Masterchef Junior (US) - General Discussion

[Samwise979]

I'm sure in exchange for eating something cooked by amateurs that quite possibly could be raw they all eat for free. Or even get paid like extras on a tv show. 

[Sarahsmile416]

To be honest, this entire episode made me uncomfortable. If the contestants were, on the whole, a bit older, I might feel differently, but quite honestly, I thought this was a little too much pressure to put on a bunch of 8-12 year olds.  I have no problem putting kids to the test but putting them in an actual restaurant, putting them in an environment they have never been in just seemed a bit much to me. 

I hate the idea that when a kid cries or pouts, he is deemed a whiner.  That makes me really sad.  My guess is if that if Reid was a girl, it would have been “okay” but since he’s a boy he has to toughen up.  I love that he has shown all the emotion he has and it’s probably taught him to be stronger by the adults supporting him when he is struggling instead of shaming him. 

[queenanne]

Catching up on a batch of episodes... I think the thing that bothered me most about the black piece of pasta going to Ivy was the fact that it was clearly jiggered, because of the overwhelming odds against anyone in fact picking out the black piece of pasta when delving in sight unseen.

Am I the only person in the universe who's never seen coconut cream pie made with chocolate pudding?  Is this a West Coast thing?  The way Christina described it made me think she thought it was the default; but I literally never have seen it with anything other than vanilla, so found it odd that Christina would speak like this is the standard.

[TwopLurker]

On 5/23/2019 at 1:21 AM, Sarahsmile416 said:

To be honest, this entire episode made me uncomfortable. If the contestants were, on the whole, a bit older, I might feel differently, but quite honestly, I thought this was a little too much pressure to put on a bunch of 8-12 year olds.  I have no problem putting kids to the test but putting them in an actual restaurant, putting them in an environment they have never been in just seemed a bit much to me. 

I hate the idea that when a kid cries or pouts, he is deemed a whiner.  That makes me really sad.  My guess is if that if Reid was a girl, it would have been “okay” but since he’s a boy he has to toughen up.  I love that he has shown all the emotion he has and it’s probably taught him to be stronger by the adults supporting him when he is struggling instead of shaming him. 

Reid is also as tall or taller than kids who are 2-4 years old than he is which gives the perception/expectation that he is older than he actually is. I didn’t like his salad comment a few episodes back but overall he seems like a sweet kid who is trying his hardest and isn’t as camera ready as some of the other kids are.

I have no idea why Aaron is still hanging on or why they seem to give him so many talking heads. 

I think this season is Malia’s to lose. She’s bright, telegenic, and seems to cook well. 

Back home in New York, we don’t particularly enjoy Christina Tosi and think Milkbar’s food is too sweet but she looks good in the jumpsuits she’s been wearing this season.

[El maestro]

On 5/23/2019 at 12:21 AM, Sarahsmile416 said:

To be honest, this entire episode made me uncomfortable. If the contestants were, on the whole, a bit older, I might feel differently, but quite honestly, I thought this was a little too much pressure to put on a bunch of 8-12 year olds.  I have no problem putting kids to the test but putting them in an actual restaurant, putting them in an environment they have never been in just seemed a bit much to me. 

I hate the idea that when a kid cries or pouts, he is deemed a whiner.  That makes me really sad.  My guess is if that if Reid was a girl, it would have been “okay” but since he’s a boy he has to toughen up.  I love that he has shown all the emotion he has and it’s probably taught him to be stronger by the adults supporting him when he is struggling instead of shaming him. 

I have the feeling that Aaron was in the kitchen all the time, checking everything and probably telling the kids what to do.

I can't imagine the same show with teenagers... they would be mean to each other. Kids do not use strategies like adults do (for example, picking contestant considering if they can beat them of not).

[El maestro]

I like Masterchef. I have seen different seasons and different international editions (US, Canada, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay) and you notice some similarities between them.

In the kids' shows the producers do not try to create fake rivalries like they do in the adults' episodes.

In all programs you can see how some of the contestants are shown to be favorites, and they have a lot of camera time,  just to suddenly being dropped just for a bad dish. And you see how some contestants keep going and going even if they don't seem to to really well.

Edited May 29, 2019 by El maestro
spelling

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm not watching the adult version anymore. I find it mean-spirited and yes, the producers seem to try to create rivalries. 

Regarding tonight, the only surprise is that Sadie didn't make the finals. It did seem like the best of tonight made it in, though. 

[Samwise979]

Are we to believe the kids have not seen their mom/dad this whole competition? Are they living alone in the master chef hotel??

I wish Reid had made it instead of Ivy. I like him. Loved that Gordon said he would miss him. 

