The thirty-one semifinalists board a double-decker bus and get their pictures taken as it travels through the streets of Hollywood. Afterwards, they meet the judges before being paired off for a runway show in front of the show's fans. The contestants are later interviewed individually at panel and have their photos from the bus reviewed. Tensions rise backstage after Bello's crown gets broken by one of the other contestants.

After panel, the models are driven to the top model house. There Miss J and Yu Tsai explain that there is a pool of foam containing beach balls with the names of the twenty-two contestants who have been chosen to move on to the next stage of the casting process. Those who do not find a ball with their name on it are eliminated from the competition.

• Featured photographer: Massimo Campana

The remaining contestants move into the top model home to meet Drew and Jonathan Scott, stars of Property Brothers to see their decoration of their house. After choosing their beds, Yu Tsai and Miss J show up for the very first challenge. The models must take part in a pose-off in pairs with the last contestant standing being granted entrance into the Tyra suite. Ava and Mamé make it through each round successfully, but it is Mamé who is chosen as the winner of the challenge. Later into the night Hadassah calls a house meeting, rubbing several of the contestants the wrong way.

The following day the semifinalists show up at Universal CityWalk before a live crowd to pose semi-nude with personalized hashtags in a shoot for the season's promotional poster. Semi-finalist Alexa decides to quit the competition before the photo shoot, and Devin suffers a breakdown after doing badly. Back at the house, Devin and Bello get into a heated argument. That same night the judges deliberate on the photos from the shoot before deciding who will make the top fourteen.

In the morning, Yu Tsai and Miss J meet the models at the Long Beach Shipyard to announce that the contestants will face one last challenge before learning whether or not they've made the final cut. The models will take part in a fashion show three stories in the air, walking across shipping containers before walking off the edge of the runway. Those who are harnessed across to the other side will become finalists, while those who are lowered to the ground will be eliminated. The episode concludes with a cliffhanger, continuing the following episode.

• Featured photographers: Massimo Campana, Erik Asla
• Special guests: Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott,^[19] Patrick Tumey, Alexis Borges

The episode continues where the previous one left off, with the models meeting agency director of NEXT management in Los Angeles, Alexis Borges. He explains that all the models who have made it into the final cast will be carried across the gap between shipping containers, and that those who haven't will be lowered down. The models are then styled with clothes from Erik Rosete's fashion line and shoes from Miss J's new collection before being taken to the top of the first stack of containers. One by one, all the contestants take their turn on the runway before stepping off the edge. Semi-finalists Bryant, Larissa, Gage, Miguel, Maleesa, India and Dallas are all lowered to the ground and are eliminated. Tyra congratulates the final fourteen before they return to the house to celebrate and see their scores for the challenge.

The following day, the contestants are driven to a studio to meet Yu Tsai and photographer Erik Asla for their first official photo shoot. The models are paired for a portrait shoot in which they will be bound together by different objects. Before starting, Tyra shows up to give the models a lesson on good and bad 'no neck posing'.

At panel Tyra announces that the social media scoring has been dropped from the show. She explains that in cases of a tie among two or more contestants in the bottom, the judges will vote on which contestants will stay and which will be eliminated. In contrast to the previous three cycles, the judges' scores will be revealed as each contestant is called during elimination. Devin is revealed to have obtained the highest overall score. Delanie and Stefano are called forward as the bottom two. The final scores are revealed, and Delanie is eliminated from the competition for her lack of intensity and failing to put her beauty to good use.

• Featured photographer: Erik Asla
• Special guests: Alexis Borges, Erik Rosete

The remaining contestants meet with Yu Tsai for their photo shoot. Yu Tsai introduces them to army veterans Alex Minsky and Melissa Stockwell, who both talk about the limbs they lost during combat, and what their lives have been like since. The theme for the session is to honor war veterans whilst engaging in extreme couture posing. Nyle opens up about his deafness, and the isolation he experiences in the house because of it. Immediately before the shoot begins, the contestants meet fashion editor Joe Zee, who will look over the styling for the day. Devin has a hard time following direction. Hadassah and Stefano have a difficult time, and Dustin is asked to leave the set for laughing in the shoot. The following day, the models are taken to the Cristophe salon for their makeovers. Most are happy with their changes, but Hadassah initially rejects having half of her hair shaved and contemplates leaving the competition. After being talked into it by the judges at the salon, she accepts the change.

