Masterchef Junior (AU) Season 3

[katisha]

A place to discuss these telegenic little wunderkinds!

[katisha]

Just finished watching the first episode.  I quite liked it although it remains to be seen whether I'll be as dedicated to it as I am to the regular version.

My feeling is that the very tiny and cute contestants like Ruby and Georgia and Ben the Cub Scout kid will be around quite a while because they make such good TV.  I also think Sashi's son Ryan, even though he wasn't front and centre in this episode, will last well into the competition because, well, "son of Masterchef winner, chip off the old block" will play well with the editors, plus he's cute and seems talented.  And even though it's not her fault that the editors will seize on this, I think Vienna's backstory will get her a long way i.e. surviving lymphoma due to her younger brother's bone marrow donation.

I'm hoping that the kids who don't make fancy Reynold-style desserts aren't disadvantaged going forward but maybe others who have watched editions of the show for the young 'uns can reassure me this doesn't happen.

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by katisha

[Rosenrot]

I haven't had a chance to watch this yet, as, unfortunately, I have to rely on streaming sites to see this and while the regular version was usually there pretty quickly after airing, that doesn't seem to be the case with this one. 😕 

I am, however, excited that this begun. I haven't seen the earlier seasons, but I feel like this could be my thing as I, since the competitors are juniors, probably won't develop an irrational hate or love towards any of them, which then would take away from the actual viewing experience (see: below). I can just concentrate on being in awe of their mad skillz and fantasizing about Jock. 😄  

7 hours ago, katisha said:

I'm hoping that the kids who don't make fancy Reynold-style desserts aren't disadvantaged going forward but maybe others who have watched editions of the show for the young 'uns can reassure me this doesn't happen.

While I can't reassure you, I'm hoping so too. I've had enough of Reynold for one lifetime - jeez, even seeing his name makes me tick - and I at least hope that the ones who do make fancy desserts won't be compared to him too much. 

ETA: Literally two minutes after I posted, I found it. Off to watch! 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Rosenrot

[misgabi13]

I just finished watching last nights episode and thought it was lovely!

I do think they tugged the heartstrings a few times but it seems that WOW these kids can cook!

Ben's oft heard lament about not yet having his Cub Scout cooking badge was really funny!  

It was nice to see Sashi again too and for them to mention who he was but not make a huge fuss!

I hope some of the kids we didn't see much of do get a turn (even if they are not doing fancy desserts that could rival the 'Snow Egg') that lamb rack looked particularly Yum!

Dev's indian platter (but with a big pile of garlic naan or roti) would be my pick to be eating right this minute!

20 hours ago, katisha said:

I'm hoping that the kids who don't make fancy Reynold-style desserts aren't disadvantaged going forward but maybe others who have watched editions of the show for the young 'uns can reassure me this doesn't happen.

The last Junior MC I watched I seem to remember that the one's who didn't do the Reynold style desserts were not that disadvantaged - as long as the food had 'flavour'!  I do remember all the comments being very, very kind!  I'm sure the new judges will be the same.

I'm in!

[katisha]

3 hours ago, misgabi13 said:

I'm in!

Yay, @misgabi13! So that's you, me and @Rosenrot and yes, I think I'm also in to stay.  Bloody little tykes have sucked me in!

The judges are being lovely with the kids and I'm liking it a lot.  It'll be interesting to see what happens in elimination episodes because I imagine there might be more tears than usual with this age group. 

I was going to say who I think my favourites are but so far there's not one I don't like!  And also, I'm trying to work out whether Ben's been on TV before in a commercial or something because he looks so familiar to me.

[Rosenrot]

So I watched the first episode and oh yeah, I'm in to stay for sure. It was so sickly sweet that I think my fillings fell out, but I loved it (which is no surprise since I love most sickly sweet things)! So wholesome and that's exactly what I need in my life right now. And obviously they're super mega talented. This was a signature dish so they've had time to practice it, but still. That Laura girl has like exquisite plans for her future restaurant and she's, what, 13? I'm 31 and I still don't know what I want to do with my life! 

