WaffleQueen

Interesting takes here, I actually thought it was clear Danny had it by the end. Dan's tuna texture was off-putting to them, and his second dish, while - nuanced and flavorful - still seemed too simple. Danny not only seemed to execute all his dishes nearly flawlessly (barring the lobster) but he took the most risks, and you could tell the judges appreciated that. They really weight technique/that fine dining touch heavily in the finale. The critique about Danny's scallop dish and its need for salt seemed like it was emphasized to create suspense, because they said it was pretty much perfect.

I'm having trouble figuring out whether this batch of contestants is worse on average, or if we've just been spoiled from the past few years by the caliber of contestants (with the caveat that S17 and S20 were all-stars).

While she has said she gains weight throughout the season, seems like it was really the style of the dress that made her look bigger. Not that that would be a problem, even if it weren't an illusion, since she always looks incredible.

Where did you see the bias in this episode? (Not disagreeing with you, just curious.)

One hell of a finale. Wouldn’t mind if it’s a series ender.

That Jae said she didn't like working with him spoke volumes to me. I'm not saying that means he's a bad guy by any means, just that he may be fussy in the kitchen and has an off-putting attitude when he has to collaborate with some chefs (although he clearly worked well with Jackson). I really want to know more details about why she felt that way.

The editing of this season feels like it’s stacked in favor of either Buddha or Sarah for the win.

Agreed that Sarah seems too self-aware. I like dry and self-deprecating humor, but it's too much with her. Her "low self-esteem" and constant doubting starting to become a real drag during this episode, although I realize a lot of that falls on the editors/producers for focusing on her. I'm actually on board with LCK as a concept the more I think about it, although I initially had my doubts. If you can get sacked for arbitrary reasons during the competition (ex: S12's very first challenge, the mise en place race) I feel like LCK is somewhat of a nice equalizer.

Shaina looks 10 years older than she actually is with all those fillers and puffed up lips. Confused that some people think she's some kind of "smokeshow."