At panel, Ashley and Dustin are critiqued for their lack of connection with the veterans and lackluster photos. Justin, Courtney, Mikey, Bello, Devin and Ava, who later receives best photo during elimination, all receive positive feedback. The rest of the models receive mixed critique. Stefano is judged for failing to deliver once again, while Hadassah is called out for not handling her look with a positive attitude. Both of them receive the lowest scores and land in the bottom two. Hadassah receives the last photo with a score of 22.4, and after his second consecutive appearance at the bottom, Stefano is eliminated.

• Featured photographer: Erik Asla
• Special guests: Alex Minsky, Melissa Stockwell, Joe Zee, Cristophe, Romina, Sharle, Dr. Julie Kim, Dr. Edgardo Falcon Jr.

The contestants meet with Yu Tsai and are introduced to Anthony De La Rosa, an agent for new faces at Next Model Management. For the challenge, the models are photographed by Massimo Campana with an Oppo cell phone to create composite cards. They must each take a full body and close up photo and retouch each photo to create a presentable final result with as little change as possible. For having found the right balance between airbrushing and natural beauty, Mikey is chosen as the winner of the challenge. He is allowed to take another person with him out to dinner, and chooses Devin to go with him.

The photo shoot takes place at the house the following morning, where it is revealed that the models will be styled in futuristic sportswear for a final shot that will be completely unretouched. Tensions from the night before continue to brew throughout the day. On set, Mamé, Mikey, Devin and Lacey all do well. In contrast, Dustin, Courtney and Hadassah do not.

During judging, Mamé, Lacey, Devin, Ashley, Bello and Mikey all receive positive feedback. Nyle is critiqued for his lack of variation and intensity in his photos. Meanwhile, Hadassah and Dustin once again leave the judges unimpressed. Courtney is praised for her amazing face on film, but is critiqued for not looking like a model in person, as well as her failure to present herself like one. At elimination, Lacey is awarded best photo. The next highest score goes to Mamé, who Tyra notifies would have received best photo if she'd achieved a higher score on the challenge. Hadassah and Dustin are called forward as the bottom two, both for their failure to progress and produce stronger photos. The final scores are revealed, and Hadassah is given another chance.

• Featured photographers: Massimo Campana (challenge), Erik Asla (photo shoot)
• Special guests: Anthony De La Rosa

The contestants meet with Kelly and cycle 10 winner Whitney Thompson and explains them will be paired up for a photo shoot session and decide on themes for their client. Several contestants have trouble working together, while the pairing of Mamé and Mikey causes feelings of jealousy in Justin. At the end of the challenge, Nyle is chosen as the winner. Afterwards, the models return home to see their scores. Ava becomes upset after she sees her score is a 7, ranking near the bottom of the leader board. The following morning, a fight ensues between Hadassah and Mamé after Mamé enters to use the bathroom while Hadassah is taking a shower. The feud continues on the bus as the contestants are being driven to the shoot.

At the studio, the models meet Yu Tsai and photographer Erik Asla for a session in which the contestants will be harnessed in the air as victims of a 'fashion exorcism'. Lacey, Nyle, and Mamé do a great job on set, while Ava, Courtney, and Hadassah struggle. Back at home, Justin tries to relieve the tension between Hadassah and Mamé by calling a house meeting so that they can talk out their problems.

During panel, Lacey, Justin and Nyle receive good feedback. Hadassah becomes emotional after she receives praise from the judges, having been nervous about how bad the session went. Tyra clarifies that although her final shot was good, the rest of her film was not. The rest models received mixed critique, with Ava, Bello, and Courtney receiving the worst feedback. At elimination, Nyle receives the highest score. Bello narrowly misses landing in the bottom, leaving Ava and Courtney up for elimination. Tyra notes their declining quality of work as the reason they're in the bottom, and after the final scores are revealed, it is Courtney who is given the chance to stay.

• Featured photographer: Erik Asla

The models arrived at The CW Studios in Burbank, as they are introduced to The CW's Executive Vice President of Talent and Casting Lori Openden. They are paired off to perform in a Shakespearean love scene in front of Lori and a panel of CW executives. The best performer will be given the opportunity to star in a walk on role in one of the CW's scripted series.

The models are given thirty minutes to rehearse their lines. Ashley becomes frustrated with Devin for his failure to take the challenge seriously. Meanwhile, Mamé questions whether or not her feelings for Justin are reciprocated. Both of them are the first to act out the scene, and are critiqued for their lack of chemistry. Bello forgets his lines and improvises the script, confusing Hadassah. Courtney is judged for her lack of confidence and talent, while Mikey is critiqued for moving around too much. Nyle and Lacey perform the best as a whole, impressing Lori and her colleagues. In contrast, Ashley and Devin are deemed to be the worst. Lacey is ultimately chosen as the winner of the challenge.

