Backbone played to their strengths. NeNe threw ASAP on the bonfire of her indignant anger at Star, and Trump threw Hope after it.
Quite a start to proceedings. Trump's eyebrows didn't make the leap to his bizarre hairline one might have expected as NeNe launched a ferocious verbal attack on Star, no doubt busy calculating the shock effect it would have on viewers, and whether someone would need to step in before the moon came up. The client's face left us in little doubt that it failed to impress him.
Hard to tell from the final edited version if the outburst was calculated as a display likely to ensure she'd be kept for another week of ratings, or if it just took her that long to figure out that she'd been played by Star in the previous boardroom firing session. Perhaps it just took that long to plan what she'd do to show that she could spot a boardroom strategy given it was tied to a large enough flying brick? But although she can eventually spot them when they're that obvious, NeNe is less good at designing them imo, stronger at in-your-face brawling; a tactic likely to keep her in for another show, but less so to keep her in until the end, and against an opponent who is both cunning as a box of ferrets, and far more skillful at divorcing her emotions from her behaviour. But the drive back from the briefing must have been the quietest the driver had ever experienced .. lol Her desire to make her point was of course iikely to make running the project harder, particularly as she managed also to estrange Hope simultaneously .. oops! .. and left ASAP with Star's face looking like Medusa had stared back at herself in the mirror. The only thing that pulled the out was music and shaking to it. Effective to lighten the mood I guess, but not as useful as the brainstorming and planning that Backbone were engaged in. And as ever, Star soon rallied and told us that, being the only one capable of doing what was needed to be successful, she would again do it. Taking one for the team? More taking credit in advance yet again imo. But they left for the presentation venue with a plan, Shake Your Beauty, that seemed to consist of a street team dancing and some hairdstyling, with Star as usual commandeering the presentation itself.
Backbone were comfortable and confident as they moved forwards productively towards their objective. JR is very focused on success, sometimes so much so that imo he is too impatient to make the early decisions and get working; more a doer than a thinker. Meat is hugely creative, full of ideas that come tumbling out, and I wish Backbone would use a method of capturing them in a proper brainstorming session; give themselves an alloted time to generate ideas, before they start rejecting them, so that despite the time constraints on the overall task, they can maximise their ability to stand back, view them, and pick up on and develop the best. "On the road with Farouk!" was a particularly good one he shouted from the bathroom. Backbone, in addition to being able to work cohesively and harmoniuosly, were as usual effective in identifying the experience and skills each has and capitalising on that; LJ's flair for fashion style, JR's for staging, Meat's for lighting. Stroke of genius to bring back Nicki .. interesting that NeNe saw it as a means for them to sabotage ASAP's efforts, and Marlee as a betrayal .. and that's why it was simply smart! :) .. as well as providing their connection to some top NY models.
As they moved towards delivering the task, NeNe was still over-focused on her feelings and her war with Star; dismissing the lead stylist's concerns, almost rejoicing in problems between the stylists and Star when rehearsing, and ASAP's end presentation left me wondering where the "Shake" message had disappeared to. LJ's dislike of rehearsing because he likes winging it is fine for him, but not for everyone else involved. But Backbone's Feeling Good In America theme (with stylists who had been more motivated and energised by Backbone) even without emphasising the safe nature of the products, beat ASAP hands down in terms of colour, lights, flair and excitement imo. In action they are a strong, mutually supportive team and thus delivered, even given LJ's wont to rely on his undoubted ability to energise a crowd, which might not always be the best option, but in this case worked.
In the boardroom Trump predictably milked the NeNe v Star situation, and equally predictably Star was prepared and fluent; NeNe all over the place, her feelings running and dictating her argument. "Going under the radar", which is how Trump seems to see those who don't engage in fishwife fights, appears to have been enough to have him sending Hope to pack her bags.If either NeNe or Star should see fit to ape Backbone and invite her back to help them on a future project I hope she says no, and rings one of the guys to offer her services :)
Frankly I just watch and wonder at Trump's management of the CA process, however I am becoming familar with it, so NeNe's (in any normal circumstances outrageous) behaviour towards a manipulative Star was bound to guarantee that these two would remain with their asses glued to their competitors' seats for another week even if the women lost. So it proved, and Trump (who actually throws more people under the bus than any contestant in the pursuit of ratings) sent the pleasant natured and completely unobnoxious Hope on her way. Even when Hope gave her previous leadership on a successful task in her defence, and pointed out the irony of NeNe's charity being for abused women, Ivanka undermined what she said completely. The die had been cast already imo .. just two singles on the dice.
And to underline the capriciousness of the decisions of this would-be political giant, he will bring back LaToya for the next task. (I guess we should all be grateful that Busey would be unlikely to manage a coherent plea to Trump.) True to form, after listening to her empassioned request, riding in on her sick note, to be allowed to come back and show her "strenth" against the bad girls, Trump doesn't disappoint in slipping in an inappropriate comment. After promising to consider a plea based on the many skills he believes she has (and doubtless the effect such an unprecedented decision could have on ratings) .. as he watches her wiggle her way out of his sanctum .. "Nice pants!" Why not simply say "Nice ass!" and be done with it? But on the basis of him having a soft spot for her (or perhaps her pants), Trump's decision, gift-wrapped in Jose having been forced to quit, was to bring her back into the boardroom ready to join Backbone for the next task. Mind you, if Star WAS Medusa, the look she gave LaToya when she agreed with NeNe that Star was a backstabber would have resulted in Backbone having nothing more than a little stone statuette to take with them and put on display in their war room! As it is I suspect LT may bring some useful attention to detail to their endeavours.
I enjoyed watching Meat this week, relaxed and seeming more comfortable, brimming as ever with ideas in a flow uninterrupted even by a call of nature :) Particularly interesting to watch him put his extensive knowledge of stagecraft and effects to use, and watching him direct with authority behind the scenes .. with or without his headdress as Chief Who-never-shuts-up :)
Quote of the week from Trump:
"And what's the most important part of looking good? Hair!"
Caryl