It’s Not Just Me, Right? Project Runway Really Has Lost the Plot

It’s been a few years since I last watched Project Runway, so I may be missing something.

Has the series been like this for a while, or has it really just lost the plot?

Yes, the editing choices are a nightmare, but that’s not the only thing that’s been irksome about this season.

I feel like I’m watching something completely different from the judges 90% of the time.

One of the biggest frustrations is when you’re watching a competition show and you can tell who will be in the final two.

Why? Due to the editing of the episodes, the series gives some contestants more attention while others hog the screen time.

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One can spot the judges’ favoritism from space, and the amount of grace some contestants receive over others is noticeable.

We know that no matter how many times Ethan/Utica produces the same overall aesthetic inspired by drag ensembles, regardless of the challenge, he’ll likely be standing there at the end.

They’re not even hiding that.

Just as it wasn’t surprising that Madeline went home, because they barely even showed that woman onscreen anyway, and most of her pieces weren’t memorable in the least. I say that affectionately.

But this season, I’m at a loss for what anything means anymore. What exactly are the judges looking for these days?

It seems like the rules and criteria change every week, or depending on who is standing in front of them.

Project Runway Season 21 Episode 6 was an episode in which the contestants had a single day (because, heaven forbid, they couldn’t extend the budget enough to give them two days to design an outfit) to create “streetwear.”

By the time the fashion show took place, only two ensembles fit the criteria the closest. Once the judges chose their top two, I was left wondering if my understanding of Streetwear or the standards from previous seasons had changed.

Antonio’s outfit was … a work of something. It didn’t exactly put me in the mind of a winner of the challenge. Especially not to the degree where he confidently clapped back at an absent Nina, citing that piece for the reason he’s still there.

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No, the real reason he’s still there is because Project Runway wants to get as much mileage as possible out of the twins sticking around together.

And Belania’s Hepburn-inspired piece with the hair definitely didn’t scream winner to me either. It seemed reminiscent of I Love Lucy and The Help in one fell swoop, and I found it distracting.

For the record, I’m truly not trying to be mean with the descriptions. I was irked by Law Roach going all Mean Girl on her during the judging.

However, given some of the other outfits, which ranged from fine to underwhelming and flat-out confusing, my thoughts on who should’ve won clashed drastically with the judges’.

And this isn’t the first time. I’m still at a loss for how Yuchen won the previous challenge with what amounts to volleyballs covering the model’s naughty bits and nothing else.

There’s no alignment between what the judges are thinking and what the viewers are thinking. There is a pronounced disconnect, and I wonder if that’s by design or just a glaring reflection on why the season as a whole feels “off.”

Half of the time, it doesn’t seem like the judges can agree on how they’re scoring and rating things.

One week, they’re focused almost entirely on styling and nothing else, which throws me off, considering the series has always been about actual design and construction.

Next, they criticize someone for their poor construction. Or the only reason they hate an outfit is that it falls outside the theme of the week. But they’ll also reward an outfit despite it not aligning with the week’s theme.

This time, Yuchen was in the bottom for a piece that was most assuredly Streetwear. However, it was too basic and boring for the guy whose entire niche is Streetwear.

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And Joan was at the bottom because her outfit, while beautifully and perfectly tailored, fell outside of the theme.

She was also criticized for her fabric, which I’m fairly certain was the same as Antonio’s.

Of course, the trusty cliffhanger format means we don’t know who went home. Ironically, the previews of the next episode didn’t even bother hiding who sticks around, so there’s that.

However, the whole process was quite underwhelming.

We’re going through the same things. Christian gives advice masquerading as shade-throwing. Most of the contestants ignore him anyway.

Either Ethan or Antonio has a meltdown over their design. It never seems to matter in the end whether their final piece is good or not, because they make for “good TV” in this new world where Project Runway is trying too hard to mimic Drag Race.

The people with the biggest personalities are pushed to the forefront. There’s no structure to how the judges are actually criticizing things.

And Law Roach has completely overdone it in the villainous job department.

The right people rarely win each challenge. Meanwhile, I spend entire episodes trying to figure out if I lost the plot or did Project Runway?

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I’m just a girl, watching Project Runway, trying to understand what happened to this once enjoyable show.
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