“Project Runway” Season 6, Episode 13: TV Recap

It’s the Light! The light at the end of this Project Runway tunnel as Tim visits the designers at their homes.

The three finalists — Irina, Carole Hannah and Althea — now have $9,000 to design 12 looks. Was it always $9,000? Doesn’t that seem like a random number? Anyway, they all pack for home while breaking out the backstabbing.

Tim visits CH, who wears an amazing amount of eye makeup on an everyday basis, in Huntington, New York. She says she was inspired by a night tour of Duke and its whimsical, fairytale feel, which is always what you want on a college campus. Tim immediately knocks down one of the dresses as too “ice-skater.”

He is also less than thrilled with a cape, which is aging. But Tim gives props to a pair of pants and a tank before stepping in to help with dinner. OMG. The man is trying to make drop biscuits while wearing a black suit. He refuses to roll up the sleeves while rolling in flour and instead has donned a flowered apron with a nice red bow. Oh Tim, for reals?

Irina is in Manhattan, and Tim is probably kissing each cold, concrete step in joyous return. Her tiny apartment is filled with sketches, based on thanking New York for being so good to her. She says thank you with a boyfriend t-shirt and a knitted coat. But Tim thinks her fur is like a sisal rug and doesn’t want her to be forced.

No home cooking here, Tim meets her peeps at a restaurant. That’s where we find out that Irina has daddy issues and hopes winning PR will help her win his approval. Aren’t there therapists in New York City? We hear yes.

Now Tim heads to Dayton, Ohio to meet Althea. There’s lots of snow on the ground, because this was filmed — last January? Eons ago. The elevator almost beheads Tim, which would be bad. Althea seems to have some serious Barbie hair extension action going on — maybe inspired by the earlier Lohan visit?

Her collection is inspired by women in science fiction movies. Tim likes a sweater coat and some of her shapes, which include a black sequin jacket. But her coat looks costumey and Wild West and he bluntly says “this cannot walk down at Bryant Park.” There’s a lot of editing to be done, he says. She takes him home to mom and dad for a hello — no cooking. He must be starving.

Everyone is finally all together in New York — well, everyone except Carol Hannah. She’s incredibly sick with some stomach virus and contagious, so they’re keeping her away. Awwh. Everyone is sad and then they open champagne sent by Heidi. Cheers!

So Althea and Irina are stuck with each other, silently spewing venom. Carol Hannah comes back, looking terrible, but somehow well enough to wear a short black dress and full eye makeup. Some of us wear sweats and ugly flannel when we are sick. Just saying.

Tim is not thrilled with Althea’s collection, which involves a lot of knitting. She needs to think about cohesion and some of it looks like “borderline Hillary Clinton.” Ouch!

The unhappy continues with Carol Hannah’s collection, which needs some youth. Irina’s collection is black, black, black, but she defends herself by saying that they have different materials, including a new leather pant. Tim thinks they look like chaps. Tim has been ‘les miserables’ all season.

All three meet with Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, who have graced us with their royal fabulousness. Kors tells them to make sure they “show us who you are as a designer.” But really M.K., how the trimmings would you know? The two of you have been MIA all season long. Feel my wrath! Nina tells them that an all-black collection is a hard one to watch. Irina, of course, disagrees.

Heidi and Tim make a joint appearance. CH is surprised. We don’t know why she’s surprised, as this has happened on every single season.

They have one more look to create, and Logan, Vampira and Christopher are brought into help. Althea chooses Logan, Irina is with Vampira and CH is with Christopher.

Back in the hotel, Carole Hannah is really not feeling well. And that’s how we end, with her in front of the toilet with an ice bag on her neck. Isn’t that how we all feel? Nauseous and ready for this to be over.