Argh! I liked this challenge, and I hated this challenge.
My thoughts after the click.
Okay, so for the main challenge, the chefs had to pick a football team (a regional cuisine) and compete against a Top Chef "all-star." Each couplet (current chef and all-star) get the same ingredients and cook what they wish. Judges and fans choose their favorites. Winners smile; losers could be in the bottom.
I love the idea of cooking against someone with only certain ingredients. Stronger chef win and all that. That works.
The part of this I don't like is how subjective this all is.
I know, I know. This show is always just the opinions of the judges. But somehow, this week it seemed more heavy-handed. Maybe this is why I like American Idol so much. Yes, the judges can put you in good positions and praise you to the stars, but in the end, it's up to the fans (stupid as we may be) to select a winner.
Having Fabio, Stefan, and Jeff all in the bottom seems WAY too planned. I can almost hear the producers' meeting:
Producer 1: We need to mix things up. Stefan is looking way too strong.
Producer 2: What if we make sure he's in the bottom this week.
Producer 1: Yeah, but if he's against weak competition in the bottom, everyone will know he'll be safe. No drama.
Producer 2: We'll make the entire bottom full of some of our stronger chefs. This will be our shocker. We will be the talk of the watercooler with this!
Producer 3: What if we have the dishes tasted blindly?
Producer 1 & 2: NO WAY! That way we wouldn't be able to create the dramatic results we so defintiely want!
Producer 3: Have it your way. Let's pick the bottom three now and then go tell the judges what to do...
Maybe a bit of an overstatement, but tonight's drama seemed manufactured. I think Stefan has shown himself to be a class-A jerk, but also has shown himself to be the best chef on the show. Elevating some weaker chefs (if even for a week) might, in the eyes of the producers, make for a more suspenseful ending.
I really like this show, and I liked the essence of the challenge tonight, but I just sometimes think that they have the season mapped out already.
Jeff going home doesn't bum me out that much. He has been trying to do too much for weeks now. I knew he would go home before the top 4. I just find it hard to believe that this was truly on the up-and-up.
So my predicted order of finish has already been proven to be wrong.
I'll just shift everyone else up.
My predictions (from next to go to winner):
6. Leah
5. Carla
4. Jamie
3. Fabio
2. Hosea
1. Stefan
Agree?
Disagree?
Posts
I still think Fabio is gone. Looks to me like Jamie is gonna be in the top 3. I liked the fact that they had Green Bay in the mix. Go Packers!!
ReplyDeleteYou could be right about that. Fabio's stock has been slipping and he sounded desperate at judges' table.
ReplyDeleteI do feel bad for the contestants on this show. They are reminded to defend their dishes, but when they do, they risk coming off as whiny or not willing to take criticism.
I know that they are told this to add to the dram of the show, but I would not be surprised if you were correct in his earlier than Jamie ouster.
BUT I also wouldn't be surprised if we saw a mini-resurrection in the next couple of weeks. All you need is a little roll to finish in the money (so to speak).
Heck, Carla looked as good as dead few weeks back, and yet she wins this challenge.
I didn't pay close enough attention to the scenes from next week. Can we discern who is in trouble?
Thanks for the comment!
So, you have Jamie in the Top 3, but who do you think will win it?
Which Packers meal appealed to you most?
I was half expecting them to emulate mid-season trades--where they would switch some ingredients from other teams (regions) in the middle of their preparations.
But that would have been too chaotic, eh? Or maybe that will be next season.
Best quote of the night (and I'm going from memory because I didn't write it down)
ReplyDeleteFabio: If they asked me to take a monkey's ass and fill it with bananas I'd do it!
It was so funny. Does anyone remember exactly what he said? I love Fabio! I agree with Tony that Jamie is in the top three. Carla has some really funny one-liners too, and I'd like to see her continue on. She really messed it up for herself, though, when she she talked about "sending out the love" last week.
I really like Jamie. I think she has good forward thinking ideas. She doesn't stand up to Stefan enough, though. I am so tired of Leah!
ReplyDeleteFabio's Green Bay meal was definitely more appealing to me. You gotta have cheese!! I think Stefan will win the whole thing, but Hosea is a dark horse. I see this playing out a little like Season Three. Hung was the jerk who could cook lights out, and Dale was the nice guy who people liked to root for and took it up a notch when it counted. I see Stefan and Hosea in the same light.
ReplyDelete