On the day of the shoot, the models are driven to Zuma Beach to meet with Yu Tsai. He explains that they will have to put their acting skills to the test in a sexy commercial where they will be paired off to advertise the fictitious deodorant, Boom Boom Boom.

At elimination, Lacey is revealed to have attained the highest score, with Ashley and Devin being called forward as the bottom two. Both of them are reprimanded for their performance at the challenge, which reflected on the results of the shoot. With a score of 28.4, Tyra hands the last screen capture to Devin, and Ashley is eliminated from the competition.

• Featured director: Erik Asla
• Special guests: Lori Openden, Dana Theodoratos, Justin Rosenblatt, Brittany Williams (Nyle's friend)

The models are doing for their challenge as they divided into three-person teams and given one hour to create a 6-second Vine video to serve as a public service announcement for STEM ("Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics"). In the rush to finish, Bello accidentally deletes their video, forcing his team to re-film the video at the last minute. Courtney's unconvincing portrayal of a woman in a position of power is criticized, as is their disjointed script, and they come in last. Conversely, Hadassah, Mamé & Mikey's video incorporates both message and humor to result in their winning the challenge.

For the photo shoot, the models are given a demonstration by Tyra on how to portray a life-sized doll, before being assigned a different themed doll to personify. Courtney struggles because she doesn't know what "fashionista" means, and reveals that she has never read a fashion magazine. Bello and Devin both struggle too, while the rest all perform well.

At panel, Tyra shocks everyone by revealing that there will be a double elimination. Nyle, Justin and Mikey's photos are praised, although the latter is informed that his film wasn't as strong. Hadassah's improvement in the competition is also noted, but it is Lacey who once again receives the highest praise from the judges, including Kelly's statement that it is the best photo of the competition so far. Courtney and Bello's facial expressions fall flat while Devin's is deemed to be too comical for a doll.

After deliberation, Lacey wins her third best photo, while Bello, Courtney and Devin land in the bottom three. Courtney is the first to be eliminated, followed shortly after by Bello, with Devin surviving his second consecutive appearance in the bottom.

• Featured photographer: Erik Asla
• Special guests: Robert Behar, Brittany Furlan

The final seven contestants convene at the offices of NEXT Model Management for their go-see challenge, and are shocked to see the previously eliminated models there. They are then told that the best performing eliminated contestant will rejoin the competition after the next elimination, effectively replacing one of those still remaining. The models choose their partners for the go-sees, and Bello becomes agitated when Hadassah doesn't pick him. Dustin and Justin receive bad feedback for walking into (and interrupting) Ashley and Mikey's casting; Bello doesn't book any go-sees, Devin only books one, and the team of Courtney and Mamé arrive late back at the office, disqualifying them from the challenge. Mamé is revealed to be the only person who booked all 4 go-sees, but because of her tardiness, it is Hadassah who wins the challenge instead. Back at the model house, there is mild confusion as everyone gets accustomed to a full house of 14 people again. Bello and Hadassah have a confrontation in the hot tub, and Hadassah ultimately leaves.

For the photo shoot, the models are paired with a canine friend and are told to embody the personality and look of their animal partners. Most of the models perform well, with the exception of Ashley, Delanie, Devin and Justin. At panel, many models receive praise for their photos. Dustin is commended for finally breaking out of his shell and trying many different poses, and Stefano's professionalism is lauded. Nyle, Hadassah, Lacey, Ava, Courtney and Bello also receive praise, but it is Nyle who later wins best photo of the week for the second time. Before announcing who will be eliminated, Tyra reveals the results of the previously eliminated contestants, and their scores are revealed from lowest to highest. Dustin ultimately wins the right to rejoin the competition. Devin and Justin land in the bottom two, Devin for his continued comical facial expressions and features deemed unsuitable for many types of editorial photos, and Justin for his fading swagger and personality. The show then ends on a cliffhanger as Devin and Justin await their fate.

• Featured photographer: Yu Tsai
• Special guests: Alexis Borges

Concluded from the previous episode, Devin & Justin, the previous week's bottom two, awaiting their final scores. Devin is revealed to be the final contestant in the top seven, and Justin is eliminated from the competition, much to Mamé's dismay. The remaining models return to the house to pack their bags, where several contestants express their dismay at Dustin's return to the competition, especially Hadassah, who feels Dustin hasn't learned anything from his elimination. Mamé finds a letter from Justin, becoming emotional over his elimination. Afterwards, the contestants are driven to Las Vegas and are taken to their new home – a penthouse at the SLS Las Vegas hotel.

