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S12.E02: Biscuit Week

Athena

By Athena
in The Great British Bake Off

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Suzn

Suzn

(edited)
53 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

So true!  While there were difficult recipes and some I would never try, they were still within the realm of possiblity for me.  Or at least something I might like to do for a special occasion.  But a mechanical cake is just nonsensical. 

It changes a delightful, charming program into one of those horrible idiotic Food Network shows where they have to make an entree out of gummy bears, beef tongue, and kumquats.

A mechanical cake is not about baking skills at all.  I find those kind of challenges tiresome.  I don't need or want to see gimmicks.

2 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

That's it! I feel that Mel and Sue were very good at this, at being spontaneously funny while interacting with the bakers. Noel can do it as well. But yes, everything about Matt seems planned, forced and fairly shallow (as far as getting to know the bakers in their interactions). 

I would also have liked to see Prue and Mary as co-judges. I don't care how blue his eyes are, I just don't care for Paul at all. Probably why I'm still bitter about the change. Of the original four Paul Hollywood was the only one I wouldn't have minded seeing go away and he's the only one who stayed. That's pretty much how my life works. lol

I find Noel creepy and I've never gotten used to him or found him funny.  I don't dislike Matt, but his bits are lame, like singing the Flintstone theme in German.  I was never a big fan of Mel and Sue, but most of the time they fit in well.

Paul's massive ego seems to be growing bigger and more cumbersome with every season.  He just knows everything and for things that are a matter of individual taste, his preferences are right.

On a positive note, I like this group of bakers, particularly Jurgen and Giuseppe.  They are amazing.  Crystelle and Freya are quite good too.  I think Maggie is a good baker for basic and classic things, but may be out of her depth here.

Edited by Suzn
  • Love 13
Quilt Fairy

Quilt Fairy

3 hours ago, laredhead said:

PaulaO, the carpenter/builder baker's name was Richard, and it was from the 2014 season.  He and Nancy both made windmills.  Hers was the one from the Moulin Rouge.  I like that season a lot, and wanted all 3 of the finalists to be able to win.

Didn't Richard make the Pirates! one?  I loved that one. 

  • Love 1
Deskisamess

Deskisamess

I loved Noel his first 2 seasons, and I liked him and Sandy together for the most part. He was more encouraging then I think. Now he just seems to wander around and talk talk talk. 

Love Matt, but not here. He looks lost and out of his element.

Something about Lizzie rubs me wrong, I hope she goes home soon. Watching HP instead of doing a practice showstopper seems disrespectful and arrogant.

Some of the charm has gone out of the show I think. Bakes like the showstopper on this episode are why. I want to see them bake stuff that home bakers want to try and do. Fancy unusual stuff. Not build with gingerbread. How about an entire season with NO gingerbread?

  • Love 6
humbleopinion

humbleopinion

Having binged the previous 4 seasons the past weeks, hearing the voices of some of this season’s crew versus the soothing tones of casts past is quite jarring and sound  like fingernails on a chalkboard with screeching cats yowling.

Watching 40 episodes in succession means I’ve finally gotten accustomed to Noel( his changing hairdos does not hide his giant face)and while Sandi was an okay sidekick, their shtick got old and their openings got too elaborate, ridiculous and annoying.

Matt is a doughy man baby…benign.

Be Simple and punny, give us gentle Brit humour.
 

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sally-can-wait

sally-can-wait

On 10/1/2021 at 10:45 AM, Mabinogia said:

If Juergen weren't already hands down my favorite, that would have done it. Such a sweet moment on his part. 

I hate these over the top challenges. I miss seeing simple but beautiful work. Even the best of the showstoppers this round was just okay. it doesn't surprise me at all that the nicest ones were the simplest in structure and "moving bits"

And I really, really wish Freya didn't have that damned vocal affect because I quite like her, but that voice is worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. 

I am happy that I don't really dislike any of the bakers. That said, other than Juergen, I don't love any of them either. They are just there. I still miss what this show used to be. 

Whenever I hear Freya speak all I can think of is Anna Kendrick’s British impression.

