I really have come around to being a Natasha fan, too. Early in the season I was not so much a fan, mostly because of the pucker-pout and the walk, both of which have improved dramatically. My early prediction is that the final 2 will be Nata and Jaslene (hope I haven't jinxed them now). Jaslene is the prettiest one and Nata has the best attitude. I actually haven't seen today's ep yet but I will see it when they replay it on Sunday.

I like Jaslene a lot, but I can't imagine her winning it all (they've been joking about her being a tranny all season!).... I think top 3 will be Renee, Jaslene, and Natasha; top 2 Renee and Natasha, and Natasha for the win. Just a guess, though; never can tell.

True, tps -- you never can tell. I think I'm 1 and 6 in picking who will win that damn show. Most of the time, my favorite made it to #2 or 3 and somebody completely inexplicable has won (see: Naima). Toward the end of each season it's uncommon for a girl to get cut for any really serious reason; obviously they are making tough choices, but too many times the cut seems to come down to something really petty, like hating their makeup in a shoot or something. Also, the "best photo" they pick for judging ... I remain skeptical. Obviously they are handicapping some girls and holding others to much more intense scrutiny.

I think the blonde will win...I've only been able to see a few of the episodes of this season (boo!) so I'm walking into it a bit blind. I think Jaslene will be in the final two for sure, as it feels like they've really tried to make her seem softer and more personable, whereas initially they were all "Jaslene, the fiesty Latina who speaks her mind and takes names."

On a side note, did you notice that Joanie (season 6) STILL has not bounced back to being able to speak normally with her "new" teeth? She did the "My life as a cover girl" thing tonight...when she FIRST got the new teeth, I thought it was a temporary speech issue which would resolve itself when she got her "permanent" caps. NOPE! Poor girl, I liked her a lot. Now she's paying for those giant shiny choppers with a freaking lisp.

That episode made me want to go to the beach very much.

That whole "Can I keep it??" thing really took me back.

In the beginning of the show, due to much creative editing, Brittany was portrayed in a very good light, and Renee was the constant bitch. With each show, Brittany was shown to be meaner and poutier and goonier and stupider, while Renee became more angelic and sweeter and mature. From that alone it seems they're setting Renee up to be the winner, but I guess I can't believe they would pick yet another generic bland blonde girl, although she is definitely a cut above Caridee.

Jaslene takes amazing photos. She is very tranny-like, but the agencies all seemed to love her.

I cannot STAND Natasha's face. I know she is beautiful, and she takes drop dead gorgeous photos, and that she improves every week. And I don't know why I'm totally repulsed by her, but I am, and I can't stand to look at her squinty smiley happy face. She seriously grosses me out....GAH. Go away.

Dionne...NO. UGH. She has one expression....mean.

Basically I don't care who wins; it's just fun to watch.

Hee. I, unfortunately, missed the episode for socializing-for-work reasons. Does VH1 still do the mini-marathons on the weekends?

In any event, I am pro-Natasha. I get the impression that she actually has a personality buried under there, and that she's been smart enough to hide it as a defense mechanism against the cameras and idiots she's surrounded by.

But I'm also almost always irrationally biased in favor of people from Eastern Europe, so that may be clouding my judgment.

Friend of a friend who's a PA on this (and on the Tyra talk show) won't tell me who wins, but did tell me that it often takes as many as six takes to get Tyra to even get out a compehensible sentence, which is why the editing can seem so wonky and why there's lots of footage of the girls standing around looking tense and uncomfortable.