Later that night Miss J and Yu Tsai meet the models at a private VIP pool party, where they are introduced to cycle 20 contestant Don Benjamin, who will serve as the judge for their first challenge is Las Vegas. The contestants are asked to jump into the swimming pool while photographer Massimo Campana snaps their photos as they're falling through the air. Each contestant is allotted a single frame, the best of which will be chosen as the winner of the challenge. Hadassah, Dustin and Mamé are deemed to have taken the best photos, but it is Mamé who is chosen as the winner of the challenge. She is rewarded with a luxury spa treatment for two, which she later decides to share with Hadassah.

For the shoot, all the contestants are assigned roles to portray in a music video that promotes Tyra's new line of beauty products. Most contestants do well, but Dustin struggles the most after flirting with several of the extras instead of practicing. At panel, Dustin and Hadassah receive the worst feedback. In contrast, Devin and Mikey receive the most praise, with the latter achieving the highest overall score. Hadassah and Dustin land together in the bottom two, like they had done earlier in the competition when Dustin was first eliminated. The final scores are revealed, and Dustin is once again eliminated in favor of Hadassah. The episode concludes with the world premiere of the music video that was filmed during the episode.

• Featured photographer: Massimo Campana (challenge)
• Featured director: Tyra Banks
• Special guests: Don Benjamin

The following day the models arrive at the headquarters of Zappos Couture, the brand that will use the winner of the competition as the face of their 2016 re-launch. There, Kelly introduces them to Melissa Costa, head of Zappos brand marketing. They are later shown a clip from Tony Hsieh, the CEO and founder of the brand, and are introduced to the second judge for their upcoming challenge, Eileen Tetreault. After being briefed on the mission of the brand, they are taken to the Sayers Club at the SLS for a salon style runway show wearing different outfits from Zappos. Backstage, Hadassah gets reprimanded by Kelly after disagreeing with the scores and ranking of the last elimination. Lacey and Hadassah fail to sell their outfits, while Mikey, Nyle, Mamé and Devin are all given praise for their performances. After the show is over, Mamé is chosen as the winner of the challenge, and receives a complete look from the show as her prize.

On the day of the shoot, the contestants have to take photos in groups with Miss J for the fictitious social media platform 'Fierce-a-gram' complete with personalized hashtags. The final result of each photo will be cropped and uncropped, with the cropped version being seemingly sweet and innocent, and the uncropped version revealing a wild Las Vegas party. Lacey is criticized for her lack of variety and one-note look, and Devin is once again critiqued for his over the top expressions. Hadassah is congratulated for standing out in the group shots of other contestants, but failing to stand out in her own shoot. Mikey is noted for quickly emerging as a front runner in the competition. After the shoot, the contestants are taken on a limo ride through Las Vegas. Back at the house Devin and Mikey get into an argument over Mikey's flirting with Hadassah and Mamé, insisting that Ashley was eliminated due to having been distracted over Mikey.

The show heads back to Los Angeles, Mikey and Mamé are given the most positive critique, with the other four contestants receiving varying degrees of mixed feedback. Mamé receives the highest score, but Tyra points out that it was Mikey who'd achieved the highest combined total from the judges for his photo. Mikey, Devin and Nyle are all given their photos, leaving Hadassah and Lacey as the bottom two. Hadassah is revealed to have the lowest score at 30.2, and is thus eliminated.

• Featured photographer: Erik Asla
• Special guests: Melissa Costa, Eileen Tetreault

• Featured photographer: Erik Asla
• Special guests: Alli Webb, Marie-Pier St-Hilaire, Francis Libiran

• Featured photographer: Carolyn London
• Special guests: Chrissy Teigen, Michelle Lee, J. Errico

The remaining contestants battle it out for the spot in the finale. They did a Nylon magazine shoot and Zappos Couture shoot.

• Featured photographers: Mark "The Cobra Snake" Hunter (Nylon magazine), Erik Asla (Zappos Couture)
• Special guests: J. Errico, Melissa Costa, Kevin Bailey, Keith Carlos

The final four presented their business presentation where in Nyle and Mame were chosen as the finalists. Reiko Nakano performs on a violin as contestants walk the runway at Walt Disney Concert Hall.^[34]