| The Girl Who Is On The Cover | |
|---|---|
| Cycle 5, Episode 13 | |
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| Air Date: | December 7, 2005 |
| Viewers: | 6.44 Million |
| CoverGirl of the Week: | N/A |
| Previous The Girl Who Takes A Pill |
Next Cycle 5 Reunion |
| Gallery | |
"The Girl Who Is On The Cover" is the thirteenth and finale episode of Cycle 5 of America's Next Top Model. It first aired on December 7, 2005 and garnered 6.44 million viewers.[1]
Episode[]
Before getting into what everyone’s been waiting for, the finale episode begins with some highlights from throughout the season. The timeline of the competition culminates in a top three consisting of Nicole, Bre, and Nik. The cameras have loved Nicole since day one, but she seems to be resting on pretty. She needs to prove to the judges that she has all of what it takes. Bre is known for her distinct walk and seductive personality. She can’t always get a great picture, but she’s demonstrated promising growth. While not by any means the loudest in the bunch, Nik has a quiet fierceness that is undeniably present in every photo she takes. Over time, the judges notice that she strikes the same pose so she needs to prove that she’s not just one note.
The top three can’t believe that they’ve made it. Each of them have so much to be proud of but they also worry about what’s been ailing them. Bre has been in the bottom four times; Nik can’t seem to convey any personality; Nicole differentiates being in the top three and winning, keeping her eye on the prize. A new piece of Tyra Mail is delivered to the hotel room: “True beauty comes with a solid foundation. Be ready at 6:00am.”
Photoshoot[]
Early in the morning the girls arrive on set for what seems to be a photoshoot. Jay Manuel says that today’s the day they will do their CoverGirl shoot! This shoot is part of the prize of the competition; this product will be used in a national campaign as the first job of the $100,000 contract with CoverGirl. They will have a photoshoot and film a commercial for the new True Blend Powder foundation where they portray "girls on the go with flawless skin." As another little surprise before they get started, Mr. Jay calls in Cycle 4 winner Naima to meet the girls and offer some moral support. The girls are some of the first to try out the new foundation and play around with it while they learn the script of the commercial.
The director of the commercial, Sara Dunlop, gives some direction to the prospective CoverGirls on set as they begin to film. in a group shot they pose with some male models together laughing and saying some slogans for transitional material. Bre films her individual lines first and she stutters and trails off but then gets a satisfactory take. Nik is taking this almost too seriously and has trouble relaxing, yet she nailed the delivery. Nicole goes last and freezes up; Mr. Jay eventually has to feed her the lines one at a time so a take can be stitched together.
Nik goes into the photoshoot feeling confident. She feels this is a good time to experiment with new poses because she knows that’s what the judges want to see. Since Bre knows this shoot is all about the smile, she keeps it on frame after frame. The stakes are higher than ever for Nicole as she must nail the shoot because her commercial was a disaster. She smiles big and hopes for the best. Jay comments about how subverted his expectations are about each model. This could be anyone’s game still. There’s Tyra Mail back at the hotel: “Tomorrow you will meet with the judges. Only 2 will continue on with the hopes of becoming America’s Next Top Model. One of you will be eliminated.”
First Judging[]
The top three join Tyra, Nigel Barker, J. Alexander and Twiggy to find out who will move on to the final challenge. Joining the typical panel of judges are Vanya Strok and Nargess Gharani, who are fashion designers and putting on the fashion show that will be the final runway of the cycle. After watching the commercial, the models receive their individual critiques.
- Bre: looks very pretty in her photo, although nothing is particularly striking about any one of in her roll; her best take in the commercial is rocky at best, but Nigel at least sees personality
- Nik: photo makes Miss J “want to be a CoverGirl,” though Tyra notes there weren’t many to choose from; judges commend the fluidity of the commercial and offer friendly note about “cheekiness”
- Nicole: photo looks like a real CoverGirl ad, all judges agree that it is stunning; her commercial is uncomfortable to watch, Tyra sternly yet softly warns her to take responsibility for choking
The judges consider that Bre takes pictures inconsistently but has more personality than her competition combined. They can’t deny that Nicole is beautiful and she looks like a model that they’d want to hire. Nik certainly looks the part, but can she bring some more personality to the table?
Nik is the chosen first as a finalist. Nicole finds out that she’s moving forward and Bre immediately takes off her heels and puts on her glasses. She gives a warm and gracious farewell and walks out of the panel room barefoot.
The finalists cannot believe they’ve made it. Nik keeps it cool while Nicole wants to cheer. They receive their last Tyra Mail of the cycle: “‘You can’t tell a book by its cover. Or can you?’ Be ready at 7:45am.”
Final Challenge[]
Mr. Jay greets them at the studio for the shoot for Elle Girl magazine. Whoever wins, he reminds, gets their shot on the cover of the February 2006 issue of the magazine. Brandon Holly, editor in chief of Elle Girl, greets them and bids them good luck as well. Each of the finalists gets into dresses with big hair and finds Tyra taking photos with legendary photographer Gilles Bensimon. She introduces everyone and informs the contestants that he will be shooting them and Tyra will also stand in for some poses.
Nicole goes first and Gilles loves her. He offers simple directions and she gives him a smile that makes him call her “the winner.” Nik goes into her shoot a little thrown off that she heard that comment. Nonetheless she is more determined than ever, so much so that he calls her “the winner.” They both see what he did there. The photoshoot wraps and they have the rest of the day in London while they anticipate the final runway.
The girls arrive at a large space with the catwalk for the Gharani Strok fashion show. Mr. Jay is there per usual to deliver the orientation. They will be walking in a futuristic fantasy with previous winners Eva and Naima and Miss J appears at the end of the runway to demonstrate the walk that they're looking for tonight. The show will begin before they know it so it’s time for hair and makeup. Naima and Eva are there backstage to hype them up. Tyra also takes this time to sit down with each of the finalists one-on-one. Nik has never felt so proud of herself and knows her life has changed. Nicole chokes up when she thinks she finally feels confident after always being second best to her sister. She wants this so badly.
Guests are taking their seats and the girls are lined up to take the stage. Naima delivers all the fierceness with a powerful strut and sharp pose. Nicole needs a last second touch up right before she walks around the corner yet makes the walk look effortless. There’s a sultry swagger to Nik’s walk and she looks like top model material for sure. Eva shows up with an unmistakable stomp. They experience the craziness of clothes swaps and makeup adjustments in a matter of seconds as they walk three times. Both really seem to come to life and the show is a smashing success.
Final Judging[]
The last panel of the cycle consists of just the Cycle 5 family. The top two models are striking in the outfits they came off the runway with. They judge the final runway as well as the photo history of the competition.
- Nicole: she serves all the confidence in her runway, Miss J notices she doesn’t know what to do with her hands, but Twiggy glows about a transformation into a total professional; photos are amazing from week to week, even from early on in the competition
- Nik: her walk has a lot of verticality to it, “jiggly” the judges call it, but Nigel doesn’t think that’s a negative; her film history are always amazing, anything bad is nitpicking when you get down to it
Each model gets the chance to say some last words. They are both overwhelmed and just express thanks and love. At this point there’s not many bad things to say about each of them.
This is a very difficult decision for the judges, but they declare Nicole as "America's Next Top Model."
Quotes[]
- “You may think you know who’s gonna be 'America’s Next Top Model,' but you really don’t.” (Mr. Jay)