[Kleav]

18 minutes ago, Samwise979 said:

Are we to believe the kids have not seen their mom/dad this whole competition?

I think Ivy forgot that she was supposed to look shocked when her family walked in.

[jewel21]

I'm so happy Che is in the finale! I just wish Reid could have joined him but I kind of knew all along that was going to be unlikely. 

[defeated]

27 minutes ago, Kleav said:

I think Ivy forgot that she was supposed to look shocked when her family walked in.

We thought so here, too.  I still like Ivy, but her entire run on this season just stinks. 

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, Samwise979 said:

Are we to believe the kids have not seen their mom/dad this whole competition? Are they living alone in the master chef hotel??

It’s typically just one guardian who is with them so perhaps they hadn’t seen the parent that was there or their siblings. Aaron for instance seemed much more surprised by his sister than his mother.

[jcbrown]

I realized tonight I was hoping for a Reid-Malia-Aaron finale. Alas. At least Sadie was sent home.

[Dbolt]

Did I miss it or did we not get to hear what Sadie and Aaron’s letters said?

[Tatortot]

I recorded the show so I know for a fact that Christina did not try that Veal Schnitzel that Ivy made.   When she went to throw it away no bites were taken.   

[mlp]

I haven't liked pretentious Sadie since the first episode and won't miss her but I still thought that both she and Reid were more deserving of making it to the final three than Ivy.  I wasn't impressed with Malia's biscuits either but she at least has done well throughout the season.  Che kind of lost me when I saw his brother (who I first thought was a girl) wearing a little manbun.  His family and Sadie's ought to get together.

[galaxychaser]

Chi chi is a cute nickname for Che. His brother is Cosimo. Guess the parents liked unusual names. Sadie is too obnoxious for my taste. She seemed happy to see her mom and brother.

I know it’s wrong but I cannot stand Ivy with her ridiculous hair and hats and no showing her cook like others.  If she wins.... I’m done with this fake show.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

Guess the parents liked unusual names.

His dad was Italian Cosimo is an Italian name, I wonder if Che is short for something. 

[mertensia]

In Spanish Che is short for Jose.

Who here was not surprised that Ivy is a finalist?

The fruit should all have been exotic. Guava. Passionfruit. Etc.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, mertensia said:

In Spanish Che is short for Jose.

I meant in his case specifically because his dad was Italian and his brother has an Italian name because “Che” is a word in Italian just not a name. 

[mertensia]

Ah. My guess would be Cesare.

Ah. My guess would be Cesare.

[Thalia]

I've been for Reid and Aaron in the finale ever since Reid won a mystery box and said he'd saved Aaron because "he was the nicest kid in the competition."  In other words, not so much because of what they cooked than for the "they're so cute I could eat them up" factor. 

Did anyone else notice Reid's father laughing inappropriately when Gordon gave Reid a compliment?  Reid looked up at his dad and seemed a little upset.  I suppose it could have been a nervous laugh, but I thought it was an odd moment and wondered why the producers chose to keep that in the show.  

[After7Only]

4 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

I know it’s wrong but I cannot stand Ivy with her ridiculous hair and hats and no showing her cook like others.  If she wins.... I’m done with this fake show.

I love Ivy’s hair.  It is pretty common hairstyle for a Black girl her age and very practical for a reality show where they are prone to dump goo on your head at some point.   (The complexities of styling Black hair by inexperienced tv hairstylists is beyond the scope of this forum) Her hats are no less annoying than Reid’s camouflage hat and pants or Malia’s headband.  I’m pretty sure styling is dictated by production.

I enjoy Ivy.   I don’t think she’s any less deserving than the other kids.  She works well under pressure, has a positive attitude, makes good food  and seems well liked by the other kids.    I don’t think she’ll win (Che and Malia are getting more of a winner edit), butI wouldn’t be mad if she did.   

[Ellee]

Might be my imagination but it seemed like all the kids ‘grew a little taller’ with their family members there.   

Aaron, Reid and Sadie took the outcome well. 

Think my sappy moments are done now for the season. 😄

[Zoe]

Man, every time I see Malia, I think she's the girl from The Time Traveler's Wife.

[El maestro]

I am glad Sadie is gone. I have noticed they cut the “feminist” stuff in the latest episodes probably attempting to make her more likable in case the producers decide she might be a finalist.

When the show started she reminded me of one of those high school students  who hint their teachers that mom or dad know somebody important in the board. 

I am sorry that some of the best cooks already  Jaala and Aaron seemed to be the best contestants.

Edited June 1, 2019 by El maestro

[jcbrown]

3 hours ago, El maestro said:

I am glad Sadie is gone. I have noticed they cut the “feminist” stuff in the latest episodes probably attempting to make her more likable in case the producers decide she might be a finalist.

