Mila, the woman who has driven me crazy all season as she recreates the same color-blocked geometric look every week.

Emilio, the man who once sent THIS down the runway and also the one who is so damn cocky it is disgusting. I don’t care if he is talented. His attitude has me against him.

How could you possibly win Project Runway after making that?!? Ugh.

And lastly, Seth Aaron, the man whose outfits are wild and colorful and but well-made. He is also so sweet, which at this point is why I am rooting for him. He has confidence mixed with humility, rather than a cockiness that would put other designers down.

The runway show, with guest judge Faith Hill, was awesome. I loved all the collections, even Mila’s. Everything was innovative and well-made.

The judges had kind words for everyone when talking to them and their MOTR models. While SA and Mila are getting complimented, the camera shoots to Emilio who looks beyond disgusted. If this guy wins, this is officially the worst season of this show. He is not personable at all. Mila’s line was great, but she could never win against either of these two.

And who is our winner? I couldn’t be happier and even let out a “YES!” when the announced it and he broke into tears. So cute.

He was adorable with his family and I am SO GLAD that he won. He was absolutely the most deserving in several ways.

On the Reunion, it showed that SA was nice because they didn’t ask him any questions. Meanwhile a bitter Emilio quested Nina how he didn’t win? Nina’s face was the same as mine. Really, you’re really asking this? Maya was weird for leaving. Jay was a big you-know-what when he was arguing with a model and told her she had bad teeth and thick legs. Really Jay? And as always, Anthony was as funny as ever. While I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the season, I am more than pleased with the outcome. Congrats to Seth Aaron and I can’t wait to see more of his work!

“We live not according to reason, but according to fashion.”

In Damages season finale fashion, this episode ties up the story, but leaves a few lose ends. It seems that the continuation of this series is decided on a yearly basis, so we don’t know at this time if it will continue. There are rumors that this is the last season. If you want FX to know how much you wish to see the series continue there is a petition at this site: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bring-back-damages-for-season-4.html

In this episode, “The Next One Goes in Your Throat”, the story lines come together.
So as to not ruin the ending for anyone who has not watched it, I will only touch on some of the mysteries that are solved. Leave comments for discussions, and I will add more later in the week when everyone has watched the finale.

Wes comes back into town at Ellen’s (Rose Bryne) request. He explains to Ellen what happened with David.

Marilyn (Lily Tomlin) and Joe (Campbell Scott) have a heart to heart that causes Joe to start drinking again and
throwing his mother out.

Jill has the audacity to flaunt her defiance in Patty Hewes‘(Glen Close) face. That is like waving a red cape in front of a raging bull. Jill takes a hit for it later.

Tom (Tate Donovan), Patty, and Ellen make a deal with Winstone. The DA grants him immunity for the proof that will put the Tobins in jail. Lenny (Martin Short) is to bring the envelope that Louis Tobin left the night he died and a bag of money to Tom. Ellen is to pick up the money in the Honda with the Statue of Liberty on the dash, and take it all to Patty.  Patty doesn’t really trust Winstone, and Winstone doesn’t really trust Tom. In the end, Patty tries to stop the deal.

Winstone steals Ellen’s handbag then puts it back in her car. Barry (Michael Laurence), the homeless man, sees this and steals the bag from the car. I have to say that even though it was during a serious scene, I almost laughed out loud when Tom saw Barry with the handbag. I will discuss this more later.

Wes threatens to kill Frobisher (Ted Danson), but makes a surprise move that will solve two murders.

As we know from prior foreshadowing, Tom is stabbed, but actually dies from drowning. Tom does not drown in the river. All I can say at this point is that while I am sure there is no good way to drown, this was a distasteful ending for Tom. Then again, that is how his murderer rolls.

Patty did see who was driving the Honda that hit her.  Detective Huntley does not get this information.

Later in the week, we will discuss what happened to Lenny, the Tobins, and the hit and run driver.

