eelpout

I love jazz trios, but here it felt like it was pushing the "look! they're starting to cook!" a bit too much. Absolutely would watch a second season as well.

Reality Blurred's review.

No topic exists for this new thing on Food Network, so I'll start one. Heaven help me though, the less said about this the better IMO. I couldn't make it more than 2/3 of the way through the first episode before my (uncolored) contacts dried up, staring unblinking at the screen. A show that seems to have been destined for Bravo, but maybe they passed(???). Is it a cooking show? Simple candid reality? An unintended critique for why social media is the devil? Even they aren't sure. 😁 (And there are 5 more episodes of this??? Maybe there are guest appearances of the real estate agents from that failed SF Million Dollar Listing show? 😉)

I'm not sure who does the dubbing here, I'm assuming Netflix (it's probably at the end of credit sequence, too lazy to check) and I generally find theirs to be pretty questionable. Babylon Berlin for example should not be watched with full english dubbing IMO. :)

I liked the white/green/black top Yannik wore throughout in his confessionals. Reminded me of something Andre Agassi might wear around 1990. ;)

well, FratBoy keeps bringing it up, so....

I found myself skipping past most of the Harfoot stuff (our brand is forced perspective!) during the entire series. :(

I'm hearing this more and more with Zoomers. if one thinks about it, they've grown up with their phones just telling them where to turn and glancing at a map can be only superficial. another skill humans are losing. 😬 what frightens me the most, if her "career" chyron is to be believed, is some people must pay to hear this stuff. 😶

do you know how many laps they eventually did? I saw them pose at the top of the Elk Camp lift for their Instagram shot and get back in line. But eventually I left to go where there was better snow on the mountain, because Elk Camp as I remember had thinner coverage than elsewhere (often the case). I figured production chose that area for the lodge's outdoor setting for "lunch" and the gondola. (apologies this is not about Erica's jewelry 😁)

Personalities aside, the skiing group at least appeared to be in good spirits when I saw them at Snowmass resort (about 20 minutes outside Aspen). I happened to be snowboarding there the day they were filming off the Elk Camp gondola. It took me a while to figure out who was who under all the (fashion label!) garb, helmets and goggles. Rinna and Kyle were the easiest to spot. Crystal is a lot taller than I thought she was. The only one who I locked eyes with was Diana, who I had no idea was at the time (from a distance at first I was trying to make her be Sutton), but it was eventually obvious she was new in the cast. No lip-licking observed. ;) And if you were wondering, yes, I saw at least once production and cast being allowed to cut ahead in line while they did their lift laps. :)

That's a bit whack, but I'm pretty sure that was jazz drumming legend Peter Erskine at the wedding reception. I was a bit baffled by this but then remembered MacFarelane's vocal side. Sure enough Erskine has played on some of Seth's albums.

man, I swear for every episode they start with the (hey, we have a budget!) CGI, then score it, then write the script. :( this show is becoming impossible to watch.

I don't know if it's the characterizarion of Matthew or Oswalt doing the voice (probably the latter), but it's not working for me. Something just seems off. 😐

heh, not unpopular with me! just watched the finale last night. OMG, heaving that boulder for over two hours was real. Especially after what, 11-12 hours previously??? 🙄 they apparently need to hire Eric Kripke (Supernatural, Bad Boys), who basically slammed Stranger Things' show runners without naming them outright (at the end of the Vulture interview), for not knowing how to structure and pace stories for television. But it seems many seem to think all this puffed rice is fine. I'm guessing they're younger than I. 😏

outlier anecdote, there are seasonal food truck nights in San Francisco in an area called Fort Mason where lines are long and one can easily be waiting 30+ minutes for food. at least the trucks usually have the smarts to close their windows for a while when this happens and stop taking orders. Not to worry, one can buy a $23 glass of wine in a plastic cup to bide your time. It's San Francisco. :) would you really want to be served true raw, ceviche shrimp from that truck? ;) it would be great if someone from production from this season were (likely anonymously) to fill in the blanks of what the hell was going on here; from the contestants and locations chosen, to the logistics of and filming of the purchasing of food. but not likely to happen. :/

yes, many CGI pixels were hurt in that scene. ;)

yeah, I'm sure they are given a list of what the main ingredient could be as in the past. in addition to arranging to bring their own plating options, this also gives them the ability to work up menus in advance. it's not a sham per se, but this show is never what it appears to be. I find this Netflix incarnation wiped of any of the "controlled chaos" of the past, even some of the Food Network productions, never mind the original. I miss that. There are clearly some edited voice overs added in post production too. Also, while I like Kirsten K. a lot when she's actually in her element, cooking (see Fast Foodies), I'm not clear why she's here aside from maybe a positive "Q Score" for some demographic that Alton wouldn't cover, as this co-hosting thing feels off to me. Could be in part because I think Alton prefers to fly solo. (and curious that when we watched the first episode, Netflix said this was trending in "Kids"... ;))

More than half? It's pretty much the entire bridge crew except Pike and Spock. My wife even said to me "It's Pike and Spock and a bunch of women." I know the doctor and chief engineer (I think) are male but this just seemed in your face with the diversity. Politically incorrect to say, but every time they cut back to a bridge scene all I could think of was paraphrasing Clevon Little in Blazing Saddles, "Hey! Where are the white men at?" 😏

huh and here I was thinking she just looked pissed off about something the whole time. I also think the Do or Die boxes are manipulated; either it's a force or each box has both flame and skull via two layers and depending on how Jeff opens it shows one or the other.

phone flashing these security cameras were in their infrared mode for nighttime use and the "flashing" was her iPhone's Face ID, this emits a pulsing infrared beam to illuminate and read a face. it's doing that any time the phone needs biometric security, you just can't normally see it. :)

that's the best part of this "revolving door" of new chef partners for Anne, their initial reactions seem genuine to the contestant's lack of skills.

The one thing I was glad was clarified is that someone made the offhand comment (in the viewing space with Hunter) that once an item is used in a round, it wouldn't be used again; I was wondering about that. That also means that they likely have to re-spin on occasion when an item comes up again and they edit that sequence out for TV.

Or Agent/Detective Wagenbach. ;)

I'm quite sure the Randomizer, which I'm convinced is the Tiny House where Hunter is forced to live in in Guy's backyard, is not as random as we are meant to believe.

If before seeing this season Tori was my therapist, it would be highly unlikely now after seeing all this she would continue to be my therapist.