S19.E04: Dopplegangers

[Norma Desmond]

I looove Jackson! Hope he goes far!

[Rai]

7 hours ago, Leeds said:

I agree, but as you say, an experienced chef or home cook knows when they're headed in the right direction, but I would still maintain that they need to be able to taste to get to the best end result.  Ingredients from fruits and vegetable to spices and proteins vary by batch/climate/age/purveyor to the soil they were grown in.

I don't mean to wang on about this, but I just find something a little hinky about Jackson's "story".

 

I agree that one needs to be able to taste to get the best end result. Still doesn't mean he can't get something tasty together. I mean, many, many restaurant dishes are made by line cooks with colds who SHOULDN'T have come into work, but they did, and their taste buds probably aren't up to par either. I wonder what Jackson is like cooking at full strength. Could be even better!

But also, potential manipulation on a reality show? /clutches pearls.

[Mellowyellow]

Jackson side eyeing his quick fire reward was hilarious and the moment of the episode for me. I was thinking the exact same thing!

"But I don't have immunity so did I really win"

🤣🤣🤣

His and Buddha's dish looked and sounded absolutely delicious. That's food that I would love to eat. It was also very telling that Wylie had an initial moment where he wondered if they'd recycled and used the same tuile for both dishes! They looked so similar!

I'm finding lots of personalities to love this season and they can all cook! Love Nick! He just seems like such a nice Uncle type. I really like Luke too. He's quiet, just plods along, takes bad performances in stride and tries his best. I appreciate that more than a loud, obnoxious personality!

Sad to see Robert go but Sarah was not very impressive and I think it was her time.

 

 

[Yeah No]

11 hours ago, Leeds said:

I was about to call foul on Jackson because I truly don't believe a cook can continually make winning dishes without being able to taste or smell, which is what Jackson kept yammering on about in the early episodes.  I don't remember him saying what you say @BlackberryJam, but since I find him kind of smug and pompous, I might have not been paying attention.  It does however beg the question of why the producers (and he) kept highlighting his complete lack of taste and smell if it wasn't true.

I think it was in the previous episode where Jackson said in a talking head that he had gotten his sense of taste back, but not his sense of smell, but that since you need your sense of smell to really taste anything he was still pretty much in the same boat.

I'm not finding him in at all smug and pompous.  He's confident for sure but not overconfident, especially because he's working with a handicap.  I am seeing him more toward the end of quiet and unassuming with a good sense of humor and teamwork.  And it wasn't lost on me when one of the female chefs told him he was underconfident when he should be confident.  

I've been rooting for him ever since I found out about his Covid taste/smell loss.  He's a guy with what is basically a handicap that's crushing it in spite of that.  I think he deserves a lot of admiration for that, and probably more than he's gotten so far.

Now this is where I go off into speculation land, but I'm wondering if the reason something feels hinky and amiss about Jackson's story and why it's being highlighted so much by the show is because reality TV just loves a "come from behind" success story.  It might mean that he goes far because they just love that wow factor of someone that can fight the odds and come out on top.  I really don't see any reason to suspect foul play or misleading the audience.  As far as I know, that's not really Top Chef's style and I see no reason based on what we've seen of him to think he's lying about that either.

Re: Wylie, I wouldn't have recognized him at all.  Not only is the hair different but he appears to have lost some weight too.

[Corgi-ears]

17 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Now this is where I go off into speculation land, but I'm wondering if the reason something feels hinky and amiss about Jackson's story and why it's being highlighted so much by the show is because reality TV just loves a "come from behind" success story.  It might mean that he goes far because they just love that wow factor of someone that can fight the odds and come out on top.

It's possible that there is just a min-story arc going on, one that culminates in a few weeks when the show has one of their quickfire challenges in which the chefs are blindfolded and have to taste and smell and identify ingredients, DUN DUN DUN!

[Yeah No]

1 minute ago, Corgi-ears said:

It's possible that there is just a min-story arc going on, one that culminates in a few weeks when the show has one of their quickfire challenges in which the chefs are blindfolded and have to taste and smell and identify ingredients, DUN DUN DUN!