[akr]

I'm really enjoying this so far but don't have much to say!  So I'll just link to the recipes (they have all 14 signature dishes up, as well as the two winners from the honey immunity challenge).  https://10play.com.au/junior-masterchef-australia/recipes

Edited October 13, 2020 by akr

[katisha]

Whaaaat? Three kids gone already? I wasn't emotionally prepared for a triple elimination but at least they all took it in good spirits.  I won't give away which ones they were for those watching from afar.

I'm seeing a fun, daggy side of Jock on this version of the show and it's helping erase what a arse he was at times in Back To Win.  I hope he brings some of this version of himself to the next season of the grown-up version. 

[Rosenrot]

I wasn't emotionally prepared for even one kid to go home, let alone three! Jeez. On the other hand it's great - as it is my understanding that they're doing it so that the 'worst' one wouldn't be singled out - but then, if they keep doing it that way, the season's going to be super short. 

Meanwhile, Ben is the internet's new sweetheart. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest - he's adorable. 

2 hours ago, katisha said:

I'm seeing a fun, daggy side of Jock on this version of the show and it's helping erase what a arse he was at times in Back To Win.  I hope he brings some of this version of himself to the next season of the grown-up version.

LOL @ him cracking an egg on the poor hand under the bench! 

[misgabi13]

14 hours ago, Rosenrot said:

Meanwhile, Ben is the internet's new sweetheart.

The internet does seem to love him!  I cracked up when he was so enthusiastic about going out for dinner in Albury!  Much like my town, not exactly the food capital of Australia.  But Albury is pleased!  https://www.popsugar.com.au/celebrity/ben-shouts-out-albury-bao-buns-on-junior-masterchef-47880786

17 hours ago, katisha said:

Whaaaat? Three kids gone already? I wasn't emotionally prepared for a triple elimination but at least they all took it in good spirits. 

I was expecting two to go (as I'm fairly sure that is what they did on the last one) so it wasn't just one worst person in the challenge but three seems a bit much.

That jar of oysters looked so horrible!  And I love oysters!  All the kids did really well in their guesses - it is much harder than you think.

The judges are super fun in this kid version, although Mel looks like she is about to cry for quite a lot of the time.

Excellent show!

[TVbitch]

Skipping to the bottom of comments cuz I have only watched epi one. I like the gong immunity. That would be fun in the adult version. 

These kids are amazing. Maybe too amazing. A 12 year old has been making pasta since she was I and has wanted this for a long time. Um, I was playing in the mud with my pet turtle at 8.

I liked all the kids. They do seem very "camera ready" though. I guess that is the thing with these next generations. They are so used to having their every moment video taped and put out of social media that it is just normal for them be on camera and talk to the camera. It's the way of the world, but it makes me kind of sad for some reason.  

Anyway, I'm in! 

[retrograde]

On 10/14/2020 at 1:40 AM, misgabi13 said:

I cracked up when he was so enthusiastic about going out for dinner in Albury!  

Yes! This was the greatest line. He said it with all the sincerity of an adult contestant raving about a dish they had in Sri Lanka. (The dining scene in Albury has clearly improved since I was last there about 25 years ago and La Porchetta was the top option, though.)

I'm also definitely going to be using "I'm gonna redo it... Sorry, no, I'm not gonna redo it. This is fine" as a meme for basically everything in life. 

Anyway, I'm not gonna critique anything (except the judges, but actually, Andy is much better suited to working with children it seems) or anyone because they're kids.

I'm curious when this was filmed, they must have got pretty lucky between lockdowns in Melbourne. 

[SnideAsides]

They would've had an exemption (like The Masked Singer or Mad as Hell or Neighbours) (how haven't we had "cook lunch for the Neighbours people" as a team challenge yet?) if they were already in production when the second lockdown started.

Agreed on Albury. It's clearly improved since I took a coach from Sydney to Melbourne ~15 years ago and the best option at the place we stopped was one of those old weird spongy Footy Franks on a stale bun.

In previous seasons of Junior Masterchef there were group eliminations but they also used a point system. Like there'd be three episodes of challenges for points (from memory it was six for a win, smaller scores for second or third in individual challenges, and one for just competing), then the top scorers were saved and the rest competed in an elimination challenge where groups of four were eliminated to avoid the "you finished last" stigma.

