I love Ant Anstead, I love car shows and especially custom classics. Overhaulin', Car SOS, Wheeler Dealers and the like just resonate.
The first 5 episodes of this show were great episodes about fixing and customizing classic cars like a '58 Chevy Impala, the iconic VW bus and a schoolbus shorty. This one, on Blige's instigation, ventured into customizing a brand new Range Rover. Not Ant's or my cup of tea... Not Mary J's either, seeing as how she shot down every customization idea and basically hated the finished product. The recipient seemed none too excited either. Highest praise from either was a repeated "It's just a car"... Shamefull.
After the first 5 episodes where Renee Zelweiger, James Marsden, Danny Trejo, Octavia Spencer and Tony Hawk enthousiastically collaborated on design decisions, put in at least some labour and seemed genuinly interested and involved, this episode left a bitter taste in my mouth. Blige chose to sit on a comfortable couch in her designer clothing as the hosts tried to suffer through her "I've had it so bad" diatribe while keeping their smiles and make something special of this run-of-the-mill car.
I hope Ant and Cristy find some more appreciative car enthousiast celebrities like the first 5 for next season, because this episode was really hard to love. I'll be honest, I shed tears for the first 5 but all I got from this one was vicarious shame. They should have binned this one after all was said and done, it was unworthy of the series.
Here's hoping they get picked up for a second season and find some more involved, deserving victims, both on the celebrity and recipient level.
