Pussycat Dolls Present Girlicious: "Public Image" (Episode 209)

The rift between Chrystina/Natalie and Tiffanie/Charlye/Nichole continued to widen this week as the girls were put on a whirlwind media tour to test their public image skills. Robin warned that how they present themselves would make or break their shot at show business, so she’ll be watching for who has the chops to handle the pressure.

But before they set off for their interviews at KIISfm and Extra, the girls began group rehearsals for this week’s elimination performance. They will be judged as one group, with the weakest member going home. Their renditions of the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” and “How Many Times, How Many Lies” will determine which girl will not advance to next week’s season finale.

Mikey was immediately frustrated with all the girls—and Chrystina in particular—for not nailing the choreography off the bat. Likewise, Kenn was irritated with the girls’ vocal practice, saying he could feel the iciness among the group. Paired with Tiffanie to harmonize the song’s bridge, Chrystina’s confidence took another blow and she could barely peep out her part.

Whisked off to their media interviews, the girls arrived at KIISfm and were hit with hard questions from the start. They were first asked if they got along (everyone played nice and took a diplomatic approach), followed by a request for each to sing individually. Charlye started the group off, and each did just fine aside from Chrystina. Poor thing went last and simply had too much time to think before her turn and completely flubbed the lyrics. Multiple times! It was yet another setback for Chrystina, but you know what they say—it’s how you pick yourself up that counts! So, by the time the girls arrived at the Extra studio, Chrystina was ready and raring to redeem herself.

Sitting with Mark McGrath, the girls were given an opportunity to say what Girlicious meant to them and what they thought it represented. Everyone gave decent answers, saying the usual blurbs they knew would sound great to Robin (female empowerment, individuality, being confident, sassy, sexy, blah blah blah). And oh my goodness, Chrystina was the last to take her turn and froze up AGAIN! Stammering and stuttering her way through an answer, you couldn’t help but feel for the girl. And just when Chrystina thought the day was over, Robin threw one last challenge at them. They were to film Extra/Girlicious promo clips with Mark. Each worked with the same copy—“Tune in to see if I make the group; it’s gonna be hot, hot, hot!”—and were instructed to inject their personality into it. No one was expecting great things from Chrystina, but surprisingly, she was one of the best.

Back at the loft, Robin revealed that the girl with the best promo would have it aired all over the country leading up to next week’s season finale. (No elimination immunity this week!) The honor went to Natalie, who from the beginning said this was her arena to shine. After Robin’s departure, the girls had a pow-wow to make peace with one another. After the tensions of the day, Natalie, Chrystina, Nichole and Tiffanie decided they must make a stronger effort to get along. Noticeably absent from the conversation was Charlye, who retreated to her room under the guise of a headache.

After a busy week, it was time for elimination performances. “How Many Times, How Many Lies” kicked the night off, and the girls focused on their vocals for this number, leaving the dancing for “Buttons.” Afterwards, Ron summed up his response by saying he was excited to see what Girlicious would become thanks to the amount of energy, sexuality and talent among them.

Robin weighed in, saying Tiffanie was a strong component to the group for her and that it was a positive thing to see Chrystina shine. Lil’ Kim was also really proud of Chrystina for throwing the group’s problems out the window for this performance. Which led us to Charlye; Robin said she set the tone for “How Many Times, How Many Lies” but she’s not sure Charlye’s gelling with the group. All the judges agreed Nichole was a bit behind the beat, but they don’t doubt her talent as a whole and definitely see her as a member of the group (duh, she’s the only white girl!). Lastly, Robin said Natalie really understood the vibe of “Buttons,” and Ron loved the lower tone she debuted saying it opened a whole new realm of possibility for her as a member of Girlicious.

After deliberating and calling the girls back to the stage, Natalie was the first to be revealed as safe. Joining her in the final round was Tiffanie, following by Nichole. This left rivals Chrystina and Charlye to battle it out for the last coveted spot in the finals. Robin questioned Charlye’s dedication to the group effort and noted that Chrystina’s talent may not have had enough time to mature yet. Having said that, Robin announced that Chrystina would be moving onto the finals. As Charyle gave hugs to Nichole and Tiffanie and the tears were starting to flow, Robin shouted for the girls to listen up. They would all be advancing to the finals. “No more second chances,” she warned, “This is your last shot.” Next week, three will become Girlicious and two will go home.

My prediction for Girlicious = Natalie, Nichole and Tiffanie.