Edited October 18, 2020 by SnideAsides

[katisha]

This show scores so highly on the feelgood-o-meter that it's gone from "I might watch it" to "I can't miss an episode" in a very short time.  I seriously don't dislike a single contestant but my favourites are definitely Ben (me and the rest of the country) and Filo (I love his genuine enthusiasm for food and cooking and, yes, the fact that his name is a delicious pastry). I also like Vienna's quiet efficiency and Phenix and Tiffany seem really sweet kids. 

Whoever did the old age make-up on the judges, job well done!

[Rosenrot]

2 hours ago, katisha said:

but my favourites are definitely Ben (me and the rest of the country) and Filo (I love his genuine enthusiasm for food and cooking and, yes, the fact that his name is a delicious pastry).

Nomen est omen!

That salted caramel apple pie, oh yummo! 

On 10/16/2020 at 10:38 AM, retrograde said:

but actually, Andy is much better suited to working with children it seems

I agree. I don't find him half as annoying as I did in the regular version, so yay! 

Jock totally cracked me up with his "cranky old Scotsman" act. I just expected him to be waving his cane and yelling "YOU DAMN KIDS, GET OFF MY LAWN!" at any moment. 

Edited October 18, 2020 by Rosenrot

[katisha]

Those "keep up with the chef" episodes stress me out at the best of times in the regular version of the show.  Watching little kids struggle to keep up with Andy wasn't so fun so I'm glad Laura made it look pretty easy. She is scarily talented if she's the one who plans out menus for her restaurant in her spare time!

And little Ruby, what can you say? Almost unbearably cute and can cook as well, although I tend to think her coriander error would have had her out of contention for immunity in the adult version of the show.  

Watching Filo's tortillas break one after the other was too much so I'm glad he took it in good spirits!

[Rosenrot]

"Keeping up with X" episodes always give me mad anxiety. I wouldn't last 30 seconds if I were there, so kudos to all of them! Laura didn't seem to have any trouble to keep up, she's a machine. 

With adults I didn't mind, but I'm noticing that in this version I'm irrationally bummed that they can't hug each other (especially after eliminations)! 😕

[misgabi13]

Those tacos looked crazy good!

These kids are so cute and the judges all seem to having so much fun interacting with them.  The puns just keep on coming!

On 10/16/2020 at 6:38 PM, retrograde said:

(The dining scene in Albury has clearly improved since I was last there about 25 years ago and La Porchetta was the top option, though.)

 

On 10/18/2020 at 12:16 PM, SnideAsides said:

Agreed on Albury. It's clearly improved since I took a coach from Sydney to Melbourne ~15 years ago and the best option at the place we stopped was one of those old weird spongy Footy Franks on a stale bun.

The dining scene has improved dramatically.  I live in Wagga Wagga an hour and a half away and a very similar type of town and there are now some fabulous hidden gems in both compared to 15 - 25 years ago (although Wagga is in SERIOUS need of a really, really good deli).

Can's wait to see how the kids go with doughnuts tonight!

But not looking forward to any of them going home.  😭

[katisha]

Ben tonight after the second round..."I nearly cried!" You're not the only one, mate! I don't know what this show is doing to me.  I don't have any kids or grandkids and I would describe myself as not a kid person, but something about a few of these kids just tugs at my old heart strings, mainly Ben and Filo.  Ben was such a brave little soldier tonight and what's a 10-year-old doing knowing about Australian Indigenous ingredients and wanting to make a dish out of them? And Filo's joy for cooking (and eating - hey, I was a chubby kid too!) is just so infectious.  So even though I'm still sad to see

Spoiler

Phenix and Salvo

go, I would have been more upset to see others eliminated. 

This show was definitely something 2020 needed.

[Rosenrot]

Filo, my darlingest soulmate, I couldn't imagine my life without doughnuts either. In celebration of this episode (and those who went home), I ate a doughnut while watching. Actually, I ate two. They were delicious. 

LOL Andy's "I just can't take you seriously with a half-eaten doughnut in your hand". I'd really like to eat doughnuts with Jock. I'd like to do a great many things with Jock, but after watching this episode, eating doughnuts is definitely one of them. 

7 hours ago, katisha said:

I don't have any kids or grandkids and I would describe myself as not a kid person, but something about a few of these kids just tugs at my old heart strings, mainly Ben and Filo. 

