Rai

At this stage of drag race, at least the ones with Ru as host, I generally find them cozy like slipping on old shoes or something. Kate Butch and Ginger are the confessional queens, bless them. But Ginger has definitely underwhelmed with the fashion so far. They're all interesting in their own way, and Michael Marouli keeps bringing it hard, which I honestly did not expect. Banksie is probably my favorite all-around, partly because of the Cheddar Gorgeous connection, partly because I love a smart queen. But Cara Melle is so pretty and talented, and Tomara keeps surprising me and Vicki has something going on... It's a strong group for me. I generally enjoy the UK girls the most*. They're so witty and stronger all-around performers. I just don't understand why they can't translate that to lip syncs. That's always where I get let down. I get it if people aren't feeling the spark anymore, but I'm not going to complain about a cozy hour with some fierce and funny dolls. *Of the English-speaking shows. Overall, Spain has been my favorite.

Take pity on those of us too lazy to watch a video and summarize? ::bats false eyelashes::

I've got more to say! And I'm gonna say it: Ginger maybe should've been in the bottom. But DEFINITELY Tomara should've been as well. Or at least just safe. It's literally a bodysuit with stuff glued on it, MICHELLE. Kate Butch's outfit, however, was beautifully made. The judges don't seem to be on her groove so far, and I know she kind of enjoys that, but honestly, I thought it was really well made. Like what Tina Burner tried to do with her monster look, only, you know, accomplished. And I have no idea why Vicki Vivacious wasn't in the top. That was a real triumph of repurposing difficult materials. Maybe they don't want an obvious frontrunner, but Vicki over Tomara all the way. The guest judge also was wild. Alexa's dress slit negated her whole skirt. That's not the perfect height. It's too high. I sort of thought Alexa had more range in her performance, but Miss Naomi Carter had so much energy that fit the song, so I'm not mad at the elimination. I wouldn't have known about the mysterious 11th queen if I hadn't read about her in a recap, so I also will applaud the editing job. Especially for the wide shots in the minichallenge! Very impressive.

I liked both episodes so far! The UK Queens always have the most cheek to them, in my opinion. Kate Butch and Ginger Johnson won't win, but they're two of my favorite personalities so far, so I hope they stick around for interview entertainment. I will say I couldn't understand most of them when they were all doing the first walk into the werkroom thing. That's on me though, as a bland American. I do enjoy the "show me where you're from" element the UK Queens generally do, so yeah, would've preferred that over the club part of the ball. But it was nice to see some familiar faces too. And when Jimbo compliments your tits, well. You got some ones. I got a lot of thoughts on the second episode ranking, but at least the correct queen won. That outfit was perfection for the challenge. Exactly what the judges look for. I haven't watched any Drag Race stuff since falling out of season 15 midway, so I'm rested and ready to enjoy myself!

There seemed to be something pretty retrograde about everyone slamming Ashley Madison for her chest baring. So many queens on RPDR Original Recipe seem to proudly bare a flat chest these days. Maybe because it was a wardrobe malfunction and not a deliberate genderfuck look? But how could they tell...? I dunno, it just seems like a criticism that wouldn't air nowadays. Also, that was a snoozer of a lip sync to a song that's fairly upbeat (although this was a weird version). Step it up, queens. Unfortunately, I kept paying attention to the game I was playing on my phone, so I missed some key introductions. Hopefully I'll learn more names next episode. Hollywood is a standout so far. Flor has great attitude and needs a little more polish on her makeup. Ivory needs to take a few minutes and breathe.

Well, this is delightful. Kim Chi has a cookbook coming out! I don't normally do celebrity cookbooks, but I might here. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/92733-book-deals-week-of-july-10-2023.html

Finally watched the episode even though I spoiled myself beforehand. Just wasn't willing to let the season end, I guess! Anyway, no real surprises. Anyone inclined to read between the lines on the judging, especially from the guest judge, might come away thinking that Gabri never stood a chance. Probably Sara wasn't very close to Buddha, incredible dessert aside, but she did sound more in the running. But of course, Buddha won as we knew he would. With the same butterflies as last year. He deserves it! He's truly a great cook. But it was pretty predictable all the same. I loved seeing the production crew at the end. That's something we haven't seen before outside of Lee Anne saying hi in the first all-stars cook-off episode (season 1 vs. season 2). It really was a nice look into what goes into creating this show. But I have to agree with the sentiment that it felt like a series finale. I hope it's not! Maybe it was just how they wanted to say goodbye to Padma. But it would be a solid way to wrap up the series if it's done. (Please don't be done.) My only other note is that Ali knows how to position himself to get max camera time even when he's not competing and MAN, he's hot. That tan suit looked amazing on him. I hope if Top Chef does return, he will too as a judge sometime. Or compete again! I'd happily watch him again and again.

