Irishman, I didn’t read the challenge as having to be placed in the era necessarily as inspired by the era, which is what I got from Laura. I was actually more confused by an Alchmeist in the Ming Dynasty. As far as I know there were no alchemists attempting to turn things into gold during the Ming Dynasty.
Yes, I hate it, too, so much that I stopped the recording at that point, and I try to fastforward anything I’m watching to skip them. God, previews suck the life out of the point of that show.
When they did the set up, they stated that Black Swan demonstrated it could be set in any era. Then they list eras and say pick one. Seems to me they are saying “set it in that era”, though I suppose setting in that era could be as loosely done as Shakespeare set his stories in an era.
As far as Ming Dynasty, I’m not sure what alchemists were doing, but weren’t they the ones that originated black powder? Or was that some other era of Chinese history? Anyway, what is the common thing “known” about alchemists? They were trying to transform materials, especially base metals into gold. I see the connecting link and it makes logical sense even if not thoroughly historically accurate.
If I were a judge, I would have given it to Tate. His sorcerer was a bit muddled, but I loved the concept and the overall look, and of course his swan was the best.
I didn’t see swan, sorcerer, or Italian Renaissance in Laura’s. They were technically really good looking makeups, but for the King and Queen of the Merfolk or something like that. She deserves the win based on past work, but I just didn’t love this one.
Roy managed to pull out of what looked like disaster and come up with something nice, but I agree that including something the dancer couldn’t dance in, only to have him pull it off to dance, should have been big negative points.
Didn’t Tate’s swan have to take off her mechanical swan hand to dance as well?
I don’t believe so. That thing was glued on, not just worn like a puppet. They didn’t do the close up inspections until after the dance. She couldn’t have just put that thing back on.