Ha, same! I'm definitely not a kid person, but watching these kids to be passionate about food and cooking and just being kind to one another and being such champs all the way down does weird things to my black, dried-up raisin of a heart. 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Rosenrot

[akr]

It's so hard to see any of these kids go! 

Anybody else notice that Ruby seemed to have gigantic limes & passion fruits? I hadn't realized how little her hands were . . . I know she's tiny (so was I) but I don't remember limes ever seeming like fairly large fruit ;). The citrus squeezer was really too big for her hands, too; I hadn't thought about what an extra challenge that might pose for some of the smaller kids. I know Ruby said she felt having small hands was an advantage in working with pasta, and I'm sure she's right, but some of these kids might benefit from having some tools that are better scaled to their size. 

 

[retrograde]

In the adult version, I'm always complaining that most so-called dessert kings and queens won't bake anything and instead just serve up plated dessert after plated dessert. But credit to these kids for trying cakes and biscuits and pies and pastries and tarts. I reckon they've done more dessert baking already than most full adult seasons. 

[katisha]

On 10/22/2020 at 4:59 PM, retrograde said:

In the adult version, I'm always complaining that most so-called dessert kings and queens won't bake anything and instead just serve up plated dessert after plated dessert. But credit to these kids for trying cakes and biscuits and pies and pastries and tarts. I reckon they've done more dessert baking already than most full adult seasons. 

I know, right? In the first episode Tiffany mucked up her pannacotta because, as she pointed out, it was the first time she'd ever used a blast chiller.  Some of the adult contestants, I think they go and buy one and use nothing else for a year prior to going on the show because it's by far their favourite appliance.  They should be a bit embarrassed that they don't know how to bake a cake or a pie when here are a bunch of kids aged 10-14 who are capable of using pastry.

Edited October 27, 2020 by katisha

[Rosenrot]

9 hours ago, katisha said:

They should be a bit embarrassed that they don't know how to bake a cake or a pie when here are a bunch of kids aged 10-14 who are capable of using pastry.

Once again, looking in your general direction, Reynold! (Not that he's the only one, though...)

Edited October 23, 2020 by Rosenrot

[katisha]

Awww, Laura fangirling over Emilia was so sweet and you know what made it even more perfect? I suspect when Emilia was Laura's age, she was probably a lot like her! And it was good to see Dev showing that he has a range of skills and can make other things besides the Indian dishes that he clearly does so well.  (Although if he makes too many frozen domes, I won't be pleased...haha!) 

Can someone give Ben his own TV show or something? I'd watch it. 

[TVbitch]

I am almost caught up! Just finished epi 6. I like all the kids, but Ben and Filo seem to still be in that magical phase of childhood where they are very genuine and excited about things, and just say exactly what they feel without thinking too much about it. I adore that. ...I miss it! 

I agree that Andy works better with the kids. Let's keep him here and get someone else for the adult show. I like Jock better here, too. He is looser and funnier. When he told one of the safe girls that he didn't think they couldn't be friends anymore cuz she doesn't like potatoes. ~That was probably my favorite Jock moment ever. 

[katisha]

It's really nice to see quiet and unassuming Dev doing well and starting to come out of his shell as he did in tonight's episode.  There were some nice moments when he was bantering with Jock and Andy about them not being able to handle as much spice as Melissa! And his dish looked absolutely delicious so I'm glad he was rewarded with immunity.

Tiny Georgia with her immaculate and organised food prep...bless.  And Ben - is he for real?! I can absolutely guarantee you that when I was 10, you would have had to hold a gun to my head to make me try squid ink pasta (or squid ink anything, for that matter!), yet here is someone in that age group saying how much he likes to eat it and choosing to make a dish with it! In my defence, when I was his age it was the 1970s and to the average Australian, the epitome of exotic or multicultural food was the occasional Chinese or Italian meal! 

[SG429]

I'd like to see them tone down the gushing reviews of virtually every plate presented. There must be some constructive criticism they can offer between all the 'how does someone so young...' marvel. Nobody needs to scream 'It's Raw!' but a mildly disappointed look and some helpful encouragement on non-elim rounds would make better viewing.

