"Project Runway: All Star Challenge" recap

Warning, spoilers ahead! Read no further if you don't want to know what happened on last night's Project Runway: All Star Challenge.

These sorts of "All Star" reality specials live or die in the casting, and when I saw the lineup I was a little concerned. I mean, I liked most of these folks in their respective seasons: Chris March, Uli, Sweet P, Mychael, Daniel V, what's not to like? But conspicuously absent were the villains. Sure, there was Santino Rice, but is he alone enough to carry two hours of reality programming?

If it were up to me I'd have made it Project Runway: All Villains. Along with Santino, haul back Wendy Pepper, Kenley Collins, and maybe Survivor's Johnny Fairplay for good measure! Forget about fashion challenges, just throw those cats into a pillowcase and see who survives.

Oh well, such a dream cast is not to be. You work with what you have, and at least Tim Gunn mentioned in interviews that Santino's presence this time around was soul-sucking. High praise indeed! Maybe Santino alone will be villainous enough to carry this thing.

The show opens with the usual introductions. Jeffrey Sebelia says in the intro that, "You might remember me as the guy who made someone's mom cry" And it's funny, he's absolutely right. I can't remember a single item of clothing he designed, but I do remember that mother of another designer being all traumatized because he couldn't make a muumuu to flatter her.

Oh, that and the Ed Hardy tattoo on his neck, which he probably regrets now that the Ed Hardy brand is a bit passé.

Korto Mumulu (who's clothes I can remember) shows up with a rolling suitcase and a lot of attitude. You can tell she's still got a chip on her shoulder for losing to Leanne in Season 5. Okay, so maybe Korto counts as a villain too.

No one has changed much except for perhaps Daniel, who looks like a full-fledged adult now and makes a big point of mentioning how much he's matured.

My guess going into this thing: Either he or Korto has the best chance of winning.

They all gather on an LA rooftop with Tim and Heidi, who is pregnant yet again! (That woman pops 'em out like a German bomb factory.) They do their customary champagne toast and then, after a full night of sleep (probably their last during this competition), Tim meets the designers in their spacious work studio.