Now to Patty’s past, in May of 1972, Patty was getting ready to graduate from law school and was pregnant with a child whose father was the “only man she ever loved.”
She is told to go on bed rest, yet takes a long walk into the countryside. (Later Patty says, “We want to do good, but get backed into a corner and make unforgivable mistakes.”) She ends up at a barn owned by Julian Decker. Is this Julian Decker’s (Keith Carradine) father? Patty goes into labor and has a stillborn daughter named Julia. Coincidence? Has Patty just been acting like she does not know Julian Decker or is he her true love and the father of her dead daughter? Hopefully there will be a season four and this storyline will continue.

This season ends with Patty and Ellen on the dock at Patty’s lake place. Patty asks Ellen what she will do next. Ellen says she will quit law, go to work at a new firm, or work for Patty. Then Ellen asks Patty, “Is it worth it?”

Patty doesn’t answer and Ellen leaves.

Please don’t leave us forever, Patty and Ellen.

With the death of Tessa Marchetti the Tobin case has come to a stand still. However, the judge gives Hewes/Shayes and Associates more time. He does have bad news for Patty Hewes (Glen Close) and Tom Shayes (Tom Donovan). He has received information about Tom’s involvement with the Tobins. Don’t think he just came by this information randomly!

Tom turns in his resignation for the sake of the case and the firm.  Tom’s personal and professional life seems to be unraveling. Still we have seen that when Tom leaves the firm things are not always as they seem.  Tom, also, searches the internet for a used Honda. The one that pops up has a Statue of Liberty dash ornament. Is that what we have been seeing in the car and not the bookend?

Curtis Gates (Ben Shenkman) does not fire Ellen Parsons (Rose Bryne) thanks to Patty Hewes. Patty declares that they must tear the Tobin’s apart in order to find the money.

Josh Restin (Matt Davis) gets information from a female policewoman about Leonard Winston’s father. Josh does his research and finds out about Lenny’s past and his secrets. He gives this information to Ellen who takes it Patty.

The plan to tear the Tobins apart begins with Ellen taking the information about Winstone to Joe Tobin (Campbell Scott). Joe tells Lenny not to come near the family again. Winstone agrees to help Tom by restoring his finances and his reputation for immunity. Winstone’s father (Bill Raymond) withdraws the laundered money from the African Foundation under the guise of being Stuart Zenick. Lenny brings the money to Tom. Tom gives the money to Ellen. Ellen takes the money to Patty. Wow,  could use a flow chart!

Enter the homeless man (Michael Laurence ), who seems concerned about Tom seeing Leonard Winstone. What has he seen that makes him so worried about Tom meeting with Lenny?

Last but not least, Terry Brooks meets with Patty to get more details on the Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson) character. He tells her that Frobisher was working with a policeman and implied he had someone killed. Patty laughs it off to Brooks, but goes to Curtis Gates and Ellen with the information. Gates shows Ellen a photograph of the policeman. Ellen sees Wes (Timothy Olyphant) in the photograph also.

Just a few thoughts:

Joe Tobin seems to be enjoying his new power. He is making some enemies quickly, though. He has insulted and threatened Zedeck, dismissed Winstone, used his sister (I believe), but is still a pawn to his mother.

It looks like Tom, Ellen, and Patty are all still working together. So, who kills Tom?
What is thrown from the bridge? Tom? Evidence? Can anyone with better eyesight tell?

We know Wes helped Ellen and Patty last season, what part will he play, if any, this season? (after all, he has his own show now)

Does Jill honestly think she can outwit Patty?

One more episode? It should be a collision of characters.

This week the alliances are settled. Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan) admits to Patty Hewes (Glen Close )that he and Ellen Parsons (Rose Bryne) have been strategizing behind her back. It is hard for me to believe Patty doesn’t know everything that is going on, but she looked like she had been kicked in the stomach when Tom confessed.

Ellen learns about her childhood from her babysitter, Ann Connell.

Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson)  is convinced by Terry Brook (Craig Bierko),  the actor playing his part, that he needs to see his underbelly to get into the character. Frobisher confesses that he went so low as to have someone taken out. Was it Ray Fisk, David, or both?

Marilyn Tobin (Lily Tomlin) and Leonard Winstone (Martin Short) agree that Joe Tobin must be told that Tessa Marchetti (Vanessa Rug) is his daughter, not his father’s.  Marilyn is sent to deliver this news.