[Rosenrot]

Why didn't Mr. X get to taste the dishes he prepared the noodles for? Also, why is he called Mr. X? So many mysteries! 

On 10/27/2020 at 2:16 PM, katisha said:

I can absolutely guarantee you that when I was 10, you would have had to hold a gun to my head to make me try squid ink pasta (or squid ink anything, for that matter!), yet here is someone in that age group saying how much he likes to eat it and choosing to make a dish with it!

Y'all are going to laugh at me, but I hadn't even heard of squid ink pasta before I started to watch MCAU. 😂 Pathetic, I know, but squid isn't much of a thing in Finland. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that would have it on their menu (although I know those places do exist). 

On 10/26/2020 at 8:35 PM, TVbitch said:

I like Jock better here, too. He is looser and funnier. When he told one of the safe girls that he didn't think they couldn't be friends anymore cuz she doesn't like potatoes. ~That was probably my favorite Jock moment ever. 

He was adorable again today ( = Tuesday, but for me today) as he was running to the pantry and back alongside Georgia. 🥰 

3 hours ago, SG429 said:

I'd like to see them tone down the gushing reviews of virtually every plate presented. There must be some constructive criticism they can offer between all the 'how does someone so young...' marvel. Nobody needs to scream 'It's Raw!' but a mildly disappointed look and some helpful encouragement on non-elim rounds would make better viewing.

I feel like they've been doing pretty good job balancing between the gushing and giving constructive criticism, but this is a matter of opinion, of course.  

Edited October 28, 2020 by Rosenrot

[katisha]

10 hours ago, SG429 said:

I'd like to see them tone down the gushing reviews of virtually every plate presented. There must be some constructive criticism they can offer between all the 'how does someone so young...' marvel. Nobody needs to scream 'It's Raw!' but a mildly disappointed look and some helpful encouragement on non-elim rounds would make better viewing.

Just my opinion but I see this as more the "every child gets a prize" mentality which is the norm in Australian society and has been for years. When I was the age of these contestants, you certainly didn't get a ribbon for coming last in a race and you could argue that was a more realistic and character-building approach. 

[retrograde]

To be fair, it seems like there might be more constructive criticism that isn't usually shown, as the feedback on all but the best dishes is usually very truncated, and it often seems like the clip cuts in at "...but apart from that, the sauce was great." I can understand not wanting to shit on 8-year-olds' food on camera, but I agree it makes it a bit more boring for the viewer. 

[katisha]

That was SO stressful! I don't know if the junior versions of Masterchef always set pressure tests for the kids in the later stages of the competition but it had me gnawing my fingernails to the quick.  And a Darren Purchase one, no less!

I'll spoiler this for the OS followers...

Spoiler

NOOO! Not Ben! 😢  And on a night when he was even more adorable than ever with his ice-cream commentary, too.  At least he took it in good spirits, though.  I'm more OK with Ruby going because though I like her, she's not one of my main favourites.   Speaking of which, so glad to see Filo doing a great job in the challenge and being safe.  Almost made up for losing Ben, but not quite.

 

[akr]

8 hours ago, katisha said:

That was SO stressful! I don't know if the junior versions of Masterchef always set pressure tests for the kids in the later stages of the competition but it had me gnawing my fingernails to the quick.  And a Darren Purchase one, no less!

I'll spoiler this for the OS followers...

  Hide contents

NOOO! Not Ben! 😢  And on a night when he was even more adorable than ever with his ice-cream commentary, too.  At least he took it in good spirits, though.  I'm more OK with Ruby going because though I like her, she's not one of my main favourites.   Speaking of which, so glad to see Filo doing a great job in the challenge and being safe.  Almost made up for losing Ben, but not quite.

 

I had accidentally spoiled myself about losing 

Spoiler

Ben

and so found myself in the uncomfortable position of rooting for two of the remaining three round two contestants against the third. 

Spoiler

So relieved that both Georgia & Filo - probably my two favorite contestants, along with Dev & then Ben, (although I find them all delightful) - made it through! But I felt bad for, as a result, effectively rooting against Ruby just a little bit. I like Ruby just fine, but we all have our favorites for one reason or another. It worried me a bit that she seemed so upbeat in her confessionals, & I felt guilty for that!

