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Here's a rundown of the season's double-header premiere:

Episode 1 - A week before arriving in New York City, the 16 contestants were given several yards of plain white muslin fabric (which they could dye) and $20 “to create an outfit that best represents who they are as a fashion designer.” The task made for a great introduction to all the entrants basic talents, as the simplicity of the muslin material and the full week's allotted time really leveled the playing field for all.

Competitors John Wade and Heidi Standridge both bombed out and were rightly removed from the competition. The hands-down winner was Santino Rice, 30, of Los Angeles, CA. Santino's stunning victory in the show's very first round served notice to all involved that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Episode 2 - Contestants were surprised to learn their next challenge was to create new outfits from - out of all things - the very clothes on their backs. This posed all sorts of hurdles for both those who happened to be wearing crummy jean/t-shirt throwaways and those who happened to be wearing special favorites of sentimental value. It severely tested each candidate's creativity and revealed just how far some were willing to go to win. For lawyer/designer Kirsten Ehrig, 37, of Los Angeles,CA who was unwilling to cut up her heirloom scarf, it meant her elimination from the competition.

Underdog Daniel Franco came from behind in this round with a perfectly tailored little suit featuring a bolero jacket, which he deftly constructed out of his old sport coat & jeans. He deservingly remains in the competition.

The round's winner was Chloe Dao, 33, of Houston, TX. In a remarkable dressmaking achievement, she transformed her old, unmemorable outfit into a sleekly styled modern halter dress.

The nearly disqualified Andrae Gonzalo, 32, Los Angeles, upon being roundly criticized by the panel on his poor efforts, offered up what this queer would call a truly “gay,” emotionally overwrought, slit-wristed Norma Desmond type meltdown. It nearly got him tossed “out” on the spot.

Frankly, Santino really stands out among all the other entrants. His inventive skill is so prodigious it borders on the frightening. He may just sweep the entire second season (if his unpleasant, Hannibal Lector-like superiority complex doesn't cause his downfall first). It's amusing to watch Santino's upstart Amadeus play against PR's pompous panel of Salieris, as if the judges don't quite know what to make of this “enfant terrible” suddenly cast in their midst.

Calling upon whatever clues can be divined from Runway 2's first installment, here are this viewer's bets on who's eligible to win: Santino Rice (unless the townspeople chase him with pitchforks and burn him in an old windmill first); Marla Duran, 51, of Allentown, PA (never underestimate women of a certain age) Diana Eng, 22, of Jacksonville, FL (whose portfolio displayed some novel computer-inspired, geometrical pattern concepts); Chloe Dao, (who's second round win made her Santino's closest competitor); and lastly, Raymundo Baltazar, 24, and Nick Verreos, 38, both of Los Angeles, CA and both possessing fresh talent that may hold surprises for all.

Set to crash and burn, imho - Emmett McCarthy, 42, of New York, NY (dour and Forrest Gumpish, he seems oddly out of place in the scene his in); Zulema Griffin, 28, of New York, NY (unlikable, pushy, and without sufficient talent to justify being so): Andrae Gonzalo (too emotionally shaky and unproven).

I particularly enjoy the diversity of PR's contenders, and am hoping to see black males and even transgenders included in future seasons. The show's appeal to gays is a given, yet it's fun watching heteros excel in a field we often take for granted as exclusively queer turf. As long as they don't win, of course!

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