Tessa Marchetti agrees to help Patty Hewes who is now working with Curtis Gates (Ben Shenkman) to get proof of where the money is going. Tessa and Malcolm go to Antigua to sign the papers and sneak one out.

Ellen sees her dead husband, David. David tells her she liked working for Patty because they both hate bullies. (both their fathers were bullies) He tells her to either go back to Patty or move on.

Patty thinks about what Ellen said about Alex Benjamin in the past. (that she did not like her} To Alex’s amazement, Patty fires her out of the blue.

Tessa and Malcolm meet their demise in Antigua.

Joe Tobin and his mother get the news that Tessa is dead. Marilyn tells Joe, “your father had a daughter with Danielle Marchetti. You had no choice.”   Doesn’t that type of motherly love just warm your heart?

To sum up the alliances at this point:

Tom and Ellen are working together
Lenny and Zedeck are working together
Joe and Marilyn are working together
Patty and Curtis Gates are working together (really?)

Tom and Ellen are all Patty has. We know what happens to Tom, but will Patty and Ellen come together in the end?

In the March 29th episode, the members of the class action suit against the Tobins are unhappy with the progress of the case. While Patty Hewes (Glen Close)remains outwardly cool and calm, Tom Shayes (Tom Donovan) panics. He is faltering under the pressure of supporting his in-laws, his parents, and his family. His wife is unhappy and not receptive to selling any of their homes or land. Tom approaches Tessa Marchetti (Vanessa Rug) and tells her the Tobins killed her mother in order to get her to help them. Ellen Parsons (Rose Bryne) must later cover for Tom to save his career. Meanwhile, Tessa Marchetti is told that by Ellen that the Tobins killed her mother. Ellen claims she is using Patty Hewes to get a conviction. Can anyone “use” Patty Hewes?

In the meantime, we see Zedeck (Dominic Chianse) and Lenny (Martin Short) working together again. They conspire to keep Marilyn Tobin (Lily Tomlin) from attending a charitable foundation trip to Tanzania. They don’t want her anywhere near this foundation. If this is where they are laundering the money does Marilyn know? Is she really so kind that she just wants to see the little African children she supports?

Ellen asks Patty’s advice about what to do about her sister. Patty has none to give. Ellen notices the hole in the wall is still there, and Patty says she is undecided about the renovation. Personally I can’t wait to see this “renovation”. Patty has been way to reserved this season for me.

Ellen dreams about a woman from her past. Patty’s go-to guy, Malcolm researches her and finds she is Ann Connell. Ellen refuses to help her sister with her sentence.

Lenny’s dad comes to town and accuses Lenny of having the biggest mark of his life. Lenny denies that the Tobins are a mark.

Only three episodes left. Time to start unraveling the tangled web. Personally, I need a little less talk and a little more action.

The designers head off to the circus this week! They are to create a runway look that is inspired by the circus.  They all seem to think this is awesome; I am already fearing elephants and trapeze artists. The greatest show on earth? Blech.

It’s a two-day challenge and the workroom honestly bores me now.  They bicker,  Tim is increasingly tough on them, and we worry about how their looks will come out.  A lot of the color pallettes are the same with the exception of Anthony and his royal blue.  I’m so happy he came back, even if undeservingly so.

Runway time! Cynthia Rowley is the guest judge. Why do I feel like she has been a judge before? Hmm….let’s get to it people!

Jay: Maybe it’s a little Michael Jackson but it looks awesome.  Right on trend.

Mila: Gross. Hot tranny vampire. (Those were legitimately the four words that came to mind.)

Anthony: This dress is pretty but where is the circus?!

Emilio: I kind of like the mixed patterns. Well-made, even if I don’t love the front poof.

Seth Aaron: Definitely costume-y. If the pants weren’t so bright, it wouldn’t be bad. The jacket is at least very interesting….but Seth Aaron wants bright and interesting and costume-y. So, go him? And he is the best tailor this show has seen.

My picks for Bryant Park? Seth Aaron, Emilio, Jay

TOTALLY on the Seth Aaron bandwagon lately. Emilio is deserving even if he is sort of irritating sometimes. And I think Jay has a similar style to my own and find him to be very trendy.

