Real time vs. reality time

Watching Project Runway last night, one question kept popping into my mind. No, it wasn't "why did Michael think it would be a good idea to hand-ruche for the first time in a challenge?" Nor was it "can Laura design anything that isn't a body-skimming dress or that doesn't have a big collar with matching cuffs?" It wasn't even "how is it possible that Robert and Alison are gone but Vincent is still around?" Nope. It was "how much time is there between challenges on this show?"

One some reality shows, the amount of time that has passed is clear. Take Survivor. We know how many days everyone has been on the island because they tell us in every episode (which always makes me wonder why they are so over-emotional about being away from their families at day 14--sure, it must be hard to be out of contact, but it's two weeks!). And in Runway's case, I always assumed they were given a challenge (which usually lasts between one and two days), and then once that challenge is over they immediately get a new challenge, which then lasts one to two days, and so on. Maybe there is a day of rest here or there, but nothing major.

But now I'm not so sure. Two episodes ago (the totally unfair episode of large vs. thin), Laura announced she was pregnant for the sixth time. (This woman can't stand dogs but can manage to birth six babies? I don't get it.) When she made the announcement, everyone was shocked, and she wasn't showing. The next episode, she designed herself a cocktail dress that was body-conscious. Wearing it, one could see a slight, slight stomach bulge. But when I say slight, I mean slight. I'll be honest--my stomach is fatter, and there is no Baby Fraggle entering this world any time soon. The dress was not forgiving, so it wasn't like she was hiding her pregnancy with clothing at that point.

The comes this week's episode, the very next challenge after the cocktail dress, and she's totally showing. For much of the episode her belly was exposed, and it was definitely that of a pregnant woman. And when she was covered up, her belly was obvious, pushing out her shirts.

So how much time passed here? How did she go from pinch-an-inch to full-fledged preggers in two days? The progression was so dramatic it looked to me like it must have taken weeks. Does anyone have an idea how much time really passes on this show?

SPOILERS AHEAD (and unfortunately, as usual, Blogger sucks and I can't post photos)

I guess we can wait until next week to see if Laura has put on even more pregnancy weight. Because right now, I'm just very confused. Of course, we almost didn't get that opportunity, as Laura was in this week's bottom two, where I definitely thought she belonged. Her dress was just so typical--Uli was lambasted last week for making the same type of dress over and over, but Laura has really been the biggest offender in that regard. And this one really was ugly. As Gobo put it--she looks like a Victorian hooker!

I can't say, however, that I was unhappy to see Vincent go instead of her. The fact that he made it to the top six flabbergasts me--not only is he not talented, but he's just plain creepy. And his "couture" dress, which was really just a job for Elmer's glue, wasn't interesting in the least, nor was it attractive. I'm glad he's gone. I'm sad it wasn't much earlier, because it would have been fun to see the designs of some of the people eliminated in his stead. But he's gone now, and that's a good thing.

Uli and Jeffrey definitely had the best designs, and I think I would have gone with Jeffrey's for the win, just because it seemed more couture-esque. And I have to admit--I liked Kayne's design! I liked the sparkles, I liked the uneven corset, I liked the ombre, and I loved the fit. I felt tasteless for liking it after hearing the judges' comments, but there you have it.

But does anyone think that someone other than Michael is going to win this competition? I think it will be Michael, Uli and Jeffrey in the top three, with them finishing in that order. At this point, can it end up any other way?