Catch a Falling (Design) Star

Season 5 of HGTV's "Design Star" is now under way, but if the first two episodes are any indication, there's not a lot of reasons to keep watching.

Other than the totally fun "Saturday Night Live"-style opening credits -- complete with Amy Poehler lookalike cast member Emily Henderson -- everything looks completely by the numbers, from Nina "the villain from central reality show casting" Ferrer (I give it another episode before she announces she's "not here to make friends" -- she does not even deserve to be hated) and Michael "the passive-aggressive gay guy" Moeller (his teeth are so bleached that MY gums started hurting -- and can he shut up for two seconds?) to the idiotic challenges that we've seen over and over again that have no relevance in the real world. (Even Bravo had the sense to pull the plug on "Top Design.")

While these shows become a lot easier to care about once the competition has been narrowed down -- this one feels like there are 50 contestants -- it's probably not going out on a limb to say that Dan Faires is the clear favorite.

This 26-year-old from Springdale, Ark., is bright, handsome and already seems like someone who'd have a show on HGTV -- oh, and his designs are good, too! Click HERE to take a peek at the work that earned him a spot on the show.