Wow, you never know that could happen.  Yikes.  Although I always saw that as a Gordon Ramsay thing.  I'm forgetting if I ever saw that on Top Chef.

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, Corgi-ears said:

It's possible that there is just a min-story arc going on, one that culminates in a few weeks when the show has one of their quickfire challenges in which the chefs are blindfolded and have to taste and smell and identify ingredients, DUN DUN DUN!

That's one of my favorite recurring QF challenges, because it always blows me away how many acclaimed chefs cannot identify even common ingredients once sight is taken away.  When it's included in a season, it seems like it comes fairly early on the competition, so if they're aiming for a big "Jackson can barely taste or smell, and now he can't see" moment, it should be coming soon.

[emmawoodhouse]

21 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Wow, you never know that could happen.  Yikes.  Although I always saw that as a Gordon Ramsay thing.  I'm forgetting if I ever saw that on Top Chef.

It's been done several times on Top Chef.

[Yeah No]

2 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

It's been done several times on Top Chef.

I know but I didn't recall seeing it otherwise I might have thought of that as being what does him in.  I'm old and of course memory is the first thing to go.

I do remember posting in a previous episode thread that I thought the show was either leading us up to a spectacular win or spectacular fail with Jackson.  I also posited the possibility of him being backed into a corner and feeling forced to admit his disability to the judges.  That's always a possibility.  But he fails it in a quickfire it may not come to that.  Plus on "Hell's Kitchen" it always amazes me how many chefs completely fail that blindfold challenge even though they can taste.  So even if he does fail that it may not result in that DUH DUH DUH moment.

[South]

I had the teeniest case of Omicron in January.  Only a tiny fever for 6 days and a slight scratchy throat for a day.  I would never have known if not for the at-home test I purchased using leftover FSA bucks.  However towards the end, my senses of taste and smell were gone.  They are still not great, but not crap, either.  I can smell roasted garlic, but not freshly chopped garlic. I can taste fresh garlic but I don’t like it now, though it used to be a mainstay in my kitchen.  So I can understand the spot that Jackson is in.  I don’t find him to be suspect at all.  In his first aside on the first episode, I thought “what a dick”.  Who wouldn’t let the issue be known?!?!  But upon some thought, I get it.  Throw in the producer driven jive…?  I find him a little goofy in a restrained, slightly formal way.

 

[South]

Oh!  I forgot Wylie!  He looks like his own younger, cuter, trimmer and more healthy brother.  Good on ya ,friend.

[TOL]

I thought for sure Jackson was a goner when he didn’t win immunity for his Quickfire and made that  “did I really win” remark.  Add that to his deliberately choosing the perceived weakest chef and another aside where he admitted he was nervous and I was sadly anticipating him packing his knives.  I was thrilled when they won and they were gorgeous dishes.

I loved this challenge!  I don’t know how they all pulled it off!  I loved that they managed without foams and other dated Wylie-inspired tricks of old.  I’d be down with seeing this challenge repeated every season.  
 

in general, I’m really enjoying this season. There’s no one I’m actively rooting against (yet) and they all seem agreeable and competent.   
(slightly off topic but the same goes for this latest season of Survivor.  Maybe casting is finally getting a clue that it’s exhausting to watch a love-to-hate personality)

[Cotypubby]

On 3/25/2022 at 9:20 AM, jackjill89 said:

That being said, I won't be happy if the chef who can't smell or taste wins this year. While I guess that is the ultimate challenge, it irks me for some reason.

I think that would actually be really cool. That shows just how great of a chef he actually is and how knowledgeable he is about flavor profiles, that he is constantly on the top and winning when he can’t even properly taste the food!

[carrps]

13 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

This reminded me a little of the "Dessert Imposters" challenge they do every season on Kids Baking Championship--only on a way higher level.  A lot of fun and a showcase for creativity.

