Project Runway 22 episode 2 recap: the worst idea, made worse!

After kicking six people out of Project Runway 22 on the first episode, the producers decided to eliminate five more in episode two—while also giving six people immunity. That math—10 people eligible to be eliminated, five out—was, to quote Heidi Klum, “really unfortunate. We’re going to lose some really talented designers.”

So, then, why on Tim Gunn’s green Earth are we doing that? Getting rid of talented designers on a design competition?! But it gets even better! The most reviled part of season 21, the designers voting out one of their own because there were no judges around to do their jobs, is back with a twist.

The six eliminated designers, including a devastated Robby and try-hard Plane Jane, returned to join the immune six to choose one person to save among the bottom six. And because that’s such a critical decision, the producers gave them five minutes to do it.

That meant, as Joseph McRae said, it’s “not just about the clothes,” but about “tactics.” On a judged talent competition. Sigh. My very special guest and I discussed this—and more about this episode—on a very special live recap/reaction episode of my podcast:

I’d guess Nina Garcia was absent—as she was during so much of season 21—because of a scheduling issue, though if she’d seen the creative for this episode and fled the set, I wouldn’t blame her.

Project Runway 22 is dead-set on trashing this format, and it’s really depressing.

At the top of the episode, the judges’ decision was finally revealed: they dumped the two Drag Race contestants and kept Jeffrey, who’s designed many iconic Drag Race outfits.

Robby said, “I wish I had the opportunity to really prove myself in this competition,” and while I usually talk back to the TV when a person on a competition says this (You just had that chance!), in this case, he’s right. To eliminate people based on no challenge and no work?

And then came the episode two challenge, which also wasn’t a challenge: just make a thing in a day. The designers had $500 to spend at Mood and otherwise no constraints nor guidelines nor criteria.

This utterly dumb format and producing decisions clouded the episode for me, though there were some bright spots:

• Robby, still devastated, asked if he’d return, and instead of saying fuck off, he said, “RuPaul always says to never say no to TV.”
• Andriy an Bobby being, in Bobby’s words, “little bitchy besties,”
• Bi, in a matter of seconds, saying “please, no more twists” and “I brought extra chapstick so I can kiss many asses”
• Tyra Banks and Law Roach sparring about fast fashion, and Tyra with the callback catching Law in a fib
• Bryan taking every single opportunity to tell other designers Bi was my intern and house boy—and then crying during the deliberation and suggesting everyone keep Bi? I can’t decide if this is comedy or tragedey

And then also so many low spots, like spending an inordinate amount of time with interview clips, like an extended sequence of a producer asking Bryan if he thinks Christian Siriano is cute. What are we doing here, Project Runway and Freeform? Who is the audience for this?