Project Runway: Mr. Trampoline Man

And then there were three.

But before we got there, we had to go through one of the more hit-or-miss episodes in any season of “Project Runway” – the one where Tim visits each of the finalists in their hometown.

Fortunately, this one was a hit.

A non-pregnant Heidi Klum (every time the show takes a break she alternates between being pregnant and not being knocked up) gave each of the four finalists $9,000 and sent them on their way.

Tim’s first stop – Seth Aaron’s Washington state home – was a doozy. Not only was there genuine, fascinating drama related to Seth Aaron’s collection, but we got to see Tim Gunn (attempt to) jump on a trampoline!

Back to the clothes. The insanely prolific Seth Aaron had created 15 pieces for his 10-piece collection, and they were very much “Seth Aaron.” Tim Gunn’s blunt assessment – their predictability would keep Seth Aaron from winning – was pretty shocking, as was Tim’s request that he reconceptualize. Seth Aaron seemed taken aback, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was somehow able to create two outfits while Tim was incorrectly guessing that a stethoscope was a fallopian tube during a spirited game of Pictionary with SA’s family. On top of that, it was a kick to see all of Seth Aaron’s different hairstyles (including shaved head).

The rest of the visits couldn’t really measure up in terms of entertainment value, but they were far from snoozefests.

We just knew Tim and Emilio would bump heads over SOMETHING. And here was Tim once again questioning Emilio’s use of a customized print and telling him his clothes looked too old. As was the case last week during the circus challenge, Emilio openly and vehemently disagreed with Tim, but then went ahead and made significant changes anyway. (He told us when he arrived in New York that his collection was not the one Tim had seen.)

Need more proof that these two don’t like each other. Check out the moment when all four finalists return to New York. Tim hugs three of them – guess which one he shares a courteous handshake with.

After that, Tim headed back to the left coast to visit Mila in Los Angeles and Jay in San Francisco, and to check up on their progress as they competed for the third spot in Bryant Park.

You’re not going to believe this, but Mila’s mod/black and white aesthetic transcends her fashion and extends to her boyfriend, her parents and her dogs (of course Ziggy is a Dalmatian!) As for the clothes, she claimed to be inspired by shadows, but Tim had concerns that it looked too matronly and the fact that it was basically a black and white line. I didn’t agree with the matronly part, but I DID wish Mila had thrown in some sort of twist.

Jay, on the other hand, was inspired by “Japanese samurai” (as opposed to Cuban samurai). To be honest, I didn’t really see how the theme manifested itself in the clothes (even Jay didn’t seem too tied to his theme), but I kind of dug his collection anyway. Unfortunately, Tim thought it bordered on student work. At least Jay got off the line of the night. After Tim called his work “cuckoo”, Jay dubbed himself “Cuckoo Chanel.” (Wordplay!)

In a shocking coincidence that wasn’t at all set up by the producers, competitors/nemeses Jay and Mila arrived first and were forced to share an awkward few moment. Fortunately, they used the time to sit down and have a sensible conversation about their issues. (If only the girls on this cycle of “Top Model” would follow suit.) Jay and Mila will never be besties, but they at least seemed to agree that they’ll stop saying horrible things about each other in confessionals. Also, I still have absolutely no idea why they hated each other so much.

Coming into this episode, I thought Mila had the third spot at Bryant Park in the bag and, for Jay to snatch it, he’d have to beat her by A LOT.

Well, in my opinion, he only beat Mila by a little, so she ended up getting the nod anyway.

Mila’s clothes were stylish (in a reliable, evergreen way) and impeccably made, but Jay’s designs were funkier and more exciting. Jay seemed to have Michael Kors in his corner, while Heidi was pushing for Mila, with Nina Garcia of all people on the fence.

So now we have an Emilio, Seth Aaron and Mila in the finals. Although Mila REALLY seemed to run out of gas toward the end, I believe these are the three designers who deserved to make it to the finals based on their work throughout the entire season. (If Maya hadn’t walked away, I’d happily give her Mila’s slot.)

So what’d you think of this episode? Where did Lifetime dig up that “gritty” 70’s footage of the Bronx for Tim’s visit with Emilio? Why did the designers specifically get $9,000 for their lines? (Couldn’t they bump that up to 10K? Was the remaining money used to pay for that Bronx footage?) What will Seth Aaron’s hair look like next year? Finally, who do you think should and will win? (I know the odds are stacked in Emilio’s favor, but I’m feeling AND wanting a Seth Aaron victory.)