I completely forgot that I was going to mention this, too. It's my favorite episode on that show, and some of those kids do amazing things.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 3/26/2022 at 9:07 AM, TOL said:

I thought for sure Jackson was a goner when he didn’t win immunity for his Quickfire and made that  “did I really win” remark.  Add that to his deliberately choosing the perceived weakest chef and another aside where he admitted he was nervous and I was sadly anticipating him packing his knives.   Maybe casting is finally getting a clue that it’s exhausting to watch a love-to-hate personality)

I tend to doubt anybody thinks of Buddha as the weakest chef on this episode, in general. He just knows relatively little about making biscuits so his was relatively low (in a challenge where it seemed like even the "bad" biscuits were pretty deece.)

Plus, the skill set required for the elimination challenge was seemingly right in Buddha's wheelhouse because it centered around creativity and plating. I'm thinking that he'd be the first pick of most of the chefs. 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Chicago Redshirt

[bosawks]

Loved Jae’s “I know how to fry chicken.  Fuck the biscuit!”

[bravofan27]

I thought the biscuit challenge was filling. Maybe it would have been better if they just made a biscuit instead of all the other stuff. At first I was into it, but after the third heavy biscuit with chicken +my stomach started churning. I felt Padma when she begged for a salad.

The Wylie competion, IMO, was very hard and confusing. I don't really see why cooking something delcious and tasty in a decieving presentation is interesting. I'm eating shrimp and it looks like ice cream! Yea! But really, yuck!

And those plates that they brought out to introduce the challenge looked questionable at best. Indistingishable, strangly shaped, weird textures... it's interesting but who wants to eat something that looks like a hamburger, but is really cake? Don't get it.

All in all, this challenge was HARD. I would have had no idea what to do except use food coloring, starch or xanthum gum which makes me sort of feel sick.

[PhoneCop]

I wonder if Buddha was at a slight disadvantage in the Quickfire—does Australia have anything directly comparable to American biscuits? Google says there are "toaster biscuits," but they're more like crumpets. But otherwise, I think he might be one of the stronger contenders, along with Damarr and now Jackson. 

So far, Jae strikes me as more middle-of-the-pack, but if they could keep her around the rest of the season for her talking heads, that'd be great.

[Leeds]

36 minutes ago, PhoneCop said:

I wonder if Buddha was at a slight disadvantage in the Quickfire—does Australia have anything directly comparable to American biscuits? Google says there are "toaster biscuits," but they're more like crumpets. But otherwise, I think he might be one of the stronger contenders, along with Damarr and now Jackson. 

 

You just have to think of them as plain/savoury scones.  (I still remember my brother's bemusement at seeing "biscuits and gravy" on a menu when he visited me in the States, and subsequent complete horror when he saw them served to a neighbouring table.)

[Colorado David]

Not to stray a lot here, but Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters has passed. I always enjoyed their episode, where the contestants had to do thanksgiving dinners outta microwaves and like 1 oven.  Wasn't Taylor the one who said something about the dessert? I can't recall it now, but it seemed pretty funny.

[mlp]

14 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I'm not finding him in at all smug and pompous.  He's confident for sure but not overconfident, especially because he's working with a handicap.  I am seeing him more toward the end of quiet and unassuming with a good sense of humor and teamwork. 

Agreed.  Jackson has been my favorite since the first episode.  I'm sure the judges all know about his taste/smell problem.  Obviously, the camera crews and producers know.  I'm sure that got back to Tom et al.  If anything, that should make them even more impressed with his winning dishes.

I kept trying to figure out Buddha's unusual accent so I finally looked him up.  Chinese descent, grew up in Australia, lived in London.  I enjoy hearing him talk.

 

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, Colorado David said:

Not to stray a lot here, but Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters has passed. I always enjoyed their episode, where the contestants had to do thanksgiving dinners outta microwaves and like 1 oven.  Wasn't Taylor the one who said something about the dessert? I can't recall it now, but it seemed pretty funny.