(Georgia reminds me a little of me at her age - (except better!), so I guess I'm a bit of narcissist in wanting someone I identify with a bit to do well (& it's her with the super tiny hands that make limes look like grapefruits (well, ok, oranges, but still), not Ruby, which I find an adorable counterpart to her seriousness) & Filo I just find delightful, plus I've lived in Egypt so I get a kick out of seeing him celebrate his heritage). There's something about his attitude & approach to things that I also find very relatable, like I could imagine having been him at his age more than some of the others). 

Give Ben his cooking badge!  Continuing being terrific, Ruby!  Sorry to see you both go but I'm glad you're happy with how well you did. You deserve to be! 

Non-spoilery bits - how delighted so many were at the snow, & how delighted Ben was about the ice cream! What a face. You can only wish to feel such uncomplicated joy again. I guess I hadn't thought about it, but when Ruby said she'd never seen snow before, I wondered if that was true of most Australians, at least ones their age, especially those whose idea of travel is to go wherever it was that Ben first had steamed buns . . . .

[katisha]

Another enjoyable episode tonight.  I love the friendship that Dev and Filo have where they're always encouraging each other and doing the "bro" thing! And I can see why you like Georgia, @akr.  I find her seriousness really endearing and so unusual in a kid of 11.  I'm glad we got to find out a bit about her background tonight, too, because I've been wondering what her heritage was until she made what looked a delicious Sri Lankan curry tonight from a recipe her nana taught her.  And Dev's showing many strings to his bow because even though some of the Facebook followers of MC tend to lump all curries together and say dismissively of the curry maker, "He/she can only make curries," a Thai curry and an Indian curry aren't the same at all.  I don't have the most sophisticated palate in the world but even I can tell that!

My favourites are still Filo, Dev and Georgia of those we've got left.  Wouldn't they make a lovely top three!

[Rosenrot]

Oh wow. I don't think I have any fingernails left after that elimination episode. 

Spoiler

Nnnnooooo Ben 😭 I'm heartbroken. Probably more so than he is! He took it like a champ, but it was hard to see him go. He's been such a delight. It does give me some small consolation that I think half the Australia agrees with me. 😄 

I can say with utmost certainty that even though I love tea and can drink up to six cups a day, I would not be able to recognize matcha ice cream. So kudos once again!

LOL "There probably would be an ad break to that now. *ad break sound effect*"

21 hours ago, akr said:

I guess I hadn't thought about it, but when Ruby said she'd never seen snow before, I wondered if that was true of most Australians, at least ones their age, especially those whose idea of travel is to go wherever it was that Ben first had steamed buns . . . .

I wondered about that too. It's so crazy to me. When I was a kid, every winter we would have snow banks that were like small mountains. Not anymore. 😐 Damn you, climate change!

ETA: What is this talk about the finals week? I don't get it. Just how short is this season??

Edited November 2, 2020 by Rosenrot

[zibnchy]

I've just watched the first 3 episodes, thru the first elimination. I'm trying to avoid spoilers so I haven't  read all the above messages so I'm  sorry if I drone on repetitively.

I didn't want to watch because I really didn't like the new judges during the adult season, especially Jock Except Mel, I love Mel. I was just meh on Andy. Also the cast members I actually liked got eliminated early so I didn't even watch to the end of the season.

So I turned this on because I was bored and surprise I'm loving it. The kids are all great. Such big personalities. Such cooking. So adorable. My biggest surprise is the judges. I suddenly love them. They're great with the kids and the kids obviously love them. I love that they don't talk down to the kids. Jock and Andy just act like a couple of goofs and Mel is sweet. What a great surprise! This is sooooo much better than the US version.

What I hate is the eliminations. I would honestly be willing to watch a season of them cooking and goofing around with no eliminations. I don't like seeing the kids stressed out.

Ben is a bit of an odd duck and I really like that. Love Ruby, she always looks frazzled. Also the girl who won the immunity with her honey dishes even though she hates honey. The tall Italian kid (Salva?) is a force to be reckoned with I think. I honestly love them all even if I don't know their names yet.

Tomorrow is election day here in hell AND I'm preparing to move houses, so I'm going to binge a bunch more episodes tomorrow to distract myself from my anxiety.