 

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cynicat

cynicat

19 hours ago, Suzn said:

On a positive note, I like this group of bakers, particularly Jurgen and Giuseppe.  They are amazing.  Crystelle and Freya are quite good too.  I think Maggie is a good baker for basic and classic things, but may be out of her depth here.

I like Jürgen and think he's positively adorable.  That being said, my 2 favorites are Crystelle and Giuseppe.  Crystelle does some amazing flavors and I'd like to see how that plays out.

  • Love 12
sugarbaker design

sugarbaker design

22 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I am apparently an old lady now because I do prefer Mel and Sue's gentler more supportive role to Noel and Matt's more attention seeking, look how fun and silly we are vibe. 

That makes me an old lady too!  I much prefer Mel and Sue's way of doing things over these two buffoons.  Mel and Sue were also funny, just in a much more subtle way.  

  • Love 16
humbleopinion

humbleopinion

Paul is being the meanie, the harsh treatment is just getting the audience ready for when the hammer eventually comes down on Maggie.

While she must be a good home baker and passed all the auditions and interviews she is clearly is not doing her best because of the pressure of the tent, the cameras, the need for speed and the frustration of not doing her best.

She is not the only one cracking under the stress but she represents all our beloved grey haired Nans and to see her well up and get teary eyed, tugs at our heart strings more than the others cast members.

 

  • Love 6
Cetacean

Cetacean

28 minutes ago, Deskisamess said:

It does seem a bit of an act. But I thought Candice was aiming for a job in front of the cameras too. Her baking in 4 inch heels was weird to me. Who does that?

Candice got on my last nerve.  All that exaggerated lip pursing.

I put Lizzie in the same category.  Affectations for attention.  She is clearly not taking this seriously if she's skipping practice sessions to watch a movie she's probably seen umpteen times.  And it's not like she's leading the pack and can afford to slack off.

  • Love 5
skipnjump

skipnjump

3 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Paul is being the meanie, the harsh treatment is just getting the audience ready for when the hammer eventually comes down on Maggie.

While she must be a good home baker and passed all the auditions and interviews she is clearly is not doing her best because of the pressure of the tent, the cameras, the need for speed and the frustration of not doing her best

 

It seems like they've really reduced the time to complete the activities.  When the bulk of the bakers are throwing stuff together, that's not a good thing.

  • Love 9
humbleopinion

humbleopinion

17 minutes ago, skipnjump said:

It seems like they've really reduced the time to complete the activities.  When the bulk of the bakers are throwing stuff together, that's not a good thing.

Agreed.
Boo on the bakers who don’t play to their strengths…Juergen will never come to the tent unprepared but will always be very disciplined with a plan and with time management. Technicals will be interesting if they are far out of his wheel house.

Nothing worse than slapped together, burnt, slopped on royal icing when you see the intricate finishing decorating skills of a past baker like Kim-Joy.

  • Love 7
libgirl2

libgirl2

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

Candice got on my last nerve.  All that exaggerated lip pursing.

I put Lizzie in the same category.  Affectations for attention.  She is clearly not taking this seriously if she's skipping practice sessions to watch a movie she's probably seen umpteen times.  And it's not like she's leading the pack and can afford to slack off.

I never liked Candice much. 

  • Love 5
dgpolo

dgpolo

1 minute ago, libgirl2 said:

I never liked Candice much. 

I didn't the first time through but re-runs have shown me her sense of humor and her willingness to help others.

I also am not liking Lizzie much, I'll have to see if that changes on a re-watch.

Loving Jurgen and Giuseppe.

Are they going home between weeks this time? Are any families there with them?

AZChristian

AZChristian

27 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

Are they going home between weeks this time? Are any families there with them?

I don't believe they are going home.  They have spoken in interviews about being in "a bubble" of safety (including the judges, hosts and crew).  And when they asked Lizzie if she had practiced in the tent, she said she had not.  Normally, they ask them if they practiced at home.

Found this article, which seems to confirm they are all stuck together for 6 weeks.

  • Love 4
caitmcg

caitmcg

2 hours ago, skipnjump said:

It seems like they've really reduced the time to complete the activities.  When the bulk of the bakers are throwing stuff together, that's not a good thing.