I'd be very happy with Gail moving into this spot if she wanted it. A former contestant would be fun. I agree on Kristen Kish or Melissa King. Stephanie Izard would honestly be amazing. Brooke would be competent. Richard would make me never watch this show again, good lord, can you imagine. Wild card: Ted Allen mends his rift with Bravo and Top Chef both. I frankly love him as a host on Chopped, and he's very polished by now, and deserves better than the Food Network's tiresome gimmicks. Other wild card: James Oseland is resurrected from the grave of Top Chef spin-offs. The show would probably tank, but I'd at least find it hilarious as it does.

I think Suni was giggling out of nervousness, frustration, and the absurdity of the whole situation. I like that QF, but it is kind of ridiculous too. I can't believe an Olympic athlete wouldn't be taking any sort of competitive moment seriously. Different people react and process their emotions in tense moments in different ways. Both Ali and Buddha did great strategy in their directions by describing the ingredients or specifying which amounts to use, and it paid off for them. I was surprised Sara was on the bottom for that one though. And speaking of Sara, congratulations! She might be the dark horse after all. I've heard it said before that a true test of a French chef is how one prepares a soup. If true, then I think she made one of the smartest dishes AND she was able to course correct. "Technique" isn't always about weird tricks or complicated methods of preparation. It's about how to maximize the flavor of one's ingredients at the end of the cook, and Sara did that. However, I'm bereft that Ali is gone. Habibi! Hotbibi! Admittedly, the emotional reaction from Gabri at having made it into the finale was pretty moving, even to my cold, dead heart. But I truly thought the story coming together was Buddha, Mr. Technique, against Ali, Mr. Heart. I guess you can still get that with Buddha vs. Gabri and have Sara the Disrupter thrown in there as the wild card, but man. I've been rooting for Ali since the first episode, and I'm legit shocked he's out at this stage. Still, the judges' critiques made it pretty clear who was in danger. No Michelin-starred chef was offering Ali a job any time he wanted it like that one guy did for Gabri. Who will win -- Buddha Who I'm most rooting for -- Sara Who I'm rooting for just to freak everyone out and cause a riot -- Gabri

OMG, wow! This is a pretty big bombshell for Top Chef news (a bombshell about a bombshell, you might say). It's going to take a lot to adjust to someone new.

Was this Buddha's whole day to lose or what? Quickfire and elimination challenge both were his wheelhouse all the way. It intrigued and surprised me how well Gabri did, although having done the challenge before clearly helped. But that really looked like a worn-out Scotch Brite sponge on his plate. I thought it was pretty clever. All I really cared about was whether or not Ali would make it, and while I didn't think they'd boot him, I still held my breath a little until Tom was sent packing. I really thought Charbel was coming back because the preview last week had given me the impression it was a slimmer silhouette than Sara. But then when the car door opened, and I saw the capri jeans and (sorry) the thicker ankles, I was all "Sara!" I'm glad she made it back, and I thought her running was hilarious and delightful. Now the big question -- two in the actual finale or three? Buddha is feeling like a foregone conclusion, but I suspect they'll do a big Buddha vs. Ali finale with a narrative of Buddha's fancy tricks vs. Ali's soulful flavors. (Btw, I believe both have modern techniques and soulful flavors, just riffing on how the TV story will be produced.) If so, then I expect Ali's very first sous chef will be Amar. But I love that everyone's throwing around "habibi" now!

I'm pretty sure Charbel is coming back, but I wish it could be Sara. Ah, well. She had a good run.

I like Gabri and I'm amused by Tom, but jesus, what a pair of lucky bastards. Getting hitched to the twin stars of Buddha and Ali (who is actually a very strong contender, he's just so quiet that I think he's flying under the radar a bit) at this stage is incredibly fortunate timing for them both. I don't want an all-American finale, sure, but lord. What lucky bastards, that's all I have to say.

I'm pretty surprised Jamie is in that role since she had a teeny bit of an attitude toward the challenges, but good for her all the same. To be clear, I liked her, just recognizing how she came across. I also didn't know Padma was the first host pick! It's nice to hear everyone be real about the fact Katie Lee wasn't a success in the role and take responsibility on that. Also all the snark at Food Network is on point.

Both Amar and Sara were the finale runners-up in their seasons against the winners. Sara's season had some pretty lackluster contestants on it IMO, but even so I was surprised she was in the finale. Amar similarly surprised me due to obvious superstars flaming out early (Kwame). So yeah, they were under the radar then and possibly under the radar now, but probably they shouldn't be underestimated. I bet Sara has decided to lean all the way into her southern cook shtick partly because it's what she's cooking now, and partly because she knows how much Top Chef now favors "stories" and a clear culinary theme. She was beat by high-end dining spins on southern food. She's no dummy. So yeah, solid strategy on her part, but I agree, it'd be fun for her to pull out an old-school French dish just because she can.