When the show started she reminded me of one of those high school students  who hint their teachers that mom or dad know somebody important in the board. 

I am sorry that some of the best cooks already  Jaala and Aaron seemed to be the best contestants.

So feminists cant be likeable? I'll make sure to let my husband and friends know.

[Darian]

7 hours ago, jcbrown said:

So feminists cant be likeable? I'll make sure to let my husband and friends know.

Hee, me, too.

Sadie looks so much like my late sister when she was her age that I can't dislike her. And my sister was older than me by a decade (born in 51 and 61 respectively) and politically active before she could even vote with a big, beautiful social conscience. She was always doing something she hoped would make the world better (and she did). Because of her, I was probably like Sadie, identifying as a feminist (not sure how common it was to use the term that far back) and talking politics and wanting to donate my birthday money and volunteer. It stuck, and with Sadie, it seems genuine to me and I hope it is. 

[DoctorK]

10 hours ago, jcbrown said:

So feminists cant be likeable?

There is nothing wrong with being [fill in the blank], but people who feel the need to proselytize and constantly remind everybody that they are [fill in the blank] are annoying. However, I don’t think this is the case with Sadie. I think that this was part of the shtick the producers put together for her so we would all say “Isn’t she so cute and precocious!”, the same way they add hats or bows to “create” memorable characteristics.

[Ellee]

And might I add to the above post — the producers’ shtick doesn’t do any favors to the child. It usually hurts our perception of them. 

[El maestro]

On 5/22/2019 at 6:00 PM, Samwise979 said:

I'm sure in exchange for eating something cooked by amateurs that quite possibly could be raw they all eat for free. Or even get paid like extras on a tv show. 

A relative of mine works with a company which provides extras or members of the audience for tv programs. She has participated in some shows like this.

[El maestro]

On 6/1/2019 at 10:53 AM, DoctorK said:

There is nothing wrong with being [fill in the blank], but people who feel the need to proselytize and constantly remind everybody that they are [fill in the blank] are annoying. However, I don’t think this is the case with Sadie. I think that this was part of the shtick the producers put together for her so we would all say “Isn’t she so cute and precocious!”, the same way they add hats or bows to “create” memorable characteristics.

I remember watching a master chef from other country. Some contestant played the card “In this country Masterchef has never been won by a ________. I am a _________ and I want to be the first ___________ to win Masterchef.” This person won. I know comments are heavily edited and producers make the “right” questions to the contestants. But it was kind of strange seeing the pattern this contestant followed, instead of the typical “I am going to win because I am the best.”

On 6/1/2019 at 12:36 PM, Ellee said:

And might I add to the above post — the producers’ shtick doesn’t do any favors to the child. It usually hurts our perception of them. 

I am also thinking about all the kids who are labeled as “Southern cooks”, they  are supposed to grill and cook hearty food, but if I recall correctly they rarely, if ever, make it to the finals.

[NowVoyager]

Stunning. They really showcased their Japanese/Italian/Afro-Caribbean roots. They put themselves on a plate. Did I say stunning? Stunning. Stunning. Stunning.

[zibnchy]

I liked Che so I'm good with this outcome BUT Malia has been my #1 since episode 1 so I'm also a little bummed. Che seems like a good kid. I'm getting soft tho because I even think his little boy bunned brother is cute.

I held my breath tho because I really felt like the judges, under the guise of their "candid" discussions, were trying to convince the audience that Ivy deserved the win. And no, just no. Tosi, I think, called one of her dishes "sheer perfection." Oh come on!

Massive overuse of the "This isn't perfect... {commercial break}...This is BEYOND perfect!" trope tonight. I counted three.

So when I watch these reality shows I always fast forward thru all the family backstory stuff because I'm a bitter old fart and I don't care. Also it sometimes makes me ugly cry. So I missed that Che's dad is dead? And now his dead dad is proud of him. Well, he's got a bright future ahead.

[whinewithwine]

I'm to the point I just watch to see who uses  UNCTUOUS incorrectly.  The award tonight goes to Gordon.  DRINK x 2.

[Mr. Sparkle]

3 minutes ago, zibnchy said:

Massive overuse of the "This isn't perfect... {commercial break}...This is BEYOND perfect!" trope tonight. I counted three.

I absolutely LOATHE this, and the general suspenseful cut to commercial fake-out they do on this show all the time. 

That said, I enjoyed the finale, and I think they got the winner right this time. 

[jewel21]

I'm so beyond happy Che won!!! He seems like such a sweet kid and his food looked wonderful, especially that desert. The judges may not have liked that pistachio thing on top but I thought it looked lovely on the plate. 