I'm so saddened by Taylor's passing. 😔 I posted a video link earlier to the FF appearance on TC over in The Stew Room forum. Here's a link to the post. 

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/1557-past-seasons-talk-the-stew-room/?do=findComment&comment=7364600

 

[grandmabegum]

2 hours ago, Colorado David said:

Not to stray a lot here, but Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters has passed. I always enjoyed their episode, where the contestants had to do thanksgiving dinners outta microwaves and like 1 oven.  Wasn't Taylor the one who said something about the dessert? I can't recall it now, but it seemed pretty funny.

Per a meme that showed up on my Twitter feed, he called the parfait a barfait.

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I kept trying to figure out Buddha's unusual accent so I finally looked him up.  Chinese descent, grew up in Australia, lived in London.  I enjoy hearing him talk.

Yes, me too.  There's something about Buddha, from his name to his accent to the way he carries himself that just fascinates me no end.

[rhofmovalley]

6 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

Indistingishable, strangly shaped, weird textures... it's interesting but who wants to eat something that looks like a hamburger, but is really cake? Don't get it.

Disneyworld has something called "Frushi" which looks like sushi but it's made of fruit.  Everyone raves about it, but I think it sounds icky.

A friend of mine's dad was visiting from Oklahoma.  He told his dad the wasabi was avocado.  His dad took a big old bite and nearly choked to death.  Not funny.

[bravofan27]

11 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

Disneyworld has something called "Frushi" which looks like sushi but it's made of fruit.  Everyone raves about it, but I think it sounds icky.

A friend of mine's dad was visiting from Oklahoma.  He told his dad the wasabi was avocado.  His dad took a big old bite and nearly choked to death.  Not funny.

Frushi sounds strange and I would be pissed if I ordered sushi and it ended up just looking like sushi but was really just creatively sliced/ prepared and plated fruit. To tell someone that wasabi was avocado is pretty cruel-- you can only take a very very tiny bit of wasabi, and even then it packs a punch. 

It's kind of weird that they just put plates in front of people and told them to eat. A little too experimental for my liking. Please tell me what I'm eating-- especially if it is something different than how it looks.

Again- why are we tricking people with food? What is the point of making delicious awesome food that looks like something else or doesn't look like anything? 

Edited March 27, 2022 by bravofan27

[sharifa70]

The challenge wasn’t to make fish look like cake or vice versa, or whatever other illusion. The challenge was to make two identical-looking dishes that had different flavor profiles. A couple of them took the hidden-food route because of their dish choices (the scallops, for example, or the ice cream sandwich), but most of those dishes served out of context (just Buddha’s dessert or just Robert’s panna cotta, for example) would have just been interesting presentations. It’s not like the judges were meant to cut into a wedding cake only to find a meatloaf instead or something.

Based on the judges’ comments I really wanted to try Buddha’s dish. 

[rhofmovalley]

Yeah, they told the judges what they were getting.  Nothing was a surprise except the initial tasting of Wylie's dishes.

As for the Disney World "frushi", people know they're getting fruit.  But I think it's silly and gimmicky.  Although interestingly, there is a vegan sushi place in my city.  Obviously no actual fish.  However, that bothers me less because there actually is sushi that doesn't include real fish (such as California roll which uses imitation crab).

[Colorado David]

24 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

Yeah, they told the judges what they were getting.  Nothing was a surprise except the initial tasting of Wylie's dishes.

As for the Disney World "frushi", people know they're getting fruit.  But I think it's silly and gimmicky.  Although interestingly, there is a vegan sushi place in my city.  Obviously no actual fish.  However, that bothers me less because there actually is sushi that doesn't include real fish (such as California roll which uses imitation crab).

Isn't imitation crab made of fish? The kind I buy is - great for fake crab salad. yum.

[sharifa70]

23 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

Isn't imitation crab made of fish? The kind I buy is - great for fake crab salad. yum.

Yes, it’s made from pollock or some other firm-fleshed white fish. I live in Dungeness crab country and cannot make myself eat “krab.” 

