All week long, the previews for the second episode of Project Runway's fourth season have been driving us crazy. They've promised huge celebrity judges in the past, but it's never really amounted to much. So the shots of contestants screaming and mouths gaping sent us into a frenzy. Who could it be? Who could inspire such shock and awe among a group that has already become inured to fashion-elitists Heidi Klum and Michael Kors?

Three words. Sarah. Jessica. Parker.

The second we saw her walk into the design room, it all made sense. The biggest fashion icon of our generation is an obvious fit to help chose the next "great American designer."

Throughout the entire episode the contestants seemed even more harried than usual. With a minuscule budget, the winning design would have the chance to become a part of Parker's new budget fashion line Bitten.

And just the presence of the Sex and the City star was enough to make the stakes that much higher.

Put into teams of two, the contestants produced a runway show with consistently professional and well-intended, if not perfectly constructed, designs.

The first look to come down the runway, designed by Kit "Pistol" Scarbo and Chris March, was cute. Just cute. The leggings, charcoal tunic with front pockets and a beret looked like something any celebutante would wear walking out of Starbucks, but it was nothing spectacular.

The strange team of Sweet-P and flower-child Elisa Jimenez was a surprise. After watching Elisa "spit-mark" (yes, that's just what it sounds) her measurements, it was hard to expect anything good. But the duo's swing cape and flowy turquoise dress with necktie looked chic and was enough to put them in Parker's top two.

Last episode winner Rami Kashou and Jillian Lewis created a purple babydoll silhouette dress with ruffle accents. It was kinda nice, but not enough to catch Parker's eye.

Ricky Lizalde and Jack Mackenroth's design looked like it would fit right in with Parker's easy, understated Bitten line. The black swing coat with front pocket (and again leggings) failed to even make it in the top two.

Increasingly-diva Christian Siriano and Carmen Webber made it into the bottom two with their 80s-inspired motorcycle jacket and bright, form-fitting turtleneck dress. "Next thing you know, you have big button earrings and you're on 'Facts of Life,'" was Marc Jacobs reaction. A tearful Carmen almost sent her teammate home, but he barely pulled through.

Victoria Hong's simple designs yet again put her at the top of the pack. The oversize swing dress with pockets and subdued plaid vest impressed Parker enough to promise it a space in her fashion line. Victoria - who seems to emulate Vera Wang more everyday - and teammate Kevin Christiana got to go along for the ride.

On a more sour note, we cringed the second we saw Marion Lee and Steve Rosengard's creation come down the runway. The unflattering woven-blanket cinched with a so-last-season leather belt and tall brown boots looked more like a bored teenager's experiment than an actual exercise in design. In the end, Marion was sent home.

Recap by Sarah Lavery
Starpulse contributing writer