[preeya]

The kids are great, the judges not so much. Can everyone say "OVERLY DRAMATIZED"

Why did they need two hours for this, when one hour was taken up by all the reiterations of the statements right before the breaks?

[preeya]

2 hours ago, whinewithwine said:

I'm to the point I just watch to see who uses  UNCTUOUS incorrectly.  The award tonight goes to Gordon.  DRINK x 2.

When did “unctuous” start having a positive connotation?  Watch any cooking show lately and it’s likely you’ll hear someone describe a dish as “unctuous,” as if that’s a good thing. Many celebrity chefs seem to now use the word to suggest a dish is rich, smooth, or maybe even creamy.”

DailyWritingTips has an entire article on the word "unctuous"  here: https://1clickurls.com/m6Os1b7

Edited June 5, 2019 by preeya

[biakbiak]

14 hours ago, Superclam said:

I absolutely LOATHE this, and the general suspenseful cut to commercial fake-out they do on this show all the time. 

Here is the thing particularly with this show they edit the same beats time and time again so you literally know what’s going to come after the commercial be it praise or criticism so it’s extra annoying.

Edited June 5, 2019 by biakbiak

[Emkat]

Is Che's dad dead?! How did I miss that?

[Ellee]

Congratulations to Che, Malia and Ivy!

It was nice to see some of the kids that returned.  One could see how they truly became friends. 

[Rammchick]

I fast forwarded through all of it until the tasting of the 3 courses.  The amount of praise the judges were throwing left and right was nauseating.  I was waiting for one of them to orgasm.  Really?  Over a piece of hangar steak?

Anyway, when Gordon said the competition was going on for months, I had to laugh.  Felt like years to me.

[jewel21]

16 hours ago, preeya said:

When did “unctuous” start having a positive connotation?  Watch any cooking show lately and it’s likely you’ll hear someone describe a dish as “unctuous,” as if that’s a good thing. Many celebrity chefs seem to now use the word to suggest a dish is rich, smooth, or maybe even creamy.”

DailyWritingTips has an entire article on the word "unctuous"  here: https://1clickurls.com/m6Os1b7

I worked at a Duncan Donuts ages ago and when the Dunkacchino came out one for the words used to describe it was unctuous and that was back in like 2000-2005?

[OoogleEyes]

I wasn't able to watch live last night, and I didn't feel like sitting through 2 hours of screaming nonsense to watch On Demand, so thanks, Primetimer Pals!

 I really hope they get rid of the schtick for next season,  but who am I kidding?That's Gordon Ramsay on a plate 

[mlp]

I was pleased that Che won and would also have been happy for Malia.  It seemed clear that Ivy was third but I was still holding my breath during the usual dragged out announcement because I thought they would give it to her anyway.

Does anyone know what happened to Che's father? 

Aaron's tattooed hands are just gross.  Every time they showed a close up of his hands touching food, I recoiled.  Bleccch.

I kept looking for Reid among the kids but didn't see him.  I guess he didn't get back for the finale.  

[theatremouse]

I am a vegetarian, so I may be showing my own ignorance here but when they were talking about how difficult the hangar steak is because you have to sear it and then let it rest...is that not...just....cooking meat? Or at least...pretty much any kind of steak? 

[LennieBriscoe]

Let's get something straight, guys, yeah? The restaurant-worthy decision was.......................................

stunning and amazing!

The one thing I would have done differently is, you didn't need all those soggy and unrefined commercials; they didn't go with the rest of the Finale. 

But Che seared his competitors to a nice char, so overall, great job, Show!

Seasoned perfectly!

Edited June 6, 2019 by LennieBriscoe

[Dittohead]

At one point while Che was cooking something very hot and was clearly trying to concentrate on what he was doing, Aaron stood there across from him, babbling on and on about something inane.   Che burnt himself, and Aaron just kept babbling.  Che was polite about it, but if it had been me, I know I would have blurted out  a few expletives. 

As for "unctuous," in Catholic tradition there was a sacrament called "Extreme Unction" which was an anointing of oil by a priest for someone whose death was imminent.  So it's a bad choice of words when trying to describe something tasty or pleasant.

[DEL901]

When reviewing the dishes and talking about how hard it all was, for Ivy's dessert, Gordon said something like, "First she had to heat the caramel up and then let it cool off" and then he just trailed off... maybe realizing that didn't sound all that hard.

I was sure, because of this, the fix was in.  I'm okay with Che winning.  He seems like a good kid.

But, boy, was it ever obvious that most of the dishes were planned by someone else.  None of the kids could really articulate, in a manner that didn't sound like they were repeating something they'd memorized, what their dishes were all about.  Or why some of them were doing dishes that they clearly hadn't even tasted before, let alone made.