I’ve rewatched earlier seasons, and two hours for a signature challenge, that or even less for technicals, four hours for a showstopper are all pretty much par for the course, even on bread week, when it’s really crazy rushed given proofing times. This particular crew seems a bit less adept at decorating than some past seasons' contestants, so I’m not surprised that some of it is coming out sloppy looking, even when the bakes taste good.

  • Love 6
Mediocre Gatsby

Mediocre Gatsby

On 10/1/2021 at 2:31 PM, krankydoodle said:

I appreciated how, in time-honored teenage fashion, Amanda's daughter couldn't muster any enthusiasm for learning about her mom's hobby--even while being filmed for tv.

I laughed when her mother corrected her kind of lazy speech leaving the "g" off a word that ended with"-ing")

On 10/3/2021 at 9:31 PM, Phebemarie said:

It looks like a few other viewers thought Paul was a bit too harsh when judging Maggie. 

Criticism is fine, but I don't think that Maggie needed to "try harder." 

Like a few other people said, I'm tired of showstoppers that are just gimmicks. I watch this show to see home bakers produce classic bakes. 

  • Love 9
Ellaria

Ellaria

On 10/3/2021 at 8:31 PM, Deskisamess said:

I loved Noel his first 2 seasons, and I liked him and Sandy together for the most part. He was more encouraging then I think. Now he just seems to wander around and talk talk talk. 

Love Matt, but not here. He looks lost and out of his element...

Some of the charm has gone out of the show I think. Bakes like the showstopper on this episode are why. I want to see them bake stuff that home bakers want to try and do. Fancy unusual stuff. Not build with gingerbread. How about an entire season with NO gingerbread?

Agree on Noel. He is doing a lot of unnecessary talking this season. And there are too many camera close-ups of him. I don't know Matt outside of this show but I find him irritating. IMO, their role as hosts (?) is to narrate/inform, be supportive of the bakers (and avoid meltdowns) and lastly, comic relief. We are getting too much of the latter so far.

I'm not sure what to think about this season's showstoppers. I don't care about an anti-gravity cake or an interactive biscuit. About half of the creations do not look attractive...and when we can't taste them, looks matter. I'm not interested in whether these bakers can create gimmicks with food. I want to see their baking skills and ability to work under pressure. That's why I enjoy the "technical" challenge. I understand that the show wants to include glitz/glamor but these showstoppers are missing the mark for me.

  • Love 8
cardigirl

cardigirl

(edited)

I'm having a difficult time appreciating Lizzie. I'm not entertained by her at all. Every other season I've enjoyed all the contestants, some more than others, but she is someone I cannot wait to have eliminated. And that is not the spirit of the show, or it hasn't been. She is super annoying and will probably end up winning the entire thing just to put me out. 😄

Agree with everyone who said the showstopper biscuit bakes were not necessary. I don't think it shows skill to have them make something mechanical. Oh well, on to Bread week. 

Edited by cardigirl
  • Love 3
lovinbob

lovinbob

On 10/2/2021 at 1:51 PM, akr said:

His didn't strike me as simple at all. Maybe more streamlined than others in their aesthetic (not a lot of delicate icing details), but technically very challenging, and I thought both of them were among the most aesthetically pleasing of the bunch, and that adding icing frills or something would have detracted. It's not as though he just ran out of time and didn't decorate; he spent the time on meticulous construction and polish. I suppose he could have added more icing to the windmill but I preferred it as it was. Most of the others in both weeks were quite messy and amateurish looking. 

(I'm one of those who would prefer that they don't ask them to do construction projects. It's gotten beyond silly. It was one thing when they asked that of the celebrities, who mostly can't bake, but can awkwardly construct something out of cake or sugar cookies and spin a story about it, but when you have people who can bake, I'd prefer that they let them do that. ) 

I completely agree--I have hated the last two showstoppers. So gimmicky, like something from Nailed it or one of those stupid food network challenges. Paul is always complaining about "style over substance," and that's what these challenges invited. Except that almost nobody showed real skill or refinement in their style! It's not a showstopper if it looks like crap. (Although I guess that would stop the show.)