I really enjoyed having a restaurant critic undercover at the meals. They haven't done that at RW since season 3, I think, and that person was a blogger. Nothing against blogs -- I still read plenty of them -- but it was at the time when more amateur palates ruled the blogosphere, so there were a lot of attempts at being witty and cutting, while not necessarily being a seasoned food analyst to balance her zingers out. That said, since London has a reputation for food critics who have both the culinary knowledge and need to zing, I found this guy remarkably kind. (And cute!) I hope they do undercover critic again in the future, although it might be harder on the American version to find an American critic not known to the chefs. I love that everyone sees Amar and Ali as a package deal now. This may mean at some point they'll have to cook off against each other or be in the bottom together again. Which would be tragic drama! Or maybe they just want to show a functional bromance. I'm cool with it either way and love their use of pet names for each other. I can definitely see how Sara was picked last, but only because Tom was bewilderingly picked first. They all can cook vegetables, I'm pretty sure. That said, I loved Sara's defiant "underestimate me at your peril" stance. It's the best way to handle it, and she handled the modified FOH responsibilities way better than she did in her first season. They still needed to prep the servers, the maître d', and the expediter, and the UK team definitely understood that better than Roots did. Well, overall, the UK team definitely understood the brief better than Roots did, but I think that was a real key element there. Looking forward to next week since the main challenge revolves another chef I remember from Chef's Table. Rice appears to rear its collective ugly head once again!

Tom looked mad that he declared Charbel the winner, which is interesting. He must have really not liked that pasta. I'm kinda mad too! They're both good cooks, so I guess it could've gone either way. But it's a shame that Nicole is out all the same.

I love Darienne Lake and am glad she's back in the spotlight. And with Mrs. Kasha Davis! Who was just one of my favorite personalities. And Jimbo is, of course, the mostess. I feel like it's Jimbo's season to lose, but watch out for Darienne and Kandy Muse. They're both skilled performers, and Darienne was always very glam. Personally, watching Alexis Michelle be awkward with everyone is enough for the price of entry. I hope LaLa Ri gets to lipsync a lot. I hope Heidi makes it to the end just because she's a delight. I hope Jessica Wild is the real wild card. And Kahanna, well, someone's gotta be the first....yes, even with Jaymes Mansfield in the mix. (Who does seem to have gotten better in front of the camera a bit if season 14 was any indication.) Nayasha Lopez, I'm also pretty neutral on, and wouldn't be sad to see her leave earlier than later. The real mystery is how Monica Beverly Hillz will perform. It's been ages since she was on the show, and she was just coming out at that time. A Monica who's been living her truth for a decade should be a very different contender, and I'll never forget her Rhianna lipsync. I don't have paramount+, so I'll be following along in recaps, but fingers are crossed she's out of her head and on her game.

For what it's worth, I largely agree with you in that attractive people get nitpicked to death on reality TV, which is why I generally stay away from commentary on Padma's and Gail's clothing. I don't think average people get away with anything though. And I don't think Sara can do anything about what angle she's shot at. But also I don't think she does care all that much, and I admire that. She's there to cook, not pose, and it's already enough stress having cameras on you every moment when you're supposed to pretend they're not there at all. And Padma can definitely wear what she want, but I can't fathom why she'd want to wear those pants. Satan's hosiery!

Wait, who didn't like Carrie and Marjorie? They're gold! I don't hate Buddha, but I do find it hard to root for him, and I don't know why. I don't wish him ill in the real world though! In terms of why dunk on Padma's pants specifically vs. not dunking on Sara's body, it's partly due to different expectations for different roles (a TV hostess is generally expected to be polished; a chef should worry most about their cookery), and partly because I'm not body-shaming Padma herself, I'm shaming those pants. Sara works with what god gave her, and if the production team shoots her from an unflattering angle, that's on them. Like, she still has to exist. Padma is known for wearing her personal wardrobe on set, and she chose those pants. That's a wrong that can be undone! That said, we all root for who we want to root for. Our opinions being a rich tapestry and what not.