[SnideAsides]

The two previous Junior Masterchef seasons back in this show's infancy did pressure tests, yes. Simpler dishes (a poached pear dessert, a Donna Hay chocolate cake, etc) but they definitely had them.

[TVbitch]

Episode 8. I wanted to eat all those noodle dishes so bad. And that noodle-making master was amazing.

Episode 9. Waaaaaahhhhh!!!!! I'm gutted.
 

Spoiler

 

As soon as Ben and Filo were both in the bottom, I knew I was losing one of them. I couldn't even watch the whole pressure test. I had to just skip to the end and get the pain over with. 

Ben was like a pure filament of childhood delight, and I need that right now! His personality was entirely unaffected, and it was a joy to watch. *sigh* I would imagine much of the audience is heartbroken. His appearance on the show will probably change his life and bring him many opportunities. Maybe we will even see him again. But he will never be in this magical window of unadulterated awestruck Ben-ness that he is now. 

 

 

[akr]

I still haven't watched episode 10, but know how it went - as for episode 11:

Spoiler

Congrats to Laura on confirming her early front-runner status! So much thought & skill went into that.  Good job, Filo & Carter (those brownies looked terrific, althpugh a little weird; not so sold on the carrot thing-a-ma-bobs despite the high praise. I like carrot cakes & carrot halva, & carrot juice is surprisingly good, but the soft blobbiness of that dessert didn't look appealing to me. I was really curious about the mousse, though, and I'm sure it was good overall. I think a different shade of orange on the glaze might have worked better for me.).

Although Tiffany & Vienna lost out, I'd actually be most likely to try those two. That the zucchini didn't really come through of course meant it didn't meet the brief, but it sounded like it was nonetheless a very nice basic cake (although perhaps they were soft pedalling other issues with the dessert, but I wasn't interested in the other elements anyway); and Vienna's sounded like with a bit more time, it would have been right up there with Laura's. Maybe a bit too much extra going on with it, but that's to be expected with Masterchef. It's too bad time limits are such an issue for tarts etc - yes, Georgia, we need a blast oven! (or, you know, some sort of pressure cooker time machine equivalent for baked goods).

 

[TVbitch]

He's a lovely lad, but I don't want Dev to win. I would just like to see one of the younger kids win. It seems like in the "junior" shows, it is almost always one of the older teens who wins. 

[akr]

I get the feeling, but I think Dev's just a big (tall) kid. Laura's the same age (13), & Carter & Filo are 12, so there's not that much difference (Georgia is 11). They could all be within about 13 months of each other! 

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by akr

[zibnchy]

7 hours ago, TVbitch said:

He's a lovely lad, but I don't want Dev to win. I would just like to see one of the younger kids win. It seems like in the "junior" shows, it is almost always one of the older teens who wins.

Cracks me up all the sizes the kids come. From tiny to towering. Perhaps Dev had a growth spurt. My brother had one the summer he was 13. It was memorable.

I want Dev to come work  for me and be my personal chef. I have wanted to eat everything he makes. I would get very fat (OK fatter). In fact these juniors all create meals I'd like to try. This is often not true of the adult cooks.

Anyway I love them all. So sad to see my favorites go, but happy to have a bunch of favorites still n the comp. Is it a final 2? Or 3?  I think Laura and Dev will make it to final 2. They've got some skills and apparently a good ability to think on their feet. I'd love to see Georgia sneak into the final because I love her the most. I LOVE Filo but I don't think his skills are up with Dev and Laura.

These kids work maskless in very close proximity to each other. I assume they've all been living together in a pod somehow? Are their mothers (or dads) with them? So why can't they hug? I'm not asking for hugs all the time but for after saying goodbye?

[katisha]

14 minutes ago, zibnchy said:

Cracks me up all the sizes the kids come. From tiny to towering. Perhaps Dev had a growth spurt. My brother had one the summer he was 13. It was memorable.

I think he must have because when he speaks he has that "voice about to break" thing that boys get at around his age.  He's definitely 13 (or maybe 14?) according to the supers on the screen but he looks literally twice Georgia's height!

