#antmcycle2

3. Sara

These rankings do not surprise me in the slightest. They completely coincide with my thoughts on the models’ ability in the competition. I wouldn’t have minded this order of elimination.

April tops the list, which was to be expected, but Yoanna is not far behind, since she was quite solidly in the top performers each week (she actually has quite a few SCO, and apart from her first week and music video, never fell below my Top 5). It was unexpected to see Mercedes over Shandi since I was sure my 3 FCO would place her pretty high. 

I am surprised, though, that Camille’s score isn’t a bit lower, but she did excel in her initial photoshoots. Anna could either have a average of 12 or nothing, since I felt it unfair to rank her a performance when i didn’t have one in the first place. Xiomara had the benefit of her Grace Jones shot to thank for her average.

With the success of the show on the network, Tyra soon began to plan for the next instalment. Cycle 2 was great because it basically took everything from the previous cycle and improved on it. I watched it several times in the past, and upon my rewatch, I found it did not disappoint.

Better photoshoots, a larger cast, and (of course) more drama. This was the cycle of signature-walk divas, Christ-like decisions, crying yourself to sleep for six months, and the infamous moment you found out she had SAX. Let’s not forget about Tyra’s short venture into the music world; she still retained her Cycle 1 approachability that would become less and less frequent in later seasons.

With their good reception, the budget was clearly increased, and it’s definitely a cycle I’d recommend. There was an increase in the professional side of things, and the editing was slicker, but there was still a sense of intimacy from being one of the initial cycles of ANTM. Plus, we got introduced to the Nigel Barker (none of you probably know this, but he’s a noted fashion photographer) who, regardless of your opinion on him, grew to become another fundamental pillar to the Top Model franchise.

We got a lot of iconic moments and contestants out of the second cycle, and some truly breathtaking photos to boot. I do think it is slightly underrated, since people tend to focus solely on the Shandi’s storyline with her boyfriend and Camille’s villain edit and then disregard it. This cycle definitely does not deserve to be forgettable.

I think I have a better idea of how my rankings will go since I’m more familiar with the pictures here, but as always, there is room for surprises.