50 minutes ago, rhofmovalley said:

Nothing was a surprise except the initial tasting of Wylie's dishes.

I loved the “how are you a professional chef with that palate?” responses from the ones who tasted the opposite dishes. This was a fun challenge!

[seltzer3]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:00 AM, Fukui San said:

This was a good way to incorporate the avant garde style of food represented by Wylie Dufresne without requiring each chef to use molecular gastronomy techniques. It reminded me of a Top Chef Masters challenge in which they went to the Magic Castle and each was assigned a word for inspiration like "Surprise" and "Mystery" and "Illusion". One chef who said she didn't do fancy food did a fake scallop. She cut a daikon radish into a scallop shape and hollowed it out, stuffing it with a blood red beef tartare. Dufresne might have been a judge on that episode too, I don't remember. But it's an example of unusually presented food done made without special tricks.

I was thinking about what I'd propose to make for this. I think what I'd propose would be to have one dish be traditional seafood dishes: Raw oyster on the half shell with toppings and a batter fried scallop on a scallop shell. The presentation they do with the shells balanced on a mound of rock salt.

Then do desserts which mimic them in the seafood presentation. A panna cotta in the oyster shell. I think maybe coffee might lend the right color. Then a fried banana slice on the scallop shell.

I think Jackson halfway admitted to Buddha that his sense of taste isn't there. "Tasting's not my thing right now." I don't even know how you make tuiles in that precise shape. A squeeze bottle? A stencil? They were so perfectly shaped and there were so many of them.

I'm trying to figure out how they made those petals!

Like the only thing I could think of is maybe they had molds.  But who would just randomly bring a flower petal mold to the competition.

The other thing is that maybe because Buddha was from Malaysia, he's made a ton of Roti Canai (specialized pancakes), using a squeeze bottle.  But dude needs to have ridiculously steady hands.

 

 

[Josiemae]

Great Elimination Challenge! I also loved the simplicity of letting the cooks cook in an open kitchen on a closed set without mascots. 

[meep.meep]

On 3/26/2022 at 3:19 AM, South said:

Oh!  I forgot Wylie!  He looks like his own younger, cuter, trimmer and more healthy brother.  Good on ya ,friend.

We said to each other - must have got a girlfriend.

[sATL]

RE: the biscuits - 

I like the challenge because it is sometimes the simple and/or the regional dishes/dish, under a time clock, that trips people up and they forget the basics. And the chef contestants tend to have the first claim mantra " I don't bake", and some/most are so high on the career ladder, they have gotten rusty on the small stuff.  Well, lets keep it simple and make a single biscuit and see what happens (ie one person tries to do a "save" and puts in the deep fryer).

I kinda see it  as if they were in like New Orléans and asked to make Beignets, you're in new England make chowder, you're in Cincinnati - make chili, and since by looking at my poster name - if you're in GA - do a little something with peaches. I think there was an past QF with wylie back in the day where they had to make a egg dish.  Its almost like the quick fire-relay that Tom does where each person does precision cuts - testing the simple.

I also like the EC.  I think it was good learning and cooking experience - pay attention to visual details.

Edited March 27, 2022 by sATL

[sATL]

22 hours ago, ProudMary said:

I'm so saddened by Taylor's passing. 😔 I posted a video link earlier to the FF appearance on TC over in The Stew Room forum. Here's a link to the post. 

https://forums.primetimer.Tom/topic/1557-past-seasons-talk-the-stew-room/?do=findComment&comment=7364600

 

To only be 50 was a shock... It is getting pretty sad to hear those we have seen come through on the years on TC forever gone... 

Edited March 27, 2022 by sATL

[sATL]

On 3/26/2022 at 3:20 PM, bravofan27 said:

And those plates that they brought out to introduce the challenge looked questionable at best. Indistingishable, strangly shaped, weird textures... it's interesting but who wants to eat something that looks like a hamburger, but is really cake? Don't get it.

Just had a vision of an old Cake Boss episode that popped in my head... It was a pizza  - so big that they had to carry it though a storefront  window.