In the Rahul season, they did a showstopper challenge that was really good -- the biscuit self portrait. We learned that Ruby was a marathon runner, that Antony climbed kilamanjaro, and Terry did that fabulous brandysnap sculpture. It was doable, the biscuits looked reasonably edible, and we learned about the bakers. That was a good showstopper challenge. 

I want to watch them make food I want to eat, and this was not it.  

  • Love 17
dgpolo

dgpolo

2 minutes ago, lovinbob said:

I completely agree--I have hated the last two showstoppers. So gimmicky, like something from Nailed it or one of those stupid food network challenges. Paul is always complaining about "style over substance," and that's what these challenges invited. Except that almost nobody showed real skill or refinement in their style! It's not a showstopper if it looks like crap. (Although I guess that would stop the show.)

 

I do agree about the 'style over substance' to harp on about that and then request challenges like this is very hypocritical. I can however imagine the show runners sitting around and saying stuff like : Remember when Nadiya did that soda can? let's have a challenge like that or: That chocolate well that Ian did, let's have them do something interactive.

There's been a few challenges where I can remember one of the contestants doing something like it previously I just don't think they need to keep coming up with something 'new' just go back to basics! it's fine!

  • Love 6
Mabinogia

Mabinogia

9 hours ago, lovinbob said:

fair enough! But if I recall correctly, those challenges were later in the program. It would make a little more sense if they pared off the less skilled bakers, or rather, offered that challenged to bakers who proved that they could bake well in the tent. 

Good point. When they've whittled it down to the top contenders, that is why you bring out the tough challenges. To do it at the beginging when, not only do you have some bakers who probably aren't quite there on skill level but also all the bakers are still adjusting to this very unnatural setting, still trying to learn to work under the stress of the hot lights, the cameras everywhere and most off all two annoying, attention needing toddler men pestering them. Save the big challenges for later show. 

I would rather see these bakers, even the ones who aren't as skilled, be given the chance to shine, given the chance to present something lovely even if it is simple rather than forcing them to do elaborate challenges that end up looking like crap on a plate. 

I absolutely hate seeing things collapse on this show. That is not what I started watching for. Leave the epic fails to Food Network. This show used to feel a lot more nurturing and loving. Now it feels like every other competition show only with a prettier setting and better variety of accents (for me, I love all the different non-US accents).

  • Love 11
Welp

Welp

On 10/3/2021 at 9:31 PM, Phebemarie said:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/great-british-bake-offs-maggie-25121957?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

It looks like a few other viewers thought Paul was a bit too harsh when judging Maggie. 

US viewers note, there is a spoiler for episode 3 in one of the recommended articles that breaks up the text in this one, boo!

  • Useful 1
  • Love 1
Suzn

Suzn

2 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

Good point. When they've whittled it down to the top contenders, that is why you bring out the tough challenges. To do it at the beginging when, not only do you have some bakers who probably aren't quite there on skill level but also all the bakers are still adjusting to this very unnatural setting, still trying to learn to work under the stress of the hot lights, the cameras everywhere and most off all two annoying, attention needing toddler men pestering them. Save the big challenges for later show. 

I would rather see these bakers, even the ones who aren't as skilled, be given the chance to shine, given the chance to present something lovely even if it is simple rather than forcing them to do elaborate challenges that end up looking like crap on a plate. 

I absolutely hate seeing things collapse on this show. That is not what I started watching for. Leave the epic fails to Food Network. This show used to feel a lot more nurturing and loving. Now it feels like every other competition show only with a prettier setting and better variety of accents (for me, I love all the different non-US accents).

I wish you were running the show!  That's the show I used to love.

  • Love 4
Mabinogia

Mabinogia

4 hours ago, h2ogirl said:

Looks like Vanity Fair magazine agrees with us on the gimmicky showstoppers. 

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/10/please-stop-the-great-british-baking-show-from-becoming-the-great-british-science-fair

I would watch the Great British Science Fair in a heartbeat! lol But not if it's hosted by Noel and Matt. I do have my limits. 

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