Last night's "Project Runway" featured the last challenge before the Final 3 head to Bryant Park.

The top of the episode showed Althea wimping out from saying anything to Irina, who tried her hardest to throw Althea under the bus last week. Meanwhile, Irina lounged in bed, wearing an expression that says, "I secretly replaced all the designers' coffee with cyanide crystals," and talked about how honest and real she is. She claimed that she would never say anything behind anyone's back that she wouldn't say to their faces. Hmm. If this challenge had been to design a dress of lies, Irina would have had it all sewn up.

The gang met Tim Gunn and the mayor of Los Angeles (Antonio something-or-other) for a 30-minute tour through the J. Paul Getty Museum, which was to serve as the designers' inspirations. Each of the remaining five contestants got $300 and two days to whip up something good enough to guarantee them a spot at Bryant Park. Irina and Gordana used paintings as their inspirations, Christopher chose rocks in a fountain, Carol Hannah a French bed, and Althea wanted to capture the look of the building's exterior.

As the designs were taking shape, Tim Gunn came around to express his concerns over most of them. He warned Christopher not to turn his algae-covered rock dress into a "head scratcher," then scratched his head over Irina's "post-apocalyptic moment" - a puffy, flowy dress inexplicably paired with a "roadkill" fur vest. He also worried about the sophistication and execution of Carol Hannah's and Althea's designs, respectively, and only really seemed impressed with Gordana's Monet-inspired gown. In his best fatherly tone, Tim warned everyone that they were ALL at risk, but that he still believed in them. And I'm sure he threw a "carry on" and "make it work" in there. I'm so used to hearing those phrases now that they no longer register with me.

Christopher admitted that he's the black sheep of the Final 5, having almost been eliminated "a couple of times." A couple?? Dude needs to learn to count. It was more like five times, and at least four of those times, he absolutely deserved to go home. Especially the time it came down to him and the fabulous Shirin. Yes, I'm still bitter about that.

Before the runway show, everyone started dissing each other in their one-on-one interviews. No one was quite as good at it as Irina.

The judging panel this week was, once again, Michael Kors-less, with designer Cynthia Rowley filling in. Nina and Heidi were there as usual, and the guest judge was Cindy Crawford, who still looks good but whose hair and makeup still thinks it's 1991.

After the fashion show, the judges asked each designer why he or she deserved to go to Bryant Park, and which two other designers should go along.

Gordana said that she is resourceful and picked Christopher and Irina.

Image © Lifetime

Althea cited her consistency throughout the competition and the fact that she's never been in the Bottom 3. Then, despite her obvious dislike for her, she said Irina deserved to make it to the next round, along with Carol Hannah.

Carol Hannah believed that she should show at Fashion Week because she makes beautiful clothes (simple enough), and chose Althea and Christopher to accompany her.

Irina said something about being an immigrant. I have no idea what she was getting at. Then, when it came time to pick the two designers she thought deserved to move ahead, she nearly made me vomit by pouring on fake sweetness and exclaiming, "Oh! I've already been called mean, I don't want to pick!" Give me a break. Ultimately, she chose Gordana and, surprisingly, Althea.

Christopher stopped crying long enough to moan that he deserves to go through because he hasn't had the opportunity for many successes. Really? Wasn't he given FIVE opportunities to prove that he was a good designer, when the judges let him stay instead of more worthy designers like Shirin? YES, I'M STILL BITTER ABOUT THAT!!

The first designer to make it to the finals was Irina. Ho hum. I hate her, but I can't deny that she's a pretty good designer. Then the judges finally cast Christopher out, making the loss of all the people who were sacrificed to save him all this time all the more maddening.

Carol Hannah breezed into the Top 3, leaving Althea and Gordana to sweat it out on the runway. Although the judges were disappointed in Althea's design this week and liked Gordana's, they appreciated Althea's guts and ambition. They felt that Gordana didn't take enough risks and, therefore, chose Althea to round out the Final 3.

Next week, we'll get to go along with Tim Gunn to visit the first all-female Final 3 and take a peek at their collections. Since I'm not particularly fond of Althea and Irina is the devil, I'm rooting for Carol Hannah to win the whole shebang. Unfortunately, the previews made it look like she succumbs to swine flu or something (or maybe she foolishly let Irina make her coffee), so either she won't win or the producers are trying to make us THINK she won't win. I guess we'll all have to wait and see.

Auf wiedersehen - see you next week!


"The Pop Eye @ Starpulse" is a column written by native Pittsburgher and current New Yorker, Becky Broderick. You may contact Becky directly at beckeyeam@gmail.com, or check out her other ramblings on The Pop Eye.