured the crotch of a pair of pants.” So this story of “everyone was asking too many questions and I didn't understand” is bullshit. How do you misinterpret “in your room” and think you are answering “yes I have done it but in the workroom”.

Seriously, you JUST watched the clip where he asked the questions! The phrase “in your room” was in BOTH of Tim's questions. No one buys it. Michael does kind of regret walking off stage, and he says he probably should have brought it to Claire. But he didn't want her to be kicked out. Tim was shocked and horrified at the cheating. No one mentions what Amy has said in interviews, that the producers were fully aware of it, and did nothing, which is part of why Michael walked off stage. Sentell asks her, did you cheat, and do you want to apologize for it? This is your opportunity to apologize. Claire says some shit about how the competition lends itself to anxiety and paranoia, and then is interrupted by everyone (mostly Amy and Kenya) saying just be done with it, because she's never going to admit anything. Please can we stop talking about the twins.

Let's talk about Kenya! And her leopard print scarf! She says she bought it for like $5 forever ago and it's her signature. The bald lady with the scarf. Also she can tailor clothes like no one's business. Montage of singing. Did we cut a lot of this? I don't remember this much singing. She also admits constantly when she's super nervous. And every model had to stand on an ottoman so she could hem pants because she's too short.

Tim talks about the new-ish thing where the top three and bottom three designs get prodded by the judges up close. I do like this, actually. You can find hidden safety pins and stuff. Brandon of course loved it, because the judges always loved him. But you can't fake it, so not everyone likes it. Tim asks for favorite challenges, and everyone says they liked the Shopkins with the kids. It was a pretty good avant-garde challenge for this show. Samantha liked the one where they designed for the models, even though that's the one she lost on. I honestly didn't mind her look that much. But her model was happy, so that's more important. Everyone's aesthetic was different this season, which was really cool. Montage of “best” and “worst” looks of the season. Plenty of Brandon. Also everyone's losing looks. And the criticisms. Maybe not everyone's losing looks? Eh. Also Ayana won both unconventional materials challenges. Cool! Montage of Ayana staying true to herself. I didn't like that first one, with all the fringe. The second one, the gown, was fantastic. It was tricky because she had to buy more fabric than everyone else, for long skirts and pants and sleeves. I didn't even think of that. Aaron promises if anyone fucks with her, tell him and he'll fuck them up. Hee. I think everyone else loves Ayana, which is so nice and I agree.

Montage of people shittalking each other in confessional. If you watched the season, then you saw all of it. But I'm not sure how many designers watched the season. You know? Not everyone does. There are plenty of twins saying things, in case the previous clips somehow made you think everyone ganged up on them. Some of the stuff is harsh and also personal, instead of just about the outfit. My most favorite are people saying shit about outfits that won. Kenya shrugs that her outfit was great so who cares what they think. Shawn tries to argue that interviews are their one moment of “catharsis”. Kenya seems to think they should have said things to each others' faces, which is silly because no one is going to do that. Shawn is still claiming no one told the twins they were annoying. Kenya says she never said anything negative about anyone. True. I think. Tim calls on Samantha because she's quiet, and Kenya pipes up that she's upset because the twins said so much and Samantha never said anything about them, “tell 'em Samantha”. Samantha does back this up, that she never badmouthed the twins, and they spent two whole episodes mocking her looks. Shawn apologizes. She “greatly” apologizes. Claire says nothing.

Tim asks if they follow social media, and/or read comments. Oh, you never read comments, Tim. Come on. Aaron says he never reads comments, and Tim immediately says “Don't!” But the good can outweigh the bad, depending on if there are good comments, I guess. Who was the harshest guest judge? Carly? An actress? Montage of her saying bitchy things and laughing annoyingly. Deyonte would say Demi Lovato. Which one of you is the most underestimated? Amy. There apparently were a bunch of challenges where everyone thought she would win but she didn't. Brandon says Kudzanai, because he had a fantastic technique and style, it just took too much time to make and didn't work in the context of the show. Shawn wants to see more ChaCha because twins. ChaCha got a bunch of Instagram comments from people who want to buy his clothes. That's awesome.

Time for the montage of Timisms. Tim trying to dance which is hilarious. He is terrible. Also Tim talking to Swatch which is very cute. Looking concerned. No good vocab this year. Tim then allows them one last chance to say something. Kudzanai loved working around so many talented, creative people. Good, the twins don't say anything.

The end! All-Stars starts in January some time, and “Top Chef” will start next week, so stick around for that! Thanks for reading!