I also missed what Buddha's dish was, which is probably the biggest insult to him -- being overlooked. He's starting to seem more tense in this season, which I love. It's easy to be even-tempered when you are clearly dominating the competition. But he's not doing that as much as he expected, and it's GETTING to him. I'm here for the long, slow collapse. Tom will probably flame out before him, because he's getting more and more agitated. Gabri, on the other hand, seems to have accepted he's not the judges' favorite, and is committed to just doing his best as long as he can. I don't love Dale, and I won't miss him, but I appreciated his honesty in his medium-size zucchini joke. My crush on Ali abides. This was a weirdo episode. Like Victoire, I also saw that episode of Chef's Table with Chef Gaggan, and the way he was presented there wouldn't have led me to believe he'd be doing an emoji challenge or wearing a terrible bucket hat. And the licking plate thing was on the wackier side. I'm sure it tasted amazing, and I don't mind eating with my hands, but I admit, I'm not much of a plate licker. I was hoping for the chefs to cook weirdo dishes like he had done though, so I was a little disappointed at the tacos and what not. Amar's deconstructed papaya salad was in the correct wheelhouse, and I wish I'd seen more of that. And Ali's dish was stunning, but I admit, I don't need my food to lecture me on climate change. I'd rather just go to a sustainable restaurant that's understood to be addressing those issues and not need it explained with the presentation, I guess. I know, it's the challenge, and he did it well. Just in general. Finally, I didn't love the plate-licking shot from Sara, but otherwise, I'm loving her on the season. She's calmed down from her first outing and has this confident vibe going on along with strong cooking. She's got the body that she has, the personality that she has, and the background that she has, and she clearly sees no reason to be ashamed by any of it. Because she shouldn't. And that's pretty great for a woman on a reality show to be and to not be demonized by production for it. Bonus finally -- I normally don't like to dunk on what women on the show wear, particularly Padma and Gail, but Padma's quickfire pants were from the devil. Especially when she was shot from behind. If a gorgeous supermodel can't make those hideous things work, no one can. Burn them, Padma. Send them back from whence they came.

I'd like to second the comment on Gregory looking hot in his do-rag. Into it if Janine don't want him. (But she does, I know.) Still intrigued as to what Tariq moving back to Philly will do with this dynamic as well! It's definitely a well-worn trope to do the whole will they/won't they thing, but man, I think "I'm interested to learn about what you like" is the sweetest thing I've heard in a long time. Even if I'm paraphrasing, it's great. That's some real stuff. What I find interesting is that even though Ava's been harassing Gregory from day 1, she clearly doesn't really care if Gregory and Janine get together. She was even trying to help them in her weird way. So it's nice to know that she's not going to make Janine's life any harder than she does already because of jealousy or anything. She essentially gave them her blessing. (Yes, they don't need her blessing. But still, Ava being harmless with her irritations is better than her being more terrible. Besides, she still got to be the troublemaker with her alien conspiracies.) Honestly, the whole staff seems to be rooting for them, and I can see next season of the STAFF being the problem and trying to force them together while they both keep saying "Hey, we talked about it, not the right time. Back off." I don't know if they'll go that route, but it'd be a nice flip on the ole trope! Charming show as always!

Out of all the non-Ru spinoffs, the Espana one is my favorite, hands down. I'm gonna need to catch up!

I would hope Nicole is glad that Top Chef is giving Sara support to pump like normal working moms should, and in the meantime, she's getting to build her family thanks to Top Chef's support as well. Sara's need to keep her milk going does mean she can't take a break from some kind of pump or feeding. So far, Nicole's come across as someone who's fairly sensible, and as someone who would know that Sara's needs are different from her own and not a commentary on how she'll become a parent. I commend Top Chef for showing the different ways in which these women are building their families. It's a good reflection back to viewers who all may be growing their families in any number of ways as well. Anyway, boooo, Dale being back. I'm happy to have a villain, and he's going to be as close as we can get until Buddha spirals out, I guess. That flashback to his first season! No one will ever accuse Canadians of being nice and polite after that. I've enjoyed Tom so far, but his hogging the budget at the most expensive food counter ever was definitely uncool, and like Buddha, he sure doesn't take criticism well. I don't mind a cheftestant going over their own personal budget and getting help from someone who didn't use all their money when it's an individual challenge. For a team challenge, everyone should get an equal budget and pool by consensus if they both want to. If you hog the budget, you better cook something that is gangbusters. (Eddie on the Kentucky season may have sunk his team by hogging the budget, but at least his dish was good!) I will dream of Fortum and Mason until I die, I guess. What a beautiful place. I've been to Harrod's, but even that couldn't compare! Also, when I think of English picnics, I think of cold meats, bread, cheeses, ale, and savory pies. I think Buddha had a point with canapes, even if I'm enjoying rooting against him. (I mean, why not? He's going to do well if not win, so it's harmless.) If Gabri had finessed his more toward a canape style, for example, that would've been helpful for him and his team. Lastly, the love song of Ali and Amar is charming. I'm reasonably sure I caught Ali calling Amar "habibi," which is a term of endearment. So cute! I hope someday they're not on the chopping block against each other. **looks at promo for next week** UH OH.

Tom's a big fan of asserting oneself, so I don't think he'd have an issue with Begona. I don't either! It's a competition, and I didn't find anything untoward about it. She said what she was going to do, so that they all knew what she had in mind. Given she compromised with Charbel to her detriment, it's no surprise to me she decided not to repeat that mistake. After all, what Tom really cares about most in LCK is who gives him the best bite.