The Biggest Loser: Special Edition...

The Biggest Loser: Special EditionI really didn't enjoy the first hour of this show. All the good stuff from the regular series is gone: There was hardly any advice from Bob and Jillian, and there were no tips about diet or exercise. We just got to meet the families and watch their competition. It's the new year, and with all of those inevitable weight-loss resolutions, this would be a particularly good time to emphasize more of the "how-to" aspect for viewers. That said, I was much more engaged in the second hour, when the families got to go home and put into practice the lessons they learned in two weeks at the ranch that was actually very interesting. I really liked both teams. The Muhas had the whole touching story about their son in the Air Force and how they wanted him to see a fit and healthy family when he returned. The Samuels family, or Team Showtime, were very competitive, and I was impressed with mom Melony, who overcame cancer. They were all fairly inspiring, especially considering that not only did they shed some major weight in the few weeks at the ranch, but they continued to lose massive amounts in the next five months at home. Sure they had a living room endowed with gratis gym equipment though I had to wonder if either team ever considered moving it to a different location in the house and a kitchen chockablock full of healthy goodies and new appliances. But the fact that Shaun lost 78 lbs. was just astounding; she looked like a completely different person. My biggest complaint about the entire show was the multiple flashback sequences showing how far the teams had come at different points. That's important in a 13-week series, as it is easy to forget what a person looked like two months ago. But even with my short attention span, I think I can remember what the team goals were going into the show less than two hours before. Details like that make this special edition just OK and not really all that special.  Angel Cohn

Project Runway
When Heidi Klum said they'd be designing for a socialite in the promos for tonight's episode, of course everyone thought Paris Hilton. But think about it: They already did skimpy lingerie last week, so they probably wanted to do something with a little bit more material than what Paris would likely wear. Plus, how likely is it that she'd appear on a Bravo show? Nicky, on the other hand, has that whole fashion angle going on. I don't know if it's the desire to design for a Hilton or the stress of all those cuts, but the claws are starting to show. There was all that chaos in the workroom over stolen mannequins and fabric. Then there's Nick and Santino's bitchy rivalry showing up in every confessional. In addition to being entertaining TV (their expressions are great), it's making them turn out their best every single time. The competition that I don't get, however, is this contrived one between the models. We're given no glimpses of their personalities or examples of how they're supposedly muses for their designers, so every time one gets eliminated and Heidi looks all sad about it, I feel like, "Uh, so what?" I do pity poor Marla, on the other hand. She reminds me of the girl in fifth grade who plagiarized her short story from a Sweet Valley High book without realizing it. Marla was actually surprised when Tim pointed out that she'd copied Nicky's Chloe dress, and by that time it was too late to do anything about it. So why didn't she get the boot instead of risk-taking Lupe? Just like Raymundo in the Barbie challenge, she was punished for being too original. Meanwhile, bland Emmett (I swear I can't remember a single design of his) and floundering Marla remain in. Nick, Santino and Chloe clearly kick everyone else's tailored butts each week, but I hope that before the game is up, there's a challenge that allows "Dirty" übernerd Diana to show us what she can do. Sure, I'd never wear her experimental gear, but it's so refreshing to see it in contrast to the fashion industry's relentless recycling of decades past. Sabrina Rojas Weiss