#cycle5umr

[itsantmbaby]

1. Nik

I live for a silent killer and Nik certainly filled that role. Nik has the strongest portfolio of the cycle and it’s not even debatable to me. She was in my top 3 photos 10/12 times in my weekly call out. Even now, it seems so odd that I did not give her a FCO until final 4. Nik may have had a bit of a stumble with her first commercial and her final runway walk but her performance in her second commercial and her unanimous praise and success at go sees make up for that. She was the clear winner by the end of the cycle. I’m a little sad she didn’t win because she really deserved it but I suppose her reserved nature and atypical look were not enough to compete with Nicole’s fashionable for the time look and more bubbly personality. Still, she was my winner, go Nik!

[itsantmbaby]

2. Lisa

Re-watching cycle 5 definitely reminded me why fans even cared about Lisa. It had been so long since I had seen cycle 5 prior to this ranking and my thoughts of her on all stars were not all positive. Cycle 5 however, was truly Lisa’s stomping ground. She was an odd casting. A girl who really did not look like a model to me and one with clear alcohol addiction which the show unfairly exploited for entertainment. Still, Lisa proved her modeling skills. She knew her angles and worked the camera like no other. She knew how to look soft and young and fresh in photos. Her poses were totally inspired by actual fashion references and her portfolio is killer, for the most part. I gave Lisa 3 FCOs, the most of any girl this cycle and she was totally on her way to win. Sadly, a probable sabotage by the judges with her 2 weakest shots coming at the end and a shocking and undeserved elimination cut her journey short. If it were not for the last minute decline in her work and lack of final 3 images, Lisa may have surpassed Nik in my ranking because she was a better spokesperson and had a decent walk. Still, I give credit when it’s due and Lisa was totally robbed of a place in the finale and possibly of a win. I honestly disliked her because she seemed like someone who is constantly in need of attention in an excessively annoying manner but she still seemed friendly deep down and her modeling more than made up for it. 

[itsantmbaby]

3. Nicole

Ah yes, our winner, miss Nicole. When I first watched cycle 5, I thought Nicole was unstoppable and did not question her win at all. She seemed to just skate by every week. I still think she tended to skate by every week but she definitely did not get the level of criticism that she sometimes deserved. Nonetheless, Nicole’s portfolio is one of the strongest and did gradually get better, which is a very good thing for a winner. Her weakest photos were all pre-overseas and so that makes her win seem fitting. Her walk was also great and she had a great look for the time and for Covergirl, so I can’t be mad at her win. I just wish she tried a little more sometimes, It seemed like she just rested, and hey I would too if the judges never called me out, but whenever she did put a little something more, she would produce really strong images and I feel that with a bit more push, she could have had an absolutely killer portfolio. Nonetheless, she was deserving enough and while I wasn’t really attached to her, I am alright with her win, I just think there are two girls who deserved it more. 

[itsantmbaby]

4. Bre

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Bre is that raspy voice and that delicious mock ANTM chocolate commercial she did at panel. Anyway, Bre was definitely one of the strongest models of the cycle. She was one of the strongest walkers, she would have made a good spokesmodel and she also had strong photos. I feel that most people think of Bre as the obviously weak member of the top 3 who the judges dragged though the competition but I don’t see her that way at all. Sure, I placed her below Nicole and Nik but I think she and Nicole were pretty close. The problem is that Bre’s weaker shots, or rather weaker in comparison to her competitors, came in the later weeks of the cycle. She seemed to be in a slump the last 3 weeks but she still has a far better portfolio than anyone below her and she had the potential to crack my top 3 if she had done well in the finale. Sadly, Nik and Nicole ended up outperforming her and thus made her the obvious choice for 3rd among them. Still, I think Bre did a good job overall and she was also one of my favorite personalities with the exception of how she handled granola-gate. She did a solid job. 

[itsantmbaby]

5. Kyle

It feels odd for me to place Kyle this high. I didn’t think Kyle was that great of a model but she did well up until her elimination. Her spokesperson abilities were okay and her walk was passable, plus she had a great body for runway. Her pictures were good, and even delivered one of my favorites in week 4. Had Kyle not done so poorly in her elimination week, she probably would have been saved. It’s probably because she was such an inoffensive personality who added no drama or had any beef with anyone that she was cut. I had no real attachment to this girl but she deserved to go further. 

[itsantmbaby]

6. Kim

I gotta give it to Kim, I’m surprised she cracked my top 6. I remember thinking she got way past her time, but yet, here she is, only a spot lower than her actual placement. I did not get it with Kim at first. The first 4 shots in her portfolio were abysmal but after that, her next 5 showed a lot of improvement. So much so that she earned the first FCO overseas from both myself and the judges. Her upward trajectory made me think she would somehow make the top 3 (based on panel’s critiques, not mine) but then came her elimination week, where she nosedived with her awful Birth of Venus shot. Granted, her set was easily the cheapest looking and putting her, the most masculine, narrow figured and short haired girl, as the womanly curvaceous and long/curly-haired Venus was unfair but her photo was so far the weakest that there was no way around her elimination. I almost thought of putting her as 5th in my ranking but her walk stopped me. Kim had one of the weakest walks of the cycle and we didn’t really get to see any improvement of that and adding in her being one of the shortest girls, her runway ability was slim to none. I never really got around to liking her much, especially after she talked shit about everyone (minus Nicole and Bre who ironically called her out). She wasn’t a likable contestant to me but at least she improved. 

[itsantmbaby]

7. Cassandra

The infamous beauty queen, also the first contestant ever to quit the show. I originally thought Cassandra was being over dramatic but now I get and respect her reasoning for quitting. It’s a shame though, she had produced two killer photos during her short stint on the show. She was also pretty poised in terms of walking due to her pageant background, which certainly could have helped her later. I actually think she was kind of planned to go overseas, perhaps not win or top 3 but overseas for sure. Even with only two photos, it’s clear she would have done well and I am sad that we’ll never actually get to see what her Secret, black and white or pin up shots would have been like. I wasn’t a fan of her overall and even of her look, she was a bit pinched-looking, but she could have been great. 

[itsantmbaby]

8. Jayla

I had high hopes for Jayla. When I first saw her I thought she looked like a slightly older and more fierce Norelle from cycle 3. Sadly, Jayla never even matched Norelle’s level of performance. It’s funny because I gave Jayla 2 FCOs, more than I gave Nicole who is the winner of the cycle, yet here she ranks. The reason Jayla is so low is that outside of her peak photos, she was kind of tragic, she was in my bottom 2 a total of 6 times, that’s crazy. Her walk was also abysmal and while I think she did have some spokesperson skills, it wasn;t something she was amazing at, just good. I feel kind of bad at placing Jayla this low but honestly, her portfolio is so bland that I think it’s where she honestly ranks.