[katisha]

And just like that, it's all over! 😢 I had a mega busy time in the last few days so only tonight did I get around to watching Thursday's and Sunday's episodes back to back.  In doing that I accidentally spoiled myself for the result of the first elimination, and then in trying to find out about the finale and when it was I accidentally spoiled myself for that too!  So probably a good time to get out the spoiler tags so as not to ruin it for anyone else who's still out there?  (By the way, hope all our US posters have survived THAT election in reasonable shape?) 

Top 7 elimination

Spoiler

I really had Vienna picked for the top five at least so I'm quite surprised she has been booted at this stage.  Tiffany, not so much.  She's a lovely girl but really, choosing zucchini to put into a dessert?  Don't get me wrong, it's a veggie I really like but there's nothing about it which suggests "sweet" to me! Very happy to see Filo and Laura safe.

Top 5 elimination

Spoiler

Awww, Kirsten Tibballs, you made poor Carter cry and broke my heart, and he's not even one of my favourites!

I must say, I'm really shocked that Laura wasn't in the final three as I'd have said she was a lock for it, but based on this dish and not her general skill levels it was certainly a fair decision.  And Dev, as skilled as he is, also didn't do such a great job on this particular challenge so I don't feel he was robbed either.  

Lovely to see Georgia in the final because she's so adorably earnest and serious - she's totally won me over!  Filo is an absolute ray of sunshine who makes me laugh every time he giggles and one of my favourite moments on the show has been tonight when Filo snuck off with a meringue stick to eat after he'd finished plating up the dish for the judges, who all cracked up.  Carter is my least favourite of the three but he's a sweet kid and tries really hard.  I just don't think he quite has the skill set of Filo and Georgia.

As for the finale, it was tonight and I know who won but I'm too tired to watch it tonight so I'll comment more tomorrow night when hopefully someone else will have watched it too!

 

[Rosenrot]

I can't believe it's over already! 😭 What am I going to watch now?? 

So I actually haven't watched episodes 11 & 12 yet (I wanted to watch the finale today nonetheless because today was a sushi day for me and I wanted to watch the finale while eating sushi 😄), so I'm not sure if they addressed it in those episodes, but Andy really sounded like he was having a cold. I wonder if he actually tasted any of the food he was eating...?  

How friggin' cool was that orchestra?!

I was praying for the Masterchef gods (and also the the gods of Hot Scottish Men) that Jock would be wearing a kilt as he did in the adult version's finale (which, by the way, is THE ONLY REASON I watched it), but I must say that sharp suit didn't pale too much in comparison. 🥴

Spoiler

CONGRATULATIONS GEORGIA! 🥂 The trophy is almost bigger than her! After the main course I really felt like she had it in the bag, and that dessert looked superb. 

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Rosenrot

[katisha]

Just watched the finale tonight and even though I adore Filo, Georgia worked her way into my heart after my beloved Ben left and to me her win was thoroughly deserved. I wanted to devour that feast of curries and her dessert looked delicious.

Watching the kids interacting with their mums was hilarious too. It started off when they were all in the pantry at the start and Georgia said to the boys, "What silly person decided to invite our parents?" 😂 Then later, when her mum said, "Georgia, don't forget the meringues," she did a sort of little eye roll and said, "That's what I'm doing, Mum!" ie stop nagging lol! And later, Filo's mum called out, "Filo! Filo! Filo!" and then blew him a kiss. Filo looked so embarrassed and just eventually said, "Not now!" 😂😂😂

Damn, I am gonna miss this show.

Edited November 10, 2020 by katisha

[TVbitch]

I had been rooting for Filo, but Georgia clearly won the night. Her curry platter looked amazing. I most wanted to sample that, and then eat her and Filo's dessert.  

I was hoping some of the eliminated kids would be back to cheer them on, but it was interesting to meet the moms. (Carter's mom was a bit intense!) Great season, despite the obstacles. 

As to what's next, Masterchef The Professionals (UK)! Hope to see y'all there! If anyone needs help finding the episodes, just shoot me a private message.

[SG429]

A very talented cast all around. Filo stands out, though, in  his growth as a cook over the course of the series. Starting out as what they call a rustic cook with a chaotic cook bench to the disciplined, detail oriented finalist was fun to see. I'd say he ate up all the off-camera coaching and training, but clearly he'd eat up anything.