Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

Thoughts:

- Eric Ripert looks like an X-Men bad guy, not a real person.

- At this point I would pay money for the unedited judges tables, because what they're chopped down to just doesn't give us enough info. I feel like they really glossed over what didn't work in Brian's dish, which was likely just the bad decision to braise lean meat for a short peroid of time.

- I enjoy that the the gimmicky quickfire became totally meaningless. Also, after this season, why the [censored] is anybody ever surprised when they're asked to cook at a random time. Are there lots of balloon rides that we don't see that don't end in cooking challenges.

- They're keeping three because of the high level of talent this year? Really? I feel like common sense and the chef's own blogs contradict this. I think it's more that by keeping 3 people, you don't hand somebody a win if the other guy [censored] the dog. You're actaully asking soembody to excell and try to win, rather than just be safe.

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thoughts:

- Eric Ripert looks like an X-Men bad guy, not a real person.

- At this point I would pay money for the unedited judges tables, because what they're chopped down to just doesn't give us enough info. I feel like they really glossed over what didn't work in Brian's dish, which was likely just the bad decision to braise lean meat for a short peroid of time.

- I enjoy that the the gimmicky quickfire became totally meaningless. Also, after this season, why the [censored] is anybody ever surprised when they're asked to cook at a random time. Are there lots of balloon rides that we don't see that don't end in cooking challenges.

- They're keeping three because of the high level of talent this year? Really? I feel like common sense and the chef's own blogs contradict this. I think it's more that by keeping 3 people, you don't hand somebody a win if the other guy [censored] the dog. You're actaully asking soembody to excell and try to win, rather than just be safe.

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1. I think Eric Ripert has the potential to be the new Lebron. Start the trend Dids.

http://nymag.com/images/2/daily/food...ripert_320.jpg


2. Next time someone on Top Chef decides to make a duo dish or a dessert, I'm going to hunt them down and kill them. Do they not watch previous seasons? Do they not get how these things turn out?

3. Yeah the quickfire meaning nothing was pretty funny. I mean they're cooking elk, its not like she's going to say "Thank god, I brought my special elk glaze with me!"

4. I agree with what you say about keeping three. In addition, people like seeing the food, and 3 people is > 2, and it lets them draw out more tension at the final challenge, by going from 3 > 2 > 1.

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
- They're keeping three because of the high level of talent this year? Really? I feel like common sense and the chef's own blogs contradict this. I think it's more that by keeping 3 people, you don't hand somebody a win if the other guy [censored] the dog. You're actaully asking soembody to excell and try to win, rather than just be safe.

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Keeping three = wider demographics. They now have a woman, a minority and a gay guy. Plus, this way there was no chance they'd have to eliminate Hung or Casey.

But wtf is up with the poll, asking viewers who they'd most like to see eliminated -- Hung?!

[censored] like this makes me realize how different most people think.

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

Also, if Brian added another adjective to his Honky Tonk Whiskey River Drunken Elk, I was going to change the channel.

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

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But wtf is up with the poll, asking viewers who they'd most like to see eliminated -- Hung?!

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Given how they've edited Hung this doesn't surprise me. And in fact he may be the most arrogant and unpleasantly competitive person on the show (we'll never know for sure, but that's how he's being portrayed).

While I agree with some comments from last week's thread about how they've softened their coverage of Hung, they still seem to highlight his bad points.

1. Dale's "no heart" comments.

2. Hung not helping Brian when he finished early.

3. No one helping him plate his food on one episode.

4. Casey's half-hearted comments about helping him serve on the plane ("He asked, so of course I helped him...")

5. Dale, Casey and Brian sharing hugs and what seemed like genuine affection when they arrived at the airport, then Hung wandering up alone like a stranger later ("Uh, it's been a while").

6. Hung's continual hyperdrive mode in the kitchen. Latest example when he spilled something on the floor in the breakfast challenge which Casey later slips on.

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

People criticizing Hung for not helping out are stupid.

Sure if its a team challenge or something, but they are in direct competition for $100K.

You don't see people on Jeopardy leaning over and whispering to their opponents "Pssst. What is Scientology."

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
People criticizing Hung for not helping out are stupid.

Sure if its a team challenge or something, but they are in direct competition for $100K.

You don't see people on Jeopardy leaning over and whispering to their opponents "Pssst. What is Scientology."

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Ha! Good points. It's interesting that with all the footage they shoot that they'd choose such unflattering moments. And with the exception of the Joey and Howie, I can't recall anyone ripping on anyone else but Hung in the interviews.

This portends well for Casey in the finale. Most reality shows are all about the happy ending and imho there's no way they edit Hung this way if he was the winner.

Marcel, Tiffany and Hung share the same characteristics- confidence bordering on arrogance, gratingly honest personalities, and a certain unlikeability factor. In other words, perfect "villains" to help pump up the "suspense" and make the winners seem even more appealing in contrast.

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

CONSPIRACY THEORY: The results of the "Who do you want to see gone?" poll were faked in order to support their portrayal of Hung as a villain for the finale, knowing that its probably hopeless since people can't help but like him.


What is probably true: TV viewers looked past the cherubic quirky little man known as Hung and saw the villain that the producers wanted.


SECOND CONSPIRACY THEORY: People are racist?

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

Noah,

Given that Bravo's audience is like gay males, women, and 12 oot posters, I don't think it's a shock that the dickish asian guy beat out the girl and the gay dude. (the asian dude is rumored to be bi per some goofy interview answer however)

Re: Top Chef Finale Part 1 Ep Thread
 

I don't know why, but I find Hung's antics somewhat endearing. You can't survive at the top of any field without some kind of ego driving you, and I can't fault anyone for being a little full of himself at that level.