America's Next Top Model 4 - Episode 4 Summary

'The 'Test of Character' Episode' By Isabelle Murray

This episode starts off with a bunch of girls deciding on a way to choose who was going to use the phone first.  Their idea made perfect sense:  those who wanted to call on the East coast were to go first and then they would move along the timezones up until the girls who had to call on the West coast.  Super-angry-girl (Brandy; she’s always angry so that’s her nickname) is furious to hear that… she had said that she was going to use the phone next… apparently she felt like the girls basically hijacked her plans.  Super-reformed-girl (Tiffany) takes super-angry-girl to another room and she tries to calm her down.

They have Tyra mail that is, as usual, cryptic, saying that they should be “on point.”  They arrive at a dance studio and this little old man with a cane greets them.  The girls will have to learn ballet.  The little man compares ballet with modeling in that both a dancer and a model need to know where all their body is at all times…  The girls start learning things and the guy corrects them by more or less gently hitting them with his cane.  It looked kind of funny; like something you would have seen in Fame or something.  Super-funky-girl (Naima) receives good compliments on her dancing…  well, she should… she has a ballet background.  Some girls are miffed by the little man’s attitude… others find it funny.

The girls go to a fancy restaurant.  Super-reformed-girl (Tiffany) says that this is all brand new for her and that she’s not used to all that fancy stuff.  Before the meal, we see her talking to the other girls and saying how she has changed and that now she doesn’t drink anymore.  Of course, every time someone says that, that person gets drunk, right?  Well, super-reformed-girl was no exception.  She had like 4 glasses of wine (per some girls).  She went through the different phases of everything is fun, and I love you all guys, etc.  At one point, they all noticed that it was very quiet, which was unusual because super-reformed-girl is always talking.  Well, she can’t talk right now because she is puking.  At home, super-wrestling-dudette (Michelle) talks with super-reformed-girl about how hard it is to be there, away from family, plus super-reformed-girl has a child, which must make it harder.

The next morning, the girls head out for breakfast (I’m sure that super-reformed-girl must not have been that thrilled at the idea!) and meet the first black model to ever grace Vogue, Beverly Johnson.  She answers all of their questions very patiently.  At one point, super-angry-girl (Brandy) asks her if she had any problems with attitude because she has been told that she has, etc.  We see other girls kind of making faces and snickering a little at that.  Bottom line, we don’t see much but we are told that Miss Johnson is very nice.  Oh and super-reformed-girl (Tiffany) says how they look a little alike… and she’s right, they do.

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Next, they have a challenge, although they don’t really know that it’s a challenge.  They arrive at a tennis court and they see the usual entourage and a photographer but they don’t see super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel), which they find odd because he’s always there.  They figure that they need to be able to do it on their own.  The photographer says to the camera that he was told to basically test them, destroy them, be despicable, etc., because that’s how the industry is sometimes.  It’s basically a test of character to see who will fare best under those all too common circumstances.  We see that super-makeup-dude will be actually watching the footage from behind the scene.  Anyway, girls, this will be shown on TV so you might as well be on your best behavior, right?  Well, the poor girls struggle with the comments they receive from the guy.  Basically, each girl is rushed through hair and makeup and then on to the set.  So they’re already a little frazzled and then they are greeted by this obnoxious man who tells them how awful they are.  Those who did the best were super-funky-girl (Naima) and Keenyah (I don’t have a nickname for her yet).  In contrast, super-lack-of-confidence-girl (Kahlen) does just that:  lack confidence and basically deflates because of the lack of encouragement.  When super-reformed-girl (Tiffany) goes on the court, the girls who have already gone through the process wish that she would whack the guy with her tennis racquet.  Well, she feels like doing it but refrains.  Her attitude is far from perfect but given what we had seen of her during the last cycle, it’s amazingly good.

Well, of course, super-angry-girl (Brandy) isn’t all nice and sweet with the photographer… and when she arrives in the room where the girls who already had their shoot were, super-exotic-girl (Tatiana) makes some smartass comment or something and super-angry-girl basically wants to tear her to pieces.  Super-angry-girl was sooooooooo angry, it was incredible!

After all girls have been through that hellish shoot, they go back on the tennis court and are greeted by the photographer who has a red clown nose on his face and super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel) who announces that it really was a challenge.  Some girls seem to be uneasy with that.  Girls!  There are cameras on all the time!  Everything you say can and will be used against you at all times!  Anyway, the photographer was the one who determined who won the challenge and it’s super-funky-girl (Naima) who now needs to choose 2 friends.  She chooses super-reformed-girl (Tiffany) and super-lack-of-confidence-girl (Kahlen). 

The winners go for dinner and wait and wait and wait and in walks Serena Williams who gives a signed tennis racquet to super-funky-girl.  Serena tells them that she designs her own clothes and asks them to walk for her.  She likes most walks but says that super-reformed-girl’s walk is super sexy.  That pleases her because she didn’t expect to receive that good a compliment.

Next, they have a photo shoot.  The Tyra mail indicated something funky and super-wrestling-dudette (Michelle) is pleased because she thinks that it will be a good way for her to show her different abilities.  At the shoot, Tyra tells them that they will be hanging on wires and be zodiac signs, since there are 12 of them.  And it’s for a calendar.  When the photo shoot was actually ongoing, there is no mention of the calendar thing ever again….  Anyway, some of the girls are thrilled at the idea and actually manage not too badly with the wire.  Super-makeup-dude (Jay Manuel) was a bit disappointed by super-funky-girl’s (Naima) performance, though, as he was expecting more from the ballerina.  As she predicted, super-wrestling-dudette was just plain awesome.  This really was a good thing for her.  Super-strange-face-girl (Lluvy) was definitely not feeling her fish (pisces) thing… and it showed in the picture.  Super-sexy-girl (Brittany) was trying to not look too porn-like, as is her usual flaw.  At one point, super-makeup-dude asked her what she was thinking about and she replied that she was thinking, “Don’t be too sexy.”  He advised her not to think of the negative but to think of the positive.  Once he told her that, super-sexy-girl managed beautifully.  Super-weird-eyes-girl (Christina) managed to have softer eyes.  Go girl!

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