Edited March 28, 2022 by sATL

[mlp]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

We said to each other - must have got a girlfriend.

I doubt it.  Wylie is married to Maile Carpenter, the editor of FN Magazine.  She sometimes references him in her column.  

[rhofmovalley]

3 hours ago, Colorado David said:

Isn't imitation crab made of fish? The kind I buy is - great for fake crab salad. yum.

I've seen it made with non-animal ingredients. I should have been more specific.

I remember years ago when I worked in food service and a coworker was cutting up something called "seafood". I asked her what it was and she said "seafood". And I asked "what's it made of?" I still remember the confused look on her face lol.

[caitmcg]

11 hours ago, rhofmovalley said:

Although interestingly, there is a vegan sushi place in my city.  Obviously no actual fish.  However, that bothers me less because there actually is sushi that doesn't include real fish (such as California roll which uses imitation crab)

Sushi actually refers to the vinegared rice, and there is certainly genuine Japanese vegetarian nigiri sushi topped with vegetables, or tamago sushi topped with omelet. That’s also the distinction between sushi and sashimi, the latter being raw fish but without rice.

10 hours ago, seltzer3 said:

I'm trying to figure out how they made those petals!

I assume they drew (or one of them has) a template, and they used squeeze bottles to trace it with the tuile batters.

[Vermicious Knid]

There's kosher 'shrimp' that's made out of fish.

[grandmabegum]

12 hours ago, sATL said:

Just had a vision of an old Cake Boss episode that popped in my head... It was a pizza  - so big that they had to carry it though a storefront  window.

I chuckled cause during my insomnia last night I watched "Is It Cake?" on Netflix and the first challenge was make a cake shaped like a fast food item. That was just the first episode -- the rest varied: there was a shopping one, beach one, kids party one, etc. Of course while they are introducing the bakers they show things they've baked before and it ran the gamut. Food items that we're not cake was up there. It never surprises me what people want cakes shaped into.

[Fukui San]

Something that just occurred to me. The producers obviously know about Jackson's lack of taste and smell because of the confessionals. We don't know whether or not the judges know or not. They haven't commented about it as of yet. It'll be interesting to see the reactions from everyone once it comes out.

On 3/26/2022 at 7:12 PM, bravofan27 said:

Again- why are we tricking people with food? What is the point of making delicious awesome food that looks like something else or doesn't look like anything? 

It's a fun test of skill? Why not? The judges had a delightful time with the food, which was great tasting by all accounts with the additional fun of the illusion.

[Yeah No]

55 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

Something that just occurred to me. The producers obviously know about Jackson's lack of taste and smell because of the confessionals. We don't know whether or not the judges know or not. They haven't commented about it as of yet. It'll be interesting to see the reactions from everyone once it comes out.

It would be interesting if any of the producers knew  beforehand or found out but didn't tell the judges.  I could imagine they might do that for the drama factor and not to influence the judges' assessment of his food.

That's assuming they film the talking heads in real time after each episode.  If they were done toward the end of the season maybe no one knew yet.

I'd wonder, though, why Jackson would reveal it to the camera crew if nobody knew yet.  Why would he run the risk of the judges finding out that way?  Because of that I would imagine that either the talking heads were filmed at the end of the season after it already came out or that the producers knew beforehand but didn't tell the judges so as not so bias them in any way AND the camera crew was told not to tell them!

Edited March 28, 2022 by Yeah No

[sharifa70]

20 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

That's assuming they film the talking heads in real time after each episode.  If they were done toward the end of the season maybe no one knew yet.

I think the talking heads are filmed at the end, just because I’ve seen them wearing the same outfits/hairstyles in LCK as well as main episode interviews. 

[grandmabegum]

26 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I'd wonder, though, why Jackson would reveal it to the camera crew if nobody knew yet.  Why would he run the risk of the judges finding out that way?  Because of that I would imagine that either the talking heads were filmed at the end of the season after it already came out or that the producers knew beforehand but didn't tell the judges so as not so bias them in any way AND the camera crew was told not to tell them!

