First off, objectively, if we rate this episode 9, 10 or even 1 or 2, then we're guilty of the same thing we're accusing the judging panel of doing - judging unfairly. The show is still there, with its high production skill, during a pandemic. Gottmik, Rosé, Symone and Olivia are still bringing their freshness and lightness to the season. Some challenges are good. And... it's colourful, yay.
But the problem with this episode, as so many of us have said, is with the judging. Most episodes, it feels trite. The writers write good one-liners to make the panel appear snappier than they are, but the delivery makes it obvious they're reading prepared lines (before the runway and during the runway), especially when they're not on-screen delivering the line it just feels like the jokes were put in during post-production.
All other comments (on all other platforms) have described how 'off' the judging is in S13, so I won't offer anything new there. It does just. Feel. Off.
Side note, I'm trying to work out... does Kandy Muse just have a big tongue or something?
The psychic section was another very 'off' addition to the episode. It didn't accomplish anything or drive the episode forward. However, it did give us the memory of Clara the Cow. Yes and amen to that. Personally I have an issue with using VFX in reality shows (for example season 9 when they had to present fairy tale characters next to floating cartoons - it made me think, 'what are the judges seeing?') The medium (excuse the pun) of reality TV is such that we buy into every moment as 'real', and VFX jolt us out of reality because we know some fancy digital manipulation is going on.)
On a final note, it's not a terrible episode, it's good, in fact, but there are some big stinkers that ruin it.
Hopefully our wish will come true for season 14, and the producers will turn the competition into a Squid Game-like show.
