It’s finale week on Project Runway. I’ve watched all six seasons, and the theme that jumps out at me this year is copycatting. Logan copied Althea’s zipper collar. Althea copied Irina’s slouchy sweater sleeves. Irina copied some Coney Island artwork. (Carol Hannah hasn’t copied, but she just makes boring dress-dresses anyway.) I understand when you spend all day every day in the same room with people they’re going to rub off on you, but you have to do a little self-editing. If you repeat what the person next to you did last week, you have to expect to be called on it. Personally, I was rooting hard for Gordana. She may not have had that “wow” edge, but her clothes were all so beautifully constructed. She never sent anyone down the runway not looking their best. I thought her final piece looked like a Georgia O’Keeffe.

Going into the last episode, I was pretty sure Irina was going to win. But then I saw her collection. Everything is black and gray. As a New Yorker, I’m all with that color scheme, but it’s looking a little drab. Christian Siriano, who won season four, came in with a lot of black, but he was playing in a whole different league. Pant after pant, jean after jean, his stuff looked edgy, arty, and amazing. I don’t see any of this season’s finalists working at that level. Season six seems the weakest in terms of design talent. With the exception of the newspaper challenge, most have been yawns. Is it just a coincidence that the lower quality synchs with the first year of this being on Lifetime, instead of Bravo? Does just putting it on Lifetime automatically make everything mediocre? Thursday night I’m predicting it’ll come down to Irina and Althea -- Carol Hannah should be back in South Carolina designing bridesmaid’s dresses. Irina at least has a little character to her. Althea, despite the Ohio background and Grateful Dead name, has some flair of her own, but her stuff all season long has been safe and a little boring. I wish that they had kept around Malvin. He got booted for his too-literal egg design in the maternity challenge, but at least the guy had some vision. He knew he got carried away and admitted as much to the judges, but he had to go. Too wacky for Lifetime’s version of Project Runway.

Unfortunately, because of work this week it’ll be Saturday morning before I get to the finale. But my DVR is set and I’ll just walk around with blinders on for a couple of days. To celebrate the finish of the season I’ll be mixing up a pitcher of Bloody Marys. After overhearing someone saying “That’s the place with the great Bloody Marys,” I planned on copycatting these from Sidecar, near my house in Brooklyn. The elements sound great -- Tito’s Vodka, infused with horseradish root, and then garnished with a cherry pepper and a pickled green bean in a pint glass that’s rimmed in Old Bay -- but when I went to try it in person it didn’t quite stand up to its promise. I’ve studied the various alternatives and decided I don’t need to copycat; I’m more comfortable going with a recipe of my own. It may not be a designer drink, but the horseradish and the celery salt rim mean you won’t be playing it too safe.

Bloody Mary 10 oz tomato juice 3 oz vodka 1.5 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice 4 tsp prepared horseradish 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp freshly ground sea salt 5-15 drops red or green Tabasco, to taste Celery salt and pepper for the rim Garnish of choice: celery, green olives, cocktail onions, pickle spears, or other marinated vegetables.

Put all ingredients in a large shaker (except the ingredients for the rim). Rub a lime wedge along the rim of a pint glass. Dip glass into saucer filled with celery salt and pepper. Fill glass two thirds with ice cubes, taking care not to disturb the rim. Carefully pour Bloody Mary mix over the ice, add your choice(s) of garnish. Serves two.