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The 12th season debuted in August with a few alterations: the runway shows are now anonymous, so the panel judges the work without knowing who’s behind it. The designers have to manage their own spending. But the most interesting updates concern Tim Gunn, who acts as the designers’ mentor. His spot-on critiques, along with his “Make it work” mantra (it is definitely not just a catchphrase), have made him a fan favorite. I think we identify more with him than with the designers. We murmur along approvingly with him when a contestant offers up a garment that’s divine, or wring our hands in solidarity when it’s a disaster.
I’ll spare you the suspense: the Tim Gunn Save has already been deployed (in episode eight), and it was every bit as glorious as I’d hoped. Justin LeBlanc, the show’s first deaf competitor, was overly ambitious (or perhaps just glue-gun crazy) and he was Auf’d. LeBlanc had shown promise, as well as good sportsmanship. The other designers hugged him and cried with him, as I sobbed from behind the fourth wall. But just then Gunn walked in, dressed for a fight in a camouflage suit (bespoke, of course), and pardoned LeBlanc! And then everyone cried some more because we had all witnessed a miracle.