The Producers definitely know. They're the ones who ask the questions prompting the talking heads. I'm sure they knew before they cast him. The camera crew, sound crew, editors, etc probably all know as this is a huge part of Jackson's storyline, so they watch out for sound clips and shots during the cooking phase to highlight this.

As for the judges, probably? They're producers, too, how involved they get I don't know.

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

I think the talking heads are filmed at the end, just because I’ve seen them wearing the same outfits/hairstyles in LCK as well as main episode interviews. 

That's what I think but I've seen unverified stuff online to indicate otherwise from people who say they're involved in the show.  

7 hours ago, grandmabegum said:

The Producers definitely know. They're the ones who ask the questions prompting the talking heads. I'm sure they knew before they cast him. The camera crew, sound crew, editors, etc probably all know as this is a huge part of Jackson's storyline, so they watch out for sound clips and shots during the cooking phase to highlight this.

As for the judges, probably? They're producers, too, how involved they get I don't know.

Yeah, that's the big question.  How much did the judges know during filming?  If they find out and act shocked onscreen at some point should we assume they didn't know or will they be "acting"?

There's also the fact that Jackson said he hadn't told anyone yet.  Did he just mean the other chefs or the judges too?  I would think the judges would have said something to indicate they knew on screen by now if they did.

I wonder if we'll ever find out the truth.  I hope so!

[grandmabegum]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Yeah, that's the big question.  How much did the judges know during filming?  If they find out and act shocked onscreen at some point should we assume they didn't know or will they be "acting"?

"Acting." LOL. I'm just trying to think if any of the judges asked him "did you taste your dish?" this season.

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

There's also the fact that Jackson said he hadn't told anyone yet.  Did he just mean the other chefs or the judges too?  I would think the judges would have said something to indicate they knew on screen by now if they did.

I took it as the other chefs. I thought he mentioned in a talking head that he didn't want to reveal that he had a weakness that they might be able to exploit. I don't think he said this, but I'd also imagine if the other chefs knew he couldn't smell and taste well they'd be hesitant to work with him on challenges.

I don't think he'd have any opportunity to talk to the judges about it. From a story telling POV it's much better if they didn't know and can "act" shocked or surprised. Part of me thinks that he will ace the blind taste test and everyone else fails, he breaks down crying and the judges question why and he says it then -- this is pure speculation.

[Bastet]

When the judges used to post blog entries on Bravo's website after each episode, there was a shit ton they didn't know until seeing the episodes - basically everything that happened outside of their presence barring unusual circumstances like production letting Tom in on what went down at the house when Marcel was attacked.  Since we've never seen Jackson disclose to the judges, or even to the other cheftestants who might then in some context bring it up in front of the judges, I have no reason to think they know about the lingering smell/taste issues he's experiencing. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Bastet

[Colorado David]

14 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Yeah, that's the big question.  How much did the judges know during filming?  If they find out and act shocked onscreen at some point should we assume they didn't know or will they be "acting"?

 

I would assume coming on the show, they sign some kind of contract/agreement, and I'm certain they must have to disclose any conditions they have, ie allergies, disabilities requiring extra care, anything possibly communicable as they are handling food. One would think Covid would fall somewhere in those parameters.

[bravofan27]

On 3/28/2022 at 10:36 AM, Fukui San said:

 

It's a fun test of skill? Why not? The judges had a delightful time with the food, which was great tasting by all accounts with the additional fun of the illusion.

But I don't get what the skill is. Also, I thought the dishes that came out that Whylie made or comissioned looked gross, and watching him tie that peanut paste and the other paste into a bow looked like chicken nugget product. It just grossed me out. I thought it was really hard and I still don't see why making food look the same but taste completely different is interesting from a fine dining standpoint. I'm super happy you enjoyed it but it was my least favorite challenge.

Also, disapointed that the guy that lost blamed Sarah and talked shit about her  in the LCK. What a pissy sore loser. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by bravofan27