mlp

I was very relieved to see Jonathan hosting again and I got a huge kick out of him saying, "I'm baaaaack!" That told me that FN realized people weren't happy with Zac and wanted the show back the way it was. Small Scare too. I've always liked Dean Murray so I was happy to see him there. The grey in his hair made me wonder how long this show has been on. Years and years apparently. I've watched it since the beginning but I can't remember how long ago that terrific first season was. I was happy to see Froggy too. I missed the ho-ho-ho pumpkin at the beginning. I always had to say that out loud along with him. :)

I read an interview with Vance Walker in which he said that the hardest stage for him is Stage 1 because of all the leg work. He especially mentioned the Jumping Spider. He said it's hard for him to spread his legs and hold that position through the obstacle. He said his favorite is Stage 3 because it's all upper body.

Huh. There was a whole season of Bagan's on my TV today. Xfinity. I am ignoring them.

That always annoys me along with the above mentioned inconsistency of yelling at them to hurry and then complaining when things aren't fully cooked. He does the same thing on HK. I did not understand Wayne's elimination. He didn't get the sauce on properly but the rest of his plate was good. They didn't like anything about Kennedy's dish and made rather scathing comments. Wayne has been one of the best all along (and my favorite) so sending him home made no sense to me. I liked Reagan but I was surprised she made it as far as she did. I'm glad she left happy. I don't like Kennedy or Jennifer so I hope Grant can pull it out. He was my #2 all along.

I always love to see the fall line-up begin. I was so happy to see John again that I almost didn't care who did what. :) The only contestant I had a problem with was Mandi but only because her shrill voice is hard to take. She herself seemed nice. My favorites so far are Ryan and Phoebe although I'll be surprised if Phoebe lasts very long.

I've always wanted Daniel to win but I was very happy for Vance and his parents. He seems to be an only child and I can imagine how they must have felt to watch a kid they nurtured through CP, braces and physical therapy to end up a good-looking, nice young man who has worked hard and just achieved his dream. They were all in tears. I'm sure the emotions were overwhelming. I had a few myself.

I didn't say that. I was talking about Kennedy specifically. There are tattoos and tattoos. She has them scattered all over including an aggressive word (Rebellion?) across the front of her neck. Hers remind me more of jail than kitchen.

Stage 3 felt like old times. I was happy for everyone who made it through but Daniel Gil has been one of my favorites since his very first appearance so I'd love to see him win. However, based on the promo shot of Matt and Akbar going nuts at the end, I'm guessing that the winner is someone more unexpected. Maybe Nacssa. I'm also a fan of Vance Walker. To go from a little kid in leg braces because of cerebral palsy to what he can do now is impressive. I would have been very happy if he'd won even if he is a teenager. Maybe next time.

I'm inclined to agree but hope we're both wrong. Kennedy and all her tattoos and high-pitched voice that doesn't go with her appearance just creeps me out. I used to think that the Master Chef PTB would want a respectable looking winner to represent the brand but then Claudia won her season and I knew I was wrong. Anyway, Wayne is my favorite.

I like both Wayne and Grant so I was happy that they did so well. I'd like to see one of them win the whole thing. I can't stand Kennedy so I was hoping she'd get booted for her overdone meat but I have to agree with Gordon that the team that left was a better choice. I liked Kolby but his lack of experience caught up with him. Both on that team did well to make final 8 with only a couple years experience so I hope they don't feel too bad.

Maybe it's my TV or TV station but this show just...starts. No logo, no intro of any kind. It just starts with a judge giving instructions to the bakers. There's always a logo when they come back after a commercial break so I know they have one. It's odd. The remaining bakers seem fairly evenly matched. I don't have any inkling of who's heading toward a win.

Yes. He was one of the better ones so they let him go and kept the woman whose chicken was so underdone that Anne spit it out. No manipulation there I'm sure.

Ah! I didn't think of that but I'll bet you're right. I had visions of a patty melt that looked like one of those giant tenderloins with 2 inches of meat extending past the bun on all sides and I wondered where Joe ever had such a thing. Your vision makes a lot more sense.

I suppose they could still get a second chance if they fall on Stage 2 but then they'd have to have someone to race against so that would seem to be problematical. I have no idea what they plan to do. I do know from an interview I read that the next season was filmed right after this one so we have races to look forward to for at least one more year. :(

Yes! I hate that almost as much as I hate it when a judge gets up and goes behind the work stations and asks questions of a chef who is already stressed out. That is the opposite of helpful as is yelling "You got this!" Leave 'em alone.

I was interrupted tonight right as the final judging began. Who won? Esther I hope.

Most of them didn't look appetizing to me either. I did like Mike's turtle. I was sorry to see Charli go. I didn't think he had any chance of winning but I liked him.

I'm sure I don't know but, judging from the bits they did about Charles' time on the show, I am assuming he left on good terms. Perhaps Michael did have Covid and Charles was exposed. I was sorry to see that he was gone as he was my favorite (Charles, not Michael). I don't mind any of the men who are left but the only woman I like is Jessica despite the green streaks in her hair. I'm inclined to think she and Zac will be final two but I can't remember if they're on different teams or not. I was relieved when they eliminated the woman with the long blonde hair and impossible name. She constantly had her hands in her hair and then right back in the food. Blecch.

I am both delighted and relieved to see that Jonathan is back but the backgrounds in those pictures makes me think they're still going to be doing smaller creations than in the original shows despite the return of pumpkin carvers. I hope I'm wrong. I don't understand why FN has Aarti judging this show. I like her but she's not a baker. I'd rather see a pastry chef or someone fun like Charles Phoenix.

I stumbled on this show just in time for the first episode. So far I like it and think the judges have eliminated the right person each time. The contestants are an interesting mix. I'd love to know how an ER physician and a police detective got started baking and working in chocolate. I didn't realize there had been prior seasons until I read this thread. Now I have to figure out where I can watch them.

I just love Michael Symon. He always seems so genuine and I've never heard a bad word about him. I do wish he'd shave though. I like his BBQ USA show. He's mostly unscripted but he knows cameras are following him around and he handles everything so well. I was very happy that he beat Brooke but I wanted him to win the whole thing.

In fairness, the consultant guy told Caroline to do it that way. I guess he thought it was innovative. I was delighted that she lost either way.

I think that has always been the case because they need time, as you said, to get the family member there. I've wondered what they would do if the last person standing tapped out in that interval.

I ended up really liking Wyatt but I've been rooting for Alan since the first episode so I'm very happy that he won. I'd love to see the reaction of his students when he goes back to school. He earned a lot of respect.

I'm glad this is over and I'm glad Chris won. He handled himself well away from the other guys. I do think Gordon could have made a decision based upon just the final show instead of putting us all through the nonsense challenges. Caroline's pizza sauce (which was demonstrated on the murals by girls eating spaghetti) isn't anything innovative. There are already too many brands on store shelves. Her frozen pizza didn't look good at all. I liked Lan but calling a product FAT was a really bad idea and also confusing. Bottled coffee isn't a new concept either. Chris's ideas have possibilities. It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of them.