Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn stole the show this week on part one of this season's finale. Last night was supposed to be all about the final three designers preparing to go to Bryant Park, but honestly I was far more entertained by watching Gunn's antics on screen than anything the contestants were doing.

 

 

 

Overall, this season of Project Runway has been a bit blah. The pack of designers started out strong, but it became evident far too soon who was going to end up in the top - and who never should have been on the show in the first place. The challenges this season were, in general, rather boring. As for the judging panel, the continuous missing in action status of Nina Garcia and Michael Kors through half  the season was seriously annoying. And the guest judges, well, with a few exceptions, they were pointless and inane. (Really, Lindsay Lohan???)

One thing that did change for the better this season, however, was mentor Tim Gunn's role on the show. The move from Bravo to Lifetime somehow seems to have given Gunn a boost in both air time and snarkiness. He's laid into the designers for being idiots far more spectacularly than previous seasons. All the while maintaining his air of fabulousness and universal love. Even when he's calling a designer's creation a bad prom dress, you just want to squeeze him silly and giggle at his awesomeness.

 

So part one of the Project Runway finale last night was truly one of the best episodes of the season, primarily because we got to spend nearly the whole hour with Tim! Tim, booty-bumping with Heidi Klum behind the Project Runway screen. Tim, wearing a flowery apron over his perfect little suit while making biscuits in Carol Hannah's kitchen. Tim, telling Althea to please not go Hilary Clinton with some terrible pantsuit! Okay, okay, obviously, I have a Tim Gunn fetish.

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On to the designers themselves, the three remaining contestants are in full freak-out mode over the upcoming final show at New York Fashion Week. Tim Gunn sets out for a whirlwind tour to check in with each of them and give them advice on their collections. First stop, Carol Hannah, who has moved from Charleston, SC to Huntington, NY.

 

Carol Hannah's collection, she says, was inspired by the architecture at Duke University. Echoing her work throughout the season, the collection is mostly focused on evening gowns, but she's thrown in a few other pieces, including pants - gasp! Tim Gunn seems pretty pleased with the work so far. Carol Hannah seems pretty chipper about how things are going, but unfortunately for her, she won't be staying that way for long.

Tim Gunn is off next to Irina's apartment in New York, which happens to be about the size of a shoe closet. Irina tells Tim she drew her inspiration from New York, in particular, Coney Island. For a collection inspired by a place of fun, laughter and bright colors, Irina's designs are dark, rather grim and heavy. The girl has a weird brain. Tim doesn't seem overly happy about the collection, but Irina stands firm in her belief it rocks. We'll see. It is a bit of a shame when Irina learns she can't use the Coney Island images she's incorporated into her design due to legal issues, but she seems to (mostly) take it in stride.

Over in Dayton, Ohio, Tin Gunn drops in on Althea, who proclaims her collection is inspired by the women of science-fiction. Frankly, from the pieces I saw, I didn't see very much sci-fi going on there. Tim seems intrigued by the results, but admonishes Althea to "edit, edit, edit!" to keep her designs from being too costume-like.

 

 

 

Back in New York, Irina and Althea arrive to prepare for Bryant Park. After a bit of tense chatter (and snarky commenting about each other to the cameras), they wait and wait for Carol Hannah to appear. Finally, Tim Gunn shows up to announce Carol Hannah has been delayed by a bout with a nasty stomach virus. When she finally does show up, she looks wretched and feels worse. But she does her best to pull it together and put the final touches on her collection.

 

 

 

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Happily, we get some face time with Nina Garcia and Michael Kors when they visit with the contestants to give them some tips. Although it seems a bit cheating they get to glimpse a bit of their collections before the runway show. And, naturally, Heidi Klum shows up eventually to force the designers into making a 13th look for the runway. Which is hardly shocking, but you have to feel kind of bad for Carol Hannah, who looks like she's going to faint over her work table before it's all through. Thankfully, at least, the contestants are granted an extra pair of hands in the form of eliminated designers Logan, Gordana and Christopher to put together their final look.

Now all that's left is the final runway at Bryant Park next week. The pics are already out there from the shows if you feel like peaking. All we'll say about them is that it seems really clear who is probably going to take home the win.

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