Okay, it's guilty pleasure confession time. Who else watched the season finale of Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School last night? And did anyone else get teary?

So, Mo'Nique has the four remaining girls quiz each other on the lessons they learned during Charm School and allows them to pick who they asked questions to. Becky, Saaphyri, and Leilene gang up on Shay, asking her every single time. She put up a valiant fight but with those kinds of odds, she didn't stand a chance.

I wasn't too upset to see Shay get eliminated. She participated in the whole picture-hiding fiasco with Larissa (although it was admirable that she came clean) and she had an attitude for no good reason. I mean, you could empathize with Saaphyri's outbursts (even though they were inappropriate) because you knew she was orphaned as a teenager and had lost everything she had and had been homeless. *Of course* she's going to flip out if someone takes one of the few things that belong to her.

Shay also didn't need the $50,000 prize as badly as Leilene (who, after her husband left her for another woman, has been supporting herself and her three kids by stripping) or Saaphyri, who wants to use the money to buy a house. So, no regrets there.

Becky, Saaphyri, and Leilene then each have to write a speech as to what Charm School meant to them and what they would use the prize money for. Mo'Nique brings Shay back as a guest judge to teach them that you need to be careful who you step on on your way to the top, because that person you stepped on might just be the person who's going to give you your next opportunity. Good lesson.

And this is where the show becomes a tear-jerker. Leilene says she'll put the money aside so her kids can go to college and talks about how Charm School has helped her become more confident, taught her that she is a worthwhile person, and helped her stand up for herself.

You can totally see it, too. The way she carries herself now, the way she makes eye contact - she's no longer the weak-minded, teary-eyed stripper she was when she arrived, but a strong, confident young woman. She still has a long way to go, but it's a darn good start.

Becky talks about how she's learned to give back and to help those who have helped her. If she wins, she's giving half her prize money to Saaphyri, whose friendship and encouragement have helped fuel her Charm School transformation.

(At this point, Mo'Nique is teary, Shay is teary, and I'm reaching for the Kleenex. But oh, the waterworks are just beginning.)

Last but not least, Saaphyri gives her speech. She couldn't think of anything to write, so she just speaks from the heart. About how you need a foundation to do anything in life and how badly she wants that foundation. About how much she wants to have a home of her own, a place where she doesn't have to worry about getting kicked out because she's only sleeping with the person who really lives there.

Saaphyri brings the house down. She and Shay, both of whom are crying, reconcile over something that happened on an episode I missed.

And now Shay has to choose. Saaphyri is her first pick but she can't decide between Leilene and Becky, so Mo'Nique makes the decision for her.

Becky goes home but she goes home happy because she got what she came for. She has new confidence and better manners, she's more comfortable in her own skin, and she knows her deserving buddy has a good shot at that $50,000.

How nice to see someone leave the show happy, as opposed to crying bitterly or requiring that security lock the doors behind her. *cough*Larissa*cough*

It's down to Leilene and Saaphyri. Even though Saaphyri needs the money more, I want Leilene to win because she's come so far. I don't want to see her throw all of that away and go back to a life of stripping, especially after Brooke was so cruel to her in the previous episode, screaming at her and calling her names and saying she'd be "back on the pole" in no time. No way do I want Brooke to get any satisfaction. She's mean.

Leilene and Saaphyri are both rewarded with makeovers. Saaphyri has trouble finding a dress at first because of her ample bosom and Leilene is still gravitating towards stripper styles but with a little help from Dean Keith and Dean Mikki, they both return looking gorgeous and classy. Although Leilene does look better than Saaphyri because Saaphyri is so nervous about the final elimination that she looks like she's going to hit the floor any second, which she does, but not quite as expected. More on that later.

It's time for the final elimination. Mo'Nique is torn, as well she should be, and my cat has angrily left the room because I'm emotionally overwrought and bouncing around on the couch.

Saaphyri wins! Yay Saaphyri! She deserved it, although I did feel at times that her financial need outweighed her progress in Charm School. But what about Leilene? She came really far too and I so don't want to see her go back to the way things were.

Oddly enough, it's Dean Keith to the rescue. After saying at the beginning of the series that there's no way any of the girls would get within 50 feet of his modeling/casting agency, he called Mo'Nique after the makeovers and said he would be honored to represent Leilene.

Yay! How's that for progress? Leilene didn't get the money but she did get a shot at a new career. I think she got the better prize and judging by the look on her face, Leilene thinks so too. $50,000 will be gone after it's spent but if she goes about it the right way, Leilene can support herself and her kids in a much more dignified manner for the rest of her life. Again, yay, Leilene! No more stripping for her!

Saaphyri is totally shocked. She can't believe she won. She bursts into tears and hugs Mo'Nique. Then - this was the best part of all in my opinion -, overcome with emotion, she sinks to her knees (still crying and holding Mo'nique's hand) and starts thanking God for this wonderful gift.

What an awesome picture. This young woman who once had no hope and no home is kneeling in her designer dress in the middle of a beautiful house, clinging to the hand of a celebrity and thanking God for giving her a place of her own. It brings tears to my eyes even now. There's nothing more moving than a Cinderella story with a redemptive ending for everyone involved, or at least for the final four.

Actually, there is one thing more moving than that: a redemption story with longterm results. The Charm School reunion special is on VH1 next Sunday night at 10 p.m. I can't wait to see how Leilene's career is shaping up, if Saaphyri bought her house yet, and whether or not Becky has gone back to being the blackest white girl on the block.

I'm also curious to see how the girls who got eliminated are faring. Darra should never have gone home - she had real potential but she got booted out with Schatar because of the whole picture debacle. I liked Courtney too - she judged the fashion show honestly instead of caving to the demands of serial-best-friend-abandoner Brooke.

And, uh, are there any plans for a second season? Please? Maybe they'll make a Charm School for the Rock of Love girls after that's done. Based on the series preview, those ladies need it.