Who’s really going? Emilio, Seth Aaron, and EITHER Jay or Mila

Throwdown time! I despise Mila and her work so much and love Jay so this is an easy battle for me. I am so sad for Anthony though.  He definitely didn’t deserve to get to Bryant Park, but he wins for the sweetest contestant ever.  And the funniest. And my favorite to quote. Awww. Next week, hometown visits. Yay finale!

“We live not according to reason, but according to fashion.”

This week the challenge may just be my favorite one to date. The designers get to design their own fabric using the HP computers. LOTS of HP and Intel plugs this episode. But I love it because this software is awesome.  They draw any pattern they like, and the next morning that pattern arrives in a roll of fabric. They also get to go to Mood for additional materials.

The designers are fretting. Blah blah blah. Mila’s work is strange and somebody kindly describes it as a ‘teepee’ or ‘legos’.  HA! So true. Jonathan worries about his fabric being too transparent. Seth Aaron is making a million pieces. Emilio’s print reminds me of Marc Jacobs, but if he didn’t say it, I wouldn’t have known it was his name in print. Whatever, off to the runway where Vivienne Tam is our guest judge. (Lifetime only has the small pics available right now. Will add regular ones later!)

Seth Aaron: Now, I’m not about to wear this but I can recognize how great the design and execution is. And it all represents him. No matter what, every design could form a collection.

Jonathan: I think the dress is super adorable. I don’t really like how the jacket opens in the back though.

Maya: Mixed opinions on this one. I love the styling and the volume, but it sort of makes me think of Halloween, especially with the black and orange.

Emilio: I do not like her hair but I guess it goes with the jacket. I like the dress shape and the print looks good, despite not being able to read it.

Mila: Teepee. No other words.

Anthony: Kinda safe with the colors AND design. Also makes her look like she has broad shoulders which isn’t a good thing.

Jay: Very electric looking! I think each item would be a cool piece on its own.

Top 3: Seth Aaron, Maya, Emilio (Whaaat? Two weeks in a row. No way.)

Bottom 3: Anthony, Mila, Jonathan

I’m sad to see Anthony go. He had some great quotes this season. I am happy it wasn’t Jonathan though. The judges were WAYYY to hard on him. I wanted to punch Michael Kors for being so rude. Is Mila paying off the judges? Am I going to have rant next week also about how she mysteriously stays around? Ugh. Side note: On MOTR, I fell for Seth Aaron. Officially on his bandwagon because he was so nice and flattered that his model decided to forgo a DKNY shoot for him. Awww.

“We live not according to reason, but according to fashion.”

Hardcore is how Patty Hewes (Glen Close) played it in this episode. She gets to Carol Tobin and convinces her she won’t tell the ADA about Carol’s part in Danielle Marchetti’s death. (My advice, Carol, watch your back!) Through Carol, Patty confirms Tessa Marchetti has indeed been lying all along.

A kinder and gentler Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), takes his production team to meet Patty Hewes. He has told them he does not want Patty to be a villain in the movie. He wants the movie to be a story of redemption. When Terry Brook (Craig Bierko) and Gail ask how Patty would describe Frobisher, she answers that Frobisher is “foolish, vain, pathetically insecure, a despicable bully, stole from his employees, and manipulated the system to walk away with a slap on the wrist.”

Ellen Parsons (Rose Bryne) comes to Patty to asks for a favor. Oh my, you can almost see Patty licking her chops.

But just as she seems to be getting stronger, we see her vulnerabilities. She keeps her composure when her son, Michael (Zachary Booth), comes to tell her that he has been lying to her. Even when he asks her how Uncle Pete died, she casually replies “Uncle Pete died of natural causes.” But, after he leaves, Patty throws a bowl against the wall.
Now that she has a hole in her sheetrock, Patty calls in Julian Decker (Keith Carradine) about renovations. Once he is there, Patty again seems undecided about the renovations. But Decker tells her she needs to tear away walls to see what is there. What is she (and I) not seeing? Later that evening she again dreams about the horse. Another blow to Patty would be that two months from the present, Tom Shayes (Tom Donovan) hands her his resignation.

But then again, two months from the present, Tom is dead.

Hardcore.