[Aloysius]

I enjoyed the episode, overall it got the job done. The QF was an interesting way to mix it up. This Rocco guy seems like a douchebag, and also maybe uses alot of botox or something.

I was pleased for Tre who continues to be very competent and understated. CJ strikes me as the guy who loves the sound of his own voice and is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is... but he's pretty likeable and more interesting than alot of the other contestants.

Ted Allen wonders:

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Knowing all of this, as most of our contestants did: Why on earth did Hung allow Joey to glop his hot red sauce right onto their pasta, causing it to get mushy overnight? Was it a deliberate strategy on Hung’s part to let Joey hang himself? (That would be really risky).

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Could've been in the back of Hung's mind. But I was surprised he didn't just scream at Joey to do the right thing. Pretty weak.

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YES YES YES YES YES YES. I hated that guy.


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Haha well, I guess we will no longer be sparring on the merits of Joey. He definitely seemed very confused by the challenge (it seems, at the Judge's Table, he was saying he thought there had to be 15 individually frozen portions ready to go at the end of the first 2 hours, not sure why he would think that).

But I think, hopefully, we dispelled the notion he's a douchebag (maybe not), agree with this from Ted Allen's blog:

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Now, Joey: I am really sorry to see him go, mainly because it was such a blast to watch him and Howie blow up at each other, and later, to kiss and make up. (Thank god we still have Howie -- a terrific chef, if a little too stressed-out, and by far the most entertaining character in the cast.) I was impressed by Joey’s plan to give the Italy trip to his mama and sister, were he to win it. And during his exit interview, I teared up like a sensitive Eye-Talian guy my own self when he said, “My whole life people tell me, ‘You’re not good enough to do this,’ and out of all the people in the world I made it to “Top Chef 3.” I’m gonna go back to New York with my head held high.”
He promised it, and my money says he will deliver: “You haven’t heard the last of me.”

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-Al