Time for another episode of "Project Runway," or as it's now being called, "Everybody Hates Michael C." Seriously, everyone is still bitching about him?

When Wheatgrass (which I'm realizing isn't nearly the derogatory nickname that Gretchen deserves) isn't busy hating on Michael, she's nursing her festering "open wound' left behind by Tim Gunn's well-deserved verbal smack-down last week. Awww, poor Wheatgrass. She may need to go sit cross-legged in the corner and inhale some lavender essence to get over this depression.

Damn, this season's pack of designers certainly has its share of whiny, self-important crybabies, doesn't it? Maybe Santino Rice can take a break from road tripping with Austin Scarlett to waltz through the workroom singing, "Lighten up it's just faaaashion." Oh, which reminds me...this show is about fashion! Almost forgot.

Heidi introduces the challenge with the help of this week's new models: women who were suckered into playing bridesmaids. Heidi explains that each designer is to help make good on every bride's promise (read: lie), "You can totally wear that again," by turning each gown into a fashionable, runway-worthy garment (with the help of $50 worth of extra Mood fabric). All of the designers cringe as they're faced with atrocities like pink polyester and all manner of bedazzled, puckered and/or ruffled nonsense. I don't even blink because, while these dresses are ugly, most of them have nothing on the horrors that I've been forced to wear during my bridesmaid career. (I had to do it NINE times, people. Thankfully, I was completely hammered during most of weddings 6 through 9.)

Things get off to a shaky start when Christopher's model bails and he's given a new girl with an even uglier dress. April gets the ubiquitous "pain in the ass" client, who would like April to make her dress hip but not too hip, short but not too short, sexy but not too sexy, and it should also be able to clean itself and do long division. Instead of working, Wheatgrass runs off to video chat with her mommy and whines about wanting to go home. Mother says little more than, "stay," and Wheatgrass is all, "That's exactly the pep talk I needed! Are you following me, camera guy? Did you properly capture my Lifetime moment? Maybe I should be in the editing room when you put this together because I know everything about everything."

Wheatgrass returns to her station, nervously awaiting Tim Gunn's visit. She pouts some more about how mean he was to her, and hopes that he'll just stick to critiquing her designs and not her horrible personality. The lovely Tim does just that, which leaves Wheatgrass looking a bit confused and still pouty. Oh, did she actually want an apology? Not gonna happen.

In addition to having nice things to say about Gretchen's top's ombre effect, Tim likes Mondo's black and pink "'60s mod design," Casanova's blue pants and kind of digs Peach's fabric, even if he's not sure what she's going to do with it. On the flip side, the Gunnster is not wild about Andy's "clubbing outfit" or Valeries "soccer mom" dress. He worries about Michael C.'s design with good reason, because his model basically wants him to use her old bridesmaid dress to make her a shorter, but uglier bridesmaid dress, complete with lace puff sleeves. Michael promises to make it work.

Although Day 2 would normally be the runway show, this time around, the designers show their garments at a public showcase where Average Joes and Janes vote on the outfits they like best. Each designer gets to stump for votes, and public opinion will be taken into account by the judging panel when tallying the final scores. Everyone is having a good time at the showcase when, upon noticing that she has very few votes and Michael C. has a ton, Ivy starts telling the other designers that Michael has been telling people that she's the "bitch of the show" and to not vote for her. When Andy asks Michael about this later that night, Michael denies ever having done that. I believe him. Perhaps after speaking to her for more than 30 seconds, the people at the show just figured out on their own that Ivy is the bitch of the show? That sounds a lot more plausible.

Ivy decides to not confront Michael about the situation (she won't give him the satisfaction, nyah nyah nyah), but while everyone does their last-minute Day 3 edits, Michael approaches her to tell her that the rumor is unfounded. And even though he tells her that she can easily ask his model to find out if he's lying, she just chooses not to believe him.  Because she's five.

Seriously, where did that whole "bitch of the show" accusation even come from? There are cameras running all the time, so if it really had been said, it stands to reason that there would be footage of it somewhere. Did Michael really say it? Did Ivy just make the whole thing up to make herself feel better about getting less votes than Michael...and because she knows she's a bitch? Did she hear me when I kept yelling, "bitch" everytime her face fouled up my TV screen? Or was it a Real World type stunt, where one of the producers wandered over to Ivy and planted the seed?

Woops, almost forgot about the fashion again!

Time for the runway show, and Cynthia Rowley sits in as guest judge. Most of the designs are an improvement on the original dresses, but I'm not overly impressed by too many of them. I can't decide if I like Wheatgrass's look or not. I just know that she needs to stop dressing all of her models in those suede eff-me boots. I'm amazed that, for the second week in a row, I really like Casanova's work. His blue motorcycle pants are the bees knees. And because I really like Peach as a person, I'm sad that her dress is an unsightly green, vomitous mass of lace and misplaced ruffles.

The judges favorite designs belong to Christopher, Michael C. and Mondo. It's strange that Christopher is there because no one really has overwhelmingly good things to say about his design, which, while flattering and pretty, isn't that much of a transformation from the old dress. I would have expected either Casanova or April to be in Christopher's place. April's dress is actually one of my favorites, as she took a gaudy silver pleated gown and reworked it into a chic black mini with a snazzy silver tie accent. Not to mention that she managed to make something that her uber-picky model actually ended up liking.

It's between Michael C. and Mondo for the win and, although Mondo took top prize at the public showcase, the judges are more impressed with Michael C.'s "edgy and hip" dress. He ended up making a dress that he wanted to make while still giving his model the lace top that she wanted and, somehow, it all worked out. Kors thinks that it looks "expensive," while Cynthia raves about the dress's "phenomenal transformation." Heidi just loves it because it's super short..."almost too short."

When Michael C. announces to the safe designers backstage that he'd won, a sour-faced Ivy snipes, "Of course you did."  Absolutely no one offers him congratulations, opting instead to sit and stare him down like, if they tried hard enough, they could make him burst into flames.  I seriously can't figure out where all this hatred for Michael is coming from. Unless magical elves are breaking into the workroom before every runway show and transforming Michael's unsewn rags together into challenge-winning garments, he has proved himself to be as capable a designer as any of them. But apparently, all of these reality show wannabes know more about fashion than Michael Kors and Cynthia Rowley. So they continue to make Michael feel like the playground Cootie King by excitedly applauding each designer who returns to safety. Damn kids.

Designs by Michael C., Mondo and April

Wheatgrass whines in one of her interviews that she doesn't feel "craftsmanship" is being rewarded on this show. So, what does that say about her two winning designs? She's just pissed that, as Casanova so astutely pointed out, Michael C. has her tied for challenge wins. By the way, I've kind of gone from loathe to love as far as Casanova is concerned. I'm starting to see his sense of humor and that he actually has some taste. Also, he isn't part of the mean kids club. He's the only one who doesn't pile on Michael C.

The worst designs belong to Peach, Michael D. and Valerie. They're all bad, but Peach's aufing was pretty much a guarantee from the minute her model stepped out on the runway. April and I (and pretty much everyone else) are sad to see Peach go, though. She was a...well, she was a real peach.

Auf wiedersehen - see you next week!