her phrasing-- especially her phrasing-- were all top-notch.

YES

I wished she had done a blow-the-doors off performance like Proud Mary or a Nina Simone song or something

she would have rocked Nina Simone.

According to the TWOP thread for DC, the Discovery Channel website does mention that the opilio crab part of the show will have Rick and Donna on the Maverick. Here's the Maverick website, which I haven't checked out but got from the TWOP thread.

Yeah, that's the same info I read, and Wikipedia lists them as coming back for the opilio season. It just seems really odd then that the Maverick wasn't even listed in the crab count at the end of the episode.

I knew Tabitha would go down in the competition at some point because of her surly nature instead of her skills, but I thought it would be alienating a client.

Daisy's got a really strong skill set - especially with hairdressing and color. Also her clients always look good, certainly presentable. Tabitha and Tyson were the best cutters and they're both out now. I'm surprised that Boogie's cutting skills haven't been exposed until now. Ben's been over his head a few times but he scrambles and manages to be Not Worst. It'll come down to Anthony and Daisy, I expect.

It's too bad Evangline got bumped because she would've done well with both the retro styles and the bridal styles.

I loved Tabitha and was sad to see her go. I loved that she just straight out punked Tyson at the judging. I loved that clearly every one of the other stylists loved her and kinda thought Tyson was a tool. She brought the bitchy fun on the show (for me, at least). I really thought it would have been Boogie, but he is just not funny (and he can't do hair, so . . .) I really hope it's either Anthony or Daisy for the win now. I can't believe Ben is still there. Why?

Tabitha definitely brought the interesting dynamics to the show. Jaclyn looked genuinely floored by Tab's blunt assessment of Tyson. And we know from all of Tyson's talking head moments that he really is a total FIGJAM. I think Tabitha really was that honest because she did respect his haircutting skills and gave him credit for his salesmanship in the Mall challenge too.

But the show has a lot of really inflated egos. Not just Tyson, but Boogie and Theodore earlier.

I'm definitely coming away from this show thinking there are stylists who survive entirely on the cult of personality they create. Early exit Jim is a clear example of somebody who was way better at being the fun Fabulous Gay Friend and sweetie pie for his clients and who really didn't have particularly good skills at anything. I doubt his clients get much more than a trim and some layers.

I think Ben is hanging in there by being second worst several times.

The final challenge should focus on cutting skills, I think. That's the basis of modern hairstyling, whereas hairdressing would have been in the pre-Sassoon era.

But the show seems to be more and more leaning towards client satisfaction as the final arbiter instead of genius with the shears.

I can't believe Ben is still there. Why?

It's the old, "You don't have to run faster than the bear, you just have to run faster than your friend," syndrome. Ben's not very good, and he's certainly doesn't deserve to still be here at this point, with Tabitha and Tyson gone.

He just keeps managing to be NOT the loser -- every time, there's been someone more deserving of going home.

And I hate to say it, because I adored bitchy Tabitha, and figured she'd be a finalist, but with the styles they presented to the judges, especially compared to the other two teams, they deserved to go home.

And I hate to say it, because I adored bitchy Tabitha, and figured she'd be a finalist, but with the styles they presented to the judges, especially compared to the other two teams, they deserved to go home

exactly. I thought that the producers might step in and save them, but they didn't. which kind of makes me respect the show a little more.

Yep. I really gained a lot of respect for the show when they didn't bail out T'nT. I certainly thought they would boot Dr. Boogie and the Ninja. That's been one of the great things about Shear Genius and PR. Even though you may be very talented, if you have a bad week, you can easily be gone. (Alison, we hardly knew ye!)

I'm sorry, what was that rant all about? If the judges had been inclined to give T&T a pass, that pretty much closed the door on it. I can see if she was convinced she was gone and just wanted to get her licks in, but at that stage in the game I'm not totally convinced it was a done deal, so it seemed really odd.

Yeah. As much as I loved Tabitha, I was shaking my head and yelling at the screen during that rant. Any doubt or indecision about T&T's fate was removed by her mouth.

I think they still would have gone home. Boogie and Ben's styles weren't great either, but they were more consistent and complete than Tyson and Tab's.