‘The City’: Olivia Palermo pulls off an upset

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In this episode of “The City,” Whitney Port and Roxy Olin don’t pull any punches in Miami, and Olivia Palermo escapes unemployment, once again.

Olivia is a show pony
I had a whole other review planned for this week’s episode of “The City.” It was one in which Erin Kaplan’s evil awesome plan worked and Olivia Palermo was fired from her Elle.com job. That would have been an enjoyable one to write. Instead, I will now have to try my best not to give Palermo one compliment for turning Erin’s plan upside down. That’s my pledge.

As Elle Editor in Chief Robbie Myers said in this week’s episode, “There are workhorses and there are show ponies.” Olivia is a show pony. This is my take on Olivia’s success as a whole. It’s spotty at best. I’m not sure if she takes it up a level when she notices that people have realized she’s awful at her job or if it’s just pure luck. Either way, she delivered on her promise to interview Zac Posen. As usual, she got herself out of this one through her social contacts, and that’s about it. So, Olivia gets to keep her job for now. Then, in a shocking turn of events, Elle decided to hire Louise Roe, as well.

Now, I have a bone pick with Miss Louise Roe, who so quickly forgot that Erin discovered her and got her the job as the co-face of Elle.com with Olivia. I can’t believe she would come into the office like she did, strike up a conversation with Olivia and walk off to the accessories closet without another look at Erin. They don’t teach loyalty or manners in Notting Hill? “Are you familiar with it?” Um, yeah, Louise, Julia Roberts starred in that film.

My only hope is that Seth, the assistant, evens out the numbers and joins Erin in a campaign to get rid of both Olivia and Louise. Yes, Seth, the double agent, it’s time for you to pick a side.

Whitney and Roxy are workhorses
At least there was good news from the Miami front. Kelly Cutrone sent Roxy and Whitney there for the GenArt fashion show. From the very beginning, it was an organizational mess. The designers had to fight over models. It also appeared as if they weren’t able to do a rehearsal before the show and the woman in charge was neither in charge nor helpful in communicating just how messed up everything was.

Roxy was there to help, but I was impressed at how Whitney stood her ground. I know that she had been accused by her critics of, well, being a doormat. I’ve never really believed that, but that’s what people have said. The Whitney we’re seeing this season is a woman who has grown into her own and seems to have taken a page or two from mentor Kelly’s playbook. Roxy, usually quite the unknown variable, had no problem dealing with problems as they came, then letting Whitney take over when she had to.

There was this other designer who seemed to have it out for Whitney (or she wanted camera time). She tried to steal Whitney’s model and the attention of a few buyers Whitney had already staked out for her own. A younger Whitney may have made do with another model or allowed this pushy designer to encroach on her territory. Today’s Whitney stood up for herself. As a fan of Whitney Port since her time on “The Hills,” I couldn’t be more proud.

How did you feel about Olivia’s come-from-behind victory?

-- Jethro Nededog
twitter.com/TheRealJethro

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Photos, from top: Olivia Palermo interviews Zac Posen. Olivia gets friendly with the new co-face of Elle.com, Louise Roe. Whitney Port and Roxy Olin notice another designer is stealing their model at the GenArt fashion show in Miami. Credit: MTV